On July 2, 2022, Vanessa Duerson and her husband packed up their family of three sons and moved from Utah to South Carolina.
No job awaited them. No family awaited them. She often refers to this move as a trek through the “wilderness” and one that required her family to trust in God.
“You read in the scriptures of Moses [crossing the Red Sea] and of the children of Israel crossing the Jordan River that the blessings don’t come until after the trial of your faith,” said Duerson reflecting on her cross-country move. “Sometimes you really have to get your feet wet before things part and open up. My husband and I have always really sought to do that.”
For Duerson and her husband, moving across the country was an act of faith. They believed it was something God was asking them to do, even though they could not yet see what would come from it.
Three weeks after arriving in South Carolina, an update to her Ancestry account appeared on her phone, prompting her to explore some of the website’s new features. Duerson began exploring the website and was shocked when she noticed a circle of ancestors hovering over the very region her family had just moved to.
Visit the Church News to read more about how Vanessa Duerson discovered her ancestral roots in South Carolina.
More articles for you:
▶ Creative ways wards are making temple trips easier for everyone
▶ The best moment of the new ‘Inside a Temple’ tour at Temple Square
▶ The question Elder Bednar invites you to start asking after church
