Taking an Ancestor or Cousin to the Temple
Family History +
Temple Blessings = Spiritual Dynamite
How Do I Get Started?
Used with permission
Family history is easier than ever, but not quite this easy!
Take the Plunge!
“The Lord expects you and me to perform our family history work well. I think the first thing we must do if we are to perform our work well is to have the Spirit of our Heavenly Father with us. …. We are going to make mistakes, but none of us can become an expert in family history work without first being a novice. Therefore, we must plunge into this work, and we must prepare for some uphill climbing.”
--President Thomas S. Monson (“Hastening the Work” June 2014)
For Whom Should We Provide Temple Ordinances?
“Our preeminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors. Those whose names are submitted for proxy temple ordinances should be related to the submitter.”
--First Presidency, February 2012
Who Does This Include?
What Are Collateral Lines?
Use the FamilySearch Website�(www.familysearch.org)
Click Sign In
Use the FamilySearch Website�(www.familysearch.org)
Sign in with your LDS account
Click Family Tree at the top of the page to see what is already in the Family Tree database
What Is Family Tree?
Is Everything in Family Tree Correct?
Is Everything in Family Tree Correct? No--Why Not?
Family Tree contains much good information, but...
Family Tree Data Comes From Several Databases Over Many Years
Church Membership records
Temple records
Millions of user submitted records—many were duplicated by relatives who each submitted their own family records
LDS extracted records
With this many records, there are many duplicates, many unattached records, and many errors
How Do I Find Those Who May
Need Temple Ordinances
How Do I Reserve Temple Ordinances?
Green temple icons are located in multiple places
Descendancy View
Landscape View
Ordinances on the person page
Click any green temple icon
Temple Opportunities (red star)
Reserving Temple Ordinances
If a person was born less than 110 years ago, a Permission Required warning will appear
If you have permission from a closest living relative, click Request Permission
When Permission Is Required
Enter your relationship to the deceased person
Enter the name, contact information, and relationship to the deceased of the one granting permission
Click Submit
You will be notified when your request is approved
Reserving Temple Ordinances
If there are “high match” duplicates, you will see a warning--ordinances have usually already been done
Ordinances can’t be requested until these duplicates have been resolved--
skip these until you are more experienced
Reserving Temple Ordinances
Serious data problems are automatically identified by a
icon and a
pink warning
Ordinances can’t be requested until data problems are resolved--skip these until you are more experienced
Reserving Temple Ordinances
Read the policy and check the box to indicate you have read it
Click Add to Temple Ordinance List
Click Request and check the boxes
If there are no warnings
Temple Opportunities
Click View Person, it will take you to their Details Page-- you will see a green temple in the Ordinances section
A red star indicates there are closer relatives who may need temple ordinances--click the star and then click opportunities to see these persons
Finding Those That Are Missing
Finding Missing Ancestors
Review your Fan Chart to see missing areas
Prayerfully select which lines to work on
However, because of record availability, it’s usually best not to start with those who died before 1850
Finding Missing Cousins
What if your fan chart is full?
Find your cousins--
they may need temple work!
Finding Your Cousins With the Family Tree Descendancy View
Open the Family Tree Fan Chart
Go back far enough to find someone born about 1800-1850
Click on the name to see a Summary Card
Finding Your Cousins With the Family Tree Descendancy View
Select a non- LDS ancestor born about
1800-1850*
*If you go back much before 1800, errors are more common--it is less likely that you are really related
Click Tree on the Summary Card
Hint--look for “non Mormon” death places or check baptism date (hover over to display)
Open the Descendancy view
Finding Your Cousins With the Family Tree Descendancy View
This enables more descendants to be displayed on the screen
Click Show;
and deselect portraits if needed
Finding Your Cousins With the Family Tree Descendancy View
You may also click an arrow to see the next generation of a specific person
You may display up to 4 generations at a time (4 takes a long time to load)
Finding Your Cousins With the Family Tree Descendancy View
Use the colored icons to help you find those who need temple work
Only the ancestor’s descendants who are already in Family Tree are displayed, regardless of how many generations you choose
Click the Icons to See More Information
A blue Record Hints icon indicates there are indexed records that probably refer to the person
An orange temple icon means more info is needed--click Expand to see what else is needed
Someone with no descendants in Family Tree with a blue icon and a purple icon often has family members that can be found by reviewing the indexed records
A purple Research Suggestions icon may indicate missing family members
What if There Are Many Descendants And it Is Hard to Find Someone?
Go to puzzilla.org--
use Free Basic Services
Puzzilla.org helps identify those who are missing from Family Tree--those who are missing usually need temple ordinances!
Sign in with your LDS account--takes you to the FamilySearch login page
Puzzilla.org
A symbolic birds-eye view of ancestors already in Family Tree is displayed
You
Your ancestors
Blue squares=male, red circles= female
Prayerfully Select an Ancestor
Select a non-LDS ancestor born about 1800-1850*
*If you go back much before 1800, errors are more
common--it is less likely that you are really related
*Hint: look for those who died in “non-Mormon” places
Information about the ancestor is displayed
Mouse over an ancestor to change them to green
If needed, click on the green dot, then check Family Tree to check baptism dates
After Selecting an Ancestor
You see a birds-eye view of Nathaniel’s descendants with Nathaniel in the center
Click on the green dot and click Descendants
Look for Areas of Missing Descendants
Nathaniel’s son William joined the Church
However, Nathaniel’s other children have few descendants in Family Tree
William has many descendants in Family Tree
Many cousins are missing!
Look for Missing Descendants
Grey squares indicate those born in the last 110 years
Yellow squares represent those dying before age 16--indicating they most likely didn’t have children
Choose someone born about 1830-1880 with no descendants in Family Tree (no lines extending outward)
Choose someone without a yellow or grey square
Look for Missing Cousins
A birds-eye view of Nathaniel’s descen
There may be indexed records that contain information about missing family members!
Nathaniel’s son Joseph was born before 1880 and has no descendants showing
Click on the green dot,
then click View in Family Tree
Once You Have Identified Someone With Missing Parents or Children
Use Record Hints to find those that are missing
Billions of indexed records are automatically searched--over 95% are correct matches!
But don’t assume all are correct!
Using Record Hints
Click a Record Hints icon
Indexed information about the record is displayed
Click Review and Attach
If the information looks like a match
Using Record Hints
Census info is on the left
Family Tree info is on the right
A new screen is displayed
If available, always click Image
Using Record Hints
You may find missing family members!
Review the image
The image may contain important information that may be missing from the indexed info
Using Record Hints
Add any missing info from the census record to Family Tree
Click Attach
If the two records match
Using Record Hints
FamilySearch automatically adds a source on the details page
Sources are automatically tagged to any vital information they provide
Using Record Hints
The census can be attached to other family members
You can also add family members who are missing from Family Tree
Using Record Hints
When you click Add, FamilySearch tries to find a matching record
No match is found for Emmely Mary; a potential new Family Tree record is created
To add the new record, click Create New Person
Using Record Hints
When adding Charles Henry
FamilySearch finds a matching extracted Family Tree record
If it is a correct match, click Select instead of Create New Person
Using Record Hints
A new record for Emmely Mary was added to the family
The extracted record for Charles Henry is added to the family
Using Record Hints
Newly added Family Tree records often need temple work
If you see a green temple icon, request ordinances
However, find and attach other available sources before doing ordinances
Find Those That Are Missing!
By Checking Record Hints
Joseph’s wife and 8 children were found
What if There Are No Record Hints?
Click the FamilySearch link under Search Records
FamilySearch automatically searches billions of indexed records using the name and birth information from Family Tree
Sometimes there are no available record hints
Searching Records in Family Tree
The other records refer to someone else
These records represent the correct Maria
Name and birth information is automatically entered into the search fields
Searching Records in Family Tree
If the record pertains to the person, click Attach to Family Tree and follow the same steps
Details of an indexed marriage record are shown
Click the Preview Arrow
What if There Are No Indexed Records For Someone You Find at Puzzilla.org?
Try to find indexed records for others in the family
If you are still having problems, try a different family or consider using the Descendancy View method
The Blind Men and the Elephant
What does this have to do with family history?
“In the Mouth of Two or Three Witnesses” (2 Corinthians 13:1)
Why Find As Many Records as Reasonably Possible?
To Print Ordinances You Have Requested
Check the box by the names of those you want to print
Click the arrow next to Print
Click Print Family Ordinance Cards
Click Temple
Congratulations--You Have Found A Relative to Take to the Temple!
The Apostolic Temple Challenge
“Find as many names to take to the temple as ordinances you perform in the temple, and teach others to do the same.”
--Elder Dale G. Renlund, Feb. 2016