Family History and Temple Work Sealing and Healing

Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

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Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

When we gather our family unit histories and get to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil.

Family relationships can be some of the virtually rewarding yet challenging experiences nosotros run across. Many of united states of america accept faced a fracture of some sort within our families. Such a fracture developed between ii heroes of the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. Parley and Orson Pratt were brothers, early converts, and ordained Apostles. Each faced a trial of faith but came through with an unshakable testimony. Both sacrificed and contributed profoundly for the cause of truth.

During the Nauvoo era, their relationship became strained, culminating in a heated, public confrontation in 1846. A deep and prolonged rift adult. Parley initially wrote to Orson to resolve the rift, but Orson did not reply. Parley gave up, feeling that correspondence was over forever, unless initiated by Orson.^one

Several years afterward, in March 1853, Orson learned well-nigh a project to publish a book on the descendants of William Pratt, the brothers' earliest American ancestor. Orson began to weep "like a piffling child" as he glimpsed this treasure trove of family unit history. His center melted, and he adamant to repair the breach with his brother.

Orson wrote to Parley, "Now my beloved blood brother, at that place are none amidst all the descendants of our Ancestor, Lieut[enant] William Pratt, who accept so deep an involvement in searching out his descendants as ourselves." Orson was one of the first to understand that Latter-24-hour interval Saints have an obligation to inquiry and compile family histories so that nosotros can perform vicarious ordinances for our ancestors. His letter connected: "We know that the God of our fathers has had a mitt in all this. … I volition beg pardon for having been so backward in writing to you. … I hope you will forgive me."^two Despite their unshakable testimonies, their love for their ancestors was the catalyst to heal a rift, mend a hurt, and seek and extend forgiveness.³

When God directs us to practice one thing, He often has many purposes in heed. Family history and temple work is not only for the dead but blesses the living as well. For Orson and Parley, information technology turned their hearts to each other. Family history and temple work provided the ability to heal that which needed healing.

As Church members, we practice have a divinely appointed responsibleness to seek out our ancestors and compile family unit histories. This is far more than an encouraged hobby, because the ordinances of salvation are necessary for all of God'southward children.^iv We are to identify our own ancestors who died without receiving the ordinances of salvation. Nosotros can perform the ordinances vicariously in temples, and our ancestors may choose to accept the ordinances.⁵ We are also encouraged to aid ward and stake members with their family names. It is breathtakingly amazing that, through family history and temple work, we tin assistance to redeem the dead.

But every bit we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to "healing" blessings promised by prophets and apostles.⁶ These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:

• Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;

• Increased influence of the Holy Ghost⁷ to experience force and direction for our own lives;

• Increased faith, and then that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;

• Increased ability and motivation to learn and apologize⁸ because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;

• Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;

• Increased joy through an increased ability to experience the beloved of the Lord;

• Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;

• Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, then we no longer experience solitary;

• Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord'southward assist, serve others;

• Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; and

• Increased aid to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.^nine

If you have prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family unit history and temple work. Every bit you do so, your prayers volition be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God's children on earth are healed. No wonder President Russell Chiliad. Nelson, in his outset bulletin equally President of the Church, declared, "Your worship in the temple and your service at that place for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path."^ten

An earlier prophet also foresaw blessings for both the living and the dead.¹¹ A heavenly messenger showed Ezekiel a vision of a temple with water gushing out of information technology. Ezekiel was told:

"These waters outcome out … and go down into the desert, and go into the [dead] sea … , [and] the waters shall be healed.

"And it shall come to laissez passer, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come up, shall live: … for they shall be healed; and every thing shall alive whither the river cometh."¹²

Two characteristics of the water are noteworthy. Showtime, though the pocket-size stream had no tributaries, it grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper the farther it flowed. Something like happens with the blessings that flow from the temple as individuals are sealed as families. Meaningful growth occurs going backward and frontward through the generations every bit sealing ordinances weld families together.

Second, the river renewed everything that information technology touched. The blessings of the temple likewise accept a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings tin can heal hearts and lives and families.

Permit me illustrate. In 1999 a swain named Todd collapsed from a ruptured blood vessel in his brain. Although Todd and his family unit were members of the Church, their activity had been sporadic, and none had experienced the blessings of the temple. On the concluding night of Todd'southward life, his female parent, Betty, sat at his bedside stroking his paw and said, "Todd, if you really practice have to become, I hope I'll see to information technology that your temple work gets done." The next morning time, Todd was declared brain dead. Surgeons transplanted Todd's centre into my patient, a remarkable individual named Rod.

A few months after the transplant, Rod learned the identity of his heart donor's family and began to correspond with them. About ii years subsequently, Todd's mother, Betty, invited Rod to be present when she went to the temple for the first time. Rod and Betty offset met in person in the celestial room of the St. George Utah Temple.

Sometime thereafter, Todd'southward father—Betty's husband—died. A couple of years later, Betty invited Rod to vicariously represent her deceased son in receiving his temple ordinances. Rod gratefully did so, and the proxy work culminated in a sealing room in the St. George Utah Temple. Betty was sealed to her deceased husband, kneeling across the altar from her grandson who served as proxy. Then, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she beckoned for Rod to join them at the altar. Rod knelt beside them, acting as proxy for her son, Todd, whose center was still chirapsia within Rod'south breast. Rod's middle donor, Todd, was then sealed to his parents for all eternity. Todd'due south mother had kept the hope she fabricated to her dying son years before.

Simply the story does not cease there. Fifteen years afterwards his heart transplant, Rod became engaged to be married and asked me to perform the sealing in the Provo Utah Temple. On the wedding ceremony mean solar day, I met with Rod and his marvelous bride, Kim, in a room adjacent to the sealing room, where their families and closest friends were waiting. Later briefly visiting with Rod and Kim, I asked if they had any questions.

Rod said, "Yes. My donor family unit is here and would honey to meet yous."

I was caught off guard and asked, "You mean they're here? Correct now?"

Rod replied, "Aye."

I stepped effectually the corner and called the family out of the sealing room. Betty, her daughter, and her son-in-law joined u.s.. Rod greeted Betty with a hug, thanked her for coming, and and so introduced me to her. Rod said, "Betty, this is Elder Renlund. He was the doctor who took intendance of your son's heart for so many years." She crossed the room and embraced me. And for the adjacent several minutes, there were hugs and tears of joy all around.

Afterwards nosotros regained our composure, we moved into the sealing room, where Rod and Kim were sealed for fourth dimension and all eternity. Rod, Kim, Betty, and I tin can show that sky was very close, that in that location were others with us that twenty-four hours who had previously passed through the veil of bloodshed.

God, in His infinite capacity, seals and heals individuals and families despite tragedy, loss, and hardship. We sometimes compare the feelings nosotros experience in temples as having caught a glimpse of heaven.¹³ That day in the Provo Utah Temple, this argument by C. South. Lewis resonated with me: "[Mortals] say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, volition work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. … The Blessed will say, 'We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven.'"^xiv

God will strengthen, help, and uphold us;¹⁵ and He will sanctify to u.s.a. our deepest distress.¹⁶ When we gather our family histories and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills many of these promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil. Similarly, we are blest when nosotros help others in our wards and stakes do the same. Members who do not live shut to a temple also receive these blessings by participating in family history work, collecting the names of their ancestors for temple ordinances to exist performed.

President Russell M. Nelson, however, cautioned: "We can be inspired all solar day long virtually temple and family history experiences others have had. But we must do something to actually experience the joy ourselves." He continued, "I invite you to prayerfully consider what kind of sacrifice—preferably a cede of time—y'all can make [to] do more temple and family unit history work."¹⁷ Equally you have President Nelson'south invitation, you volition observe, gather, and connect your family. Additionally, blessings will catamenia to you and your family like the river spoken of by Ezekiel. You lot will find healing for that which needs healing.

Orson and Parley Pratt experienced the healing and sealing effects of family history and temple work early in this dispensation. Betty, her family, and Rod experienced information technology. You can too. Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ offers these blessings to all, both the dead and the living. Considering of these blessings, we will observe that we, metaphorically, "accept never lived anywhere except … Heaven."^eighteen I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/family-history-and-temple-work-sealing-and-healing?lang=eng

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