Family History and Temple Work Sealing and Healing Lesson Help

Editor's note: Our bi-weekly Fri column, "Found in the Footnotes," explores some of the footnotes from remarks given past General Regime and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-mean solar day Saints.

Since we published the concluding "Constitute in the Footnotes" column, life looks remarkably different for many. Several have packed upward their office and are working from abode. Sacrament meeting is being held in living rooms instead of in chapels. And each time I look out onto the Table salt Lake Valley and run into the steeples of the Utah temples, my heart hurts every bit I question when I'll adjacent be able to go inside.

"COVID-xix and its resulting disease has affected thousands of lives and interrupted many regular routines," President Russell M. Nelson said in a recent video message.

Those interruptions make life feel more turbulent than normal, and I have establish myself needing the discussion of God, "the word which healeth the wounded soul" (Jacob two:8).

In Elderberry Dale K. Renlund'southward talk, "Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing," he gives usa another way to find healing.

"As we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to 'healing' blessings promised by prophets and apostles," he said.

What are these healing blessings? Elder Renlund cites 22 talks in his footnotes, and as I have studied those messages, I accept found blessings that I recall many people need right now. Even though temples are currently closed, many of us can detect joy as we spend more time seeking out our ancestors. I've included some of the quotes that stood out to me below, with some of the promises bolded for emphasis.

"There are family organizations to be formed, family projects to exist planned, hearts to be touched, prayers to be offered, doctrines to be learned, children to be taught, living and dead relatives to be identified, recommends to be obtained, temples to exist visited, covenants to be made, and ordinances to be received. As we fulfill our responsibilities to teach and prove our brothers and sisters how to help bring to pass the eternal life of human being, we will all be blessed, for this is his piece of work and his glory."

"Nosotros are anxiously well-nigh the job of searching out our fathers and mothers of generations past and bounden them to us and us to them. Is not this the strongest possible show of our conviction that Jesus Christ will come up again to reign upon the earth? We know He will, and we know what He expects we will accept done in preparation for His render.

"In the scriptures, the spirits of the dead are sometimes referred to every bit being in darkness or in prison. Contemplating God'due south glorious programme for the redemption of these, His children, the Prophet Joseph Smith penned this psalm: 'Allow your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Permit the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak along anthems of eternal praise to the Rex Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the earth was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free' (Doctrine and Covenants 128:22)."

"Family history work has the power to practice something for the dead. It has an equal ability to do something to the living. Family history work of Church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in information technology. They understand that they are tying their family together, their living family here with those who have gone before."

"I admonish all families: search out your heritage. Information technology is important to know, as far as possible, those who came before us. Nosotros discover something about ourselves when we learn about our ancestors."

"He is Jehovah. He sent Elijah. He conferred the powers of the priesthood to seal and to bless out of perfect love. And He has trusted you by letting yous hear the gospel in your lifetime, giving y'all the adventure to accept the obligation to offer it to those of your ancestors who did not have your priceless opportunity. Recall of the gratitude He has for those who pay the toll in work and religion to detect the names of their ancestors and who love them and Him enough to offer them eternal life in families, the greatest of all the gifts of God. He offered them an infinite sacrifice. He will dearest and capeesh those who paid whatsoever toll they could to let their ancestors to choose His offering of eternal life."

"And there is likewise much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing immature and quondam with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith chronicle to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take identify in our temples."

"Any word of family responsibilities to prepare for exaltation would be incomplete if we included only mother, father, and children. What about grandparents and other ancestors? The Lord has revealed that we cannot become perfect without them; neither can they without us be made perfect. Sealing ordinances are essential to exaltation. A married woman needs to be sealed to her husband; children need to be sealed to their parents; and we all need to be connected with our ancestors."

"Consider the spiritual connections that are formed when a young woman helps her grandmother enter family data into a computer or when a immature man sees the proper name of his smashing-grandad on a census tape. When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes within us. Nosotros experience office of something greater than ourselves. Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilledwhen we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the temple."

"Every bit you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increment. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected confronting the intensifying influence of the adversary. Every bit you participate in and dearest this holy work, you volition be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives."

"Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, fix their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then get to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, yous will exist able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can retrieve of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life."

"Jesus Christ gave His life every bit a vicarious amende. He resolved the ultimate question raised by Job. He overcame death for all mankind, which we could not practise for ourselves. Nosotros can, all the same, perform vicarious ordinances and truly become saviors on Mount Zion(Obadiah 1:21) for our own families in order that we, with them, might be exalted as well as saved."

"There are millions upon millions of spirit children of our Heavenly Father who never heard the name of Christ earlier dying and going into the spirit world. But now they have been taught the gospel and are awaiting the twenty-four hour period when y'all and I will practice the research necessary to clear the way so that we can become into the house of the Lord and perform for them the work that they themselves cannot perform.

"My brothers and sisters, I bear witness that the Lord will bless usa as we have and respond to this challenge."

"Those of you who perform ordinances for family members are reaching out in dear, as did the sons of Mosiah and the prophet Nephi. Like them, you volition feel joy for those who accept your offer. You can besides await to feel the same smashing satisfaction equally Ammon, who said of his missionary service among afar family members:

"'Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we volition rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great ability, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel' (Alma 26:sixteen)."

"The time has come for us to capitalize more finer on the potent combination of the mighty change of heart, made possible primarily past the spiritual power of the Book of Mormon, and the turning of hearts to the fathers, accomplished through the spirit of Elijah. A yearning for connection to our past can prepare an individual to receive the virtue of the word of God and fortify his or her faith. A center turning to the fathers uniquely helps an individual withstand the influence of the antagonist and strengthen conversion."

"There is something powerful in searching out those who need temple ordinances, learning who they are, and and then beingness part of their receiving these sacred ordinances. This is how you become 'saviors on Mount Zion' (see Obadiah 1:21 and D&C 103:nine). In that location is a joy and satisfaction that is understood only through spiritual feelings. Nosotros are linked to our ancestors forever."

"As you accept this challenge and as you teach information technology to others, I hope y'all that y'all will feel the cute linkthat binds us together equally families through eternity. You will feel a happiness for those who take your sacred offering. Your hearts will truly exist turned to your fathers and y'all will feel their hearts turn toward you. You volition feel purpose and strength that volition help you to avoid the temptations that surround you. The souvenir of the Holy Ghost volition be a stronger influence upon you. Your conventionalities in and appreciation for the Savior will increment. You volition meliorate understand the power of His Atonement and you volition be safeguarded from the distractions that can so easily pull y'all from His commandments."

"Every bit an Campaigner of the Lord Jesus Christ, I promise that if yous look across the bonds of time and bloodshed and aid those who cannot assist themselves, you lot will exist blest with more closeness and joy in your family and with the divine protection afforded those who are faithful in His service."

"Can you see the human relationship between priesthood keys and blessings? Equally you appoint in this piece of work, I remember y'all will find that the Lord is in its details."

"As we emulate the Savior'south love, He will surely bless and prosper our righteous efforts to salve our marriages and strengthen our families.

"May the Lord anoint you in your untiring and righteous efforts to be numbered among those who save."

"Often in the temple, and as we engage in family history research, we feel promptings and have impressions from the Holy Ghost. Occasionally in the temple the veil between u.s.a. and those on the other side becomes very thin. Nosotros get additional assistance in our efforts to be saviors on Mount Zion."

"Brothers and sisters, I promise protection for you and your family unit as you take this challenge to notice as many names to take to the temple as ordinances y'all perform in the temple and to teach others to do the same.

"If y'all take this claiming, blessings will begin to flow to you lot and your family unit like the power of the river spoken of by Ezekiel. And the river volition grow as you continue to perform this work and teach others to do the aforementioned. You volition find not just protection from the temptation and ills of the globe, but y'all will as well observe personal power—power to change, power to repent, power to learn, power to exist sanctified, and power to plow the hearts of your family members to each other and heal that which needs healing."

"Every bit servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, nosotros are all involved in discovering our ancestors. We larn ameliorate who nosotros are, where we come from, and are blessed with a clearer vision of where we are going. When individuals and families search out their ancestors' inspiring actions and words, they will receive force and management for their ain lives."