So far the Detroit Temple has been very helpful with my family file names for sealings. They are involved with some type of program from the Temple Department to help complete the family files of the patrons. I understand that there are two other temples involved in this program as well. As I have mentioned earlier on the list, we are allowed to give the temple our family file cards. The only limitation is that there be 25 women and 5 male endowments per family each month. We can give them our baptisms, confirmations, initiatories, and sealings without problem. I have been happy to have help with completing the sealings in my family file. The temple office appreciates a stack of sealings (child to parents sealings and marriage sealings) whenever I give it to them. I wish other temples had this policy on helping families with their family files. It is a wonderful blessing to those of us with large submissions. The paradox is that a convert usually has a small number of family members to help with a large family file. The person whose family has been in the Church for generations often has a large number of family members but struggle to find information to submit. I know that for a long time the temples have been wanting patrons to increase the number of endowments because endowments are necessary to move to the next step (sealing to parents ordinance). A lot of members do not understand how valuable they are to the temple and to the Lord's work. It was only a few years ago that the First Presidency released a letter asking members to attend the temple more often and give up some of their leisure activities as necessary. This counsel is still in effect. Another challenge for the members may be the economy. It costs money for gas and babysitters. Some people are struggling just to pay the mortgage and buy food. There has been a strong emphasis in our stake this year to attend the temple and also to pay our tithing. Mary Scott Northville Ward Westland Michigan Stake 

Mary S. Scott (Michigan) wrote: > The paradox is that a convert usually has a small number of family members to help with a large family file. The person whose family has been in the Church for generations often has a large number of family members but struggle to find information to submit. I have the opposite of it. Got lot of family members in church but not much of temple work to do with the side of the family while I have hard time trying to get volunteers to help out with the other side of family where there is a lot of cards. "Not my side of the family" syndrome. I know of one sister who is very fortunate to have her inlaws and friends helping her so much on both of her lines - she's first LDS. In my ward we help each other getting what needed to be done. I send my cards to Bountiful because a lot of my friends get it done there faster. Salt Lake Temple is limited to 5 male and 5 female per ordinance at a time per week apart from the assigned session I go to. Baptisms we get our ward youth to do it and this year my ward youth group's goal is to visit every one of 13 temples in state of Utah within a year so we keep them supplied with cards. The problem has been getting enough male endowments to keep going. David Samuelsen