Ward Temple & Family History Plan

Provo YSA 263rd Ward Temple & Family History Plan for 2025

Theme: Welcome to the Church of Joy (in Christ)

Our Focus:

1. Welcome ward members to participate in the Gathering of Israel

a. Help individual members prepare to receive their own Endowment with temple prep classes and support from the ward/committee.

b. Encourage members to worship and serve in the Temple as often as their circumstances allow. This will help strengthen a member’s individual relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

c. Ensure principles and doctrine are included in talks, lessons, and activities to encourage members to continue making and keeping covenants.

2. The Joy of Temple Covenants

a. Support members in making and keeping Covenants. Encouraging ward members to attend and ponder the sacrament, as well as the Ordinances within the Temple.

b. The Temple offers peace and a refuge for us to express joyful reverence. Teach and encourage members to attend the Temple in the spirit of service for individuals beyond the veil, while being open to receiving revelation for themselves. We will connect and communicate often through: invitations to Temple/Family History activities and reminders for talks/lessons with these topics.

c. A focus to encourage ward members to renew or receive a current Temple recommend. Invite members to participate in the promises and blessings from attending the Temple:

i. Greater knowledge of the Lord’s purposes and teachings.

ii. Power to do all that God wants us to do.

iii. Divine guidance and protection as we serve the Lord, our families, and others.

iv. Increased hope, comfort, and peace.

v. Promised blessings now and forever.

d. Goal: 20 Ward Temple Night attendees monthly. At least 12 Ward Temple Trips for this year. Ward events that allow members to share their own talents and experiences.

3. Purposeful focus on Family History. 

Power in finding a name: Learning about our ancestors and discovering their stories connects us to our family. We have the privilege and are encouraged to take names of ancestors to the Temple, where we prepare ourselves to make Covenants, members will perform ordinances by proxy on their behalf. Deceased individuals in the Spirit World, whose work has been done, may choose to covenant with our Father in Heaven.

a. Provide training and understanding on FamilySearch resources.

b. Organize activities that cultivate an individual’s understanding of their own family (living and beyond the veil) and that help them record their findings.

c. Joyful reverence exists within family history and is a great blessing for all involved.

d. Goal: 10 family history based activities.

4. “collective rejoicing”.

a. Focused effort on members that may be struggling to return to the Temple. Invite all to experiment and as participate in the Sacrament. We will keep in contact and connect members with proper resources in the ward (bishopric, presidencies, other church support) and support from the committee, as they begin/continue efforts back to the Temple.

b. Encourage members to remember that the Gospel is here for us as we are, to sanctify ourselves and our bodies, while deepening our understanding of God’s will for us. It’s a time to rejoice and experience the peace and joy the Savior Jesus Christ offers to us.