Someone has reserved an ordinance that I want to do

Article Id: 811
October 24, 2024
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If you want to do ordinances that someone else reserved, contact the person. Ask that they share the ordinances with you. He or she can unreserve the ordinances, allowing you to reserve them for yourself. 

Look for the date indicating when the other person reserved the ordinances. If it was only recently, he or she is probably planning to complete the ordinances soon. Do not be offended if the other person refuses your request.
 

Steps (website)

  1. On the FamilySearch website in Family Tree, display the ancestor's person page.
  2. At the top, under the ancestor's name, click Ordinances. 
  3. A list of ordinances appears. Ordinances that are ready for the temple are highlighted in green. Light green means you can reserve the ordinance; dark green means it is already reserved.
  4. To the right of the dark green ordinances, you see the date the ordinance was reserved, along with the profile of the person responsible. Click the profile.
  5. Use the contact email address that appears to send a message. Or click Send a Message to use FamilySearch's own messaging service. 

Steps (mobile app)

  1. In the Family Tree mobile app, display the person page that contains the ordinances you want to ask about.
  2. In the green menu bar, swipe left, and tap Ordinances. A list of ordinances appears. If the temple icon shows as a dark green, someone reserved the ordinances.
  3. To the right of the dark green ordinances, you see the date the ordinance was reserved, along with the profile of the person responsible. Tap the profile.
  4. Use one of the options that appear to send a message. Or tap Send a Message to use FamilySearch's own messaging service. 

Steps (Family Tree Lite)

Family Tree Lite does not show you the profile of the person who reserved a particular ordinance. Please visit the FamilySearch website, or use the Family Tree app instead. 

What to do if the person does not respond

If you are unable to contact the other person, if you get no response, or if the person refuses to release the ordinances, remember:

  • Church members have 2 years to complete ordinances. As each ordinance is completed, the reservation period automatically extends.
  • When the ordinance reservation expires, the family names are shared with the temple. Others can then reserve the names.
  • During COVID, reservations did not expire. When the expiration date was reinstated, the overall reservation period can appear up to 5 years in length.

Contact FamilySearch Support if you need additional assistance.

Where do I find my messages?
Ordinances reserved between 2007 and 2009 are not completed
Temple ordinance reservation time limit
What happens when ordinance reservations expire?

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