Your temple family names list has a reservation limit of 300 row entries. An entry includes the name of an ancestor and the ordinances you reserved.
When your list reaches this limit, you cannot reserve additional ordinances until the list falls below the limit.
The reservation limit was first applied in 2021. The following questions and answers explain the limit in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why has a reservation limit been put in place?
In a letter written 8 Oct 2012, the First Presidency encouraged members with large lists to “release these names in a timely manner so the necessary ordinances can be performed.” Many of our deceased family members are awaiting the opportunity to receive the blessings of vicarious ordinances. Many members are serving in temples around the world to help with this work.
A new limit of 300 reservations enables you to more easily manage your reservation list. The change allows Church members to more easily find temple opportunities. Additionally, it helps ancestors receive ordinances in a more timely manner.
President Russell M. Nelson and other modern prophets have emphasized the importance of the hastening of the Lord’s work to gather Israel. We have a sacred obligation to provide vicarious ordinances for our own ancestors. As a worldwide Church and members of one large human family, we can help each other fulfill this sacred obligation.
Here are steps you can take if you have too many temple opportunities to complete soon:
- Share family names with family members, friends, or a family group
- Share reservations with the temple. Others can find the name from Ordinances Ready and the Family Tree.
- Unreserve some names
You cannot share ordinances that you reserved from the shared temple inventory. When you try, you see a message: "Ordinances that were previously shared with the temple cannot be shared again." You can unreserve these ordinances. When you unreserve these names, they go back on the shared list of the person who originally shared them with the temple.
When your reservation list is below the limit, you can unshare a reservation you have previously shared.
You cannot unshare ordinances in these circumstances:
- Ordinances are complete
- A temple printed cards
- Someone else reserves the ordinances for a 120-day period
What counts toward the reservation limit?
Each row on your reservation list counts once, even when the row represents multiple ordinances. To see your number, look at the left sidebar. The number after "My Reservations" is your total.
Baptisms, confirmations, initiatories, endowments, and sealings to parents for a person show on one row and count as one reservation. The ordinance of sealing to spouse shows in its own reservation row and counts as a separate reservation.
What happens if my reservation list is already over the limit?
If your list already has more than the allowed number of reservations, they remain on your list until their expiration date. When the reservation expires, the ordinances are shared with the temple. Relatives can find and reserve them in Family Tree or through Ordinances Ready.
If your reservation list is below the limit and no one has printed or completed the work, you can unshare a name.
How can I know if my reservation list reaches the limit?
To look at your reservation lists, sign in to FamilySearch.org, and click Temple. Click My Reservations. On the left, My Reservations shows how many reservations you have. The Shared number does not apply toward your limit.
If you try to reserve an ordinance after reaching the limit, you see a notice that you have reached the limit.
What happens when I reach the reservation limit?
When you reach the limit, you cannot reserve additional family names. To make room on your list, you can share existing reservations with the temple. Other Church members can use Ordinances Ready and help you complete the ordinances. When the work is complete, you get a notification in your FamilySearch Notifications.
You can retrieve shared names that remain incomplete as soon as you have more room in your reservation list. If a shared reservation includes ordinances that have been printed or completed, those ordinances cannot be unshared.
Does sharing family names with the temple count toward my limit?
When you share a family name with the temple, the reservation does not count toward your limit.
Does sharing names with a family group count toward my limit?
When you share a family name with a family group, the reservation does count toward your limit. Normal expiration dates will apply after temples fully reopen at phase 4.
How does sharing family names with a relative or another Church member count toward my limit?
You can share family names with relatives or friends by email or FamilySearch messaging. An email or FamilySearch message shows the names and needed ordinances. If they accept the reservations, the reservations transfer to their reservation list. The reservation no longer appears on your list, and does not count toward your limit.
If I share family names with the temple, how long must I wait for them to be complete?
It is difficult to predict how quickly the ordinance work for names shared with the temple will be completed. Factors include the number of ordinances that others share and the number of temple attendees. Currently, male endowments take the longest to complete. The other ordinances (baptism, confirmation, and initiatory) for male or female generally do not take as long.
With Ordinances Ready, family members and Church members around the world can more easily find and complete names that have been shared with the temple. With more temples being built around the world, more members are also able to participate in doing ordinance work for the deceased. Continued improvements to the sharing and distribution processes will also help shorten time to completion.
I prefer to share printed family name cards with family members. Can I get an exception to the reservation limit?
The reservation limit applies for all users.
Consider sharing family names with your relatives using the new family group feature instead. In a family group, relatives can print the card when they are ready to visit the temple. Names you share with a family group count towards your limit. But you can see the ordinances on your list and who printed them. You can track progress online and receive notifications as ordinances are completed.
If I share reservations for certain ordinances for an ancestor, how do the ordinances I keep count toward the limit?
Each row on your reservation list is counted once, even when it includes multiple ordinances. The same applies if you share part of that reservation with others.
The sealing to spouse ordinance for an individual is included on a separate row from other ordinances and is always counted on its own. All other ordinances for an individual are combined in one reservation row. A reservation for one person that includes all ordinances would count as 2 reservations.
What happens if I share a family name with others by email or messaging, but it exceeds a recipient’s limit?
Each person’s reservation list has the same limit. Members can accept shared names when their list is below the limit.
If a recipient’s list is full, the names remain on your list. You can share the reservation with the temple or a family group.
If I use another program to reserve ordinances, is there still a limit?
Some third-party software works with FamilySearch to help members reserve family names. The programs work with the FamilySearch Family Tree and have the same limit.
After I reach the limit, how do I track family names that I want to reserve later?
Use your Following list to bookmark ancestors whose ordinances you want to reserve in the future. To make them easy to find in the list, you can add the Temple Reservation label.
Why is the temple keeping my family name card after I complete an ordinance for an ancestor?
Leaving family name cards at the temple allows temple workers to ensure that ordinance work is not duplicated and that ordinances are recorded accurately. The practice also helps prevent the spread of germs and eliminates the waiting time after your temple visit.
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