Pandemic Peace: A Prophet's Invitation that can bring us the peace of Christ

As many of us are struggling with the effects of this pandemic, I've been pondering many of the invitations by the prophet that have brought me peace and have comforted my sometimes weary soul. And following these invitations can save us and our children. Close to the end of this post I'll speak about how you can help your children specifically.

On my other blog, I've spoken of many of these prophetic invitations and promises, but here I wanted to focus on one specific thing that can bring us peace. 

A prophet's invitation that can change your life

It's something President Nelson invited us to do last Conference. And as it did for me, it can change your life as well.

It is something that originally helped me to feel of the spirit of Elijah, and gave me the courage to start to learn how to do Family History.

For all ages
It's Family Search indexing. It's easy, addicting, and fun, can be done with just 10-15 minutes maybe on a Sunday or weekend, and helps the work.  If you don't know how to do Family History it's a perfect fit. And it's for adults, teens, and even older children.  That's right, you can learn to do it and teach your children. More on that later.

How it helps with Family History Work
I shared in another post about how Family Search emailed me a few years after I helped index the 1940 Census (10 years ago), and let me know that the records I indexed had helped hundreds of people add to their family trees, and reserve ordinances for their ancestors. It helps link the Family of Man with sacred ordinances.

Easy to Get Started
Just go to the Family Search Indexing Website, login with your Church Account, choose a project (right now records of people from Wisconsin are being encouraged), and then get started. It's wonderful for a Sunday afternoon or a weekend. And for questions, there is a wonderful help page.

What you are doing
When you login and choose a project, what you are doing is reading the words on a microfilm Family Search shows you, and typing them into boxes and submitting it, so that people can search for them on Family Search. Then...

Family Search matches your records with people's ancestors
Family Search will take those records and scan the Worldwide Family Tree, and can send a hint to a person's relative that a record has been uploaded that can help them add to their family tree.  And possibly reserve ordinances.

It brings Joy and Peace-especially for beginners of all ages
Learning Family History is a joyful process. It has been for me. I still feel like I'm a beginner.  But I'm still able to help out with the work. And so can you whether you are an adult, youth, or older child.  

How it changes the lives of Children
Older children are especially sensitive to the spirit, and often can catch the spirit of Elijah at a young age. And that can change their entire lives.  I discussed how Family History changes the lives of children and youth on another post on this blog.

Our Prophet's Invitation
For now, I'm going to close with the quote with President Nelson's invitation in his talk "Hear Him," from last General Conference, and how it relates to indexing.

"While worshipping in the temple is presently not possible, I invite you to increase your participation in family history, including family history research and indexing. I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him."

This is an invitation with a promise, not a command.  I know I have needed to Hear the voice of the Lord, through the spirit so I can get through some of the trials I have faced.  If you reread the talk, this is one way, of many, that we can learn to Hear the Lord better.

Get started on the Family Search Website. Just takes a few minutes.

Testimony
I know this work is of God. It will help us draw closer to the Lord, closer to our families, and the spirit will rest upon our homes as we will engage in this work. 
 
Make this new normal a new way to draw closer to him.

If you have never done Family History on Family Search, I've done a 10 Minute Quick Start Guide on another post.  

A great Followup to it is the Resolving Duplicates post. 

Discover your story on the Family Tree Mobile App, or on the Family Search Website.  You may also find inspirational materials on this blog.

Pictures courtesy of LDS Temple Pics, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Media Library

How you have already helped the heavens to open in your lives

I want you to remember all the times you went to the temple before they closed down. There are many people in the spirit world whose temple work was done because you went to the temple for them.

Many of those people who you did their temple work for, who passed away long ago, are in the spirit world doing the work of the Lord. They do that in many different ways, and one of them includes watching over people they are assigned to here on earth. 
 
As I have seen the civil unrest that has come close to home for me, it has occurred to me that these angels of God are not idle.  It is my opinion that one thing these spirits do, with the power of God, is to help protect the Covenant saints who helped ensure their salvation. And the power they and we are endowed with is stronger than the hate we see in the world.

 

It is my opinion that there are many, many millions on the other side of the veil who watch over us, who seek to protect us during this unrest.  It is my opinion that some of the spirits helping the Lord bring peace to people's hearts are these spirits we have done temple work for.

So reach out in prayer.  I did a post about the First Presidency's invitation to pray on my other blog.  And there is much we can do to continue to help.  We can also spend more time in the scriptures or watching gospel videos.  We can also do the work of the Lord through Family History, indexing, Spreading the Gospel, or now, strengthening our families.

For those who are with us are more than are against us. And the power of God makes that possible. 

Testimony and Invitation
I know God lives, that Jesus is the Christ. I know the power of God on this earth is the only thing that can bring peace. You have helped with that, and I encourage you to continue to do so, so you may feel the Lord's peace during these troubled times. 

More importantly, as we seek it out, we will receive the revelation we desperately need, as our prophet has counseled.  And we will find the peace of Christ in these tumultuous times.

If you have never done Family History on Family Search, I've done a 10 Minute Quick Start Guide on another post.

Discover your story on the Family Tree Mobile App, or on the Family Search Website. You may also find inspirational material on this blog.  

Pictures are the Sacramento Temple, courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Media Library, and the second is Angels among us by Simon Dewey

A really fun way to help with the Work of the Lord

Still want to help with the work of the Lord, but don't know how to do Family History? The church has an answer to that! Indexing!

It's actually really fun, and addicting.  And it does help with the work of the Lord.  I remember I helped index the 1940 census ten years ago, and after a few years, Family Search sent me an email saying that of the records I indexed hundreds of them had been added to other people's family trees, and about 180 ordinances had been requested using records I have indexed. 

I got started by indexing records. What you do is go to the Family Search Website, click indexing, and sign in with your Church account.  They will send you a digital image of an old birth, death, or census record, and you just type the information on the record and submit it so that people doing family history can find their ancestor's records online. 

It's another way to help in the work of the Lord, and a perfect way to help prepare for when the temples are open for proxy ordinances (they are still working on that). 

You can index by going to the Family Search Website. Take 15 minutes to help today! Now here's a quick video about how fun it can be!

Discover your story in Family History on the Family Tree Mobile App, or the Family Search Website.  You may also view tips on getting started, woven into inspirational stories on this blog.