The Temple: The Lord's house and our Sanctuary (with video)

Mostly this blog has been about Family History, but for today, I wanted to just focus on the Temple for a bit on this short post.

Everything we do points to the temple, which in turn points to Christ. I remember the miracles that started happening in my life when I started to attend the temple. It was a place of peace where I could find refuge from the storms of life.  And I was able to feel closer to the Lord when there.   

I wanted to share an article, and then a video about how the temple draws us closer to Christ.  The first article is incredible, and It's available on the church website.  It's called Draw Nearer to Christ through temples.  Here's one quote from there:

"In the temple, faithful Church members receive knowledge, power, and promises to prepare for the greatest gift of God—the gift of eternal life. Everything that occurs in the temple is centered on the Savior Jesus Christ, His role as our Redeemer, and His desire to have us return to the presence of God."

The second thing I'm leaving is the video of Elder Bednar and Elder Rasband leading a tour of the Rome Italy Temple. It's an incredible video that I still love even after seeing it a few times.  

Read or watch these, and then determine to go to the temple soon.  Just pick up the Family Tree Mobile app, go to ordinances ready (instructions here), choose the ordinance you want to do at the temple, and go! Maybe you want to text a friend to see if they want to go, but make the determination to go. 

I testify that you will feel the power of heaven, and will feel the Lord near as you do.  And you will feel a peace and joy that is beyond compare. 

And as you make it a habit, it will change your life.  It has mine. Here's the video.

Enjoy your weekend, and the rest of the week. And I hope you are able to feel the peace of the Lord as you attend the temple if you are able to.  If you can't you can try can find out how easy it is to do Family History on other posts on this blog, and you can open up the Family Tree Mobile app to do it, or you can go to the Family Search Website.   
 
Picture is of the Houston Temple, courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

How about a White Weekend in the House of the Lord?

What is the best way to start the Christmas Season? Black Friday or Cyber Monday? What about a White Weekend in the House of the Lord?

I'm also sharing this video on this post to remind us of the real reason for the season.  I encourage you to take some time in the House of the Lord this Christmas season to draw closer to him. Grab Ordinances Ready on the Family Tree Mobile App (instructions), and go to the temple.

This time of year is not about the Gifts we get, but it's more about Him, and the gifts we give to him and to others. 

The Best Christmas I ever Had
The best, most memorable Christmas I ever had was one where my parents didn't have enough money even to get a tree (until on Christmas eve, someone gave my dad a tree that had many of the needles falling off). And our presents were new socks.

And yet, as I look back, that Christmas was the most memorable one of all. 

The Reason for the Season
As we will focus on Christ, and serve others, our Christmas will be more memorable. And I encourage you to start the season out right by going to the temple.  And find other ways to remember the reason for the season.  Here's the video:

Find Ordinances Ready on the Family Tree Mobile App and attend the temple.  And/Or...

Light The World
You can find out more about Christ this Christmas Season, and how you can Light the World at the Church Website. Get text reminders to serve others, Find a Giving Machine, watch a new movie about the Birth of Christ, and share the message of Christ on Social Media.

Picture of the Fortaleza Temple Courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Engage in the work of Salvation: Ordinances Ready on the Mobile App

How do you engage in the work of Salvation when you aren't an expert, or haven't done it before?  The church has one answer to that!

I'm sharing this edited article from the church which shows how easy it is to use the Ordinances Ready feature of the Family Tree Mobile App to find names to take to the temple. It's incredibly simple.

Ordinances Ready is a FamilySearch tool that simplifies finding names for the temple, allowing you more time to serve your family and enjoy the blessings of the temple. You'll get to try it for yourself and also read how others are using the Ordinances Ready feature.

Quick Start
You can try it now! And you can use Ordinances Ready for your next temple visit!

1. Download the Family Tree Mobile App for iOS or Android. You can also find more help and resources on the Church's help page.

2. Sign in and find the Temple page.
   *For iOS, tap the temple icon at the bottom of the app screen.
   *For Android, tap the 3-bar menu at the top left. Then select Temple.
   
3. Tap the Ordinances Ready button and then choose an ordinance—baptism and confirmation, initiatory, endowment, sealing to parents, or sealing to spouse.

4. The app will search the tree and temple inventory for available ordinances, and soon you will have some names pop up!

Note on family names: If no available ordinances are found for family members, Ordinances Ready will retrieve available ordinances that have been submitted to the temple by other patrons. These ordinances from temple inventory will be provided in the same order they were submitted to the temple. You can perform ordinances that have been submitted to the temple by others, whether or not you are directly related to those individuals.

Get to know each person, and take the names to the temple
Using the Family Tree Mobile App, you can get to know each person you are about to do ordinances for. Tap View Relationship to see how you are related, and tap View Person to look at life events, memories, and photos in Family Tree.

After you have looked at the names, tap Continue at the bottom of the screen to reserve the ordinances and print cards to take to the temple. (If you need help printing cards, the app will also give you a number you can take to the temple, where the cards can be printed for you.)

How others are using Ordinances Ready
The new Ordinances Ready feature has already inspired many members, bringing them closer to their family and helping them participate in temple work. Here are Sarah, Garrett, and Kirsten’s stories.

Feeling the spirit at all times: Sarah’s story
“Ordinance[s] Ready has made it more rewarding to go to the temple because I am always able to have my own names to work on. … I have truly felt the Spirit so much stronger as I’ve taken my own family names to the temple,” says Sarah Rocha.

Recently, Sarah and her roommates at BYU–Idaho decided to start their semester by attending the temple together. Sarah showed her friends how to use the new Ordinances Ready feature on the Family Tree app, and each of them were able to find names of family members needing ordinances.

Sarah shared, “Being able to use the FamilySearch app has made it so much easier to feel the Spirit closer to me at all times. … It has helped me to feel closer to those who have passed and feel the love of my Father even stronger beside me.”

Each person can take family names: Garrett’s story
Before using Ordinances Ready, Garrett had never really done family history or temple work for his own ancestors. However, he did enjoy helping Amy, his wife, do temple work for her deceased family members. Several weeks ago, Garrett and his wife tried the new Ordinances Ready feature and found five of Garrett’s family members who needed temple work, including the cousin of his beloved grandfather. He felt that an instant bond was formed.

Garrett and his family use the Ordinances Ready feature often now and feel it has elevated the temple experience for them individually and as a family. “Ordinances Ready has been such a blessing for our family,” they say, “and it is bringing promised blessings and spiritual power [as we perform] temple work for ancestors.”

Ordinances Ready is becoming “the norm”: Kirsten’s story
Kirsten’s son Bennett just turned 12 and has loved the new Ordinances Ready feature after using it on one of his very first temple trips. Kirsten says, “It’s amazing to me that children who are going to the temple for the first time can take names as a norm in their temple attendance.”

Kirsten’s other teenage sons attend the temple almost every week, and they use this new feature to find and print temple names regularly using their own FamilySearch accounts. When Kirsten taught the youth in her ward how to use the feature as well, many ward members discussed how life-changing Ordinances Ready can be for the youth. As Kirsten summarized, “For the kids, this ease will be normal to them. Ancestors will always be on the forefront of their minds, and temple attendance will forever be more personal for all.”

I hope you loved the article. The original can be found at the church website.  I testify that as we will engage more in the work of the Lord, we can find meaning to our lives, and we will develop a love for the Savior and for those we do the temple work for.  And it will change your lives.  I know the Savior lives. I know he is at the head of this work. And I know that he loves each of his children, and stands ready to embrace all who will come unto him.  Watch the windows of heaven open as you engage in this work.

Get started on the Family Tree Mobile App, or on the Family Search Website.  If you want to find out more about how to get started on the App with Family History, you can find more on this blog.

Picture courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Media Library