Posted by:
westernwillows
(
)
Date: July 26, 2020 10:46AM
I got a message on Facebook yesterday from someone I didn't know, but since I own a small business and freelance a bit, this isn't an unusual occurrence. This woman and I had no mutual connections, and her profile showed she lives in a neighboring town. Here's how our conversation went (her name is Emily):
E: Hey westernwillows, I have a random question.
Me: Sure. Ask away.
E: So I've been asking people if they know where your grandparents and great grandparents were from? Where does your family tree trace back to? :))
E: I'm trying to learn about family history!
Me: My family history? Why?
E: Well, I was just curious to know how many people actually know about their own
Me: It seems like a strange question to ask someone you don't know.
E: OK sorry!
The term "family history" is the first thing that sent up a red flag for me. Does anyone outside the Mormon church even use that term?
The other thing that threw me off is "I've been asking people if they know where YOUR grandparents and great grandparents came from." She made it sound like she was interested in me, specifically, rather than family history in general. It came off very stalker-like. Poor choice of language. I would have engaged with her a bit if her question had been worded differently. More general. Because as a good Mormon girl, I did, in fact, research my family history because all Young Women do.
Is this the new way the church is reaching out to people? Everything about the short encounter screams Mormon.