Promises and Blessings

From Elder Dale G. Renlund General Conference Address "Temple and Family History Work-Healing and Sealing" (April 2018):

As we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to “healing” blessings promised by prophets and apostles. These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:

• Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;

• Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives;

• Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;

• Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;

• Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;

• Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;

• Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;

• Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone;

• Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others;

• Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary; and

• Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole.

If you have prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you do so, your prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God’s children on earth are healed. No wonder President Russell M. Nelson, in his first message as President of the Church, declared, “Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”

Elder Gary E. Stevenson

“Understanding the eternal nature of the temple will draw you to your family; understanding the eternal nature of the family will draw you to the temple.”

President Gordon B. Hinckley (Ensign Nov 1995)

"I am satisfied that every man or woman who goes to the temple in a spirit of sincerity and faith leaves the house of the Lord a better man or woman. There is need for constant improvement in all of our lives. There is need occasionally to leave the noise and the tumult of the world and step within the walls of a sacred house of God, there to feel His spirit in an environment of holiness and peace."

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Family history and temple work open the door to heaven’s help, crowd out the adversary’s influence, and allow modern technology to be used in the way Heavenly Father intended. Bring these blessings into your own life and the life of your family by beginning your search for family names. Here are some promised blessings:

• Elder Richard G. Scott promised protection from and strength to resist the adversary’s temptations—even the ability to “eliminate” his influence. He also promised an enriched temple experience when performing family ordinances. (Elder Richard G. Scott, “Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” General Conference, Oct. 2012).

• President Boyd K. Packer promised that we could personally experience the Spirit of Elijah (Malachi 4:6), which can have a refining, spiritualizing, and tempering influence in our lives. In his book The Holy Temple, he promised that not only can we have added strength and power to do family history work, but that we can be blessed with added strength and power in “all the affairs of life.” (Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History: Getting Started,” Ensign, Aug. 2003).

• Elder David A. Bednar promised that we could gain a “deep and abiding” testimony of Jesus Christ (Elder David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” General Conference, Oct. 2011).