Family History Ideas By Ward Organization

Bishopric -

Teach each person who comes for a recommend how to do ordinances ready on their phone.

Use Family Name Assist to give a recommend holder a family name to take to the temple. It will print with temple recommend.

Call a counselor in each presidency within the ward to be over Temple and Family History for their organization.  

Call Youth Temple and Family History consultants (one for each class - maybe with each class presidency)

Encourage temple attendance and participation in Family History work

Encourage serving in the temple

Invite temple and Family History Leader to Ward Council meetings on a regular basis

Use Family Name Assist to get 11 yr first temple name with first Bishop temple recommend  interview

Have Temple and Family History themed Sundays, Activities, Month’s etc.

EQ/RS Presidencies

Call a ward Temple & Family History Specialist

Create a ward Temple and Family History Plan to be approved by ward council.

Come up with a Ward Plan to be approved by Temple and Family History Committee and Ward Council

Teach simple family history skills or have temple & family history moments in class or in newsletters

Organize regular Ward Temple Days and/ or Family History Activities

Meet regularly to discuss Temple and Family History efforts in the ward and provide guidance/support to ward Temple and Family History Leader

EQ President meet with High Councilman quarterly re: temple and family history

Primary

Help children get their familysearch account after they are baptized

Teach them how to do Ordinances Ready so they can help family members find temple names

Include temple and family history work in Great to be Eight program

Primary Temple Prep Day when they turn 11 -  have older kids show them how to do ordinances ready and talk to them about doing baptisms. Have Bishopric member talk about getting a recommend

Use Family Name Assist to get 11 year olds their first temple name with their first  Bishop interview for a recommend.  Temple name will print with the recommend.

Visit the FamilySearch Center for Activity Days

Include Temple and Family History work in activities

Teach kids to index using familysearch  “Get involved” app.

Primary Presidency member attends ward temple and family history council meetings.

Sunday School Teachers/  Parents

Add Family History to Come Follow Me Lessons

        https://www.thefhguide.com/cfm-2025.html  - This website provides a family history related activity for each Come Follow Me lesson

Provide a family history class after church

Preach My Gospel Class lesson # 9 is on Family History

Know when some of the Come Follow Me Lessons are about Temple and/or Family History

Ward Temple and Family History Leaders

Organize Ward Temple and Family History efforts

Conduct regular Temple and Family History Committee meetings either in person or on zoom.

Create a Ward Group to see how everyone in the Ward is related www.Relativefinder.org

Go to “Groups”  select “Create”.  Follow the steps to create a group for your ward.   Have your ward members join the group to see how they are related to each other

Have a Ward Temple Day, Month, etc.

Meet with ward temple and family history consultants and ward members to promote temple worship and family history in the ward.

Ward temple night

Ward Family History Night or Class each month

Create a ward Plan with the help of ward council and temple and family history committee members

Hold a Temple and Family History / Gathering Israel  Month

YM/YW

One Priest and one YW from oldest YW class to attend ward Temple and Family History Committee Meetings

Lessons in Strength of Youth about Temple and Family History  3, 7, and 9

Class Activities at the FamilySearch Center

Call youth consultants for each class

Things to Assign Youth Family History Consultants to do:

  • Help youth turning 11 to find a name to take to the temple for baptisms
  • Train YM/YW how to find names for class temple trips and accompany them
  • Train future missionaries how to find a name to take to the temple for endowments, learn how to teach others how to do family history or indexing
  • Train newly endowed members how to find names to take to the temple for future temple trips
  • Schedule temple trips for their YM/YW class
  • Record Stories of Senior Ward members  using memories app or storycorps app
  • Help with Temple Family Home Evening Lessons in the Ward
  • Plan Family History Activities for  Ward or Leadership Training or Opportunities
  • Set ward ym/yw indexing goals
  • Learn and teach how to use Get Involved app for indexing
  • Learn and teach how to use Memories app
  • Learn and teach how to use Family Tree app
  • Give talks in Sacrament Meeting regarding Temple and Family History
  • Teach adults how to use Ordinances Ready.  Maybe assign youth consultants to sit in the lobby during temple recommend interviews or tithing settlement and teach those who are waiting in the lobby.
  • Have an activity going to members homes as companionships and teach them how to use the familysearch apps or help them with a family history topic.
  • Host a youth summer family history camp with the help of youth.
  • Preach my Gospel chapter 9 talks about using family history for missionary service
  • Give a talk on Family History
  • Have contests with youth vs adults regarding ward temple and family history numbers to see which group can get the highest number on the ward family history activity report.
  • Host temple trips as part of youth camp, high adventure, or other youth programs.

Trek:  Temple Trips to Spiritually Rescue those on the Plains (story of Brigham Yound sending rescuers to the handcart companies can easily be spiritually rescuing - temple, missionary etc , Find family names,  carry a pioneer name on the trail.  Lehi familySearch Center has printout of how to make AI label for Trek bucket containing info about pioneer.

        

Stake:

        Have members talk about temple and family history during stake conference

Assign a High Councilman and stake presidency member over temple and family history and training

        Train auxiliary presidency members during ward conference

Have youth consultants teach ordinances ready to those waiting in the foyer for temple recommend interview

Missionary training program on temple and family history

Meet with ward leaders regarding temple and family history efforts in the ward

Youth conference or fireside or youth camps about temple and family history for the youth

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Additional Temple and  Family History Related ideas can be found at:

        Thefhguide.com

        rootstech.org

        Facebook family history consultant groups

        BYU Record Linking Lab

        alpinefamilysearch.org

Free Accounts to the following genealogical sites can be found at https://www.familysearch.org/campaign/partneraccess

        Ancestry.com                         Findmypast                MyHeritage                Storied

        American Ancestors                Filae                        Geneanet

FamilySearch Apps

        FamilyTree -        Tree, Ordinances Ready, Attaching Records                

Memories -  Adding Photos and Stories

        Get Involved - Indexing using AI                Together -  Activities,  Journalingp

Ward Family Group to see how we are related

        Relativefinder.org    Group:  Fox Canyon 3   Password: canyonpoint

Lehi FamilySearch Center

801-356-5820

3201 Garden Dr,  Lehi, UT 84048

Ward Temple and Family History Leader :  Brady Davies 480-466-9735

Ward Consultants :  Mike and Bonnie Dimond 801-979-2745 or 801-979-2746