Spiritual Awakening.

So as of right now at church I am the Temple Support Coordinator, a CTR 4 primary teacher with Jordan, and helping with Activity days a few days a month. And a few weeks ago I was just feeling completely overwhelmed by all of this craze. Then I got a phone call from our second counselor and he asked if I could speak about the importance of Temple and Family History work. Now I don't mind speaking in at church..in fact I used to do it ALL of the time. However it was never to a ward full of graduate students..most of whom attend Harvard Business School. I was completely out of my comfort zone and SO nervous to speak. But wow, what an experience.

I never realized the magnitude or the importance of this work. I always just kind of figured that there would be someone else to do it, and it was something that old people did. I would like to share a few quotes I found in my research that just blew me away!

“Thousands of our faithful people seldom go to the temple, and of those who do go, most are not working on their own ancestral lines. They are not saving their own dead. They seem to believe they are fulfilling their responsibilities by merely attending the temple occasionally. This is simply not so.

--Spencer W. Kimball

“Yet there are many members of the Church who have only limited access to the temples. They do the best they can. They pursue family history research and have the temple ordinance work done by others. Conversely, there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets. …

—Howard W. Hunter, “A Temple-Motivated People,” Ensign, Feb. 1995

In an epistle written over 150 years ago, Joseph Smith stated: “The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for … their relatives who are dead … who have received the Gospel in the spirit, through … those who have been commissioned to preach to them.”² Later he added, “Those Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation.

Now this last statement left me in shock. I guess I never realized that  this affected my own salvation. And essentially how many blessings I am passing by, by simply not helping in the work.

Since I was in charge of planning the Activity Days for that week..I decided there was not a more perfect time to teach them about this. It was incredible to talk with the girls about where they come from: Peru, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and so many others. Most of the girls don't even know their complete immediate family. It was humbling to talk to them about saving ordinances, and how essential it will be for them to perform these for the ancestors.

Because of all of this I have decided to give it a shot. If you haven't looked at the new familysearch website..its truly incredible. They give you all of the tools you need to start working on it! I have been overly excited as I have linked my family to other family members, and I think Jordan is sick of hearing about it ha. Its incredible learning of these people though.

Well just thought I would share some of my thoughts about it. Have a great weekend!