The "other servants" (Jacob 5:70) who were called into the Lord's vineyard include people like you—as members of the Church, we are all responsible to help God gather His children.
President Nelson spoke to the brethren of the priesthood and to the sisters, and he invited the youth to gather Israel on both sides of the veil to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. There are many other times our prophet has addressed this topic, including describing what it means, and inviting us all to make a sacrifice of time to accomplish this great work and receive the blessings in store.
"Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that."
"You—my dear, extraordinary youth—were sent to earth at this precise time, this most crucial time in the history of the earth, to help gather Israel ... There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth." President Nelson, Worldwide Devotional 2018
In 2016 President Nelson addressed Millennials:
"A True Millennial is a man or woman who lives now to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His millennial reign. Make no mistake about it—you were born to be a True Millennial ... Spend more time—much more time—in places where the Spirit is present. That means more time with friends who are seeking to have the Spirit with them. Spend more time on your knees in prayer, more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the temple. I promise you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He will multiply the remainder." President Nelson, Worldwide Devotional 2016
As individuals and families, find ancestors you can do ordinance work for in the temple. If you haven't used Ordinances Ready yet, you can try this FamilySearch tool that simplifies finding names for the temple, allowing you more time to serve your family and enjoy the blessings of the temple. Read how to verify names and relationships here. Watch this video to see how to use the app:
Get To Know Your Ancestors
Using the Family Tree app, you can get to know each person you are about to do ordinances for. Tap View Relationship to see how you are related, and tap View Person to look at life events, memories, and photos in Family Tree.
"It is easy to connect to family across generations by small and simple things like these activities," Sister Jones said. And she is right!
The Year I Was Born
Have fun exploring the birth year of your friends and family members with The Year I Was Born activity found in "All About Me" in FamilySearch Activities. The birth year can be changed right on the page. (Click to enlarge the graphic below.)
In addition to playing the game (which can go on for a long time, as it is so much fun), FamilySearch suggests:
For children: With a parent's help, learn about important events or inventions from the year you were born. What inventions have come since your birth?
Try to find photos or documents of when you were a newborn. Ask a parent or other family members about what you were like as a baby.
On FamilySearch, find an ancestor you'd like to learn more about, using the fan chart. Look up his or her birth year. Using a search engine, learn what world events or inventions happened that year. How was life different back then?
Another idea is to interview living relatives to see just how different life is now from the year they were born. Capture, preserve and share these conversations by using FamilySearch apps.
As you read about the "last time" that the Lord labors in His vineyard, what inspires you and your family to serve the Lord "with your might"? (Jacob 5:71).
We Are All In This Together!
Watch this video clip from the Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction 2020 and then decide how you and your family or group can use the ideas this family uses to help friends or family members discover ancestors who need ordinance work done. Follow through and if possible, attend the temple with them. This activity may take some time, but it definitely benefits those on both sides of the veil.
Preparing for April 2020 General Conference
President Russell M. Nelson closed the October 2019 general conference with an invitation for Latter-day Saints to prepare for the subsequent April 2020 general conference, 200 years since Joseph Smith's First Vision:
"I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel...Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will be not only memorable; it will be unforgettable."
Here is an idea we shared in Week #1 along with a photo of an "Ancestor Birthday Calendar" created by our friend. Her children are learning the stories of ancestors who were born during the early part of the restoration each month. To find your stories, check out this list of 10 Ways to Find Ancestor's Stories.
Research your ancestors to discover which ones were contemporaries of the prophet, Joseph Smith. Their birth dates could be included on a calendar for the year 2020, with the idea of researching and sharing their lives and stories as you go throughout the year. What were they doing during the events of the restoration? How were they converted to the gospel?
Record these stories on FamilySearch and upload any photos you have. Tag and share.
Use the "add-on" principle to attach storytelling to routines you already have in place.
April Conference is almost here! Remember the four ways our prophet suggested to prepare:
Read again Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision.
As you study Come, Follow Me in 2020, ponder questions about knowledge gained and blessings received because of the Book of Mormon.
Consider using the new Book of Mormon videos in individual and family study.
Select your own questions and design your own plan to "immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration."
Your Personal History
Write one brief story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson. By the end of the year, you will have compiled 50 stories to add to your personal history. Save as a story (also consider audio-recording it) and add it to your FamilySearch memories to preserve it. Use your own questions or those from (or inspired by) the #52 Stories Project below. For example:
What has inspired you to do family history and temple work?
Write about any experiences helping others find and take names to the temple.
What are you doing to prepare for April Conference 2020?
What have you learned about the restoration from accounts your ancestors (or early church members) have recorded?
