Family and Temple Work

On October 11, 1840 in Nauvoo, Illinois. Vilate Kimball wrote a letter to her husband, Elder Heber C. Kimball, who with other members of the twelve was serving a mission in Great Britain. The October general conference had been held a few days before. 
I quote from parts of Vilate’s personal letter: “We had the largest and most interesting conference that ever has been since the Church was organized…President Joseph Smith has opened a new and glorious subject…That is, being baptized for the dead. Paul speaks of it, in First Corinthians, 15th chapter 29th, verse. Joseph has received a more full explanation of it by revelation. He says it is the privilege of members of this church to be baptized for all their kinsfolk that have died before this gospel came forth…By so doing, we act as agents for them, and give them the privilege of coming forth in the First Resurrection. He says that they will have the gospel preached to them in prison” Vilate added: “I want to be baptized for my mother…Is not this a glorious doctrine?” 

The essential doctrine of uniting families came forth line upon line and precept upon precept. Vicarious ordinances are at the heart of welding together eternal families, connecting roots to branches. 
Elder Quentin L. Cook, in the most recent General Conference, said this  and I quote “ The doctrine of the family in relation to family history and temple work is clear. The Lord is initial revelatory instruction referred to “Baptisms for your dead” Our doctrinal obligation is to our own ancestors. This is because the celestial organization of heaven is based on families. The first presidency has encouraged members, especially youth and young single adults, to emphasize family history work and ordinances for their own family names or the names of ancestors of their ward and stake members. We need to be connected to both our roots and branches. The thought of being associated in the eternal realm is indeed glorious.” 

For many years there has been a focus on genealogy work, but recently I have noticed more focus on the younger generation to be focused on doing this precious work. God needs us to take this responsibility seriously. I don’t know if many of you feel this way, but over the years I have seen many say to me that “ I am too busy, how do I make time with work and school and other obligations?”
 We will never have as much time to work on our family history than we will now. We are needed to do it. 

Elder Richard G. Scott Said this Quote “Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life” 

In the Russia Rostov Na Donu Mission the youth were invited to index 2,000 names and then qualify at least one name from their own families for temple ordinances. Those who accomplished this goal were invited to go on a long journey to the new Kyiv Ukrain temple. One young man shared his experience “I was spending a lot of time playing computer games. When I started indexing, I didn’t have time to play games. At first I thought, ‘Oh no! How can that be!’ When this project was over, I even lost interest in gaming…Genealogical work is something that we can do here on earth, and it will remain in heaven.”

President Wilford Woodruff had a deep love of family history work. After the dedication of the salt lake temple he emphasized the importance of the family in temple work. The principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ have power after death; they will bring together men and their wives and children in the family organization and will re-unite them worlds without end. … Unto the Latter-day Saints the sealing ordinances have been revealed, and they will have effect after death, and, as I have said, will re-unite men and women eternally in the family organization. Herein is why these principles are a part of our religion, and by them husbands and wives, parents and children will be re-united until the links in the chain are re-united back to Father Adam. We could not obtain a fullness of celestial glory without this sealing ordinance.

Brethren and sisters, the glory of the whole matter is, that when we get through we are going to have our families with us—our fathers and our mothers, our brothers and our sisters, our wives and our children—in the morning of the resurrection, in the family organization of the celestial world, to dwell forever and forever. This is worth all you or I can sacrifice the few years we have to spend here in the flesh.

Let every man be [sealed] to his father; and then you will do exactly what God said when He declared He would send Elijah the prophet in the last days [see Malachi 4:5–6]. Elijah the prophet appeared unto Joseph Smith and told him that the day had come when this principle must be carried out [see D&C 110:13–16]. Joseph Smith did not live long enough to enter any further upon these things. His soul was wound up with this work before he was martyred for the word of God and testimony of Jesus Christ. He told us that there must be a welding link of all dispensations and of the work of God from one generation to another [see D&C 128:18]. This was upon his mind more than most any other subject that was given to him.”
Now why does our Heavenly Father need us to focus on this? Why is it so important for us to be doing it? 

I have personal ties to the importance of family history work. My grandparents came from a time when doing their genealogy research became a moving force in the church, and started to progress. Both sides of my family have dedicated many years to do this work. My mothers parents, spents over forty years doing it, and from both sides of my family there have been atleast over 16,000 individuals who have had their work done…but did it just stop at the temple ordinances? No it did not. From these individuals, there have been hundreds of stories, memoirs, pictures, and other memoirs that have aided me in connecting to those “Roots and Branches” Elder Cook talked about. My Grandparents, showed me how sacred this work was to them, and I could feel it in the way that talked about it to me. They spent many years devoting thousands of hours to holding onto those “Roots and Branches”. They reminded me that doing this work is more important than movies, or games. That I needed to have this be a priority in my life.  I remember reading a story when I was younger, of a ancestor of mine that lived in the late 1700’s in England. This man lived a simple life, a farmer, but had everything he needed. He was a hard worker, god fearing man, and cherished his wife and children. He taught his children the importance of faith, hard work, and love. That without faith in God and a deep love and respect for his family, you are lost. He knew the importance of clinging to that which was most important. What a great day it will be when I will meet this man, who had a heart of gold. A man who taught me when I was a mere teenager, that a man that only had his bible, his farm, and his family. A man whose faith was stronger than steel, and his love for his family, and his fellow man carried him through. He didn’t have much, but he knew where wealth really counted: in this gospel, in our faith in our Heavenly Father and our Savior. He understood the importance of making sacred things holy in our lives and living each day with courage and a passion for life. What a magnifiscent soul this man is, and I would feel honored to meet him one day. 

Alex Haley, the author of the book Roots, said: “In all of us there is a hunger, marrow-deep, to know our heritage—to know who we are and where we have come from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning. No matter what our attainments in life, there is still a vacuum, an emptiness, and the most disquieting loneliness.”

President James Faust Said this concerning connecting to our kindred dead:
"The great work of providing the saving ordinances for our kindred dead is a vital part of the threefold mission of the Church. We do this work for a purpose, which is to redeem our dead ancestors. Temple work is essential for both us and our kindred dead who are waiting for these saving ordinances to be done for them. It is essential because “we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.” They need the saving ordinances, and we need to be sealed to them. For this reason it is important that we trace our family lines so that no one is left out.
Searching for our kindred dead isn’t just a hobby. It is a fundamental responsibility for all members of the Church. We believe that life continues after death and that all will be resurrected.  We believe that families may continue in the next life if they have kept the special covenants made in one of the sacred temples under the authority of God. We believe that our deceased ancestors can also be eternally united with their families when we make covenants in their behalf in the temples. Our deceased forebears may accept these covenants, if they choose to do so, in the spirit world. 
The great vicarious work for our kindred dead in our temples demonstrates both the justice and the fairness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Prophet Joseph Smith explained the terrible dilemma which would face God’s children without temple work for our dead. Said he: “One dies and is buried, having never heard the Gospel of reconciliation; to the other the message of salvation is sent, he hears and embraces it, and is made the heir of eternal life. Shall the one become the partaker of glory and the other be consigned to hopeless perdition? Is there no chance for his escape?” Fortunately our ancestors will have the opportunity to receive and accept the saving ordinances as we identify them and complete these sacred ordinances for them by proxy. We do for them what they cannot do for themselves. It is a very satisfying experience.”

The process of finding our ancestors one by one can be challenging but also exciting and rewarding. We often feel spiritual guidance as we go to the sources which identify them. Because this is a very spiritual work, we can expect help from the other side of the veil. We feel a pull from our relatives who are waiting for us to find them so their ordinance work can be done. This is a Christlike service because we are doing something for them that they cannot do for themselves.

Melvin J. Ballard Said this “ The dead know where their records are, so you are to search until you have gone as far as you can. But, of course, there are hosts of men and women in the Spirit World whose records don’t exist anywhere on the earth, but whose record is in the Spirit World. When you have done all you can and have reached the limit, what will happen? As always in the past, man’s extremity is God’s opportunity: The Lord never helps us while we can help ourselves. When we have done our utmost, then will come God’s opportunity. Don’t think for a moment that the temples will close. They will go on all through the millennium. Great hosts of dead in the Spirit World are waiting for this work. Should it not stir us to do everything to relieve them of their distress? It surely should. When we have done out utmost, then will come the day when the authorities that preside on the other side will come and make known all who have received the Gospel in the Spirit World, and everyone is entitled to have their work done. That is the simplest thing in the world. When the Lord is ready, it will be very simple and easy. We can speed that day by doing now the work that we can do.” 
What a beautiful concept that is…knowing that we can serve and help those in need. Those that are reaching out to us. There are many blessings that come from pressing forward in this work. 

President Boyd K. Packer Said this “ Family History work has the power to do something for the dead. It has an equal power to do something to the living. Family History Work of the church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it… Family history work in one sense would justify itself even if one were not successful in clearing names for temple work. The process of searching, the means of going after those names, would be worth all the effort you could invest. The reason: you cannot find names without knowing that they represent people. You begin to find out things about people. When we research our own lines we become interested in more than just names or the number of names going through the temple. Our interest turns out hearts to our fathers—we see to find them, and to know thmem, and to serve them. In doing so we store up treasures in heaven.”

There are eternal consequences of temple work. In 1842, Joseph Smith urged the saints the vital importance of doing the temple work for their deceased ancestors “ Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, and on to victory! Let your hearts rejoice and be exceedingly glad…let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison, for the prisoners shall go free” 

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