Worldwide Indexing Record - Family History

 For the second year in a row,  I invested some time in this worldwide project of indexing family names.  It is such a joy and reward helping in this great cause.  Whenever  I index names, I feel a spirit of gratitude and peace come over me from these deceased persons.  I know they are truly grateful for the service that we are rendering in their behalf.  Indexing is a simple, selfless act of service that anyone can participate in...

Malachi 4:5-6

 5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Millions of the world’s historical records are now freely searchable online thanks to the 72-hour FamilySearch Worldwide Indexing Event—10,447,887 records to be exact.
On July 15–17, more than 116,000 people all over the world logged on to transcribe the historical documents, far exceeding the event goal to reach 72,000 volunteers.
“We were astonished at the number of people who participated,” said Jim Ericson, product manager at FamilySearch. “[These] people selflessly donated their time and skills to help their brothers and sisters around the world gain access to records that will allow them to identify their ancestors.”
Volunteers were from every age group and every continent. Participants from all over, including Australia, Italy, and Mexico, shared experiences and photos on the Facebook event page. Many publicized their participation on other social media platforms using the hashtags #theworldsrecords and #fuelthefind and invited others to join them in the event.
“Many who participated expressed joy at being able to make sure the people in the records they indexed will not be forgotten and may be discovered by their living descendants,” said Brother Ericson.
While the worldwide event lasted only three days, FamilySearch needs volunteers to index 365 days a year. For those who missed the event but would like to get involved, visit familysearch.org/indexing.  - Mormon Newsroom


- C.J. Poulsen

Sapporo Japan Temple to Open for Public Tours

Temple building continues around the globe as the work of the Lord progresses and moves forward.  
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where Christ's teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside the temple, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve God and their fellow man. -Mormon Newsroom 

Temples are bringing promised blessings to faithful followers of Jesus Christ all around the world.  This new Sapporo Japan Temple is magnificent and beautiful.  It lights up the night sky that surrounds it.  Just as Jesus Christ brings light into a darkened and fallen world, the temple illuminates the darkness to bring hope and joy to those who exercise faith in following Jesus Christ and in keeping His commandments.  I love to see the many new temples being constructed around the world.  The old testament prophecy from Malachi is surely being fulfilled as family history and genealogy abound.  It is now easier than ever to search out our descendants and ancestry.   Family Search   Ancestry.com

Malachi 4:5-6

 5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

The First Presidency of the Church has announced the open house will begin on Friday, July 8, and continue through Saturday, July 23, 2016, excluding Sundays.

Sapporo, Japan Temple 

Following the public open house, the temple will be formally dedicated on Sunday, August 21, 2016, in three dedicatory sessions. The day before, youth of the Church in the temple area will perform in a cultural celebration honoring Japan’s history as well as the history of the Church in the country.

The temple is located at 620-50 1 Chome, Ooyachi-Nishi, Atsubetsu-ku Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido, Japan.

The 48,480-square-foot Sapporo Japan Temple sits on 9.8 acres with the statue of the angel Moroni on top of its single spire. The temple will serve more than 8,000 Latter-day Saints who live on the island of Hokkaido and in Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of the main island of Honshu.

The Sapporo Japan Temple is the Church’s third temple in Japan and, when dedicated, becomes the 151st operating temple worldwide. The two other temples in Japan are located in Tokyo(dedicated in 1980) and Fukuoka (dedicated in 2000). - Mormon Newsroom