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After a very special Christmas season, we wish each of you a
Happy New Year!
As you may have already heard, in 2022 our special stake focus will be Temple and Family History work. To introduce that focus, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts…
First, I want to acknowledge that Temple and Family History work means different things to different people. Like a beautiful diamond, there are many facets and dimensions to it. I’m excited to have this year to explore something so multi-dimensional. It simply cannot be fully understood with a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Each of us has unique abilities and circumstances. So, it follows that the ways we each choose to do this work WILL BE UNIQUE. I believe this uniqueness of approach is part of our Father in Heaven’s plan for our existence and experience on this earth.
With that premise of ‘uniqueness’ in mind, let us begin our discussion by asking some basic questions…
What is Temple and Family History work?
Why does Heavenly Father ask us to do it?
How will it positively impact our unique life experience?
My simplest answer to our first question is…
Temple and Family History work is… remembering loved ones and helping them receive the ordinances of the temple.
Remembering loved ones
We remember and honor loved ones who have lived before us
We remember and honor loved ones who are alive today
We remember and honor loved ones who will come in future generations
Help them receive the ordinances of the temple
We gather information to perform proxy temple ordinances for past loved ones
We live and share experiences so living loved ones can receive their own ordinances and perform proxy temple ordinances
We help future loved ones receive temple ordinances by sharing our faith story
Under this broad definition of “remembering” and “helping” loved ones, we can begin to see that:
There are MANY types of “work” to be done, and
There are MANY ways to do it
Every type of work and every way of doing it is meaningful to our Heavenly Father.
To explain this concept better, I’d like to use an analogy.
I like to think of the variety of activities associated with Temple and Family History work as being similar to a delicious, giant smorgasbord or “all you can eat” buffet…
If you will pardon my light-hearted analogy…For 2022 we introduce…
The Chuck-A-Rama approach to Temple and Family History work…
Stick with me on this…
When I go to a buffet like Chuck-A-Rama, the appeal is that I can eat as much as I want of all the delicious foods I love. I can also ‘taste test’ new foods, knowing I can always go back to my favorites. The best part of eating at a buffet is that I always leave VERY FULL and VERY SATISFIED!
I think this buffet analogy could help us understand that…
OUR UNIQUE efforts to do Temple and Family History work can be VERY SATISFYING…with the added benefit that we never need to feel guilty for “over-indulging”.
But please remember…
No one can eat everything at a buffet… We simply choose the delicious foods that fill and satisfy us.
In a similar way,
No one is expected to do every aspect of Temple and Family History work all at once.
Our goal is to be spiritually ‘filled’ and help others feel the same.
No Guilt!
Briefly then, this is the Chuck-A-Rama approach…
Set aside time
Look at options
Make an inspired selection
Chow down
Invite Friends
Go back for more
Set aside the time
Think of this as making a reservation… Choose a time of day and an amount of time that will work for you. All of us are busy…but if we set a day and time, we are more likely to accomplish the thing we reserved the time for. Just as Sister Julie Andrews taught us in a previous stake conference, we may need to be very creative about finding time in our schedule for the things we want to do. One good friend of mine indexes while watching Jazz games. Another friend, takes time while her toddler is taking a nap.
Doing Temple and Family History work is OUR CHOICE…No one can make us do it.
We choose to do it…
When we set aside time regularly to do this work, we are creating a literal connection with God and with our loved ones.
This connection changes us from the inside out.
Look at options…see all the possibilities.
When I go to a buffet, before I eat, I like to check out the possibilities.
Which desserts do I want to save room for?
Which main course looks the most delicious to me?
What will I get from the salad bar?
In a similar way, when it comes to our efforts in Temple and Family History work, it would be good for us to get an idea of what our options are… Our ward Temple and Family History Leader or a member of the ward Temple and Family History Committee can help us see the variety of choices available to us.
Here are just a few…
Keeping a personal journal
Gathering and organizing personal photographs
Reading and sharing stories of our ancestors
Studying the life of an ancestor
Gathering and sharing photographs of loved ones
Spending time together as a family…creating memories
Visiting the temple
Performing temple ordinances on behalf of an ancestor
Looking through old records to identify ancestors
Digitizing handwritten records to help people doing research (Indexing)
Learning and sharing customs and traditions of our family
Learning and sharing customs and traditions of our ancestors
Now, as I said, these are just some of the aspects of Temple and Family History work. We can easily see the variety… Just as in our example of the buffet, there are SO many delicious options to choose from.
No one expects you to do it all,
…but do something.
You will not be disappointed. Everything you do, no matter how small it may seem, is important.
Make a selection
Our next step is to seek revelation and CHOOSE what we will do. Which of these activities best fits our NEEDS, CIRCUMSTANCES, GOALS, DESIRES? When I go to a buffet, I usually try a small amount of several different things to see how they taste. Then, I usually go back for more of the ones that taste the best to me. In a similar way, we can try various aspects of Temple and Family History work and learn more or get a bit of experience to see which ones fit our circumstances.
Chow down
Eat as much as you want
This is the best part…
When you find things that fit your situation, do them and really enjoy it…let the Lord fill and satisfy you, as you do the work. Feel His peace in the doing of it.
Invite friends to join you
It's no fun to eat at a smorgasbord all by yourself…
Invite friends or children or siblings to join you in doing the work you have selected. Show them what you are trying…
Have an experience together.
Go back for seconds, thirds, and more…
Heavenly Father invites us to participate in Temple and Family History work so that we can learn, grow, feel and become more like HIM. Every effort we make to attend the Temple or to remember a loved one and make the ordinances of the temple available to them is designed to help them…yes…but there is so much more of a blessing for us!
I testify that as we accept His invitation and do Temple and Family History work, we will be filled with His love. We will feel a deeper connection and relationship with loved ones (past, present, and future). We will receive a clearer understanding of who we are…and a feeling of ‘belonging’ to the family of God. We will feel more joy in our family members here and now…
This year, may we all indulge… in our unique way… in the delicious buffet, our Father in Heaven has provided for us. And may we each be filled with His spirit and love for us.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
I love you all! Have a great week!
President Gardner
P.S. The next time you go to the temple...don’t forget to snap a photo and send it to me…:) It is not too late.
jeffgardner10@gmail.com
801-783-6381
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