President Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts his personal family history on Saturday, August 19, 2017.
“Governor Ricketts’ roots run deep in Nebraska and Iowa,” President Nelson said. “His ancestors were examples of industry and patriotism. As a Church we were very pleased to research his family history and were honored to present it to him.”
The history includes four leather-bound volumes totaling 647 pages, as well as a framed five-generation pedigree.
“‘People will not look forward to posterity who never look backward to their ancestors.’ Those words have been attributed to Edmund Burke, and they ring true for all people,” Governor Ricketts said. “I would like to thank you for your generous gift to my family, and we look forward to learning more about our family tree and history through these beautiful volumes.”
While presentations such as these are rare, this opportunity came about because Governor Ricketts has worked with the Church on various projects over the past several years. The Church has also presented personal histories to other government leaders over the years, including presidents, prime ministers and members of the United States Congress.