The Work of the Temple and Family History—One and the Same Work By Elder Benjamín De Hoyos, Of the Seventy
Outline:
- Introduction
- Central Focus of Heavenly Father’s Plan: The importance of uniting families for both this life and eternity is a central focus of God’s plan.
- Personal Experience and Temple Blessings
- Sealing in the Mesa Arizona Temple: Elder De Hoyos shares his personal experience of being sealed to his wife in the temple, emphasizing the profound spiritual significance of temple ordinances.
- Blessings of Temple Worship: The blessings described in the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple reveal the extraordinary blessings for those who worthily participate in temple ordinances.
- Vision of the Lord: The appearance of the Lord in the Kirtland Temple confirmed His acceptance of the temple, signifying its importance in spreading blessings to all people.
- Elijah’s Mission and Turning Hearts
- Elijah’s Visitation: The appearance of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple marked a significant event, restoring the keys to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and vice versa.
- Dispensation’s Purpose: The restoration of sealing keys initiated the work of salvation on both sides of the veil, emphasizing the interconnectedness of families through eternal ordinances.
- Temple Work and Family History
- Temple Building and Genealogy Interest: Following the appearance of Elijah, the Church became dedicated to building temples, and genealogical interest emerged as organizations and societies sought to trace genealogies.
- One Work Established: Elder Russell M. Nelson’s declaration established family history research and temple service as a unified work within the Church.
- Encouragement for Family History Work
- Heavenly Father’s Plan: Elder De Hoyos emphasizes the central focus of God’s plan, uniting families through temple ordinances for eternal blessings.
- Accessible Tools: The availability of FamilySearch centers and family history consultants assists members in organizing and finding their ancestors’ information for temple work.
- Spiritual Joy: Engaging in family history work brings joy and a connection to the Spirit, extending ordinances to ancestors and uniting families.
- Temple’s Role in Faith and Healing: President Russell M. Nelson’s teaching highlights the temple’s role in strengthening faith, binding individuals to Christ through sacred covenants, and receiving His healing power.Temple and family history work are intrinsically connected, representing the Church’s unified effort to unite families and bless them with eternal ordinances.