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Devotional
Devotional
FYI - Elder Ames has encouraged us to prepare a temple and family history devotional (both live and in Zoom) for our coordinating council.
The date is set for January 23, 2024. (That's a Thursday)
The time is 7:00 pm.
The place is the Omaha Stake Center at 14680 California street. It would be great to gather with other ward and stake leaders wherever you are to watch the devotional together and then spend some time afterwards to discuss the messages that were carried by the Holy Ghost to members of your group. Also, to make the experience a good one for everyone, we would like those in units that are in the immediate vicinity to meet together at the Omaha Stake Center. And please don't worry about the travel time - it will be on Zoom, too. But, whether local or remote, we look forward to sharing the experience with you.
Please add it to your calendar! And please invite all of those leaders in your units that have temple and family history responsibilities:
Stake (stake presidencies, RS presidencies, high councilors, TFH consultants)
Ward (bishoprics, ward council (RS, EQ, YM, YW, Primary leaders), TFH Leader, TFH consultants)
With so much emphasis from the Brethren on the importance gathering Israel in general and temple and family history work in particular, I know I can use all the help I can get when it comes to knowing about how I can fulfill my responsibilities in my calling. I think that many of you probably feel the same way. I am so grateful for opportunities like this.
The Savior’s job is to heal. Our job is to love … and minister in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus Christ. - Elder Renlund
FAQs
FAQs
Last month we shared some training resources from Brother Adamz at FamilySearch. Those are listed again here just below.
Organizing the Work
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/organizing-temple-and-family-history-work?lang=eng
Liahona Article - An Unprecedented Time for Temple and Family History Work https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/08/06-an-unprecedented-time-for-temple-and-family-history-work?lang=eng
Ordinances Ready Resources
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/ordinances-ready-ministering
Family Name Assist Resources
https://www.familysearch.org/temple/guide-me/leader-preview
Help and Access Resources
I think that you will also be interested in an FAQ that he is working on. Some of those questions/answers are listed here:
Q: Who is eligible to access the FHAR?
A: Access to the FHAR is outlined in the FHAR Guide. Members with specific callings can view the Family History Activity Report in Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR).
• Ward and Branch Version: Available to:
o Bishopric
o Elders Quorum Presidency
o Relief Society Presidency
o Young Men and Young Women Presidencies
o Primary Presidency
o Sunday School Presidency
o Ward Mission Leader
o Ward Temple and Family History Leader
o FamilySearch Center Coordinator
• Stake and District Version plus Ward and Brand Version: Available to:
o Stake Presidency
o High Councilors
o Stake Relief Society Presidency
o Stake Primary Presidency
o Stake Young Men's Presidency
o Stake Young Women's Presidency
o Stake Temple and Family History Consultant
o FamilySearch Center Coordinator
If you hold one of these callings and cannot access the report, please check with your ward or stake clerk to ensure your calling is correctly listed in LCR.
Note: Ward Temple and Family History Consultants do not have access to LCR and therefore cannot view the FHAR.
Q: What do the different metrics on the FHAR represent?
A: For detailed explanations of the metrics included in the FHAR, please refer to the FHAR Guide.
Q: How does Ordinances Ready determine the order of names?
A: The Ordinances Ready feature retrieves names from several sources in the following order:
1. Your Family Names List: Names you have reserved in Family Tree.
2. Family Names Shared with a Family Group: Names you reserved and shared with a family group.
3. Family Names Shared by Others: Names shared with a family group that you belong to.
4. Names Shared with the Temple: Names you reserved and shared with the temple that haven’t been printed yet.
5. Related Names: Names in your tree that someone else has shared with the temple.
6. "Green Temple" Names: Ordinances Ready scans up to 10 generations of your ancestorsand 5 generations of their descendants for incomplete ordinances, marked with green temple icons in Family Tree.
7. Branch/Ward Names: Names shared with the temple by members of your ward.
8. District/Stake Names: Names shared with the temple by members of your stake.
9. Unrelated Names: If no other names are available, Ordinances Ready retrieves names submitted to the temple by any patron, in the order they were submitted.
Q: If Ordinances Ready provides names out of sequence, should I still perform the ordinances?
A: Yes, if ordinances for a deceased individual are completed out of order, they do not need to be redone. They become effective once the prerequisite ordinances are completed. The FamilySearch Family Tree does not enforce the correct order for individual ordinances: baptism, confirmation, initiatory, and endowment. While it is preferred to perform sealings after individual ordinances, it is not required. If a sealing was done out of order, ensure the remaining ordinances are completed, but you do not need to report this to FamilySearch Support or redo the sealing. For more details, refer to the correct order of temple ordinances.
Q: How can we support children turning 12 in preparing for temple baptisms?
A: Supporting children as they approach their 12th birthday is crucial for their spiritual development. Here are some effective ways to help them prepare for temple baptisms:
1. Utilize the Together App: This app can help children and their families track their progress and prepare for temple ordinances. It offers resources and reminders that make the preparation process engaging and interactive. [app is available at App Store and Google Play]
2. Provide Spiritual Preparation Resources: Direct families to the Temple Baptisms and Spiritual Preparation page. This resource outlines the steps children should take to prepare spiritually for their first temple experience.
3. Encourage Family Involvement: Involve family members in discussions about the significance of temple baptisms. Encourage parents to share their own experiences and testimonies to help children understand the importance of this milestone.
4. Organize Preparation Activities: Plan activities that help children learn about the temple and the baptism process. This could include family history activities, discussions about their ancestors, or even a visit to the temple grounds.
Q: Can the stake purchase more equipment for a FamilySearch Center (FSC)?
A: FamilySearch provides essential equipment, including computers and printers, for FSCs. Stakes should coordinate with the FamilySearch team for any additional equipment needs. If the stake wishes to purchase extra items, it can use stake funds, but FamilySearch will not provide support for non-FamilySearch equipment.
Q: Who trains FamilySearch Center Consultants?
A: Training for FamilySearch Center Consultants is provided through designated FamilySearch resources and local training sessions. Ensure consultants are familiar with the tools and resources available to assist members effectively.
Family Name Assist
Family Name Assist
Did you know that LCR can be used by ward and stake leaders to encourage new converts to go to the temple? Brother Adamz' FAQ page also addresses that process. I thought it might be helpful to compile a more complete list of resources, and that list of additional support items follows. All of this is also included in the Resources page on this site.
Q: What is Family Name Assist and how can it help?
A: Family Name Assist is a user-friendly tool available in Leader and Clerk Resources that guides leaders in helping members prepare and print family name cards for temple baptisms. This tool is especially beneficial for members who are new to the temple or returning after a break, providing a meaningful opportunity to perform proxy baptisms for their deceased relatives.
Q: Where can I find help using Family Name Assist?
• For Leaders: Help Resource for Leaders
• For Helpers: Help Resource for Helpers
• For Members: Help Resource for Members
Additional support for Family Name Assist:
https://www.familysearch.org/temple/guide-me/assist (on baptistry experience)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/purpose-of-family-name-assist (how to use)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/family-name-assist-tool (preparing names)
https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/2024-temple-and-family-history-efforts-to-help-those-new-to-temple-attendance (report on leadership instruction panel video from Rootstech 2024 led by Elder Gong and Elder Anderson )
https://www.thechurchnews.com/members/2024/03/28/family-name-assist-members-gather-info-temple-baptisms/ (Church News article report on the video listed immediately above)
If you would like to spend some time with a RootsTech session on Family Name Assist, you can take a look at the workshop presentation below:
Access to LCR
Access to LCR
Here is a response to a question that comes up a lot. It's from an FAQ at the tools/help site on churchofjesuschrist.org.
Why do stake organization leaders and high councilors have only limited access to LCR?
Stake organization leaders and high councilors are primarily responsible to instruct and support ward organization and Melchizedek Priesthood leaders. They orient newly called ward organization and Melchizedek Priesthood leaders and provide encouragement, support, and instruction. They are not responsible for individual ward members. It is the ward clerk’s responsibility to train ward organization and Melchizedek Priesthood leaders on record-keeping tools and responsibilities. If stake organization leaders and high councilors need a list of members for planning purposes, they should request this information through the ward or stake clerk.
About Temples
About Temples
Here is a wonderful description of the purpose of temples. It's from a Church Newsroom article on using online scheduling to make proxy appointments for a group.
Temples are houses of the Lord and the most sacred spaces of worship on earth. They are not the same as the Church’s meetinghouses. All are welcome to attend Sunday worship services and other weekday activities at a meetinghouse. In temples, something different occurs. Faithful Latter-day Saints participate in sacred ceremonies, called ordinances, both for themselves and on behalf of deceased ancestors. These ceremonies teach the purpose of life and unite families, past and present. The mere presence of temples in communities around the globe remind Latter-day Saints of the importance of faith in the common Father of all humanity, the need for constant improvement of the soul, the possibility of family relationships that reach beyond the grave, and the salvation that comes only through the grace of Jesus Christ.
If we are able … , let us regularly find more time to worship in the house of the Lord. - Elder Neil L. Andersen
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