February 2025

Devotional

Thanks to all who participated in any way in the Devotional!  I hope that you got a lot out of it. I know we did. 

Here are some of our takeaways from the Devotional.  (We would love to hear about your impressions too - please send us an email and tell us what you thought.)

The spirit works in many ways to accomplish temple ordinance work. One of those ways is dreams. Acting on spiritual promptings received dreams can be an important way that those on the other side of the veil reach out to us. According to one dream reported in the Devotional, those on the other side of the veil who have not yet received the ordinances of the gospel are in spiritual bondage, fettered hand and foot,  and they do rejoice at escaping those bonds through our proxy work. When you take a single ordinance card to the temple, you are actually affecting the lives of thousands of ancestors and descendants.

Gathering souls to Christ is one work. Missionary efforts and proxy work in the temple are both necessary to bring to pass God's plan of salvation for all of His children. Full-time missionaries have many opportunities to go to the temple now. Their friends whom they teach are excited about uniting their families through the gift of baptism and all temple ordinances. Those friends, when they attend the temple to do the proxy work for their ancestors, are increasingly likely to continue in activity in the church. One of those reported having had a wondrous feeling at their own baptism, but the feeling at personally being baptized in proxy for her grandmother was exceedingly more wondrous.

Preparing to go to the temple first time is necessary. Study section 25 in the General Handbook of Instructions. Experience this section of the church's website. Study Moses chapters 2-4. Ask questions. Repent, and prioritize actions that will qualify you for a temple recommend. Attend the Temple Preparation Class. Then continue to worship at the temple. Intentionally  make attendance at the temple a schedule item, then honor the schedule. Come to understand that the Lord has always required sacrifice. Attend the temple according to your level of sacrifice.

Know that the stated end of this gathering activity in which we are all involved is to go to the temple. The temple has been the House of God in every age of man when the gospel has been on the earth. It is the House of God today. President Nelson, at his first address to the church as its president, said from the Salt Lake City annex: 

Now, to each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.

As a new Presidency, we want to begin with the end in mind. For this reason, we’re speaking to you today from a temple. The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of the Lord, sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple that qualify us for the greatest gift of God—that of eternal life. The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.

Know and understand the warning of Malachi, that unless the promises made to the fathers are planted in the hearts of the children, the whole earth will be wasted at His coming. The earth has been made for the express purpose of uniting the family of God. He has given us the path, which if followed will bring us by the grace of the Son into holy presence of the Father, to live in the celestial world forever with our ancestors and our descendants. Attend the temple.  Organize yourselves for the work by following the path the Lord has given us in Section 25 of the General Handbook of Instructions. Learn your duty. Keep the commandments. Love God and your fellowman. Don't give up!

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Videos

A while ago, we mentioned that the video "He Was a Blacksmith" had caused some problems and that you might want to replace it with another video.

The church website has several here that could consider using as a replacement. We liked another video that Jo found on YouTube, but it does have some anachronims like "high priest group leader" for example. "He Was a Blacksmith" is an excellent representation of what can be accomplished through the effective use of youth TFH consultants, especially in terms of their enthusiasm and creativity, but we think that there are other entries in the group referenced above that can work toward accomplishing the same effects while avoiding sensitive topics, in this case, the portrayal, however innocent and unintentional, of Native Americans ("Indians") in a negative, stereotypical manner.

Please take a look and let us know which of these you like, and what benefits you think they might offer as you use them in your own training situations.

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RootsTech

Please advertise RootsTech in your conversation and correspondence. As you know from the email that we forwarded from Edler Ames, our church leaders consider this an important event. They know that many blessings can come from our focusing on it, for both members and friends.

Have you signed up yet? For those of us who don't travel well, there is the option to sign up for the online classes at no charge! Whether you intend to travel to Salt Lake City or watch from the comfort of your own place, here is the registration page. Then there is this article in Church News that you can use to bone up on the basics and share with others. Here is a sample:

RootsTech 2025 will offer a mix of in-person and virtual classes, interactive activities, and entertainment designed to inspire and educate family history enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you are a seasoned genealogist or just beginning your family discovery journey, RootsTech 2025 offers something for everyone. ... For Latter-day Saints, RootsTech offers fun ways to help your family grow their love for Jesus Christ and the temple through inspiring messages from Church leaders. You can also learn helpful tips for using tools like Ordinance Ready found in the Member Tools and Family Tree apps to quickly and easily find ancestral names for the temple.

FamilySearch has provided some print materials that you can copy and use as you minister to the people in your respective callings. They are linked below. There are even two in Spanish and two in Portugese for those of you who can use them. These are pdf files - you can preview them by clicking on the image, and then download them to your computer by clicking on the pop-out arrow in the upper right-hand corner. After you download a file, you can print it from your computer and then post it wherever you think would be best - bulletins, bulletin boards, presentations, whatever you think will get the message out!

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FamilySearch Resources

FamilySearch has released two new resource pages that are available now. Here they are:

• Leader Temple and Family History resources

  • https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states-canada/member_resources

• My Calling: Temple and Family History Consultant

  • https://www.familysearch.org/en/consultant/

Just a note though - that second URL has a section for downloadable resources that I couldn't get to work. I sent an email to Brother Adamz at FamilySearch with a screenshot of the error so that his team could work on a fix. 

Both of the images below are clickable - try them out and take a look!

(FamilySearch is making our jobs so much easier)

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Temple Correspondence

Prayer Roll – please remind members to make Prayer Roll submissions by using your Tools app on your cell phone or by going to ChurchofJesusChrist.org, rather than phoning them in to the temple office, or sending them to the temple email.

LIVING ORDINANCE CORRESPONDENCE - The Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple email (winte-off@churchofjesuschrist.org) is for Living Ordinance correspondence. 

Own Endowment - To make an appointment for receiving your Own Endowment please send in a scanned copy of your signed (by Bishop or Branch President and Stake President) Recommend for a Living Ordinance (RFLO).  (see section 27 in the Church Handbook)

Licensed Marriage or Sealing after Civil Marriage - please send in a scanned copy of your Recommend for a Living Ordinance (sealing) signed by your Bishop or Branch President and Stake President.  For a licensed marriage the temple will also need a copy of your marriage license.  If either of the spouses have been sealed before the temple will also need a copy of their letters of cancellation (female) or clearance (male). (see section 38.4 in the Church Handbook)

Sealed to a Deceased Spouse or Parent - please send in a scanned copy of your Family Group Sheet from FamilySearch.org.  The Family Group Sheet will need to show all dates and places of birth, death and all temple ordinances before a sealing can take place.  Any sealing involving a living person is considered a Living Ordinance and needs a special appointment.

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Distribution Center

We had a question just last week from a temple patron about where he could buy temple clothing. When we explained to him that there is now a branch of the chruch distribution  center in the lower level of the Mormon Trail Center, he reacted with total surprise! What a great opportunity we have to make a difference in the lives of those whom we serve - just this simple piece of information made life a little better for this brother.  Even though he was in a leadership position, he didn't know about the distribuition center, and it's been in operation for a while now.  And yes, he was excited about sharing this newfound knowledge with others.  Brothers and sisters, we need to do a better job of getting the water to the end of the row! 

So, in addition to letting new members know about this wonderful resource, please remind members generally about it through other channels available to you. The distriibution center at the lower level of the Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters, across the street from the temple:

3215 State Street, Omaha, NE 68122 (402-267-2294)

Online ordering is also available at store.churchofjesuschrist.org, and from the online store tile at churchofjesuschrist.org.

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