Do You Do Genealogy?

[Guest]

My MIL told me that they recently made a rule that reserved names will be released after 2 years if they haven't been done yet.

[Vort]

What happens if you die, and you have names reserved?

Are the names then released to the Temple or is the work not done?

 

The names are reserved only for a few months. If you don't do the work, whether because of death or some other reason, the names get released.

[AnnieCarvalho]

When you say "released" do you mean released for other LDS people to do the work?

Or released and no Temple work done?

[Guest]

Released to the temple for the work to be done, as I understand it.

[classylady]

I come from Mormon stock where both maternal and paternal lines have been in the church for generations.  Much of the genealogy is done.  Verification of dates and information is still important.

 

For me personally, I love reading the journals of some of my ancestors.  This brings me closer to them and I can see similarities with their personality and mine.  I feel a kinship and appreciation for them that I never felt before.

 

I have had several deeply spiritual experiences regarding temple work needing to be done for extended family members.  One was a cousin who died when she was 13 years old.  Her family was not active.  And, for those of us who were active we never thought of getting her Initiatory and Endowment work done.  Shortly after my grandfather passed away, when I was meditating about wanting more spiritual experiences, I had a distinct impression come into my mind, (and I knew it was from my grandfather), that this particular cousin needed her temple work done.  I remember jumping up and running to the phone to ask my grandmother if she knew if anyone had done the temple work.  Long story short, I submitted her name for the temple work.  Some 30 plus years later, I was able to be her proxy as we sealed her to her parents who had by then passed away.

 

About one year ago, I attended the funeral of the father of my son's brother-in-law.  So, no blood line for me.  That night after the funeral I could not sleep.  As I lay in bed for hours, trying to sleep, I was going over the funeral in my mind.  This family was also not very active.  Now both parents were deceased of this particular family member, and he also had a brother who had passed away about 2 years before that.  And I got to thinking, I wonder if that son had his temple work done, and now that both parents were dead, we could seal him to his parents.  I got super energized thinking about it, which of course kept sleep further away.  We were able to get permission to have the temple work reserved, and we are working on going to the temple to get it done within a month or two.  I believe the Spirit of Elijah was working on me in this case.  Also, we have come to find out that there is a family connection on my husband's side to the mother of this young man.  So, now my son knows that he is related to his brother-in-law.

 

The reason I share these two experiences is that we often think, "oh, the genealogy is already done for my family", but there may be recent family members from less active branches of the family who need their temple work done, and often times permission is granted to have the temple work done by less active members.

 

Another way I do Family History is by scanning all the old and new family photos I can find into the computer.  And, then I share them with extended family on FaceBook or in any way I can.  There have been many family members who have been very grateful to receive copies, even if it's only on the computer.  I also have requested the Patriarchal Blessings from Church Headquarters of my deceased Grandparents, G.Grandparents, and so on.  It has been very rewarding to read these blessings.

Edited November 5, 2015 by classylady

[KellyLC]

The names are reserved only for a few months. If you don't do the work, whether because of death or some other reason, the names get released.

Are they released if you definitely want to do the work? I started my paternal grandmother's work in the month of February, but thanks to family health issues with a nonmember in my family, I haven't been able to go back. I would have loved to have met her, she died the year I was born. I'm hoping I can get most of her work done before Christmas.

Edited November 8, 2015 by KellyLC

[StrawberryFields]

Several years ago I began "grave hopping" with a broom and a camera. I found this great site call FIND A GRAVE. I have been contributing to that site for years. It's a free site where you can post photos of headstones. It's been a great blessing to me. The broom is used to clean of the headstones before snapping the photo. ;-)

[AnnieCarvalho]

Several years ago I began "grave hopping" with a broom and a camera. I found this great site call FIND A GRAVE. I have been contributing to that site for years. It's a free site where you can post photos of headstones. It's been a great blessing to me. The broom is used to clean of the headstones before snapping the photo. ;-)

 

Whoah!

This is a direct answer to prayer!

 

When I travel, I often go to cemeteries and take photos of headstones.

Just a hobby of mine.

 

I have probably over a hundred photos of two cemeteries in Wales and one in Spain.

I didn't know what to do with them.

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

I found the cousins I talked about in my post through Find a Grave. It's a great site. I was also able to correct some information on my family tree because of pictures there.

[AnnieCarvalho]

WooHOO!

I just uploaded 183 photographs of headstones from Capel y ffin cemetery in Wales.

Thank you so much for telling me this!

I have lots of photos from other countries I've visited also.

This is awesome!

Now i have 7 days to transcribe them... yikes!

[Vort]

Are they released if you definitely want to do the work? I started my paternal grandmother's work in the month of February, but thanks to family health issues with a nonmember in my family, I haven't been able to go back. I would have loved to have met her, she died the year I was born. I'm hoping I can get most of her work done before Christmas.

 

If you reserve them, you have them for some period of time, six months or a year, maybe. Sorry I can't be of more help, but someone can surely help you with this. Probably someone on this list knows.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Several years ago I began "grave hopping" with a broom and a camera. I found this great site call FIND A GRAVE. I have been contributing to that site for years. It's a free site where you can post photos of headstones. It's been a great blessing to me. The broom is used to clean of the headstones before snapping the photo. ;-)

 

You are awesome!  I'm so grateful for people who do that.

 

 

Are they released if you definitely want to do the work? I started my paternal grandmother's work in the month of February, but thanks to family health issues with a nonmember in my family, I haven't been able to go back. I would have loved to have met her, she died the year I was born. I'm hoping I can get most of her work done before Christmas.

 

This is embarrassing to admit, but I have some names that have been reserved for years!  (Hey life happens...medical illness, mental illness . . .)  So in my experience, they will stay reserved for an undetermined amount of time.  The only reason that might change, IMO, is if someone else notices they have been reserved for a long time and not done, and then they might request them.  I think you would be contacted in that case and asked if you want to do the work or release the names.