The LDS Daily WOOL Home Page
(11/30/97)
"Through family history we discover the most beautiful tree in the
forest of creation - our family tree. Its numerous roots reach back
through history, and its branches extend throughout eternity. Family
history is the expansive expression of eternal love. It is born of
selflessness. It provides opportunity to secure the family unit
forever."—Elder J. Richard Clarke, "Our Kindred Family--Expression Of
Eternal Love", General Conference, April 1989
(12/1/97)
"Missionary work is not limited to proclaiming the gospel to every
nation, kindred, tongue, and people now living on the earth. Missionary
work is also continuing beyond the veil among the millions and even
billions of the children of our Heavenly Father who have died either
without hearing the gospel or without accepting it while they lived on
the earth. Our great part in this aspect of missionary work is to
perform on this earth the ordinances required for those who accept the
gospel over there. The spirit world is full of spirits who are anxiously
awaiting the performance of these earthly ordinances for them. I hope to
see us dissolve the artificial boundary line we so often place between
missionary work and temple and genealogical work, because it is the same
great redemptive work!"—The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball,
p.540 (77-01)
(12/2/97)
"One of the most thrilling results of being involved in family research
and genealogical research is becoming intimately acquainted with our
ancestors their challenges and achievements and then showing our
gratitude by performing for them the ordinances that will allow them to
obtain the greatest of all gifts: the gift of eternal life."—Elder David
B. Haight, "Linking The Family Of Man", General Conference, April 1991
(12/3/97)
"Not only must the gospel be taken 'to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people' here in mortality, but it must also be preached to
all of our departed ancestors in the spirit world. A great missionary
campaign must go forward until all who have died without the law of the
gospel will have the opportunity to accept or reject it. Temple work
will not be completely effective without missionary work. In fact, the
people in the spirit world have to learn the various gospel truths,
receive the gospel plan of salvation, repent of their sins, and prepare
themselves to receive the temple ordinances which have been performed
for them vicariously before that great work reaches a fulfillment and
gives to the people the blessings that they should receive."—Milton R.
Hunter,Conference Report, October 1951, p.143 - p.144
(12/4/97)
"The Lord is stirring up the hearts of many there, and there is a
perfect mania with some to trace their genealogies and to get up printed
records of their ancestors. They do not know what they are doing it for,
but the Lord is prompting them; and it will continue and run on from
father to father, father to father, until they get the genealogy of
their forefathers as far as they possibly can."—Discourses of Brigham
Young, 15:138
(12/5/97)
"Great activity has been manifest during the year 1908 on the part of
the saints in their temple work.... The saints should take advantage of
every opportunity to obtain the records as far as possible of their
ancestors, that their redemption through the ordinances of the House of
God might be obtained."—James R. Clark,Messages of the First
Presidency, Vol.4, p.193 - p.194
(12/6/97)
"Why smite it [the earth] with a curse? Because the people are careless
and do not look after the salvation of their dead, do not let their
hearts be drawn out after their ancestry, do not seek to perform those
ordinances that are necessary for their redemption, that they may be
redeemed by law. If we would not be smitten by a curse, let us seek
after the redemption of our fathers, as well as of ourselves, for says
the Apostle Paul, 'they without us can not be made perfect, neither can
we without them be made perfect.' We may do all that we please for
ourselves, and yet if we, through our carelessness and indifference,
neglect to seek after the salvation of the dead, the responsibility will
be upon our own heads; and the sins of the dead will be answered upon
us, because we had the power to act for them, and we were careless and
indifferent about using it."—Orson Pratt,Journal of Discourses,
Vol.16, p.261
(12/17/00)
"In this Church we are not hobbyists in genealogy work. We do family
history work in order to provide the ordinances of salvation for the
living and the dead." — Dallin H. Oaks, "Family History:
'In Wisdom and in Order,'" Ensign, June 1989, p. 6
(12/18/00)
"We are a covenant-making people. These eternal blessings are for all
who wish to worthily receive of them, both the living and the dead. In
the mercy of God we are privileged to receive these blessings by proxy
for our deceased ancestors who did not have this privilege in life.
They, of course, may choose whether to accept these blessings. Our duty
is to search out our forebears and give them the opportunity to accept
and receive these blessings. As the Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'The
greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to
seek after our dead.'" — James E. Faust, "Eternity Lies
before Us," Ensign, May 1997, p. 20
(12/19/00)
"Yet there is an abundance of role models who can be found much closer
and who can have much deeper influence upon each one of us. Most of us,
with relatively little effort and much less cost, can provide for our
families a veritable list of important role models. This list can be
created from a modest search into the lives of our ancestors." —
Monte J. Brough, "Search for Identity," Ensign, May 1995, p. 41
(12/20/00)
"Yet there are many members of the Church who have only limited access
to the temples. They do the best they can. They pursue family history
research and have the temple ordinance work done by others. Conversely,
there are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family
history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a
divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking
their own indred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets." —
Howard W. Hunter, "A Temple-Motivated People," Ensign, Feb. 1995,
p. 4
(12/21/00)
"We renew our appeal for the keeping of individual journals and records
and compiling family histories.... [S]ome families possess some
spiritual treasures because ancestors have recorded the events
surrounding their conversion to the gospel and other happenings of
interest, including many miraculous blessings and spiritual
experiences.... I promise you that if you will keep your journals and
records they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to your
families, to your children, your grandchildren, and others, on through
generations." — President Spencer W. Kimball, General
Conference, Oct, 1978
(12/22/00)
"We have a responsibility pertaining to our kindred dead. The Prophet
Joseph tells us, and it is on record, that the greatest responsibility
that God has laid upon us is that of looking after our kindred dead.
Until the Church was organized, and there were temples built, and an
opportunity for the living to do something for the dead, there seemed to
be no occasion for our forebears to look to us. There was nothing we
could do for them. But with the introduction of the Gospel, and the
building of temples, the Lord sent his servant, Elijah, as predicted by
Malachi he would do, who conferred the keys upon Joseph and Oliver of
the turning of the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts
of the children to the fathers. " — Elder George F.
Richards, "General Conference Reports", October 1930 p.53
(5/6/04)
"Personal roots, physical and spiritual, merit gratitude. For my life, I
am grateful to my Creator as well as to my dear parents and progenitors.
I try to honor them by learning of them and serving them in the temple.
(See D&C
128:15 .)
Parents have a responsibility to share knowledge of their personal roots
with their children and grandchildren. Learning their history together
unifies a family." - Russell M. Nelson, "
Roots
and Branches ,"
General Conference, April 2004
(3/7/05)
"Once you complete your four generations, you are not finished.
Continue to search out all of your ancestral lines. The
four-generation project becomes a platform for launching further
research. In fact, this is one place where you move forward by
reaching backward! 'It is our duty,' counseled Elder John A. Widtsoe,
'to secure as complete genealogies as possible, to discover our
fathers and mothers back to the last generation, to connect, if it may
be possible, with Adam, our first father upon the earth-a duty which
we cannot escape' ('Genealogical Activities in Europe,' Utah
Genealogical and Historical Magazine, July 1931, p. 104)." - A.
Theodore Tuttle, "Eternal
Links
That Bind," Ensign, May 1980, p. 40
(4/2/05)
"The world cannot understand why people converted to our faith should
sever the ties of home and kindred, and forsake comfort and ease, to
gather with this Church in a far-off land. But the inspiration which had
touched our hearts, showed to us that in the land of Zion there was a
work to do for our dead. We were shown that the unnumbered dead were not
forgotten, and that the sealing of parent and child from generation to
generation in an unbroken chain was a scheme for the salvation of the
whole of our race. Many persons in this country and in the old world
have wondered why, in old times, records of baptisms were kept in the
churches, and why, in our own country, so many persons have devoted so
much time and labor to compiling their genealogies. Those who have done
this have not understood the doctrine of turning the hearts of the
fathers and children to each other as we do, but they have been acted
upon by an inspiration which has impelled them to perform this work." -
John Henry Smith, "Baptism for the Dead," April 8, 1888
(6/10/05)
"Life is soon gone. Grandparents do not live forever. Parents all too
soon become grandparents and in turn pass away themselves. They and
their influence will then in part be lost as memories begin to fade. All
too soon our imprint in the lives of our descendants begins to dwindle.
We can keep that flame of love burning brightly if we write down a
personal history of our lives and that of our families. By so doing we
can pass on to our descendants in a more permanent form the courage, the
faith, and the hopes we felt within us as we lived our lives and solved
the problems which faced us. Passing an account of these experiences on
to them will provide them with vital guidance and direction.
"In these personal histories we can express to them our love, our hopes,
and our desires. We can pass on to them a knowledge of our family
ancestry and express to them the pride we feel in our family heritage
and the blessings we have received through those who went before us. In
this manner we can keep the flame of love burning brightly in our
children long after we have gone. When we reduce to writing those things
that have strengthened our own faith and courage, we strengthen faith
and courage in our children and grandchildren." - Theodore M. Burton, "
The
Inspiration of a Family Record ,"
Ensign, Jan. 1977, 14
11/23/06
"But there is life beyond the veil. Every thought or word or act
we direct at this sacred work is pleasing to the Lord. Every hour
spent on genealogical research, however unproductive it appears, is
worthwhile. It is pleasing to the Lord. It is our testimony to Him
that we accept the doctrine of the resurrection and the plan of
salvation. It draws us close to those who have gone before. It welds
eternal links in family associations and draws us closer to Him who is
our Lord and stands in the presence of Him who is our Eternal Father."
- Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple , p.256
7/26/07
"Brethren and sisters, assembled in this great conference, I believe the
Lord requires of us that we all set our houses in order in this respect,
that each man and woman, every family, set about to secure, just as
completely as may be possible, a record of their dead, so that thereby
the genealogies of the human family may be gathered and increased in
number, and we may have ample material with which to labor in the
temples of the Lord. Such work is not difficult to do. It may be done by
any man or woman. The intricacies of arranging names in systematic
genealogies may be done by those who are experts in such work, but every
man and every woman in Zion may gather names, later to be fully
arranged, and should give some little time to such work. With respect to
gospel principles, perhaps none is more important in developing
spiritual power and strength than that which pertains to the salvation
for the dead. Whether we are near a temple or far away from it, we may
be able to give some little time to the important work of gathering the
names of our dead and arranging them for use in the temples." - John A.
Widtsoe, "Conference Report," April 1927, Afternoon Meeting, p.32
1/22/08
"There is an urgency to engage
more fully in the redeeming of our kindred dead through more frequent
temple attendance. All those who possess temple recommends should use
them as often as possible to engage in baptisms, endowments, and
sealings for the dead. Other members of the Church should concern
themselves seriously with preparations to qualify for temple recommends
that they, too, might enjoy these eternal blessings and also act as
saviors on Mount Zion. There is an ever-increasing burden of temple work
to be done by the Saints, and we should rise to meet this challenge."
- Spencer W. Kimball, "Hold
Fast to the Iron Rod,"
Ensign (CR), November 1978, p.4
4/1/08
"As the Lord gave His life to
prove His love for His brethren and sisters, the human race, we may show
the spirit of love more vigorously than we have done if we will make the
small sacrifices necessary to seek out our genealogies, to spend time
and money for the work, to take time to go to the temple ourselves for
the dead. All such service may entail sacrifice, but sacrifice lifts us
toward the likeness of God, the likeness of our Elder Brother Jesus
Christ. If we Latter-day Saints have any great ideal, it is that of our
Elder Brother. All that we strive for, and all that we have fought for,
and all that we pray for, is to become more and more like Him as our
days and years increase. As He gave His life, unselfishly for us, so
each of us, extending the open door of salvation to the dead, most of
whom are but names to us, may then by our unselfishness claim in very
deed to be followers of Christ."
- John A. Widtsoe, "Conference
Report," April 1943, Afternoon
Meeting, p.38
6/10/09
“We
who live in this day are those whom God appointed before birth to be
his representatives on earth in this dispensation. We are of the house
of Israel. In our hands lie the sacred powers of being saviors on
Mount Zion in the latter days.” - “The
Teachings of Howard W. Hunter,” edited by Clyde J. Williams, p. 233
6/17/10
"I know of no work in
the Church more conducive to spiritual refinement and communication than
temple and genealogical work. In this work our hearts and our minds are
turned to those beyond the veil. Such a work helps us to sharpen our
spiritual sensitivities." - Boyd K.
Packer, The Holy Temple , p. 241
7/23/10
"The Saints have not too much time to save and redeem their dead, and
gather together their living relatives, that they may be saved also,
before the earth will be smitten, and the consumption decreed falls upon
the world." - Joseph Fielding Smith,
"Conference Report," April 1948, Third Day—Morning Meeting, p. 136
10/15/11
I invite the young people of the Church to learn about and experience the
Spirit of Elijah. I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors,
and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the
Lord for your kindred dead (see D&C 124:28–36). And I urge you to help
other people identify their family histories. - David A. Bednar, "
9/2/14
The more I have to do with
genealogical work, the more difficulty I have with that word dead.
I know of no adequate substitute. I suppose departed would suit me
as well as any. I have had too many sacred experiences, of the
kind of which we never speak lightly, to feel that the word dead
describes those who have gone beyond the veil. - Boyd
K. Packer, “Covenants,”
Ensign (CR) May 1987
1/4/16
One
of the grandest concepts in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the
concept that men can and should be more than passive observers in
the cause of saving souls. One Church leader taught: "In our
preexistent state … we made a certain agreement with the Almighty.
… We agreed … to be not only saviors for ourselves but measurably,
saviors for the whole human family. We went into a partnership
with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely
the Father's work, and the Savior's work, but also our work" (John
A. Widtsoe, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, Oct. 1934,
p.189). - Carlos E. Asay, "Salt
of the Earth: Savor of Men and Saviors of Men," Ensign
(CR), May 1980, p.42
3/22/16
The honest person finds greater meaning in life by the Prophet's
answers to the philosophical questions, Where did we come from?
Why are we here? Where are we going? Because of revelations given
to Joseph, the memory veil between this life and our premortal
existence becomes almost transparent at times. And the veil
between this life and the spirit world becomes thinner, causing
family ties to become stronger, sweeter, and more meaningful as
the hearts of the children turn to their fathers and the hearts of
the fathers turn to their children. - Robert
E. Wells, "Our
Message to the World," Ensign (CR), November 1995, p.65
8/6/16
I think of all Christian service vicarious work for the dead is
the most Christ-like. It often entails great sacrifice. The
beneficiary is not here, even to give thanks. It is true
benevolence. - Stephen L
Richards, “Conference Report,” April 1938, Afternoon Meeting,
p.24
8/12/16
With regard to temple and family history work, I have one
overriding message: This work must hasten. The work waiting to be
done is staggering and escapes human comprehension. Last year
[1995] we performed proxy temple endowments for about five and a
half million persons, but during that year about fifty million
persons died. This might suggest futility in the work that lies
before us, but we cannot think of futility. Surely the Lord will
support us if we use our best efforts in carrying out the
commandment to do family history research and temple work. – “The
Teachings of Howard W. Hunter,” edited by Clyde J. Williams,
p.234
8/22/16
As President Boyd
K. Packer has said, “If you don't know where to start, start with
yourself. If you don't know what records to get, and how to get
them, start with what you have.” You will learn about the phenomenon
that is you. It can be more fascinating than any movie you might see
or any computer game you might play. - James
E. Faust, “The
Phenomenon That Is You,” Ensign (CR), November 2003, p.53
8/27/16
I promise you protection for you and your family as you take this
challenge to ‘find as many names to take to the temple as
ordinances you perform in the temple, and teach others to do the
same.’ - Dale G. Renlund,
address at RootsTech conference, Feb. 6, 2016
4/6/17
We
do not
know what marvels God will inspire people to create to help in His
work of gathering His family. But whatever marvelous inventions may
come, their use
will require the Spirit working in people like you and me. This
should not surprise us. After all, these are beloved sons and
daughters of God. He will
send whatever inspiration is needed to give them the opportunity to
return toHim. – Henry B.
Eyring, “Gathering
the
Family of God,” Ensign (CR) May 2017