The year 2016 marked a pivotal moment in the world of family history and genealogy, specifically during the Roots Tech conference held in Salt Lake City. While RootsTech always draws a crowd of tech enthusiasts and archivists, the Family Discovery Day session led by Elder Dale G. Renlund—a newly called Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time—created a unique “buzz” that still resonates a decade later.Joining him on stage were his wife, Ruth, and their daughter, Ashley. Their presentation was not a standard lecture; it was a warm, insightful family discussion that utilized a surprising metaphor—dynamite—to explain the spiritual power of genealogical work.
The Dynamite Metaphor: A Formula for Power
Elder Renlund, who has a background in medicine and science, used a chemical analogy to describe the relationship between family history and temple service. He compared these two activities to the components of dynamite: nitroglycerin and kieselguhr.
- Nitroglycerin: A powerful but unstable explosive.
- Kieselguhr: An absorbent material that, on its own, is inert and relatively powerless.
He explained that while both family history (the research) and temple work (the ordinances) are meaningful individually, the real “explosion” of spiritual power happens only when they are combined. Just as Alfred Nobel stabilized nitroglycerin with kieselguhr to create dynamite, Elder Renlund suggested that combining the names of one’s own ancestors with temple service creates a concentrated spiritual force in a person’s life.
The Apostolic Challenge: Find, Take, Teach
Building on a challenge issued the previous year by Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Renlund expanded the mandate for members of the Church and family history enthusiasts. He issued what is now known as the Find, Take, Teach challenge.
The instructions were simple but profound:
- Find as many names of your own ancestors as you perform ordinances for in the temple.
- Take those names to the temple personally.
- Teach someone else how to do the same.
In 2016, Elder Renlund added a specific element of spiritual power to this promise. He didn’t just ask for participation; he promised protection. He stated that those who engage in this work would find protection for themselves and their families against the “ills” and temptations of the world.
The River of Ezekiel: Exponential Growth
During the presentation, the Renlund family referred to the vision of Ezekiel regarding the waters flowing from the temple. Ezekiel described a river that grew deeper and wider the further it flowed from the temple doors.
Elder Renlund used this to illustrate the exponential nature of family history. One person finds two parents, who lead to four grandparents, then eight great-grandparents, and so on. As the “river” of our ancestors grows, so does the depth of the spiritual influence in our lives. This imagery helped the audience visualize genealogy not as a dusty list of names, but as a living, flowing connection to the past and the future.
Personal Stories of Resilience: Lena Sofia
To ground the high-level doctrine in human reality, the Renlunds shared the story of Elder Renlund’s grandmother, Lena Sofia. Living in a remote part of Finland, she faced immense tragedy, including the loss of her husband, Leander, and several children.
Elder Renlund shared how his own mother, Mariana, took Lena Sofia’s name to the temple shortly after her death in 1966. When told by a clerk that she hadn’t been dead long enough for the work to be performed, Mariana famously replied, “I don’t like that answer… She’s waited long enough.”
This story highlighted the urgency and love that fuels family history. It moved the topic from the realm of “tech and records” to the realm of “heart and healing.” It reminded the audience that every name in a database represents a person who is waiting for their story to be remembered and their work to be completed.
Promised Blessings in a Digital Age
The 2016 address was notable for the specific list of “increased” blessings Elder Renlund promised to those who take up the family history challenge. These included:
- Increased power to change and repent.
- Increased protection from the adversary.
- Increased joy through a greater ability to feel the love of the Lord.
- Increased family blessings, regardless of how “imperfect” one’s current family situation might be.
By framing these blessings as a direct result of “tech plus spirit,” the Renlund family successfully motivated a new generation of researchers to look past the screens and focus on the souls behind the data.
Why RootsTech 2016 Still Matters
A decade later, the RootsTech 2016 keynote is remembered as the moment the “Youth Temple Challenge” became a “Family History Challenge” for everyone. It broke down the barriers that often made genealogy feel like a hobby only for the elderly or the technically elite.
Elder Renlund’s family showed that this work is a conversation. It is a way for parents to talk to their children about their heritage and for families to bond over shared discoveries. The use of modern technology—like the FamilySearch apps and digital archives—was presented as the modern-day “kieselguhr” that helps us stabilize and direct the “nitroglycerin” of our spiritual heritage.
As we look at the advancements in AI-assisted genealogy and global record-sharing in 2026, the principles shared by the Renlunds remain the foundational “why” behind the “how.” The tech has changed, but the promise of power and protection remains as explosive as ever.
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