The Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple opens at the end of August 2026, so many people are hard at work making sure members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are ready to participate in the Lord’s work of uniting families for eternity. Those people include local temple and family history consultants who are helping Church members be able to take the names of their ancestors to the temple so they can receive sacred ordinances.
Every effort to gather God’s children to the Savior looks different, depending on where a person serves. In Cambodia, decades of war and political unrest destroyed many of the country's written records—making serving as a temple and family history consultant one of the most challenging callings a member can have there.
For many years, Samnang Kang has served diligently as a temple and family history consultant for local Church members seeking to find and unite their families. Through her service, she has seen the blessings that come from connecting with her own family, adding what she knows to the FamilySearch website, and helping others do the same.
As Samnang reflected on her work and why she does it, she said, “Doing family history will not only bring you to your families, but also to Christ, because He appointed families as the center of His plan.”
Starting Somewhere Simple
Written archives are scarce in Cambodia, so Samnang has learned to start where the records still exist—in the memories of living family members. She has encouraged the people she serves to ask their parents, cousins, and relatives for names, dates, stories, or anything else they know. Those conversations, she has found, are often where the Spirit first touches someone's heart.
Over the years, Samnang has used this same strategy to have a significant impact on her own family history. She has been able to record six generations on her mother’s side and complete their temple work by talking to her mother and other family members. When Samnang attended her grandmother’s funeral, she took the opportunity to reconnect with some of her relatives, asking them about family names and what they know.
“Even if they are distant relatives, it really brings us closer when we get to know more about the family,” Samnang said. "[And] it's really simple! You just go and talk to your parent and talk with your cousin, get their names, and put them on the tree."
A Sacred Experience
Samnang feels her calling as a family history consultant is an opportunity for the Lord to guide her to those needing help—sometimes in simple, unexpected ways. The impact of following the Spirit and helping others record what they know is shown in an experience Samnang had.
She once sat with a woman who wanted to prepare a family name card for her deceased son but couldn't access her FamilySearch account. Together, they worked through it and recorded the information that had existed only in a mother's memory.
When talking about this experience, Samnang said, "She cried. She cried with us, and it was amazing to her; she said she's so grateful that we were here because it's been months that she's been struggling to prepare for the temple."
This kind of moment can be easy to overlook—a small, practical act of service that turned out to be something sacred. Samnang put it simply: "Sometimes we don't see that our calling can really be a blessing to someone else. If we don't think about their story, we forget the amazing blessings that God has guided us to do."
Those stories don't just preserve memory; they open a path forward. Names, dates, and photos added to FamilySearch strengthen family connections and improve the accuracy of the family tree. This simple work helps connect family members to ancestors who are ready for temple ordinances.
Preparing for a Temple
The Phnom Penh Cambodia Temple will be the first temple built in Cambodia and only the second temple built in mainland Southeast Asia. As Samnang explained, people in Cambodia now have the opportunity to visit a temple much more regularly and experience the blessings that come from doing so.
“I know the temple is the house of the Lord, where we can look for Him and find peace in our heart,” Samnang said. “I know that the blessings [of the temple] will come not only to me, not only to [Church] members, but also to the whole country.”
As Cambodia anticipates the sacred milestone of its very own temple, Samnang's quiet, faithful service is helping prepare a people—and generations of ancestors—for the blessings that are coming.
We all can follow Samnang’s example and find opportunities to gather information, learn about ancestors, and connect with family by starting simple and reaching out to those around us who might know more.
Do you know how to contact your ward or branch's temple and family history consultants or how to get other one-on-one help? Sign in to FamilySearch.org, and check out these in-person and online resources. They can help you prepare family names for the temple and continue your family history journey.
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