The Oakland California Stake Stake Focus Areas - Temple & Family History

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3. Temple & Family History

• Receiving Temple Blessings Ourselves - The blessings of the temple are vital to spirituality, and are the crowning purpose of missionary work, and all our efforts in the Church. These blessings will yield increased strength and understanding throughout a faithful life, culminating as we realize the promises of Eternal Life and exaltation with our Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ. While the greatest blessings of the temple will be realized in our immortal future, there is strength, perspective, and guidance for our day-to-day activities from attending the temple, and additional blessings from the service of providing the temple blessings for our ancestors who have died. What greater earthly blessing can we have than to go to the House of the Lord, away from the distracting influences in the world, and learn the ways of our Father through His Spirit? We will become like Him, for we shall know Him as He is. Is not this Life Eternal - to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent?



• Temple Activity Status

  K Adults Endowed: xxx (xx%)
  K Members with Current Recommends: xxx (xx%)
  K Members Sealed to Their Spouse: xxx (xx%)

• Doing Work in the Temple for Your Ancestors Who Have Died - Discovering our ancestor's names and information, then performing the essential ordinances in the temple in their behalf, is one of the most fulfilling (and addicting!) activities we can be involved in. With the restoration of the sealing power to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the "spirit of Elijah" has moved through the whole earth, inspiring many of all nations and beliefs to search out their ancestors (witness the activity in family history research on the Internet)! The prophecy (as quoted by the angel Moroni, JSH 1:39) that Elijah "shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers," has truly been fulfilled! D&C 138:47 explains that this prophecy is "Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fullness of times, for the redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and utterly wasted at his coming." We of the Church were certainly involved in promises to offer these essential ordinances to our ancestors, and must have our eternal inheritance sealed with them to fulfill the great purpose of this world. The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes possible this inheritance for all of us, it will be received through faithfulness to the covenants made in the House of the Lord.
  
  
• New developments in Family History Research:
• Long-standing policy of not proselyting at the Family History Centers has been reversed. It is felt that Christ would have his gospel spread through every means possible, including the great resources of the family history centers.
• Recent development of the Church's www.FamilySearch.com web site - the Church understands the importance of the Internet in research - of 150 million internet users, 31% say genealogy is their #1 use, making it the #1 application.
• Change in family file to pink, blue, cream cards - We are being encouraged to do work for OUR ancestors when we go to the temple, and will be increasingly directed to participate in this fashion as we serve in the temple.



• Family History Status

K Members with a family file: xxx
K Names submitted for temple work: xxx
K Ordinances performed in the temple xxx
K Volunteer work in the family history centers xxx

• Temple Ordinance Workers/ Restricted Service Ordinance Workers (RSOW) - RSOWs are people who are set apart to officiate in temple ordinances for special ward sessions only; this program will receive continuing emphasis. We are doing very well in both regular and RSOW temple workers:

J Ordinance Workers: Over 70
J RSOW Workers: Over 40

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