"Endless Genealogies"

Okay, that wasn’t an aspect that I’d thought of, but nice one.

I just related it to our incessant family research. 😆

Although for what it’s worth, I have considerable grounds to think that I might be related to at least one latter-day prophet via the old country. If we don’t have a common ancestor within the past five hundred years, I’ll eat my hat. Put it this way, a lot of my ancestors come from a small rural parish, and it turns out that the prophet in question’s ancestors come from the parishes on either side, and we have at least one or two surnames in common…

(David Icke is probably thinking that this makes me part of the Merovingian bloodline!!!)

Well, that’s true… but family research makes an interesting hobby if nothing else.

Well, you’ve got your priorities right IMHO. I don’t have many close relatives, and none in the church. So unlike a lot of BIC people, my genealogies not quite “fished out”. We have a family in the ward with ten children. I can’t imagine that all ten could do all that much more than their parents, but I suppose they could probably do it faster.

Yes, George, the original temple was made of tents so it could be moved. However, it appears that a permanent temple was always supposed to be built. The original tabernacle dates to the wandering of Moses and the children of Israel for 40 years. Remember that all the older generation needed to die off and quit worshipping the The Egyptian gods (such as the Apis Bull). So God commanded Moses to build a tabernacle as they wandered all that time. But Solomon built the first permanent temple.

Your food for thought is excellent. Let’s not forget that we do offer Fast Offerings. Worldwide poverty is an age-old problem. Perhaps the church could do more to combat poverty and hunger, but they aren’t completely neglecting it either.

Cadence:

Old-Timer wrote:

“I do think it fits those who neglect the living in pursuit of the dead.”

“I agree.”

I once knew a stake high councilman who claimed to have been raised on peanut butter sandwiches, as his “mother, the genealogist,” was much too busy saving dead ancestors to do much concerning meals or keeping the house ship-shape. He talked about her several years on Mother’s Day. I wasn’t sure if it was meant to be faith promoting or a cry for professional counseling. “Maybe a little bit of both” (Forest Gump)

I don’t know about you guys but MIL has all of her genealogy work done back to Adam and Eve! Her SIL (husbands sister) sat there and looked at her like she was a complete nut when she said it and I asked if she had everyone on Earth done, in that case. I’m sorry but a silly claim deserved an even siller response! DH (TBM) told me to ignore her. I think her family did most of this work though so there was no neglecting on her part. Everything in moderation including work for the dead.

If it makes folks feel better and more “secure” to do temple ordinances for decease loved ones and ancient relatives – it’s fine by me. I don’t see the point personally, and I really just don’t believe that god puts those kind of limits and restrictions on himself, and his children – that would amount to a fraction of a fraction of the souls on this planet being “saved.” Just doesn’t make much sense to me. Work for the dead is, IMO, a human theology (not gods) to teach people about their own roots and spiritual pathway.

IMO, It is a symbolic ritual that JS used to teach and “strengthen” the early saints, and I guess he NEVER intended for it to become what it has today. I think it is another one of those cultural commandments that has taken on a life of its own – much like the WoW

I totally agree. When Joseph Smith introduced baptisms for the dead, it was very limited in scope. You were baptized for the deceased relatives you knew, your parents and grandparents. It was important that you could confirm they were of good character and would accept spiritual truth. Murderers for example, were not to have work for them. Today, we baptize Hitler and the Nazi leadership, and claim to have lines back to Adam. We upset Jews by casting aside the horrors of war and use names of those who were lost for being Jewish. Finally, one jerk decides to baptize Jesus himself and seal Him to God and Mary (also sealing Mary to her second husband Joseph of course). Why is this allowed? What has happened to reason? To critical thinking? A loving ordinance has become a nightmare…