Temple and Family History Leader

I had this position about two years ago & loved it. I love working on the computer, discovering new history about my family and

teaching one on one or small groups. (I never liked teaching big groups.) There is very little orthodox lessons or principles to teach.

It is, for the most part, practical information about “FamilySearch”. There were a couple of times where I went to the temple with

the youth & friends to do baptisms & confirmations. In a way, I wish I could of done it with my own children when they were

young.

I also like the idea that we are all related on some level. I found out that my DW & I are 9th cousins. My suggestion is: try it out.

Thank you for the perspectives.

Knowing you as I do and with things you have shared, I am left to wonder of this is a ploy to get you a “testimony” of family history/temple work and grow your desire to go to the temple so much that you will start paying tithing. (I did read your other post, all Jedi mind tricks – they only work on the weak minded and you are clearly not weak minded.)

I did wonder about this. The calling was first presented as something that would require me to have a TR but then after I declined to become a full tithe payer it was decided that a TR was not technically required. I am also struggling with the feeling that the efforts that DW and I have put into Boy’s activity days (and cub scouts before that) are not viewed by ward leadership as particularly important. I suppose, upon reflection, my feeling reveals in part my own bias against the importance of temple and family history work. I have a hard time understanding why it makes sense to remove us from a calling that we have successfully done for years working with the youth and instead place us in a calling that our ward has never had before working with temple and family history efforts. I suppose no calling lasts forever. Still, it seems like a rather unceremonious way to end it.

The workload is not bad. However, I would be prepared for constant demands about raising participation. This can be done, just to a limited degree.

I also like the idea that we are all related on some level. I found out that my DW & I are 9th cousins. My suggestion is: try it out.

I do feel that it will not be an overly time consuming calling and I do have at least some interest in learning about my family history AND I feel that I can be a decent spokesman. I plan to tell bishop that I can do it provided that DW and I can work together.

The workload is not bad. However, I would be prepared for constant demands about raising participation. This can be done, just to a limited degree.

I did see that our ward has a 2021 goal for each member to spend one hour per week “participating in Temple and Family History work.” Seems like an awful lot to ask for. Could we maybe not start small and ask that each member will complete a personal 4-5 generation pedigree chart by the end of the year?

Knowing you as I do and with things you have shared, I am left to wonder of this is a ploy to get you a “testimony” of family history/temple work and grow your desire to go to the temple so much that you will start paying tithing.

The cynic in me suggests that the leadership may think things will change on your end if you have a more visible calling.

Yes. It seems that this is at least partly the motivation. DW and I were set apart yesterday. The brother that set us apart – that I genuinely like – said some things while his hands were on my head that were uncomfortable. He said stuff about God knowing and understanding my pain and about growing my faith (definitely not standard topics for someone getting a new calling). He blessed me to get to the point were my marriage to DW can be “celestial” and I stifled an involuntary chuckle. After that I became self-conscious about whether or not this brother felt my head move under his hands. I spent the remainder of the time trying to keep very still.

The reference to making our marriage celestial certainly implied that our marriage is not currently celestial. I am aware that by one interpretation no marriages in this life are celestial but can only be on the path to a celestial marriage that will reach ultimate fulfillment somewhere in the great beyond. However, given the context I do not believe that this is what he meant. It just seemed needlessly tone deaf and thoughtless.

Regardless, I am now set apart as the new Temple and Family History Leader and DW is a Family History Consultant. We have also volunteered to continue with the Boy’s Activity Days for a few months to help train our replacements.

The workload is not bad. However, I would be prepared for constant demands about raising participation. This can be done, just to a limited degree.

I did see that our ward has a 2021 goal for each member to spend one hour per week “participating in Temple and Family History work.” Seems like an awful lot to ask for. Could we maybe not start small and ask that each member will complete a personal 4-5 generation pedigree chart by the end of the year?

Whatever small goal you have in mind – please remember that not everyone will be able (or want to) to complete a 4-5 generation pedigree chart because of a variety of reasons – immigration, lack of desire, or ancestry-induced triggers being one of them. While the goal of family history is laudable and ties into the church organization’s main goals, talking about family history in non-pedigree chart ways is also something to think about (but might be counter to the mission of your new calling).

While the goal of family history is laudable and ties into the church organization’s main goals, talking about family history in non-pedigree chart ways is also something to think about (but might be counter to the mission of your new calling).

A local museum just put on a training called “Saving Family History” and it was all about interviewing individuals in your family that are currently alive and storing that record for family history. I was not permitted to advertise the training on our ward facebook page because the training did not come from the church. (As a side note, I can see the ward’s reluctance to advertise anything not coming from “the church” lest the ward facebook page become just an all purpose bulletin board of yard sale, wedding, mission, and help wanted announcements, etc.) However, I did take the training myself and I plan to teach the techniques in one of our weekly family history training zoom calls. If I can’t bring Mohamad to the mountain, I can bring the mountain to Mohamad.

Interesting. I think our stake, and almost definitely our ward, would have embraced the outside family history event and urged everyone to attend.

Two things happened recently in regards to my calling as Temple and Family History Leader.

First, in celebration of Make a Difference Day the Stake Presidency has challenged us to prepare a temple name and all go to the temple on Oct. 15.

This has me scratching my head. I think that this a strange way to celebrate make a difference day. It feels like if the Catholics were to announce that they were going to celebrate Make a Difference Day by lighting more candles. I know it is an important religious observance and all but it seems to be missing the point of making a difference in your community.

Fortunately, That isn’t my problem anymore because I have been released.

The calling does not require a TR. The calling does seem to require the MP.

The calling was first presented as something that would require me to have a TR but then after I declined to become a full tithe payer it was decided that a TR was not technically required.

Bishop called me into his office and told me that he had a somewhat delicate matter to discuss. He explained to me that the SP feels that the Temple and Family History Leader should be someone that frequents the temple and I am therefore being released. He then proceeded to ask me how I am progressing towards getting back to the temple.

I responded that it is still a goal of mine and that I want to get back there. I say this in order to maximize my options for ordaining my son or possibly to attend a temple wedding in the future. Bishop challenges me to seize the day and not procrastinate. He testified that we ordained men have a duty and only by enduring to the end can we live with our families forever. I nod smile and thank bishop for the encouragement. My intentional misdirection is significantly to blame for how the meeting went. I tell them that I believe in my covenants and want to get back to the temple – so I can’t be too surprised when they try to “help” me get there.

I just wish that there was a different motivational strategy besides guilt and duty. I feel like Bishop told me that I wasn’t worthy to hold this calling anymore when he could have just said “Thank you.” DW says that I should look at the bright side. At least I got released right before this next big push and all the planning meetings that will entail. DW is a smart lady.