Family History and Temple Work Sealing and Healing Lesson

Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

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Family unit History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing

When nosotros get together our family unit histories and get to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil.

Family unit relationships can be some of the about rewarding notwithstanding challenging experiences we run across. Many of united states of america take faced a fracture of some sort inside our families. Such a fracture developed between two heroes of the Restoration of the Church building of Jesus Christ in these latter days. Parley and Orson Pratt were brothers, early on converts, and ordained Apostles. Each faced a trial of organized religion but came through with an unshakable testimony. Both sacrificed and contributed greatly for the cause of truth.

During the Nauvoo era, their relationship became strained, culminating in a heated, public confrontation in 1846. A deep and prolonged rift adult. Parley initially wrote to Orson to resolve the rift, but Orson did non reply. Parley gave up, feeling that correspondence was over forever, unless initiated by Orson.¹

Several years later, in March 1853, Orson learned about a project to publish a volume on the descendants of William Pratt, the brothers' earliest American antecedent. Orson began to weep "like a piffling child" as he glimpsed this treasure trove of family history. His center melted, and he determined to repair the breach with his brother.

Orson wrote to Parley, "Now my beloved brother, there are none among all the descendants of our Ancestor, Lieut[enant] William Pratt, who have so deep an interest in searching out his descendants equally ourselves." Orson was one of the first to sympathize that Latter-twenty-four hours Saints have an obligation to research and compile family histories and so that we can perform vicarious ordinances for our ancestors. His letter of the alphabet continued: "Nosotros know that the God of our fathers has had a mitt in all this. … I will beg pardon for having been and then astern in writing to you. … I hope you will forgive me."ⁱⁱ Despite their unshakable testimonies, their beloved for their ancestors was the catalyst to heal a rift, mend a injure, and seek and extend forgiveness.³

When God directs usa to practise one thing, He often has many purposes in mind. Family history and temple work is not only for the dead just blesses the living as well. For Orson and Parley, it turned their hearts to each other. Family history and temple work provided the ability to heal that which needed healing.

As Church members, we do take a divinely appointed responsibleness to seek out our ancestors and compile family histories. This is far more than an encouraged hobby, considering the ordinances of salvation are necessary for all of God's children.^iv We are to identify our ain ancestors who died without receiving the ordinances of salvation. Nosotros can perform the ordinances vicariously in temples, and our ancestors may choose to take the ordinances.⁵ We are besides encouraged to help ward and pale members with their family names. It is breathtakingly amazing that, through family history and temple work, we can help to redeem the dead.

Simply equally we participate in family unit history and temple piece of work today, we besides lay claim to "healing" blessings promised by prophets and apostles.⁶ These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their telescopic, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long listing includes these blessings:

• Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;

• Increased influence of the Holy Ghost^seven to feel force and direction for our own lives;

• Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and constant;

• Increased power and motivation to larn and apologize⁸ considering of an agreement of who we are, where we come up from, and a clearer vision of where nosotros 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 affair our current, past, or futurity family unit situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;

• Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, and then 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, cleaved, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.^nine

If yous take prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family unit history and temple work. As you do then, your prayers volition be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God'due south children on globe 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."¹⁰

An earlier prophet also foresaw blessings for both the living and the dead.^eleven A heavenly messenger showed Ezekiel a vision of a temple with h2o gushing out of it. Ezekiel was told:

"These waters upshot out … and get down into the desert, and go into the [dead] sea … , [and] the waters shall be healed.

"And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: … for they shall exist healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh."¹²

2 characteristics of the water are noteworthy. First, though the small stream had no tributaries, information technology grew into a mighty river, becoming wider and deeper the farther it flowed. Something similar happens with the blessings that menstruation from the temple as individuals are sealed equally families. Meaningful growth occurs going astern and frontward through the generations as sealing ordinances weld families together.

2nd, the river renewed everything that it touched. The blessings of the temple too have a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings tin can heal hearts and lives and families.

Let me illustrate. In 1999 a fellow named Todd collapsed from a ruptured claret vessel in his brain. Although Todd and his family unit were members of the Church, their activity had been sporadic, and none had experienced the blessings of the temple. On the last night of Todd'southward life, his mother, Betty, sabbatum at his bedside stroking his manus and said, "Todd, if you actually exercise have to get, I promise I'll see to it that your temple work gets done." The side by side morning, Todd was declared brain dead. Surgeons transplanted Todd'due south heart into my patient, a remarkable individual named Rod.

A few months afterwards the transplant, Rod learned the identity of his heart donor's family and began to correspond with them. About two years subsequently, Todd'south mother, Betty, invited Rod to be present when she went to the temple for the first fourth dimension. Rod and Betty start met in person in the celestial room of the St. George Utah Temple.

Sometime thereafter, Todd's male parent—Betty'due south hubby—died. A couple of years later, Betty invited Rod to vicariously represent her deceased son in receiving his temple ordinances. Rod gratefully did so, and the proxy work culminated in a sealing room in the St. George Utah Temple. Betty was sealed to her deceased husband, kneeling across the altar from her grandson who served every bit proxy. Then, with tears streaming downwards her cheeks, she beckoned for Rod to bring together them at the chantry. Rod knelt abreast them, acting as proxy for her son, Todd, whose eye was still beating inside Rod's chest. Rod'southward centre donor, Todd, was and so sealed to his parents for all eternity. Todd's mother had kept the promise she made to her dying son years earlier.

But the story does non end at that place. 15 years after his heart transplant, Rod became engaged to be married and asked me to perform the sealing in the Provo Utah Temple. On the wedding day, I met with Rod and his marvelous bride, Kim, in a room adjacent to the sealing room, where their families and closest friends were waiting. After briefly visiting with Rod and Kim, I asked if they had whatever questions.

Rod said, "Yes. My donor family is here and would beloved to meet y'all."

I was caught off guard and asked, "You lot mean they're here? Correct at present?"

Rod replied, "Yeah."

I stepped around the corner and chosen the family out of the sealing room. Betty, her girl, and her son-in-law joined us. Rod greeted Betty with a hug, thanked her for coming, and then introduced me to her. Rod said, "Betty, this is Elder Renlund. He was the doctor who took intendance of your son's heart for then many years." She crossed the room and embraced me. And for the adjacent several minutes, there were hugs and tears of joy all around.

After we regained our sophistication, we moved into the sealing room, where Rod and Kim were sealed for time and all eternity. Rod, Kim, Betty, and I can testify that sky was very close, that in that location were others with usa that day who had previously passed through the veil of bloodshed.

God, in His space chapters, seals and heals individuals and families despite tragedy, loss, and hardship. Nosotros sometimes compare the feelings we experience in temples as having caught a glimpse of heaven.^thirteen That day in the Provo Utah Temple, this argument by C. S. Lewis resonated with me: "[Mortals] say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss tin can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, volition work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. … The Blessed will say, 'We accept never lived anywhere except in Heaven.'"¹⁴

God will strengthen, help, and uphold usa;¹⁵ and He volition sanctify to the states our deepest distress.^sixteen When we get together our family histories and go to the temple on behalf of our ancestors, God fulfills many of these promised blessings simultaneously on both sides of the veil. Similarly, we are blessed when nosotros assistance others in our wards and stakes do the same. Members who do non live shut to a temple also receive these blessings by participating in family history piece of work, collecting the names of their ancestors for temple ordinances to be performed.

President Russell G. Nelson, nevertheless, cautioned: "Nosotros can be inspired all day long about temple and family history experiences others accept had. But nosotros must do something to actually experience the joy ourselves." He continued, "I invite you lot to prayerfully consider what kind of sacrifice—preferably a cede of time—you lot can make [to] practice more temple and family history work."¹⁷ As y'all have President Nelson'south invitation, you lot will discover, gather, and connect your family. Additionally, blessings will period to you and your family similar the river spoken of by Ezekiel. You will find healing for that which needs healing.

Orson and Parley Pratt experienced the healing and sealing effects of family history and temple work early on in this dispensation. Betty, her family, and Rod experienced it. Y'all can too. Through His apologetic cede, Jesus Christ offers these blessings to all, both the dead and the living. Because of these blessings, nosotros will find that we, metaphorically, "have never lived anywhere except … Sky."¹⁸ I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/family-history-and-temple-work-sealing-and-healing?lang=eng

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