What Family History has done for my Family

D&C 128:15; Hebrews 11:40

Tyler SmithTyler Smith

Family history work opens a doorway to profound spiritual blessings, linking generations through knowledge, inspiration, and empowerment and so many more blessings. Each of them very different for each person. However, I would like to name a few that have occurred in my life.

  1. Temple Attendance

    2. I know that this is an obvious thing. It has been a lot of fun to be able to take the names you research to the temple. But it is more than that. Much more. I can’t even recall all of the blessings that my family have received because of temple attendance. I listed at least three things that we have gained by attending.

    • First, Knowledge would be my first choice in what we have received. We have received knowledge of our first parents, the creation, the fall, and the atonement of Jesus Christ. We have learned of the covenants and what it takes to live with Him again. We have even learned that mistakes happen, but yet we can repent and still be able to return to His presence.
    • Second, Inspiration. There are many times that I have received inspiration. Through what I needed to do to be a better father, what I needed to prioritize or just feeling His love and how He knows that I am trying to do my best.
    • Last, Empowerment. “Satan has nothing on me.” Have you ever felt that nothing can get in your way because of the knowledge or the inspiration that you received? Wow, what a feeling. And when we act on that feeling, you see that faith increase. However, when we leave the temple, this feeling can dissipate very quickly because of the outside world. What better way to get it back, then to attend the temple again. April 2024 Russell M Nelson said,”My dear brothers and sisters, here is my promise. Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!” To receive the blessings of the temple, one must attend.
  2. Family Unity

    3. It is an awesome experience to learn about your ancestors, where they are from, how many children they had or didn’t have, how long they lived. Even more importantly, we are able to do their ordinances. To be able connect with them on a spiritual level. There are even feelings that they have been waiting for a very long time, that sigh of relief of no more waiting, “About time.”

    There is another side of family unity. Taking your children, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, and grandparents to do these ordinances. It is a fun and spiritual high to be able to work together as a family to be able fulfill the promise of Elijah. To be able to see your family performing these sacred ordinances. Even some people are not able to attend for health reasons. We are able to help them with their family's name, so they can feel that family unity. Which brings us to help someone that cannot do it for themselves.

  3. Knowing that you help someone that cannot do it for themselves.

    4. President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “That which goes on in the House of the Lord … comes nearer to the spirit of sacrifice of the Lord than any other activity of which I know. Why? Because it is done by those who give freely of time and substance, without any expectation of thanks or reward, to do for others that which they cannot do for themselves” (Ensign, Mar. 1995, 62–63).

    Who has done something for us that we can not do for ourselves?

    The Savior.

Going to the temple and doing work for those who can not do it for themselves, is a huge blessing. In a little way, we are able to help with the plan of salvation, to be a Savior on mount Zion.

Joseph Smith wrote,” And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect."

Heavenly Father and his son want us to be able to partake in this plan, and Family History is one of those ways.

Your Brother in the Gospel,

Tyler Smith