The Ward Family History Plan
Wards are working towards having a Family History Plan which will enhance home study and increase Temple attendance. Each Ward should have a Temple and Family History Leader. The Temple and Family History Leader must be a Melchizadek Priesthood holder and works under the keys of the Bishop and his Elder's Quorum President. Using handbook2 - we created an easy set of visuals to help you see the picture and how each person fits into the Ward Family History Puzzle.
These Graphics show also, how each faction, working with people being taught can bring them to the point of baptism with their own family names before the baptism date. This ensures that they will have plenty of work to keep them busy for the next year, they will have a new friend in the Consultant who is assigned to them, they will have a new friend in the ministering sister or brother who is assigned to them upon baptism and the three of them together with others, will work to keep returning to the temple often.
Working to effect this prior to 60 days after baptism has been found to be the optimal period to ensure that retention will ensue.
David Nielsen just wrote an excellent article on Family Search about just this thing:
https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/category/latter-day-saints/temple-and-family-history/
- Under the direction of the bishop, the ward council develops a ward temple and family history plan. The ward council then reviews and updates the plan regularly.
- The ward temple and family history leader or a member of the elders quorum presidency may lead the plan’s development and implementation.
- A member of the Relief Society presidency may assist.
In this article it mentions the direction given by Elder Renlund:
In his
instruction, Elder Renlund gave examples of what a plan might address:
- Involving the ward’s 10- and 11-year-old children in temple and family history service.
- Encouraging children and youth to qualify for and use a limited-use recommend at the appropriate age.
- Involving every new convert in temple and family history service.
- Encouraging new converts to obtain and use a limited-use recommend.
- Helping ward members enter the first four generations of their family into the FamilySearch Family Tree.
- Helping specific individuals prepare for the temple (as assigned by the bishop).
- Encouraging temple attendance without establishing quotas or reporting systems.
Temple and family history consultants are key in helping a ward implement a temple and family history plan. As needed, various ward leaders and members may also help develop the plan.
How does the Relief Society work with Consultants?
A Relief Society President has two counselors. One helps with missionary work and the other helps with Temple and Family History Work. An Assignment can be made by the Relief Society to have a sister gather names from women who are unable to go to the temple and distribute to those who are still able to go. This Sister can also work with the Counselor over Temple and Family History Work to create fun family history events, i.e., workshops, temple trips, and perhaps even a suggestion of relief society evenings including Consultants who help people find names. The other Counselor works with the Ward Mission Leader and Full-Time Missionaries when a female is being taught by the Elders. She can work with Consultants to help her build a family tree, even encourage other sisters to join in. Once the sister is baptized, the Relief Society will assign a ministering sister to continue to help her find names and build her tree.
How does the Primary Presidency work with Consultants?
A Primary President has two counselors. Formerly, one was over scouting and the organization of getting the 8-year-olds baptized each year. The other Counselor was generally in charge of Activity days and Music. Since the new program, deleting Scouting, the Counselor over the baptism of the 8-year-olds can now work with any new members to the ward moving in 8-11 to ensure that they are baptized. The other counselor can work with Consultants to help the 10-year-olds get a basic understanding of family history. She could also help the 11-year-olds learn more about Family Tree and build their own tree in preparation for YW/YM where they will attend the temple for Baptism of the Dead. They are old enough to learn how to reserve and print a name.
How would the Ward Council work effectively with the Temple and Family History Leader and his Consultants?
How many consultants are needed in a Ward?
Let's discuss some ideas and suggestions. That depends on the Bishop and the size of the Ward. Basically, it is helpful to have a consultant assigned to every new investigator - to establish a friendship as they work towards baptism. If every member was taught by a consultant how to use the planner and Partner Access, you would certainly see success in your ward. As the Bishop delegates Family History to the Elders' Quorum President, the Temple and Family History Leader is under the EQ 1st Counselor and as the Consultants report their successes to him, he returns and reports to the 1st Counselor, who in turn reports to the Ward EQ President, who in turn reports to the Bishop.
Assignments are made by the EQ President and RS President to choose someone in the organization to be diligent in helping those who cannot go to the Temple any longer but who have names to have work completed, gather them, distribute them and return them to the patrons.
The Bishop, should he choose, can call Youth Consultants to work with their peers, who work with the elderly who do not have computer skills (a very successful service opportunity, by the way). He can call a few Primary Consultants - 10-year-olds learning more about family history who can be taught how to reserve and print a name in preparation for the year they enter Young Women's or Young Men's and are able to attend the Temple.
What are Temple and Family History Consultants able to do within a Ward?
Communication makes Ward Family History much Easier
What if the Primary is planning an event in the Spring and the Young Women are also planning an event in the Spring - on the same weekend? Good Communication plans can help all factions dovetail the details together so that they can each see what is going to go on the calendar.
This workbook will give you ideas to choose from Family Search. Each has a link to the section of Family History Activities which would most interest that age group.
This is not a reporting system - it's an opportunity to share and coordinate activities and to pool resources to effect a well rounded Family History Plan. No names are mentioned as to who went to the temple, only that dates are planned for the ward.
- Encouraging temple attendance without establishing quotas or reporting systems. (~Elder Renlund)
Each can plan their activity and the Bishop can send it to each Auxiliary in the Ward to complete. They can discuss how to assist each other at the Ward Council Meeting.
Here is a link to the workbook for you to use:
Each page rolls the numbers to the last page - the Annual Roll up so you can track your activity by year.
We just ask that you download this to your desktop BEFORE you EDIT IT.......
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SERVE YOU
We are Area Temple and Family History Consultants for the North American South West Area of Scottsdale Coordinating Council. These are all suggestions we are sharing which we have seen work successfully. If you are inspired to use these, which are based on the Handbook2, then we commend you on your insight.
