Temple and Family History Consultants Can Help New Members

An old proverb says, “You can count the number of seeds in an apple, but you can’t count the number of apples in a seed.” Applied in a church context, this proverb suggests that each of us has the potential to bless many others. Specifically, through temple worship and family history, we can help gather our family to the Savior.

The Mind and Heart of a New Church Member

New members often join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with a strong desire to share the gospel and the ordinances of salvation with both their living and departed family members. Like Lehi, who turned immediately to look for his family after tasting the fruit of the tree of life (see 1 Nephi 8:12), new Church members are often eager for their family members to also receive the fruits of the gospel.

Helping new members channel this desire into action will help them integrate into Church activity, strengthen their testimonies, and extend the blessings of salvation to their deceased family members. Here’s how temple and family history consultants can play an important role in making this happen.

Start with the Savior

Helping new members provide saving ordinances for their family in the temple will draw them and their loved ones closer to the Savior. Why? Because it is His work they are performing (see Moses 1:39).

Encourage new members to participate in temple worship soon after baptism

Ward leaders should help new members receive a temple recommend and attend the temple, as circumstances permit, within weeks of their own baptism. Consultants can support this action by helping new members find and print family names for temple baptisms and confirmations. Family Name Assist is an excellent tool for temple and family history consultants to accomplish this important step.

Help new members add what they know to the FamilySearch Family Tree

Family Name Assist will help new members establish their own family tree on FamilySearch.org. But don’t stop there. Help them continue adding names, dates, and places so FamilySearch can link their family to existing records and uncover new ancestors in need of temple ordinances.

Teach new members to use Ordinances Ready

As new members add what they know, FamilySearch will connect them to ancestors needing temple ordinances. New members can then use Ordinances Ready to quickly find these opportunities and print the necessary family name cards for the temple. Teaching new members how to use Ordinances Ready will help them become more self-sufficient.

Additional ideas

Here are some additional suggestions to help strengthen new Church members:

• Help them feel welcome.

  As you continue to support each new member, you can become one of the friends in the ward who helps them feel welcome and needed. Your influence can help new members see that temple and family history participation is not a one-time event but a source of lifelong blessings.

• Help them learn about their family.

  You can help new members feel close to their family by helping them learn about the real people who are part of their legacy. Help them learn the stories of their ancestors’ lives and add photos, stories, and other documents about them to FamilySearch. As you enjoy these experiences with new members, invite them to share their thoughts, experiences, and testimony with others, especially living family members.

• Connect them to other friends.

  As you are able, help pair new members with others in the ward who can share their journey, both in discovering their family and extending temple blessings to them. New members who have friends in the ward where they live and who share sacred spiritual experiences are much more likely to continue on the covenant path.

Conclusion

When new members engage in temple worship and family history, they are drawn to the Savior. This is because they feel the spirit of Elijah deepen their conversion and strengthen ties to both their earthly and eternal families. President Russell M. Nelson taught that the spirit of Elijah is “a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family.” (“A New Harvest Time,” Ensign, May 1998, 34). Helping new members participate in this sacred effort is one of the most important ways you can contribute to the Lord’s work through your calling.