“The Joy of Redeeming the Dead” by Richard G. Scott
Elder Scott refers to
redeeming the dead as one work divided into two parts – temple work and family
history work. Today we talked about the
family history part of the work. This is
the most glorious of all subjects pertaining to the everlasting gospel, namely,
baptism for the dead. If this is the
most glorious of all subjects, why are we not more engaged?
Mallory recorded two columns
to contrast our feelings about family history work:
JOY NOT
SO MUCH
The “fan” Work
has been done
Finding a “hole” and filling
it House isn’t
even clean
Enjoys research No
time
Fun and enjoyable No
energy
Immediate rewards Overwhelmed
Ancestors prompt us from Lazy
the other side Don’t
get it
Difficult
to get permission
D&C 128:17: “Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord: And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the
earth with a curse.”
Why would we be smitten with
a curse?
Elder Widtsoe teaches “In our
pre-existent state, in the day of the great council, we made certain agreements
with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan, conceived by Him. We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we
become parties to the salvation of every person under that plan. We agreed, right then and there, to be not
only saviors for ourselves, but….saviors for the whole human family. We went into partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became not merely
the Father’s work, and the Savior’s work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in
partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of
salvation.”
So, before we were born each
one of us committed to go forward in redeeming our ancestors who would not have
the opportunity to make sacred covenants themselves while on the earth. They are relying on us.
President Kimball stated:
“Thousands of our faithful people seldom go to the temple, and of those who do
go, most are not working on their own ancestral lines. They are not saving their own dead. They seem to believe they are fulfilling
their responsibilities by merely attending the temple occasionally. This is simply not so. We all must learn to save our own dead.”
Missionary work is hastening
on both sides of the veil. D&C
88:73 reads, “Behold, I will hasten my work in its time.” Now is the time.
There are to be 58 new
missions opening up around the world by July! With the recent guideline changes,
allowing young men to serve at age 18 and young women to serve at 19, there is a
pool of missionaries quickly developing to populate these new missions. Rather suddenly this is the greatest time for
missionary service since the church was founded in 1830.
Other evidence of a hastening
time is the new curriculum for youth, intended to help the youth become fully
converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That is an internal process. The
teacher is no longer the sage on the stage but the guide on the side, helping
the youth come to their own understanding of gospel doctrines and
principles.
The First Presidency has
asked the youth to get involved in family history and to take family names to
the temple. Limited use recommends will
be given to worthy individuals to accomplish this work. What trust the Lord has in our youth
today. They have been invited to act and
have responded to the call.
Indexing is another way to
participate in this important work. For
those who are too young or, for other reasons, not able to go to the temple,
indexing can also move the process ahead for those who have gone before
us.
President Kimball continues, ”Missionary
work is not limited to proclaiming the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue
and people now living on the earth.
Missionary work is also continuing beyond the veil among the millions
and even billions of the children of our Heavenly Father who have died either
without hearing the gospel or without accepting it while they lived on the
earth. Our great part is to perform the
ordinances required for those who accept the gospel over there. I hope to see us dissolve the artificial
boundary line we so often place between missionary work and temple and
genealogical work, because it is the same great redemptive work.”
We then saw a video of Elder
Bednar teaching and motivating the youth of the church to become involved in
this redemptive work. He said, “As you
respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the
fathers. The promises made to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in you hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its
declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful
to you. Your love and gratitude for your
ancestors will increase. Your testimony
of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against
the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy
work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.”
Mallory ended with her
testimony:
“As we engage in family
history work and feel of that sweet spirit that swells in us as we find each
name – realizing that they are real people – there will be a purity in our
lives that will draw us to the temple, increase our desire to be temple
worthy. Become a zion people – a temple
loving people – we will be the missionaries that the Lord needs on this side of
the veil and on the other side of the veil.”
