Poppies 2014
In November of 2014 the attention of a nation was turned to a century earlier. A graphic attempt to put the numbers of casualties of WW1 into perspective was displayed at the Tower of London. As I gazed in awe and soberness over the oceans of ceramic poppies surrounding that ancient monument, each representing the death of a soldier, the question I asked myself was, what can I do?
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That may seem a daft question; those 888,246 soldiers were dead, what could possibly be done for them? But as a Mormon I have a deep belief in life continuing after death and that there are certain things we can do here in this life for those who have passed on. Â Many of all Christian faiths have a similar belief, whether it be lighting a candle, petitioning a saint or for a Mormon performing a symbolic act of faith, by proxy. I decided to look for soldiers who died in that conflict that had my family name and who were from my home county. I found several and so after entering their names into FamilySearch.org, went to the Preston Temple and performed for them baptism by immersion and confirmation by the laying of hands.
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Although I have not directly connected them to my family tree, I have no doubt I shall find that link. These men passed away before being married and having no posterity of their own, I did not feel I would offend anyone by doing this for them.
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Click above for my video of the Tower and Remembrance day, Maldon, 2014