The tents are stowed, the snaking lines of people are gone, and the footies have been sent to, well, wherever they send those footies. But, just because the temple dedication is over, that doesn’t mean the excitement needs to fade.
Here are 5 simple activities to help you preserve your memories of the temple festivities and find ancestor names to bring to the newly dedicated temple.
1: Preserve and share your memories
Those who visited the temple during the open house likely snapped at least one photo. You can upload your special photos to FamilySearch to preserve them for generations to come. You can also use simple tools to share them with family near and far. Visit the photo upload area of the site, or go directly to your own person page to upload your selfies.
If you'd like to add a story to document your feelings and experiences, you can also easily do that using the Memories tools. The “New Story” page has boxes where you can enter (or paste) your title and story. You can also click “Attach Photo” to link an already uploaded image (see above) to your story.
2: Join the #TempleChallenge
FamilySearch Family Tree will automatically check to see what temple opportunities exist in your first four generations. Visit the temple opportunities page to see if we found anything for you.
Once you have identified temple opportunities, you can accept Elder Neil L. Anderson’s temple challenge—to “prepare as many names for the temple as baptisms you perform in the temple, and help someone else to do the same.” Be sure to post to a photo of you with your ordinance request or cards to #templechallenge.
3: Get help from your local family history consultants
Have you ever felt like you could use a little help breaking into family history and finding ancestor names for temple work? That’s what your local family history consultants live, or at least serve, for. Family history consultants can help you learn how to use FamilySearch and partner sites to fill in the gaps in your family tree. Contact names and phone numbers for those called in your area are available on the FamilySearch website along with the address of the closest Family History Center.
If you are familiar with FamilySearch, consider offering your expertise to family and friends you know are interested in connecting with their ancestors. You could make an eternal difference in the lives of many on both sides of the veil.
4: Share temple reservations with family
If you have several temple reservations (more than you can use in the near term), you should consider sharing them with family and friends. It’ easy to do using a new share option found on the temple reservations page. There is also an article on the FamilySearch Blog that explains why and how to do it. Read it here. This is a great way to share the Spirit of Elijah and temple work in general.
5: Discover your tree
If you’re just getting started, visit FamilySearch Family Tree to see what has already been added for your family. If your family has been researching for generations, you are likely to find many photos and stories of your ancestors, as well as a pretty full tree to explore. If you or your family joined the church more recently, you will find tools to help you get started establishing your legacy for generations to come.
