New! Consultants Can Now Use Family Name Assist in Leader and Clerk Resources

Going to the temple for the first time to do proxy baptisms is exciting. Those worshipping in the house of the Lord should be able to focus on the beauty and blessings of the temple experience and the anticipation of serving loved ones. Family Name Assist is a tool designed to help new members and youth focus on the temple experience rather than on the process of preparing a name, which can be unfamiliar to some.

Family Name Assist simplifies preparing names by automating and facilitating many of the necessary steps. Any ward leader or temple and family history consultant can use Family Name Assist without needing prior FamilySearch or family history experience. Because of this, Family Name Assist is becoming a preferred way to help Church members more quickly and easily reserve their first few family names to take to the temple for proxy baptisms, helping them focus on the Savior and on the blessings of uniting their family for eternity.

With a recent update, temple and family history consultants can now access Family Name Assist through Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) on ChurchofJesusChrist.org. This change will give consultants access to the full functionality of Family Name Assist.

Using Family Name Assist in Leader and Clerk Resources

Family Name Assist makes it simple to prepare family names for proxy baptisms and confirmations. It automates the creation of FamilySearch accounts, facilitates entering the information members have about a deceased relative into their family tree (including checking for duplicates), makes ordinance reservations, and offers multiple options for printing family name cards. And it does all of this without requiring any prior experience with FamilySearch or family history.

Consultants previously could use Family Name Assist but could not access it through Leader and Clerk Resources like ward leaders. With new access to Leader and Clerk Resources, consultants now have new capabilities in Family Name Assist. For example, consultants can now use Family Name Assist’s ability to automate FamilySearch account creation and access, and they can act on behalf of the person being helped. Although members may need help learning how to access FamilySearch.org for themselves later, using Family Name Assist for them in the moment can help them easily reserve names for their next experience serving in the temple.

How to Access Family Name Assist

Consultants can use the Get Started button on the Family Name Assist web page to go straight to the tool in LCR. They can also follow these steps to access Family Name Assist from Leader and Clerk Resources:

• Sign in to ChurchofJesusChrist.org using your Church account.
• Scroll through the row of application links, and click Leader and Clerk Resources.

• In the top menu in LCR, click Temple. The drop-down menu gives you the option to access Family Name Assist. 

• After you click "Family Name Assist," a page will open where you can begin helping members add information about their ancestors and print family name cards for temple baptisms and confirmations.

Note: If consultants do not find Family Name Assist in LCR, they should check with their ward clerk to ensure that their calling was recorded correctly.

Helping Ward Leaders Use Family Name Assist

Please remember that leaders in each ward or branch can also use Family Name Assist through LCR to help new members and youth, and the tool does not require family history experience to use. It is designed so that those who are already helping members prepare for the temple can also help them print their first family names and enjoy the blessings of serving their own relatives almost immediately after they receive their temple recommend.

The tool can also be useful for groups attending the temple together to do proxy baptisms. If any of the youth in the group cannot find or print a name through Ordinances Ready for themselves (such as when they have forgotten their account information), a leader or consultant can quickly help them reserve and print a family name using Family Name Assist.

As you become familiar with this simple but powerful tool, you can help others feel comfortable with it too. You may also consider asking your temple and family history leader, elders quorum president, or Relief Society president to help you ensure that all those with access to Family Name Assist in Leader and Clerk Resources are aware of it and feel comfortable using it.

After a member has participated in proxy ordinances for close relatives and learned about the temple through their first few experiences, family history consultants can also play a crucial role in helping members becoming familiar with Ordinances Ready on FamilySearch.org. Using Ordinances Ready regularly and adding what they know to the FamilySearch Family Tree will enhance members’ ability to serve their ancestors in the temple, opening the door to a lifetime of joyful temple service and family history discoveries.