The economy of temple ordinances

Economy is defined as the careful management of available resources.

So what has this economy to do with temple ordinances?

Let us explore this by looking at time.

The baptism and confirmation takes less than 5 minutes. The initiatory ordinance takes 5 minutes. The endowment takes about 2 hours. Sealings, which we have observed in the Bountiful temple, are done as follows; the spouse sealings take about the same amount of time that five sealings to parents takes. 

This does not take into account the travel time and the time to get dressed appropriately for each ordinance.  Someone also needs to do the research to find the names for these ordinances.  In the past when we went to the temple we just took a name from those that were made available at the temple.  These names came from the extraction program. We are now encouraged to seek out our own family relatives and reserve and do the saving ordinances for them.  Some are more adept at this than others. The Internet and more available records on line have made research more feasible. We do not have to go to distant libraries or archives to find the names and relationships.  There are still un-mined resources that will need to be explored. 

Temple availability. 

When I went to the temple for my endowment there were temples in Salt Lake, Logan, St. George, Manti, Idaho Falls, Hawaii, Cardston, and Mesa.  Now we have about 155 operating temples.  I was privileged to attend the dedication of the first temple on the continent of Europe while I was on my mission.

With so many temples available to us there is still a lot to do, but there are impediments to the work. There is, as always in the work of the Lord, opposition.  You might be interested to read the following account of our ancestor Marriner Wood Merrill.  Click the link below.

An interesting visitor attachment. 

My experience with the Bountiful temple: 

We have a file drawer for our stake in the temple. One can print out ordinances and stamp them with the stake names and place the cards in the drawer for members of the stake who do not have family names to do.  The last time I was there and looked in the drawer there were 4 inches of cards for male endowments and only 3 cards for female endowments.

  

Some people have a difficult time finding names for ordinances, but I have been blessed with the good fortune to be able to find many.  At present I have 576 individuals reserved for ordinances.  The baptism and confirmations seem to be gradually disappearing from this list.  You, my grandchildren, are helping in a great way.  I have sent initiatory ordinances to children and relatives to do and they are getting done. Your grandmother has 128 individuals reserved in her list. Not all those reserved need every ordinance done.  As you can guess the greatest need is for the endowment ordinance, which takes the most time.

In addition Clark, Mary Ellen, Aaron, Sandy, Steve and Rachel are doing research and reserving names as well.

This year make time to go to the temple.  Please do not go without taking a family name.  We had a bishop in Riverton who said that if you did not take a stake or family name to do the ordinances for, you were on temple welfare.  This is at the time when we were doing the second rescue project. 

Do not be on temple welfare.  Your extended family members are counting on you to do their ordinances. All it takes is a call or e-mail to us and we can send you a name or names back via e-mail.  Try it you will like it.