Weekly Family History Activities

Alma 13–16

Alma 13:1–19

Priesthood ordinances point me to Jesus Christ for redemption.

From Come, Follow Me 2020:

Alma’s words in Alma 13 reveal powerful truths about God’s priesthood power and its purpose—to prepare us to enter into “the rest of the Lord,” or eternal life (Alma 13:16).

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, "an ordinance is a sacred, formal act performed by the authority of the priesthood. Some ordinances are essential to our exaltation and are called saving ordinances. They include baptism, confirmation, ordination to the Melchizedek Priesthood (for men), the temple endowment, and the marriage sealing. With each of these ordinances, we enter into solemn covenants with the Lord.

"Other ordinances, such as naming and blessing children, consecrating oil, and administering to the sick and afflicted, are also performed by priesthood authority. While they are not essential to our salvation, they are important for our comfort, guidance, and encouragement." (Ordinances, Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)

Priesthood “saving ordinances” bind families together throughout eternity. However, many died without having the opportunity to receive these ordinances. "In His mercy and infinite love, the Lord has prepared a way for them to gain a testimony of the gospel and receive the saving ordinances of the priesthood ... In holy temples, we have the privilege of receiving ordinances in their behalf... you perform a saving work for others that they cannot do for themselves." Family History Work and Genealogy

Ordinance Work for the Dead

"The greatest of all the blessings of the priesthood are bestowed in holy temples of the Lord. Fidelity to covenants made there will qualify you and your family for the blessings of eternal life." Russell M. Nelson, Face the Future with Faith.

You receive these blessings in the temple first for yourself and then for your kindred dead. See Temples, Covenants, Ordinances, and Temples in the Plan of Salvation, and Why Ordinances and Covenants Matter. See also Latter-day Saint Youth: Temple. 

"These are your days. You were born in a time of temples and technology. These are your days to more fully turn your hearts to your fathers and bring these saving ordinances to millions within our families. These are your days to prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior." Elder Neil L. Andersen, RootsTech 2015

We without [our ancestors] cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. See D&C 128:18. Many of our deceased ancestors are being taught the gospel in the spirit world - they need our help and we need theirs! Here are some ways to find those who need ordinance work done (sign up for a free FamilySearch account first):

Ordinances Ready is a FamilySearch tool that simplifies finding names for the temple. See Ordinances Ready on the FamilySearch App. 

Check out Temple Opportunities. Also, see "Recommended Tasks" on the FamilySearch home page and click the Temple tab. A list of names for possible ordinances may be displayed. Note : Be sure to check each name for possible duplicates or other issues before reserving them for ordinances here. 

See Descendancy Research to find descendants of ancestors (such as distant cousins) who need temple work done. For a detailed look at how cousin relationships work, see Are Your Cousins Removed?

See the FamilySearch Fan Chart. Kathryn Grant gives instructions for How to Find Ancestors in Need of Temple Work in the Family Tree using the fan chart.

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Alma 14

In times of suffering, we must trust the Lord/

From Come, Follow Me 2020:

You might wonder, as many do, why terrible things happen to people who are trying to live righteously. You may not find all the answers to this difficult question in Alma 14, but there is much to learn from the way Alma and Amulek responded to tragedy.

Gratitude for Ancestors

As a family (or an extended family), you could each share what you would say to an ancestor or another person for whom you have vicariously performed temple ordinances, or to a loved one in the spirit world who has influenced your life. 

See 10 Ways To Discover, Gather, and Share Ancestor Stories. 

Write a letter of gratitude and testimony, and add it to FamilySearch Memories, or audio record what you would say using the Memories App (instructions here). 

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Alma 15:16, 18

Discipleship requires sacrifice.

From Come, Follow Me 2020:

It might be interesting to make a list of the things Amulek gave up to embrace the gospel (see Alma 10:4–5; 15:16) …What are you willing to sacrifice to become a more faithful disciple of Jesus Christ?

President Nelson : “I invite you to prayerfully consider what kind of sacrifice—preferably a sacrifice of time—you can make in order to do more temple and family history work this year. We are engaged in the work of Almighty God. He lives. Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church. We are His covenant children. He can count on us.”

Sister Nelson : “It is my testimony that however fabulous your life is right now, or however discouraging and heartbreaking it may be, your involvement in temple and family history work will make it better. What do you need in your life right now? More love? More joy? More self-mastery? More peace? More meaningful moments? More of a feeling that you're making a difference? More fun? More answers to your soul-searching questions? More heart-to-heart connections with others? More understanding of what you are reading in the scriptures? More ability to love and to forgive? More ability to pray with power? More inspiration and creative ideas for your work and other projects? More time for what really matters? I entreat you to make a sacrifice of time to the Lord by increasing the time you spend doing temple and family history work, and then watch what happens. It is my testimony that when we show the Lord we are serious about helping our ancestors, the heavens will open and we will receive all that we need.” Open the Heavens Through Temple and Family History Work.

A Sacrifice of Time

Study the following chart and decide what your next step will be to be more involved in doing temple and family history work.

(Click to enlarge)

Use The Family History Guide to help you take your next step.

Review the promised blessings for making a sacrifice of time to do temple and family history work. 

“...as we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to “healing” blessings promised by prophets and apostles. These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:

• Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
• Increased influence of the Holy Ghost7 to feel strength and direction for our own lives;
• Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
• Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;
• Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
• Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;
• Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;
• Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone;
• Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others;
• Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; and
• Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.

If you have prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you do so, your prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God’s children on earth are healed. No wonder President Russell M. Nelson, in his first message as President of the Church, declared, “Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.” Dale G. Renlund, Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

Watch the video here.

See also the “Promised Blessings” activity here. 

Record the blessings you have and are receiving from the sacrifices made to do more temple and family history work. 

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Your Personal History

Write one story about your life as you study each Come, Follow Me lesson.

• What have you learned from difficult challenges?
• What do you learn from the lives of Alma and Amulek?
• Write about a character trait of an ancestor or someone else you are trying to incorporate into your own life. What are you learning?