LDS-WARD-CONSULTANT-L Archives

Archiver > LDS-WARD-CONSULTANT > 2009-03 > 1237851515


From: "Mary S. Scott \(Michigan\)" <>
Subject: Re: [LDS-WC] Which Utah temples accept FORs?
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:38:35 -0700 (PDT)
References: <BAY111-W44A7CDA9174FC63B9ED554B0920@phx.gbl><80730003CC08444E85D6EA66BC80DD0D@JILLS0033000064><BAY139-W26A9EE5CB8E4E47509BC50CA920@phx.gbl><1913A7CD1A544CAE8ED5D64A28ADF70E@JILLS0033000064><BLU130-DS3DA0F35E2CA94E1C2C976AA920@phx.gbl><BAY139-W416B49AC4D0BE9E43F49EBCA920@phx.gbl><957FD5008FBF40AD835C0752A9988721@JILLS0033000064><BAY139-W3CE54FD616B154D8173E1CA920@phx.gbl>
In-Reply-To: <BAY139-W3CE54FD616B154D8173E1CA920@phx.gbl>


The thread's emphasis on priesthood leaders struck a true chord for me. If you are interested in some of my thoughts and ideas, please read on. Otherwise, feel free to delete this email. ...

While we cannot overstep our priesthood leaders, we can do something that might help our wards and stakes in a positive way.

For instance, we can bear our testimonies of family history and temple work -- not only in Fast & Testimony meetings but in our classes. We can comment positively about the Spirit of Elijah and the powerful influence it has been in our lives.

We do not need an official calling to be involved in this work -- we are already called to support the three-fold mission of the Church because we are a covenant people. We need to help others recognize that ALL roads lead to the temple and that we are on the Lord's errand.

We can often tie in our comments about family history and temple work into the assignments we are given for sacrament meeting talks. (Our ward had wonderful talks about the plan of salvation yesterday but little mention of how redeeming the dead fits into that great plan of joyful redemption.)

We can support our priesthood leaders and attend ward & stake temple trips as frequently as possible. We can invite others to go with us to the temple -- so they don't have to go alone or drive alone. At first we might not have many members accepting these invitations but one day we might be surprised.

We can use New FamilySearch for our own families and share our feelings and results with our families and our ward members.

We might want to add inspirational quotes to our ward bulletins or publish a ward newsletter.

We can send encouraging emails to ward members listing something that we know might interest them -- a specific website link that we know pertains to their own ancestry for example. We can share with them that we found information for our own families and teach them how to do it too.

We can offer to help the members of the PEC (and their spouses) with their own family history, teaching them how to use New FamilySearch and helping them prepare names for temple ordinances.

Most of all, we can fast and pray that our priesthood leaders feel the Spirit of Elijah in their own lives and gain testimonies for themselves. We can show our love for them and teach them through our personal examples and/or efforts.

There are a lot of ways to support our priesthood leaders in our stakes and wards. We serve under their stewardship but we can love and support them in so many ways so that they see how family history and temple work will bless their lives and the lives of the members in the ward/stake.

I believe the worse thing that family history consultants do is wait and do nothing. There are ways that we can move the work along without imposing guilt, attacking our stewardship leaders, or things of such ilk.

We can catch the vision of the work for ourselves and see that our own families are anxiously engaged in this eternal and noble endeavor. No time to moan. We need to put our shoulders to the wheel because there is work enough to do until the sun goes down. :>)

I am sincerely interested in other ways that our consultants on this list have found to increase and nurture the Spirit of Elijah in their own lives and in the lives of their families, as well as their wards/stakes.

Mary Scott
Northville Ward
Westland Michigan Stake




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