Thanks for your help in answering these questions, Jill. Your thoughts as well ring true to my heart. Doris Bateman > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 23:46:59 -0600 > Subject: [LDS-WC] Temple Ordinance Guidelines > > I have been in touch with the leadership of FamilySearch today, and we > discussed the current confusion and various interpretations that are being > placed on the First Presidency's statement that we must be "related" to the > people we submit for temple ordinance work. They stated that the Brethren > will not be giving any further clarification on this terminology, because it > is up to the members of the Church to seek personal inspiration as to how > that statement applies to them. The desire is to preserve the members' > agency and personal accountability. As consultants and those who teach the > guidelines, we need to be careful not to put our personal interpretation "in > force" on others. > > > > Having said that, here are some statements to consider: > > 1. First, we need to obey all of the permission rules for the past 110 > years. > > 2. We can perform ordinances for ourselves and all of our direct line > ancestors on our pedigree (including adoptive, sealing, and step pedigrees). > > 3. We can perform ordinances for the children on all of the family group > sheets of the ancestors on those pedigrees, including their spouses so that > marriage sealings can be performed. > > 4. We can perform ordinances for descendants of all of our direct line > ancestors, which would include ordinances for descendants of siblings, > because they would all be descendants of the next generation back. > > 5. We can assist our spouses in the work for their families, especially if > the spouse is living or previously gave permission for us to continue. > > > > Here are some of the "gray areas" to consider and seek personal guidance of > the Spirit: > > 1. As mentioned in #3 above, the spouses of children on our family group > sheets become part of our related family because of their marriage to a > family member. We can submit them for personal ordinances and the marriage > sealing. Where this starts to go into a gray area would be work for the > in-law's parents, siblings, and ancestors. Those individuals are not usually > considered related, but if the Spirit directs, we can move forward. > > 2. Work for the family of a deceased spouse where permission was not given > before death, is a gray area, but not usually a problem. Seek inspiration. > Are there other family members more closely related and involved in the work > who should have that opportunity and privilege? > > 3. Be extremely careful in extended lines where famous people or Jewish > Holocaust victims are involved. In these areas, think much more strongly > about blood relations, be SURE to follow the 110 year rules, and obtain all > appropriate permissions. You may be asked to document your blood relation. > > > > Let me repeat that the Brethren have declined to define their instruction > beyond the concept that we must be related to those whom we submit. The > statements I have made above are given with the knowledge and agreement of > the FamilySearch leadership, but ANY "clarification" of the Prophet's > statement in the recent letter is a personal opinion-including mine. The > vagueness of the statement is to allow for appropriate agency. We should not > be involved in allowing others to remove our responsibility to seek the > guidance of the Spirit, and we should not remove the responsibility of those > whom we counsel in our stewardship. > > > > I hope this is helpful, > > Jill Crandell > > > > > Please send the one word message SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE to [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message