New member: temple recommend and transferring records?

[CiVi]

I've only been in the Church for a few months, and I have logistics questions that I'm just too embarrassed not knowing to ask anyone in my ward. 

 

I'm in college in another state now, and this is where I got baptized, but I'm going home for the summer for about three months. Am I supposed to move my records and become an official part of the singles ward there for that period of time, or do I just leave everything as is?

Also, somebody mentioned that I should get my temple recommend from the bishop here before I go, because, even though I have been a member for less than a year, I am still eligible to do baptisms for the dead. Is this valid? And should I do this? Obviously, I want to enter the temple ASAP  , but I don't even know how to prepare or what I need to do or have to actually perform ordinances there. I hear people talking like they go not prepared with their own names, but all I ever read is that we can only do direct-line ancestors. I don't even know where to begin on how to plan to go to the temple.

Any help you guys could give would be greatly appreciated!
 

[john doe]

Speak with your current bishop/ ward clerk as to what they suggest. My guess is that if you are returning to the same ward in 3 months that you should probably just leave your records in your current ward. When you arrive at your home singles ward, you can just explain that you will only be attending there for a couple months. i would guess that your current bishop could hook you up with a limited-use temple recommend for doing baptisms for the dead before you leave if you desire, especially if you are returning soon.

[Quin]

There are 2 basic kinds of temple recommends.

What your friend is talking about is a limited recommend. I know of one convert in our ward who was baptized one day, and doing baptisms for the dead (their own family, not that it really matters, but it explains the eagerness a tad) the following week.

Some people are very very keen to either get a limited recommend themselves, or for others to get them.

Myself, I have no opinion on what others do, but chose not to get one at all.

It's not a requirement, so it's something that -unless your bishopric is keen on getting others in doing baptisms for the dead-, a person has to ask for.

In GENERAL, I've found that if I'm interested in something, and I ask about it...

I either get it, or get the steps to progress through to get it...

AND it lets those above/around me know I'm interested in the first place!

Which means when they're thinking of who to talk to about XYZ, my name comes up, so I get talked to.

Meaning I get to do fun stuff I might not otherwise have even known about.

So, don't be embarrassed about not knowing.

The more you ask, the more you learn, the more others know you want to learn!

Q

[Guest]

I visit the Philippines for months at a time.  I don't move my records because my home ward is in the USA.  So, basically, you decide what your home ward is - that home ward is where you spend most of your time, where your mail goes to, where you currently "belong", etc.  A college student usually spends more time away at college than at home so a college student's home becomes the college campus.

 

About the temple recommend - you can get a limited-use recommend to perform baptisms ony.  I got mine a month after my baptism.  It was a good way for me to get a better understanding of the temples and just take away that mysterious flair of the temple because now I know what's inside.  It is better if you have the bishop in the ward where your records are give you your limited-use recommend (you're going to have an interview) because he has stewardship over you.  If you wait until you go to that singles ward for 3 months, the bishop there will have to call your current bishop to coordinate getting your recommend.

 

To go to the temple, you don't need to bring your own names, although you can if you like.  You can ask the temple attendants for names and they'll give you some.  It would be better if you call the temple ahead and schedule your time so they will be prepared to assist you with what you need.

[MarginOfError]

The handbooks set as a guideline that if a member is going to be attending another ward for more than three months, the record should be transferred to the new ward.  But that is a matter of making sure the presence of the member is known and that the member's needs are being addressed.  It is not at matter of "I'm going to be there 91 days so I'm supposed to have my records transferred."  If you think that the ward you will be in for the next three months can satisfy your needs without transferring your record, then there's no need to transfer it.  It's really up to you.

 

Transferring a record is really only a matter of a few key strokes, so it really makes no difference administratively.  Do whatever you think will make you more comfortable wherever you go.

 

Regarding the temple recommend, it is the duty of the bishop of the ward that holds your membership record to determine your worthiness for a temple recommend.  If you leave your records in your student ward, you will have to get a recommend from him.  That could be hard to do after you leave.  It is possible to get a recommend from the other ward, but involves more coordination between bishops and is administratively more challenging, but not prohibitive.  I imagine they would be happy to work it out if you needed to.  But it would certainly be easier on the bishops if you did it before you left school.