Question Prompts for Writing a Local Unit History

Below is a list of topics and accompanying questions to help generate ideas about events and people you may want to cover in your history. This list is not comprehensive; feel free to cover as many or as few of these topics as necessary. Objective facts are important in a history (who, what, where, etc.) to give context, but remember to also gather personal stories and spiritual experiences from members of your unit.

Organization

• When was the local unit created?
• Which Church leader organized the unit?
• Was it split from another unit? If so, which unit?
• What larger unit was it in at the time of creation? Has it been in any other units since?
• What were the original unit boundaries?
• Have the unit boundaries changed? If so, what changed and when?
• Where did the unit meet when it was organized? What was the address?
• Has the unit meeting place moved since it was organized? If so, where did it move and when? Why did it move?

Baptisms

• Who has been baptized in your unit? Include children and adult converts.
• Where were they baptized—at the church building or in some other venue?
• What special experiences have been associated with baptisms in your unit?

Births and Blessings

• Who was born in your unit? Who was given a baby blessing in your unit?

Bishopric/Branch Presidency

• Who served in the local leadership? Make sure to include the executive secretaries and clerks.
• What themes, concepts, or ideas were emphasized during the tenure of each leader?
• If still living, ask each former leader to share his thoughts and reminiscences about the unit and about his time in that calling.

Callings Outside the Unit

• Who served outside the unit (such as high councilor, stake Primary president, bishop of a singles ward, etc.)?
• Did members of the unit serve in the armed forces?
• Did members of the unit serve as full-time missionaries?

Deceased Members

• Who has died in the unit? What influence did they have on the members?
• Do you have copies of their obituaries or funeral programs?
• If someone died under tragic circumstances, how did this impact the members?

Fast and Testimony Meetings

• Have there been any memorable or significant testimony meetings? If so, what was said and by whom?
• Is there a certain format for testimony meetings such as a roving microphone or always allowing children to take a few minutes at the beginning to bear their testimonies?

Families

• Every unit of the Church contains families, and you can have a section of your unit history devoted to the histories of those families in the ward.
• Remind members that this information could potentially be widely shared and that they should avoid providing information that is inappropriate or that might lead to identity theft.
• Ask individual families to provide the following, if they are comfortable doing so; make sure to get permission before including any personal information:
• When they moved into the unit (and out, if applicable)
• Who was in their family at the time they moved into the unit and how their family changed while they lived there (children born, children married, deceased spouses, etc.)
• Where they lived
• What callings they had
• Special events their family was involved with
• Spiritual experiences their family had while in the unit

Firesides

• Have you had any memorable firesides in your unit? If so, who spoke and what did they speak about? What effect did it have on the members?

Leadership

• An important part of a ward history is compiling who served in leadership positions. If possible, identify the call and release dates for the following:
• The bishopric / unit presidency (include bishop, counselors, executive secretary, clerk)
• Elders quorum presidencies
• High priests group leaders
• Relief Society presidencies
• Sunday School presidencies
• Young Men (M.I.A.) presidencies
• Young Women (M.I.A.) presidencies
• Primary presidencies
• High council members (for stakes)

General Authority Visits

• Have General Authorities of the Church visited your unit? If so, when did they come? What was the purpose of the visit? What was the message they shared? How did the visit affect the members?

Meetinghouses

• Has the unit always met in its current meetinghouse? If not, where did it meet previously?
• If there was a previous meeting place (such as a rental or someone’s home), why did the unit leave it?
• When was the current meetinghouse built and dedicated?
• Who designed and built the meetinghouse? Was it a unique or a standard plan?
• What is the address of the meetinghouse?
• Did the members raise money for the meetinghouse?
• Have there been any additions or changes to the meetinghouse?
• Are there any unique features or characteristics about the building (a special stained glass window, a podium from an older building, a pipe organ brought across the plains, etc.)?
• If the building is no longer owned by the Church, why was its use discontinued? What happened to the old building?
• Was the meetinghouse built with member or missionary labor? If so, are any of those people still around, and do they have memories of the construction?

Missionary Service

• Who are the missionaries that have served from your unit?
• Make sure to include senior missionaries and members serving in special capacities, such as in The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square or at a bishops’ storehouse.
• Where and when did they serve?
• Did you have missionaries serving in your unit?
• What mission covered your unit?
• Did you always have two sisters or two elders?
• Did they visit members’ homes for dinner?
• How did the missionaries influence your members?

Music (see also Unit Choir)

• What was the music like in the unit?
• Did you use an organ or a piano for sacrament meeting?
• Were there favorite hymns in the ward?
• Were there musically talented members who performed?
• Did you have special musical numbers that were particularly memorable?

Challenging Experiences

Unfortunately, some units do experience challenging experiences, such as the death of a child, a natural disaster, or members leaving the Church. When writing about challenging experiences, keep in mind the following:

• The trials of a ward or stake are important to the spiritual growth and history of a people.
• When writing about these sorts of events, be mindful of the privacy and sensitivities of others.
• Make sure to counsel with Church leaders and those involved about how these events are recorded and shared; remember to keep the details appropriate for a Church audience.
• How was the ward affected?
• How did members react?

Primary

• Who served in the presidency?
• Who was in charge of the nursery?
• How many children were in the ward?
• What classes were held?
• Were there favorite songs?
• What kinds of activities were planned?

Prominent Members

• Have there been any members of your ward who have served in stake, area, or Churchwide leadership callings (for example, stake president, stake patriarch, General Authority, Relief Society General President, etc.)?
• Did any members serve in a local, state, or federal government position?
• Did anyone become prominent in sports, entertainment, business, or another field? Who were they, and what did they do? Are there any stories associated with them?

Relief Society

• Who served in the leadership of the Relief Society?
• Who served as teachers and on the various committees?
• What were the responsibilities of the Relief Society?
• What types of events did the Relief Society host (for example, enrichment activities, bazaars, book clubs, funerals, etc.)?
• What kinds of spiritual experiences did the sisters have in Relief Society?

Scouting

• What was the number of the troop? Did it have another name?
• Who served as Scout leaders?
• Who were Eagle Scouts?
• Who earned the Duty to God award?
• Are there any memorable events (such as Pinewood Derbies)?
• Who oversaw the Scout camp? When and where was it held?
• Did the ward help the Scouts do their Eagle projects? If so, what did they do?
• How did the termination of the affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America affect your unit?

Service Projects

• What kinds of service projects have been done in your ward?
• Did your ward participate in annual service events?

Social and Political Events

• Was your unit affected by any notable social or political events?
• Was your unit asked to support a cause supported by the Church? How did your ward respond, and what did members do?
• Has your meetinghouse ever been used for purposes other than church services, such as a polling station or an emergency center during a disaster? If so, when and why?
• Has your unit been affected by a natural disaster, such as a flood, fire, or earthquake? How did members respond?
• Has your unit helped with cleanup after a disaster? If so, who was involved, and what did they do?
• How did your ward deal with the coronavirus pandemic of 2020?

Sunday School

• Who served in the leadership of the Sunday School?
• What classes have been offered in the ward (for example, Gospel Doctrine, Family History, Temple Preparation)?
• Have there been memorable teachers? Why?

Temple

• What is your unit’s temple district? Has it been in any other temple district?
• How do members attend the temple? Monthly ward temple night? Special temple trips?
• Was your ward involved in the planning, construction, open house, or dedication of a temple? If so, are there any stories or experiences to share?
• Have there been any special experiences, such as the sealing of a convert family or special youth baptisms?

Unit Choir

• When was it organized?
• Who was the director, and who were the accompanists?
• When did they perform?
• What music did they perform?
• Are there any stories associated with the choir, including how their music was received?

Unit Activities

• What kinds of events were held in your ward? Christmas parties? Fourth of July breakfasts? Halloween trunk-or-treat? Road shows? Gold and green balls? Talent shows?
• Where and when were they held?
• Who organized them?
• What was their purpose?
• What was their effect on members? Did they bring the members closer together?
• Are there any stories or photos of these parties?

Local Mission

• Who has served as a unit mission leader?
• What types of missionary-related events have been held in your unit?
• Who are the ward or branch missionaries?
• Who has joined the Church in your unit? What are their conversion stories?

Young Men (see also Scouting)

• Who served as advisers?
• Who served in the presidencies of each priests, teachers, and deacons quorum?
• What types of activities were held for the young men? When and where were they held?

Young Women

• Who served as advisers?
• Who served in the presidencies of the classes?
• What types of activities were held for the young women? When and where were they held?

Youth Conferences

• Has your ward participated in youth conferences?
• If so, where did they go?
• What did they do?
• Who attended?
• What spiritual experiences happened?

Youth Trek

• Did your youth participate in a youth trek?
• If so, when and where did they go?
• Who was in charge?
• Which youth participated?
• How was the experience?
• Was there a testimony meeting after?
• How were lives affected by the experience?