Mission Prep Class: Lesson 15: Temple and Family History Work

Missionary Preparation Class
Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
www.LatterDaySaintMissionPrep.com
Welcome to Our
Lesson 15:
Temple and Family History Work

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
About the Class Instructor
• My name is Jimmy Smith
• Founder of Latter-day Saint Mission Prep website
• I live in Texas in the United States
• I served my mission to Argentina, 1995-1997

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
About this Mission Prep Class
• Following the Church’s
Missionary Preparation
Teacher Manual
• Teaching my two teenage
children and record the
lessons for others to enjoy
• This video, my website, and
other content I create is
NOT a publication of The
Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Before We Begin: Make Sure You
Have a Way to Take Notes

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Review of Previous Lessons
Purpose—to Invite Others to Come Unto Christ
Lesson 1:
Our Need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Lesson 2:
Learning and Teaching by the Spirit of God
Lesson 3-4:
The Role of the Book of Mormon
Lesson 5:
Preparing for Life as a Missionary
Lesson 6:
Teaching the Message of the Restoration
Lesson 7-8:
Developing Christlike Attributes
Lesson 9:
Teaching the Plan of Salvation
Lesson 10-11:
Finding People to Teach
Lesson 12:
Teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Lesson 13-14:

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Missionaries’ Home Next Door to the
Almada Family

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Teaching the Almada Family

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Baptism
of the
Almada
Family

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Outside
of
Church
after
Almada
Family
Baptism

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Jimmy Smith at
Buenos Aires
Temple – Nov 1997

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Baptism is a Step Toward Higher
Ordinances of the Temple
• Elder David A. Bednar, in his May 2009 general
conference address, explained that “the baptismal
covenant clearly contemplates a future event or
events and looks forward to the temple.”
• Then he quoted Elder Neal A. Maxwell who said,
“Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze
beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple.”
Images from the Gospel
Media library on
churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Baptism is a Step Toward Higher
Ordinances of the Temple
• Elder Russell M. Nelson has also taught
this principle when he said that
“missionary work is only the
beginning” of the gathering of Israel.
• He went on to say “the fulfillment, the
consummation, of those blessings
comes as those who have entered the
waters of baptism perfect their lives to
the point that they may enter the holy
temple. Receiving an endowment there
seals members of the Church to the
Abrahamic covenant.”
• Perfection Pending, and Other Favorite Discourses, 1998 Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Temples Integral Part of Missionary Work
for New Converts and Missionaries
• “As missionaries, you should do all you can to
encourage new converts to prepare to go to the
temple. New converts who go to the temple to
perform vicarious baptisms for their ancestors are
more likely to remain active and then go to the
temple later to receive their temple endowment and
sealing.” (Mission Prep Manual)
• Going to the temple is also an important step for
each young person in their mission prep…

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• “Let us prepare every
missionary to go to the
temple worthily and to
make that experience an
even greater highlight than
receiving the mission call.”
• “Follow the Son of God,” Ensign, Nov. 1994
Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Kirtland Temple
Dedication
• D&C 109: 22-23 “We ask thee,
Holy Father, that thy servants
may go forth from this house
armed with thy power, and that
thy name may be upon them,
and thy glory be round about
them, and thine angels have
charge over them;
• And from this place they may
bear exceedingly great and
glorious tidings, in truth, unto
the ends of the earth, that they
may know that this is thy work.” Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• “It is so important for you to understand
that going to the temple for your own
endowment … [is] an integral part of
your mission preparation. … [You should]
understand the significance of those
temple covenants [and] the inextricable
link between your endowment there
and your missionary success. Indeed, the
very word endowment conveys the
essence of that vital link. An endowment
is a gift. …You know you cannot do this
work alone. We have to have heaven’s
help, we have to have the gifts of God. …
This work is so serious and the
adversary’s opposition to it so great that
we need every divine power to enhance
our effort and move the Church steadily
forward.”
• “Keeping Covenants: A Message for Those Who Will Serve a Mission,” New Era, Jan. 2012
Media library on
Temple
Endowment is
Integral Part of
Mission Prep

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Receive a Temple Recommend
before Going to the Temple
• “A temple recommend signifies that we have been found
worthy through an interview with a member of our
bishopric or our branch president and also an interview
with a member of our stake presidency or mission
presidency. Temple recommend interviews are
opportunities for us to examine our worthiness. In each
of the interviews, our priesthood leaders will ask us
about our personal conduct and faith. Our priesthood
leaders keep these interviews private and confidential.”
• “Being Worthy to Enter the Temple,” Ensign, Aug. 2010
Image from the Gospel Media library on churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Receive a Temple Recommend
before Going to the Temple
• “The following are some of the topics your priesthood
leaders will ask you about:
• Your testimony of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the
Holy Ghost.
• Whether you sustain the President of the Church.
• Whether you live the law of chastity, pay tithing, are
honest with others, and keep the Word of Wisdom.
• Whether you strive to attend church, keep the covenants
you have made, and keep your life in harmony with the
commandments of the gospel.”
• “Being Worthy to Enter the Temple,” Ensign, Aug. 2010
Image from the Gospel Media library on churchofjesuschrist.org

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Questions to Discuss / Ponder
• In what ways might going to the temple be a “greater
highlight” than receiving a mission call?
• What are some of the blessings we can receive in the
temple?
• Why it is so important for missionaries to receive
temple blessings before leaving on a mission?

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Following Jesus Christ’s Death, He
Visited the Spirit World
• 1 Peter 3: 18-19 “For Christ also hath once suffered for
sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by
the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the
spirits in prison.”
• 1 Peter 4:6 “For this cause was the gospel preached also
to them that are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God
in the spirit.”
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Vision of Spirit World of
President Joseph F. Smith
• D&C 138: 28 And I wondered at the words of
Peter—wherein he said that the Son of God
preached unto the spirits in prison…
• 29 And as I wondered, my eyes were opened,
and my understanding quickened, and I
perceived that the Lord went not in person
among the wicked and the disobedient who
had rejected the truth, to teach them;
• 30 But behold, from among the righteous, he
organized his forces and appointed
messengers, clothed with power and authority,
and commissioned them to go forth and carry
the light of the gospel to them that were in
darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and
thus was the gospel preached to the dead.
• 31 And the chosen messengers went forth to
declare the acceptable day of the Lord and
proclaim liberty to the captives who were
bound, even unto all who would repent of
their sins and receive the gospel. Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
The Living Can Perform Saving
Ordinances for Those Who have Died
• “Through His loving grace and mercy the Lord makes
salvation possible for everyone who did not have the
opportunity to receive, understand, and obey the gospel
during their mortal lives. The gospel is preached to these
deceased people in the spirit world.”
• “Members of the Church
on earth perform the
saving ordinances in behalf
of their deceased
ancestors and others.
Deceased persons living in
the spirit world have the
opportunity to accept or
reject the gospel and the
ordinances performed in
their behalf.” (PMG) Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Find Information about Ancestors
and Add it to FamilySearch.org
• FamilySearch.org “allows Church members to share or
print out and take to the temple the names of deceased
relatives who need to have saving ordinances performed
on their behalf in sacred temples. This is an important
aspect of doing family history. Worthy members of the
appropriate age, including new members, are eligible to
receive from their bishop a limited-use recommend to
participate in performing baptisms and confirmations for
these deceased ancestors.” (PMG)

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• How did the Savior organize the preaching of the
gospel in the spirit world?
• What has God done to provide for people who die
without receiving saving gospel ordinances?

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
The Mission of Elijah
• Elijah was an Old Testament
prophet who lived about 900
B.C.
• The prophet Malachi prophesied
that Elijah would return to the
earth.
• When the angel Moroni
appeared to Joseph Smith in
1823, he reiterated Malachi’s
prophecy and quoted Malachi
4:5–6 slightly differently than it
appears in the Bible… Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• JSH 1:38–39 “And again,
he quoted the fifth verse
thus: Behold, I will reveal
unto you the Priesthood,
by the hand of Elijah the
prophet, before the
coming of the great and
dreadful day of the Lord.
• “He also quoted the next
verse differently: And he
shall plant in the hearts
of the children the
promises made to the
fathers, and the hearts of
the children shall turn to
their fathers. If it were
not so, the whole earth
would be utterly wasted
at his coming.” Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Priesthood Keys Restored to Seal
Families Together for Eternity
• One week after the Kirtland Temple was dedicated in 1836,
the prophesied event occurred…
• D&C 110:13–16 “After this vision had closed, another great
and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who
was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us,
and said:
• Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the
mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent,
before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
• To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the
children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a
curse—
• Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into
your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and
dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.”

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Sacred Ordinances in Temples Bind
Married Couples Together Forever
• “Within the family, people experience
many of life’s greatest joys... Marriage
between a man and a woman is
ordained of God and is central to God’s
eternal plan for the salvation of His
children. …The divine plan of happiness
enables family relationships to endure
beyond the grave. Marriage, however,
can be eternal only when authorized
priesthood holders perform the sealing
ordinance in sacred temples and when
husbands and wives who have been
sealed together keep the covenants
they have made.” (PMG)

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
The Spirit of Elijah
• President Russell M. Nelson defined
the spirit of Elijah as “A manifestation
of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of
the divine nature of the family.”
• “A New Harvest Time,” Ensign, May 1998
• Elder David A. Bednar provided
additional insights on how the spirit of
Elijah influences individuals when he
said: “This distinctive influence of the
Holy Ghost draws people to identify,
document, and cherish their ancestors
and family members—both past and
present.” Image from the Gospel
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Spirit of Elijah Instills a Desire to Bring
Saving Ordinances to Our Ancestors
• “The Spirit of Elijah affects people
inside and outside of the Church.
However, as members of Christ’s
restored Church, we have the
covenant responsibility to search
out our ancestors and provide for
them the saving ordinances of the
gospel. …For these reasons we do
family history research, build
temples, and perform vicarious
ordinances. For these reasons Elijah
was sent to restore the sealing
authority that binds on earth and in
heaven.”
• “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Elder Bednar’s promise to youth who
do temple and family history work
• “As 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 increase. Your testimony of
and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.
And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying
influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this
holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and
throughout your lives.”
• “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• What does it mean that the hearts of the children
would turn to their fathers?
• What keys did Elijah restore to Joseph Smith?
• Have you ever felt your heart turn to your forefathers
in some way? If so, what were you prompted to do?
• How have you experienced one or more of the
promised blessings of temple and family history
work?

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Using Family History to Invite
Others to Come unto Christ
• “There are millions across the
world who are working on family
history records. Why? Why are
they doing it? I believe it is
because they have been touched
by the spirit of this work, a thing
which we call the spirit of Elijah.
It is a turning of the hearts of the
children to their fathers. Most of
them do not understand any real
purpose in this, other than
perhaps a strong and motivating
curiosity.”
• “A Century of Family History Service,” Ensign, Mar. 1995
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
People on Both Sides of the Veil
are Praying for Missionary Work
• “Ancestors eager for their ordinances
are praying for their posterity on earth
to accept your teachings and perform
those ordinances vicariously for them
in the temple. …Introduce the people
you are teaching to a temple and
family history consultant or other
member who can help them learn
about FamilySearch.org.” (PMG)
• “I hope to see us dissolve the artificial
boundary line we so often place
between missionary work and temple
and genealogical work, because it is
the same great redemptive work!”
• Spencer W. Kimball, “The Things of Eternity—
Stand We in Jeopardy?” Ensign, Jan 1977
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Family History Can Help in Finding
those Prepared to Receive the Gospel
• “Family history is a powerful resource to use in finding
those whom the Lord is preparing to receive the restored
gospel. Pray to be aware of opportunities to use family
history in your finding efforts. People typically have
spiritual feelings as they talk about families. People also
feel the Spirit as they are taught about the doctrine
concerning why we do family history work. In addition,
convert retention is enhanced as new members are able
to search their family roots and perform sacred
ordinances in behalf of their ancestors.” (PMG)
Media library on

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
• How could missionaries use family history to
introduce others to the gospel?
• How can speaking to others about family history and
temple work be an effective way for missionaries to
find people to teach?

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Conclusion and Homework
• Think about what you can do now to be more
involved in temple and family history work and do it.
• Login to FamilySearch.org and view your family tree
• Fill in gaps in names, dates, photos, etc.
• Print ancestors’ name cards and go to the temple to
perform their ordinances
• Church Video to Check Out
• “The Time Is Now” (3:20)
• “Family History and Missionary Work—Finding” (3:53)
• “Family History and Missionary Work—Activation” (3:05)

Lesson 15
Temple and Family
History Work
Thank You for Watching or Listening
• I have a testimony that these things are true
• Visit the Latter-day Saint Mission Prep Website at
www.MormonMissionPrep.com

Mission Prep Class: Lesson 15: Temple and Family History Work

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Mission Prep Class: Lesson 15: Temple and Family History Work