Temple Submissions: THE RULES!

Temple ordinance submissions are very sacred and should be treated as such.  When you submit a name to the temple, you are affecting the priesthood, the House of the Lord, and even the lives and memories of the living in many instances as well as the wishes of the dead while they were living.

We believe in following the laws and respecting the wishes of others as Latter Day Saints and this is especially true with temple work. Not following the rules can result in some high-profile consequences, unwanted attention and even damage the work of the Lord.

This could be your name

So your name could end up in the news as single-handedly alienating an entire religion and you could win a personal call / letter from SALT LAKE CITY or the FIRST PRESIDENCY to YOU PERSONALLY!  (And not for a good reason either.)  The First Presidency recently stated with this event that these types of actions may result in disciplinary action or affect your ability to submit temple work.

Be aware the rules on genealogy submissions to the temple change from time to time from Salt Lake, so check on them periodically in New Family Search to make sure you're compliant. 

So what are the rules?

As of this writing they are, briefly:

• Must be deceased +1 year (366 days unless its a leap year then 367).

• If you are not closest living relative, must have been born +110 years – otherwise have permission from closest living relative - currently defined in New Family Search as in this order: living spouse, adult child, parent, adult sibling. (The age recently changed from 95 to 110). 

 It is noted on New Family Search that if you are not that individual doing the submissions and you don't have permission, then perhaps you should wait for hearts to soften or for a more appropriate time. 

• No Jewish Holocaust Victims you are not directly related to unless you have the written permission of every single living family member (or want to end up in the news and tarnish the reputation of the church and hinder the work from going forward, which I don't recommend.)

• No celebrities (unless you're related to them and can prove it).

You can submit names of family members who don't meet these requirements into New Family Search without doing the ordinances for them, or if you wish to keep them until the time is right for them to be done, reserve the ordinances to be done by you and hold off until the time is right to do them. Otherwise they can be done by other church members.

If the Lord can wait and has commanded us to wait or not do it, then we can wait and follow his instructions.  Doing genealogy and following the rules is as much an act of faith as it is an act of service.

On a spiritual note, the choices and friendships and relationships we have in this life carry consequences into the life that follows, and that includes whether temple work gets done or is desired not to be done by those still living.

Remember that this work ultimately will be completed, so be patient in this regards.  You will eventually find those whose families have put a hold on their work and refuse to let their work be done, I have found several.  I am a relative/descendant of the Fancher Wagon Train that was killed at Mountain Meadows, and understandably, those closer to the deceased than I am do not desire the Latter Day Saint church doing temple work for their deceased relatives who were killed there and have put a hold on their work and will not allow it.

Tempting as it may be in this instance...I wouldn't recommend it...

In the instance above, a church member decided to do a high-profile forbidden baptism contrary to the rules, and then an ex-member who is a journalist went searching for high-profile forbidden baptisms / rule-breaking and then broadcast it immediately to the world after snagging screen shots of it.  There are many forces  at play in this work and its best to stick to the ones that will bring about good rather than risking damaging the work.

Be patient.  There is much other work to be done in the meantime without breaking rules and harming the work.

In short, stick to *your* genealogy.  Elvis and Anne Frank will be just fine without your help at this stage and are in the Lord's hands.