Tips for the Reluctant Journal Writer

Journal writing can be fun and therapeutic. Many people find it a relaxing process that helps them to deal with their problems and focus on the positive aspects of their lives. Others simply dread writing at all. They don’t like writing, or they may not want to dwell on certain aspects of their lives. Even if you are someone that cringes at the idea of keeping a journal you should try. It can be beneficial to yourself and to your posterity. Here are four tips for the reluctant journal writer. 1) Set aside a time each day, week or month … Continue reading →

New Year’s Resolution: Family History

You may be considering making a goal to work on your family history this year. This is a great goal and it is amazing the blessings that can come into your life as you do your family history. There are many resources available to you as you begin this process. Here are four tips that will help you reach your goal. 1) Begin with the basics. Find out the names, birth dates, birthplaces, and parents of your relatives as far back as you can go. If your family history work has never been completed before this is the first thing … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work – Performing the Ordinances for Your Kindred Dead

You’ve done the research, you’ve obtained the information and submitted it to the temple using the TempleReady software, and now it’s time to see that the temple work is complete. This is the final step in your long journey, the moment when all your hard work bears fruit. Doesn’t it feel marvelous to come this far? If you have decided to do the temple work yourself rather than having the temple provide the proxies, you are in for a special treat as you feel the satisfaction and joy that come from serving in the house of the Lord for your … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work – Using TempleReady

You have found your ancestors’ names, verified that the information is correct, and checked to see if their temple ordinance work has been done. You find that it hasn’t, and so, now, what is your next step? You will submit those names to the temple so that the saving ordinances can be completed for your dead, using TempleReady. TempleReady is a FamilySearch computer program specifically designed to help you submit your names. You use this program to organize your information and then send it to the temple. You can find this program available in many stakes, and your ward or … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work – Who Needs Their Work Done?

So you’ve done research and have names, along with their date of birth or death, and you know where these events took place. You are now ready to move on to the next phase of the process – determining what temple work has already been done for those individuals, if any. Your greatest tool will be the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Perhaps you need to do just a bit more research before taking the name to the temple. Maybe you have enough and feel prompted to go ahead with the work. As you stay close to the Spirit, you … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, Information Needed for Ordinances

A nice long title for a blog, is it not? Once your ancestors have been identified, the next step is to prepare the information that is needed in order to complete the ordinance work in the temple. Some of the information can be estimated, as long as most of the data is as accurate as you can possible make it. You need to have at least: For the baptism and endowment – The name of the ancestor Their gender An event date (for instance, a birth date or death date) An event place (where they were born, died) For sealing … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, Identifying Your Ancestors

Of course, the first step in providing temple work for your kindred dead is to identify your ancestors. It can be a rewarding process. As you dig up information on who they were, what kinds of things they enjoyed doing, and where they came from, you can learn more about yourself as well. Don’t forget to contact your family history consultants if you need help locating a difficult piece of information. When you’re just beginning, you’ll want to start with your parents and grandparents. If you already have a great deal of information gathered, you’ll want to start finding out … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, “Temple Ordinances for the Dead”

The next section in our Temple and Family History Work handbook is entitled “Temple Ordinances for the Dead.” In this segment, we begin to discuss the importance of doing temple work for our kindred dead. Billions of people have lived on the earth since the dawn of time. Most of them passed to the other side without having the chance to hear the gospel, and some of them were your ancestors. As their descendants, it is our job to find them and submit their names to the temple so that they might have the opportunity to have their saving ordinances … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, Temple Ordinances for You and Your Immediate Family

As we continue our look at the alternative Sunday School class “Temple and Family History Work,” let’s move on to the chapter entitled, “Temple Ordinances for Your and Your Immediate Family.” The first ordinance mentioned is the endowment. It explains the purpose of life and helps us to understand Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. The ordinance of the endowment is necessary for us to return to our Heavenly Father and to live with Him again. When we are faithful to the promises we make in the endowment, we not only feel the Spirit more, but we have an enlarged capacity … Continue reading →

Sunday School: Temple and Family History Work, Salvation for the Living and the Dead

The first lesson in the Temple and Family History Work manual as used by the Church for this alternative Sunday School class is entitled, “Salvation for the Living and the Dead.” We learn that the Atonement was provided to enable us to overcome death, and to give us the chance to gain exaltation. Because of this marvelous gift, everyone will be resurrected, not just the righteous. But in order to attain eternal life, which is, to live forever in the Celestial Kingdom, we must have faith, repent, and receive the saving ordinances which are done in the temple. These ordinances … Continue reading →