March 2024

2024 TFH Leadership Session

We know that many of you have watched this already, but, if not, please do watch it. There are inspired themes in that council discussions that address questions many of us have about getting new converts to the temple, what to do if we don't live near a temple, the importance of understanding the divine principle of "counselling in councils," and the great blessing having, as a leader, the uplifting experience of helping another person to discover and connect with his or her family. In the same vein, they also touch on new helps in LCR that expedite the process of identifying an ancestor for whom the new convert can act as proxy - right along with the interview and right after the temple recommend is approved.  What a great gift!

Stake presidencies and members of the stake adult leadership committee take the lead in helping bishoprics and EQ and RS presidencies with training that surrounds fulfilling their responsibilities in temple and family history work.  I've been there, and I know its hard to get time arranged with these busy brothers and sisters for one-on-one or small group training. This training session and the "nuts and bolts" training session in the next section on this page can help with that. Bishops and EQ and RS presidents know the increasing importance of temple worship both now and certainly in the near future. They always appreciate inspired counsel. 

A YouTube link of this training session is below. It's also here on rootstech.org; you can also download the associated discussion guide on that page, and just below the following video: 

Please Also Watch This Leadership Training Video!

Brother Glenn Adamz, our area representative for FamilySearch, brought this wonderful training session from the 2023 RootsTech collection of family history sessions. Elder Randall K. Bennett of the Seventy and Sister Camille N. Johson of the Relief Society Presidency led a discussion around the topic of how the stake can work with ward Relief Society and Elders Quorum presidencies to work effectively in "gathering Israel." Although strategies are touched upon, the meat of this discussion is a nuts and bolts approach to plans, meetings, councils and "who does what." The EQ president and RS president of a ward participate in the discussion to bring real-world immediacy to the topic.

This is a great training tool for stake adult leadership committees, EQ and RS presidencies, and ward councils. Please consider prayerfully the ways in which this clear and concise instruction can influence leaders in your units.

Here is the link if you want to find it at rootstech.org: https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/how-can-relief-society-and-elders-quorum-presidencies-counsel-together-to-plan-and-implement

Just a reminder - RootsTech sessions are retained on the RootsTech site for a period of 3 years, but you can find many of the sessions on the RootsTech YouTube channel.

The YouTube link is below

RootsTech

What is RootsTech? I think that most of us reading this have at least heard of it, but what about the particulars?

There is a terrific FAQ here.

For example (copied from the RootsTech site referenced above): 

What is RootsTech?

RootsTech welcomes millions of people worldwide to celebrate family at the world’s largest family history conference and year-long learning platform. With thousands of classes, inspiring speakers, meaningful activities, and joyful connections, RootsTech brings the human family together like no other event.

How is FamilySearch affiliated with RootsTech?

FamilySearch International is the hosting organization of RootsTech.

What is Family Discovery Day?

Family Discovery Day is a treasured part of each RootsTech, designed specifically for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but open for anyone to enjoy. We look forward to hearing this year from the late President M. Russell Ballard in a recording that was filmed before his passing.

Here is one that's not on the FAQ page, but one a lot of us have been waiting for! It's still at the "early development" stage, but if you want to give it a try, you certainly can:

Introducing Family Group Trees to FamilySearch.org

At last, your living family can share a tree, photos, and stories with each other on FamilySearch. Learn all about the new the family group tree feature, see a demo [at the bottom of the landing page], and learn how to invite your family into the same tree.

Our Precious Gift of Time

Jan E. Newman, Second Couselor in the General Sunday School Presidency, spoke to BYU students on February 6, 2024. You may remember President Newman from his time here as president of the Nebraska Omaha Mission. His message was that, as you effectively manage your allotted time here on earth, you will be able to play a powerful role in the building of His kingdom.

Echoing President Nelson's admonitions to seek spiritual guidance, he encouraged the audience to "Remember Nephi's experience when he went into Jerusalem to retrieve the brass plates from Laban. He said: I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth."

Noting how the question of balance often informs the issue of time management, he conitinued:

I have often been asked as a father, husband, Church leader, and business leader how I have been able to balance all of my responsibilities. That is a very good question. You may be wondering how you can balance everything too. Well, as Elder David A. Bednar once said, “Quit worrying about it because there’s no such thing as balance. It doesn’t exist.”4 There is really no such thing as perfect balance in life. In fact, I don’t think balance is even the right word, because it implies that all aspects of our lives are getting an equal amount of attention. Not all aspects of our lives deserve an equal amount. And at different times and seasons, some aspects will need more attention than others.

So instead of seeking balance, it might be more helpful to identify the most important things and never let the lesser things take precedence over them. To quote Stephen R. Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”5

...you can protect blocks of your available time and attention for the most important things. 

...if you trust the Lord and draw on His strength, He will increase your maximum capacity. 

...As your life changes and evolves, so should your view about your time and how you spend it. I have found that those who do not make adjustments to preserve the most important priorities often become frustrated and even resentful. Time is a precious gift given to you by your Heavenly Father. You have a sacred responsibility to manage it wisely.

...When I was called to serve as a counselor in a stake presidency, the presiding authority basically said, “We already know that you love the Lord and that you will serve Him. So your first priority should be your family; second, your career; and third, your calling. And if you ever wonder where your focus should be, remember who you are sealed to.

...Get to know what is important to the Lord and make those things important to you. Really, that is just another way to state President Nelson’s very simple counsel to “think celestial!”12

...Satan will do anything he can to monopolize our time and misdirect our efforts away from the things of greatest importance. He tempts us to displace our most important blessings with a mess—and I emphasize mess—of pottage.13

...President Nelson warned, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”14 As you make time for the Lord, your ability to discern and understand the things of the Spirit will increase substantially.

As I pondered that last message snippet from President Newman, I was reminded of this from President Eyring: "When I feel distant from the Lord, when answers to my prayers seem delayed, I have learned to follow the counsel of President Nelson to review my life for opportunities to repent." ("Our Constant Companion," Ocotber 2023 General Confernce). And, I am increasingly grateful for the temple, "a house of learning, a house of prayer." (D&C 88:119).

The full text (including footnotes) of President Newman's address as well as the video of the presentation is here.

[Footnote 4] David A. Bednar, “‘Plates’ Object Lesson,” Facebook, 19 April 2021, facebook.com/davida.bednar/videos/316563470106033

Choose to Think Celestial!

Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems. The ordinances and covenants of the temple are of eternal significance. We continue to build more temples to make these sacred possibilities become a reality in each of your lives. 

Your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation.

Russel M. Nelson

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/51nelson.p28?lang=eng#p28

Temple Stories

In the early years of the Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple, a worker in the office was interviewing a sister who was preparing to be sealed to her husband and family that Saturday afternoon. English was the second language for this family and the reviewing of their records took some time to make sure all of the birthdates, names and civil marriage date were correct.  

After the interview, the worker returned to the office. She felt something was missing. Not sure of what that was, but acting on the prompting of the Spirit, she went back to the family and asked if there were any other children that needed to be sealed. Through their tender tears, the mother and father did confess that there was a child who died shortly after birth. They didn't know that the child could be included in their sealing.  

A quick call was made to the family's bishop.  He was out of town, but the ward clerk was able to visit with the office sister.  Happily, this diligent ward clerk had been prompted to save all of the dates and name of the deceased child in a side note on the family's membership records, and was able to provide the temple with the needed information.  The paperwork was reprinted and the baby was included in the family's sealing, showing once again that the Lord will help in the work of gathering on both sides of the veil!