Come Follow Me & Family History: 2 Chronicles 14-20; 26; 30

An Invitation Home

Hezekiah wanted to celebrate the Passover, but first he sent messengers throughout Israel and Judah with an invitation. They were invited to return to the Lord and come to Jerusalem to worship Him.

Not everyone accepted.

Some laughed.

Some ignored the invitation.

But others humbled themselves and came (see 2 Chronicles 30:10–11).

As I read these verses this week, I couldn't help but think about temple work.

When we find an ancestor and perform their temple ordinances, we aren't making the decision for them. We are simply extending an invitation. Through sacred ordinances, they are invited to receive the blessings of the gospel and return to the Lord. Whether they accept that invitation is between them and the Savior. Our responsibility is simply to make sure the invitation reaches them.

I love attending the temple, but there is something especially sacred about attending the temple when I am performing ordinances for one of my own ancestors.

Elder Richard G. Scott taught: "Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received."

I have found that to be true.

Knowing a little about the person whose name I carry changes the experience. They are no longer simply someone who lived long ago. They become part of my story. I feel connected to them in a way that is difficult to describe.

President Russell M. Nelson explained why: "When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves... Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the temple."

One of the most meaningful temple experiences I've had involved my ancestor, Matilda Grant.

As I researched her family, I found details that pointed to Thomas and Mary as her parents. Even though there was no birth or baptism record that placed Matilda in the family of Thomas and Mary Grant the evidence was still there, but I hesitated. I understood the eternal significance of attaching parents to a child in my family tree. I wanted to be careful and prayerful before moving forward.

One day, while I was in the temple for my niece's first visit, I felt a quiet reassurance that I had done the research I could and that it was time to stop waiting. It was time to perform the sealing.

That week I returned to the temple and had the privilege of performing the sealing ordinance that linked Matilda to her parents.

I can't fully explain the peace I felt.

I don't worry about whether the ordinances I perform will be accepted. That decision belongs to each individual and to the Savior. My responsibility is simply to extend the invitation.

President Nelson taught: "Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that."

That thought has changed the way I see family history.

In 2 Chronicles 30, Hezekiah's messengers simply carried invitations.

Today, we carry them too.

Every family name we take to the temple is another invitation extended.

Every ordinance completed is another opportunity for one of God's children to choose Him.

We cannot choose for them, but we can make sure they are invited.

What a remarkable privilege it is to live in a day when the Lord trusts us to help gather His family—one name, one ordinance, and one invitation at a time.

Activity: Extend an Invitation

Every name you take to the temple is an invitation extended.

This week, use Ordinances Ready in FamilySearch to receive the name of an ancestor whose temple ordinances are ready to be completed.

Before you go to the temple, take a few minutes to learn one thing about that person. Read a memory, look at a photograph, discover where they lived, or find a record that tells you a little about their life.

As you perform their ordinances, remember that you are not making a choice for them—you are simply extending the Lord's invitation.

When you return home, record:

• Whose name did you receive?
• What did you learn about them?
• How did knowing their story change your temple experience?
• What impressions or feelings did you have in the temple?

to download/print this week's invitation simply click here or on the image below