I served as a Temple and Family History Consultant for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for several years. This calling was a rewarding one. The role consultants play in encouraging and assisting ward members as they seek to discover their ancestors and connect with them through sacred temple ordinances is vital in the Work of Salvation.
I have compiled a list of resources that I used frequently as I helped others with Temple and Family History. If you have favorites that you use, please contact me using the form below. I am always excited to learn about new tools and add them to the list!
Souls to Bless
Souls to Bless is the blog I kept during my time as a stake temple and family history consultant. It is filled with ideas and inspiration for Temple and Family History Consultants for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Consultant Resources
Consultant Resources from churchofjesuschrist.org and FamilySearch
- Helper Resources – A landing page for consultants and anyone else who would like to help others with Temple and Family History. It includes the dashboard for the Consultant Planner, as well as other resources to help you in your calling.
- Your Calling Page – This guide will help you succeed in your calling by providing you with the following: Direction and Counsel from Prophets and Apostles, Explanation of the Roles and Responsibilities of Temple and Family History Consultants, and Suggestions for Best Practices. Easy access to additional resources.
- The Family History Page – The main page for Temple and Family History at churchofjesuschrist.org. It includes links to videos and other resources for church members that will help them understand the doctrine and get started with Temple and Family History work.
Home Visit Helps
- Discover, Gather, Connect – A syllabus I developed for use in training new consultants about the principles of Discover, Gather, Connect. These principles include Pray to Be Led By the Spirit, Prepare a Personalized Lesson, Minister One on One, and Invite to Act.
- Using the Consultant Planner to Help Others Discover, Gather, and Connect Their Ancestors – A video that demonstrates the process of using the consultant planner to help someone find an ancestor in need of temple ordinances.
- 5 Ways to Do Family History in 5 Minutes or Less – A lesson about using FamilySearch’s mobile apps. I developed this lesson to help consultants teach ward members that temple and family history work is doable for everyone.
- Five Steps to Verify Names for the Temple Handout – A handout from Family Locket with 5 things to check to make sure your relative’s information is correct before doing their temple work. Helpful for people who feel unsure about how to verify the accuracy of their research.
How-To Helps
- The Family History Guide – A website that provides lessons about how to use Family Search, Ancestry, My Heritage, and Find My Past. Helps users progress either on their own, with a mentor, or in a group by providing Goals for learning, supported by flexible Choices. Also includes family history activity ideas for all ages.
- RootsTech Video Archive – A collection of videos from past Roots Tech conventions. Includes inspirational as well as educational presentations.
Resources for Families
- In-Home Activities Page – This is page was created to help families learn about their family history through simple activities. Many of the activities are designed to foster conversations about our ancestors. Others are more hands-on. The final section, called “The Temple” helps youth prepare for their first temple experience.
- Come, Follow Me Companion – The Family History Guide has created this companion, which includes related family history activities for each lesson in Come Follow Me.
