“Our ancestors . . . need of the ordinances of salvation and exaltation. . . . We need each other, and we can bring each other to the Savior’s redeeming healing,” taught Sister Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency.
Whether we are very familiar with doing our genealogy or are completely new to it or somewhere in between, we can all use a reminder that the work we do to learn about our ancestors is not just a hobby. For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this effort is much more.
Elder Gerrit W. Gong quoted the Prophet Joseph Smith who said, “‘It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven.’ . . . Indeed, ‘we without [our family members] cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.’”
!["We without [our family members] cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect." — Elder Gerrit W. Gong](http://fh.familysearch.org/system/files/team/ait/images/blog/quotes-4.jpg)
On that same topic, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said “[The Church] strengthens families for mortality and binds them together for eternity. . . . [M]embers young and old trundle off to temples to perform sacred ordinances necessary to bind the human family together.”
These teachings clearly indicate that the work of bringing our families together for eternity involves both us and our ancestors. We connect to them, and as we do, they connect to us as well. If you have not yet felt that power of connection as you do your family history, there is no better time than now to seek for it.
4 Ideas for Feeling a Stronger Connection to Your Ancestors
- Really desire to know.
- Ask God in sincere prayer.
- Do something. (See the other ideas in this list.)
- Share your testimony with others to strengthen it.
- Take some time before heading to the temple to look at your reservations. You can click the Learn about . . . link to learn more about the person whose name you have reserved.
- How long ago was the person born, and where is the person from? Are there any stories you can read or pictures you can see? Even if the person is not your direct ancestor, you are helping someone’s family member connect into our eternal, heavenly family.
Did you like these teachings from general conference? Check out the Temple and Family History category on the FamilySearch blog for more next week!
