First Steps: Create a FamilySearch Account, and find a name to take to the temple.

FamilySearch offers tools to help members of the Church to discover their ancestors and provide saving temple ordinances for them. A FamilySearch Account is the key that unlocks all of these resources and makes temple and family history work for ancestors possible.

This article will explain how to set up a FamilySearch Account and will outline some basic steps to follow to find ancestor names and prepare them for the temple. Once you’ve learned how, share these steps with family and friends to extend the same Spirit and blessings to their lives.

Step 1: Create a FamilySearch Account

To log in to FamilySearch, you will need an account. If you already have an LDS Account, you’re set—LDS Account log-ins also work on FamilySearch. If you don’t have an LDS Account yet, you can go directly to FamilySearch and create your account there.

1. Go to FamilySearch.org, and click Free Account in the upper right corner of the page.
2. Follow the three-step process to create your account. You’ll be asked the usual questions, but in step 3, you’ll need your membership number. You can find your membership record number (MRN) on your temple recommend or in your directory listing in the LDS Tools mobile app. You can also ask a ward clerk or Church leader.
3. At the end of step 3, click Create an Account.

Step 2: Find an ancestor needing temple blessings

The following tips can help you find ancestors awaiting temple ordinances.

1. Use the FamilySearch website or the My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together booklet to identify one or more of your ancestors missing from Family Tree.
2. Check your temple opportunities to see if you can find ancestors’ names that need ordinances there.
3. If your direct lines seem “done,” try searching for cousins using Descendency Research.

Step 3: Printing temple cards

Once you have found an ancestor needing temple blessings and reserved the ordinances, you can print temple cards on your home printer to bring with you to the temple.

1. Log in to FamilySearch. Go to Temple in the top navigation, and then choose All Reserved.
2. Check the box next to the name of the ancestor.
3. Select Print (blue button) in the navigation above your ancestor list, and then Print Family Ordinance Cards. Print cards on standard white office paper, cut them out, and bring them to the temple.
4. You can also share the blessings of family history with others. To share, click the blue Share button at the top of your reserved list, and select Share with Family or Friends.