Those of us involved with family history have the wonderful opportunity to help both the living and the dead. It is a blessed experience to help and assist individuals as their hearts turn to their fathers and their fathers’ hearts turn to them. Family history is an excellent resource for missionary work, and working and coordinating with the local full-time missionaries is a great way to introduce individuals not of our faith to the vast free genealogical resources of the Church.
As part of this collaboration, please be aware of the following policies:
- Those of other beliefs should feel free to ask about the Church, but they should not feel obligated to do so. Refer interested patrons to the missionaries.
- Missionaries may not proselyte or teach lessons in the family history center, but they are encouraged to bring investigators to the center to learn about family history.
- Missionaries can use the computers in the family history center to send emails or take online family history lessons. Where possible, missionary use of the center should be when it is open. Any exceptions would be coordinated by the center director and high councilor over family history. However, regarding recent changes to the missionary program, watch for additional information about this next month.
- Some wonderful training resources on LDS.org relate to how the family history center can support these priesthood efforts. To access the class Family History and Missionary Work, go to: https://www.lds.org/callings/temple-and-family-history/family-history-center-director/supporting-priesthood-efforts.
“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, 3).
Thank you so much for your continued consecrated efforts in your callings.
FamilySearch
