My Ancestors

After working hard on my family history and ancestry chart for months, today was the first time I was able to take names of my own ancestors to the temple! That made for one incredible morning! 

Today was our Stake (11congregations) Relief Society (women's ministry) fill the temple day. While there I did the baptisms for three sisters on my dad's line; Nora Smith, Lillie Smith and someone I've been thinking a lot about, Mamie Lee Cope. I also completed 7 others of someone else's family names. It was an honor! 

We believe, and I know, that in order to enter the highest degree of heaven you have to have made certain covenants like baptism and confirmation with our Heavenly Father. So that all of Gods children have this opportunity, we perform these ordinances and make these covenants by proxy for our ancestors. And then they are able to accept or reject this work. 

Thinking of these women and how excited they may have been today has humbled me. Knowing that I am a link in a chain of strong, faithful, good women provides me strength. And hopefully I'm building more people on the other side of the veil who will love and support me and my little girls from where they are! If all that weren't enough, the fact that the priesthood holder performing the baptisms today loved my dad made it all the more special!