Tom and Debbie's Mission Blog: 2021

Over the last two months, temples of the Lord has been a reoccurring theme throughout our lives. We have been able to develop a consistent routine in our temple service, including our proxy work. We have been able to enjoy special sessions of baptisms for the dead with our grandchildren and sealing sessions with our siblings. Our Come Follow Me study has focused on the Nauvoo period when significant revelations were received on temple ordinances for the dead. Our dear prophet, President Russell M. Nelson reemphasized the role of temples in our lives in our recent General Conference. Our lives are full of many joys, but our gratitude at this time of the year is focused on Temples.

Service in the Temple:

As the temples have moved into Phase 3 of their reopening, our lives have regained structure. We continue to serve on our Wednesday midday shift, finishing at 2:00 pm each week. We decided that since we are already at the temple each week, it would be a good time to do proxy work. So we have decided to make Wednesday afternoon our time for that work. We have found that getting reservations for endowments and sealing ordinances is pretty easy. Initiatories for women are less available. So, when we are able to get a reservation, we do initiatory ordinances, and then consistently do an endowment session and then a sealing session. In each sealing session we try to seal those individuals who just received their endowments. Each week we are able to seal two couples and six children. This has made our Wednesday temple service more meaningful. Thus completing a long day in the temple with this crowning of all temple ordinances.

On Thursdays, Debbie has returned to playing the organ in the temple from 3:40 to 5:00 pm. I have found that to be a perfect time to go with Debbie and do an additional endowment ordinance. Since General Conference, my mother has returned to participate with me each Thursday afternoon. Even though we love being in the temple at anytime, we find that a consistent routine helps us to continue to work on the many proxy ordinances that are needed for our ancestors. It also gives us time to consistently review the covenants and promises of each ordinance. This has become a special time for me to spend time individually with my mother in the temple. Priceless!

Getting a reservation to do baptisms for the dead has been one of our greatest challenges. I was able to get two reservations for the month of October. We used one to take our four temple worthy grandchildren on October 8. As usual it was an uplifting experience and we were able to include several more of our ancestors who still needed that ordinance. Eight days later, I was able to get a few young adults, who had helped us in the past, to come and use this reserved time to do a few of their names and quite a few more of ours. Three days later, I was able to go and be the baptizer for Debbie's sister, LuAnn, and her granddaughter. In the space of 11 days, I was able to participate in 3 different sessions of baptisms of the dead. Due to scheduling difficulty, we don't have another baptism date scheduled until February of next year.

With our four grandchildren and McKenzie's friend that she felt prompted to invite

We try to do family sealings with our siblings about once a quarter. November was our month. We completed a session with two of my brothers, one sister-in-law and my mother. A week later we did the same with Debbie's siblings. This time we did a double session and were able to seal 12 couples and 36 children! At this session, we bring together many family members who have received their ordinances through the combined effort of each of the siblings and their posterity. We have also found that this is the primary activity that we have consistently with our siblings, which adds much more joy to our service. When we left the temple last Saturday night with Debbie's siblings, we felt absolutely heavenly.

Come Follow Me emphasis on vicarious temple ordinances:

The following came from a November 8 journal entry:

I want to share some pretty special feelings from this past week. Our Come Follow Me Study was in Doctrine and Covenants 125-128. As I studied these sections, especially the letters that Joseph Smith wrote while in hiding (Sections 127-28) I had much new understanding about the work for the dead. In 128:1 Joseph states that “that subject seems to occupy my mind, and press itself upon my feelings the strongest” during this time in 1842 as he was in hiding from his enemies. He appears to have understood much of this through personal revelations and then was trying to express what the Lord had revealed to him to the Saints. In these sections he focused on baptisms for the dead but referred liberally to the concept of temple work for the dead. In 128:8 he referred to the “ordinance which God has prepared for their salvation from before the foundation of the world”. As I pondered this thought, I realized that the concept of temple ordinances for the dead had been part of God’s Plan from the very beginning. In 128:15 we are told that the “welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place . . . but those things have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be reveled unto bars and suckling in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times”. Not only were they part of God’s plan from the beginning, but part of that plan was for these ordinances to be revealed in our time, the dispensation of the fulness of times. I also read a quote from President Joseph Fielding Smith that said, "it is in strict accordance with the divine will that the great work for the salvation of the dead was one assigned to those who lived in the dispensation of the fullness of times." (Joseph Fielding Smith, in Improvement Era, April 1966, p. 273.). All this got my mind and seemed to occupy my mind, and press itself upon my feelings.

In 128:15, Joseph Smith quotes the apostle Paul concerning the fathers - “that they without us cannot be made perfect - neither can we without our dead be made perfect”. We spent much of the week trying to understand why we cannot be made perfect without our dead. It is partially because the completion of this work is part of our responsibility in this dispensation. This became clearer in my mind than I had ever understood previously. Also, part of our study took us to President Henry B. Eyring conference talk in April 2017 which includes the paragraph that has become the source of my foreordained mission on this earth. He states:

Many of your ancestors did not receive those ordinances. But in the providence of God, you did. And God knew that you would feel drawn to your ancestors in love and that you would have the technology necessary to identify them. He also knew that you would live in a time when access to holy temples, where the ordinances can be performed, would be greater than ever in history. And He knew that He could trust you to accomplish this work in behalf of your ancestors.

All of this fueled my heart with an understanding that the entire restoration of the gospel was so that we could fulfill God’s plan to save all of his children that have come to this earth. That is an amazing responsibility, one that obviously requires His grace all along the way. During this week we were introduced to the parable of the Keys, written by S. Michael Wilcox, which explains how we must provide the keys to our mansion on high to our ancestors so that we can enjoy the mansion together. Debbie suggested that we get this book, “House of Glory”, as she wanted it before teaching our Sunday school lesson on Sunday. We were able to get it by Friday and I began studying more. I then read a quote from this book, which added to my understanding and impressions on my heart. It follows:

MANY MODERN INVENTIONS

The Lord is as anxious as our ancestors to help us make our offering and to fulfill the promises. He will help us in many ways. Some we have already discussed, but one of them is unique, enjoyed by all of us and yet comprehended by few—that of modern inventions. What would our lives be like without cars, microwaves, photography, dishwashers, clothes dryers, or computers? Virtually every one of us is grateful for these wonderful conveniences and labor-saving inventions. Their coming forth in such rapid succession in the latter days was not an accident and was not accomplished without the inspiration and direction of the Lord. Archibald F. Bennett, a prominent genealogist, said, "Sister Susa Young Gates . . . once asked her father [Brigham Young] how it would ever be possible to accomplish the great amount of temple work that must be done, if all are given a full opportunity for exaltation. He told her there would be many inventors of labor-saving devices, so that our daily duties could be performed in a short time, leaving us more and more time for temple work. The inventions have come, and are still coming, but many simply divert the time gained to other channels, and not for the purpose intended by the Lord." (Improvement Era, October 1952, p. 720.) If "the veil were lifted off the face of the Latter-day Saints," Wilford Woodruff taught, and they "could see and know the things of God as they do who are laboring for the salvation of the human family who are in the spirit world . . ., this whole people, with very few, if any, exceptions, would lose all interest in the riches of the world, and instead thereof their whole desires and labors would be directed to redeem their dead." (Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 152.) We need to learn to use all the wonderful advances the Lord has inspired in these last days for their truer purposes, not just in our occupations or the earning of a living. Then will we make an acceptable offering in the temples of the Lord.

This added further to this magnificent idea that all things work towards this purpose to do the work for the dead. As I pondered my situation, where we have all the income we need for the rest of our life and I am privileged to be able to direct my efforts according to God’s will, I felt even stronger the need to do more for the work for the dead. During this week, my Book of Mormon study was on the first five chapters of Ether, the time when the Jaredites were camping on the shores for four years when they should have been traveling to the Promised Land. Once again, I was touched by a quote by President Henry B. Eyring as follows:

“The numbers in that sad account are keys to the brother of Jared’s problem and to the Master’s solution: four years and three hours. The brother of Jared, and his caravan of people and animals, had been stopped four years in a journey they knew was to take them over many waters to a promised land. And the Master took not a minute, not five minutes, but three hours of His time to rebuke inattention. What do those four years and three hours show us about barriers and gateways to learning?

To me, the importance of the four years stems from the fact that the Jaredites were in a time of inaction during a journey that began with the chaos of the Tower of Babel, then swept across the uncharted wastes of Asia and would, following the Lord’s rebuke, take them through the depths of hurricane-tossed oceans to a land choice above all others—all under the Lord’s direction.

When we face an unknown wilderness or a strange sea, which may for us be a move to a new place or mortal sickness in a loved one, our hearts soften and we beg for blessings and weep when they’re given. But when it’s harder to see the needs or the blessings—when our tents are pitched—it’s easy to forget the Master and think more of the part our own courage and exertions may have contributed. Sometimes those around us make that forgetfulness more likely by praising us and attributing the victory to us. Most of us spend a good part of our lives in perils so nearly invisible that self-reliance comes easily, and accepting counsel from brothers, or from God, comes hard.”

I was also impressed with Section 128:19-23, where Joseph Smith tells his feelings of gladness over and over again. As he recounts many of the spiritual manifestations of the restoration, he seems to head into a crescendo, adding the testimonies of gladness from the mountains, rivers, woods, rocks, sun, moon and star singing together. “Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free”.. He concludes “how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principlaalities and powers!”

I wondered if I was at a point in my life where my self-reliance comes easily and others praise me for the family history and temple work that I have been privileged to do. Consequently my tent has been pitched and the needs or desires of the Lord have become invisible to me. I love doing family history work but often jump from one project to another without making better progress in the open family history lines that need attention. I have pondered about the additional time that I will have available as my three year term on the HOA management committee comes to an end in the coming months.

With all these things on my mind, I decided to discuss this further with my Heavenly Father in prayer yesterday morning. As I prayed I felt a need to commit a larger block of time for family history work. I thought this could happen each Monday afternoon, except when I am working on my Sunday School calling. The Lord pointed out a specific time that I could do more. As I pondered this amazing work for the dead, I realized that my two great missionary examples, my father and my grandfather, have both been in the Spirit world for many years. I believe that they are teaching their ancestors, those exact ones that I have been working to get their temple work done. I realized that Debbie’s father, grandfather and great grandfather are in the same situation. I feel drawn even further to focus more time and energy on this essential work for the dead.

Renewed focus on Family History Research:

Now for the miracle that has come from this prompting:

In the past few weeks, I have tried to follow the promptings above and started looking for some of the shorter family lines. As I found one of Debbie's shortest lines, I discovered that we had identified a marriage record in 1825 of her second great grandfather in Bad Tennstedt. This occurred 18 months ago while we were quarantined for COVID. As I searched more, I discovered an on-line resource in Family Search that shows one-line summaries of marriages for several hundred years in the village of Bad Tennstedt. There are no birth or death records available in Family Search for this time period. Although it is full of abbreviated names and difficult handwriting to read, I have felt guided to verify what the resource was. I started searching in 1800 going back for the names of the fathers of the 1825 marriage which I had identified. Finally, in 1782, I found the marriage records of each of the parents. Each marriage record shows the fathers of the groom and the bride. I just kept going back through the on-line records, trying to identify the previously identified names of fathers. This has been an incredible resource and in two weeks I have identified more than 20 of Debbie's direct ancestors. I know that there are still many more to find. I can testify that I have felt guided by the Holy Ghost (and probably these ancestors). Certainly the feelings to get back into more serious research were inspired. I know that there is much work that God wants us to do in our lives. Too often we wait on the sea shore doing good things but are neglecting our journey to the promised land. I define that journey as whatever the Lord wants us to do in our individual lives. I know that in this case, the resources are available for extending our family lines. He just wants us to get busy so that he can guide us.

This is the current 7 generation fan chart for Debbie's second great grandmother. Of the 31 of her ancestors identified in this chart, 22 have been discovered in the past two weeks.

While in the middle of this research we received notice that Family Search will start limiting us to 300 reserved names at a time. This sounds simple enough, but the three accounts that we are maintaining (Mine, Debbie's and my mother's) each are significantly in excess of that amount. Debbie and I are under 1,000 each but my mother has over 14,500 names reserved. I have been using these accounts to share family names with many, many relatives and friends who have been helping us do this temple work. This has become almost unmanageable and has taken a lot of my time. I feel like this change is part of a message to me to simplify my management of the temple work. Last Friday, I talked on the phone to a second cousin who had just completed a group of sealings that very day and she wanted more. I told her that I would not send her more temple cards, but would transfer my reserved names to her account I believe that I can work the accounts for Debbie and I down to a more manageable load in time, especially as I start sharing more of these names electronically. I was able to reserve about half of these new ancestors in Debbie's account before the new Family Search rules went into effect.

For my mother, she has just completed all of the Familienregisters that I had gathered in Germany for my German ancestors and their families. Even though there have been thousands of ordinances completed, there is still a large backlog of temple work to do. I will begin the process of sharing most of these names to others and to the temple. More and more individuals, including some of our own children, prefer to pick a name from the "Ordinance Ready" option of Family Search and then doing the work for that individual. This change will require me to facilitate the use of that tool for all of our relatives. There is much work to do, but I know that this is a blessing in disguise that will facilitate my overall effort in this important work.

Screen shot of my mother's Family Search reservations before we start sharing these with the temple system. She currently has 14,544 individual names reserved.

Focus from our Prophet:

The following are direct quotes form our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson in our most recent General Conference last month. His focus on the temple is continuing and is full of promises. As we have pursued family history and temple work with more enthusiasm, we have been taught from on high. Speaking for myself, every experience in the temple is not a revelatory experience, but they all bring peace to my heart. However, as we continue to be involved in this work, personal revelation and increased understanding of the temple ordinances and covenants do occur. As we study the gospel on a regular basis, the scriptures provide many of those revelatory experiences. The following are just a few of President Nelson's comments from our recent conference:

Under the Lord’s direction and in answer to our prayers, recent procedural adjustments have been made. He is the One who wants you to understand with great clarity exactly what you are making covenants to do. He is the One who wants you to experience fully His sacred ordinances. Hewants you to comprehend your privileges, promises, and responsibilities. He wants you to have spiritual insights and awakenings you’ve never had before. This He desires for alltemple patrons, no matter where they live.

Current adjustments in temple procedures, and others that will follow, are continuing evidence that the Lord is actively directing His Church. He is providing opportunities for each of us to bolster our spiritual foundations more effectively by centering our lives on Him and on the ordinances and covenants of His temple. When you bring your temple recommend, a contrite heart, and a seeking mind to the Lord’s house of learning, He will teach you.

Should distance, health challenges, or other constraints prohibit your temple attendance for a season, I invite you to set a regular time to rehearse in your mind the covenants you have made.

If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.

Family on this side of the veil:

Even though we focus a lot of energy on our family history and temple work, we also enjoy many interactions with our posterity. They are a blessing to us and often an opportunity to serve. We love each of them and know that our top priority with them is to show them that love, independent of their personal choices in life. Their life journey has taught us much more in our life than we would ever have expected. It certainly has taught us that love means to seek understanding, but to not judge. In the Lord's time and way, we see many little miracles occurring and we know that there will be many more in the years to come. We are constantly learning to trust the Lord's timing.

In July, we attended the missionary talk of our nephew Joshua Rueckert. At the get together at the house we saw many of our nieces and nephews in attendance and interacting with each other. We realized that it has been a few years since many of these cousins had seen each other in person. With my brothers, we decided to organize a family reunion as soon as possible. It was held on September 25, just six days after my mother turned 91. Although many were not able to attend, we had posterity from each of my brothers in attendance, including my brother Dan who came up from California. Altogether, there were more than 40 people participating. With better planning we should do better in the future, but it was a joy to renew relationships and friendships. The following are a few photos related to this reunion:

Uncle Jim loves cooking for the entire group

A back view of the bowery which we reserved

Some serious croquet playing going on with the teenage boys

Cousins hanging out together that had never met each other before

Gina enjoys her cousins and this was a great chance to show off her new twins

Time to talk was the most enjoyed activity

Aunt Becky kept all of the kids and others in the park supplied withs sno-cones

My mother enjoying her 91st birthday earlier in the week

Kaleb's Baptism:

One of the highlights of the past two months was the baptism of our grandson, Kaleb on November 6. With continuing COVID restrictions, the baptism was restricted to a smaller group, including only grandparents from the family. However, Kaleb's family was phenomenal, as his sisters gave talks and McKenzie sang. We finished the baptism service with Kaleb's favorite, "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree". I felt such joy to see this family sharing testimony and supporting one another. It gives us such great joy to see grandchildren being raised in a loving home with gospel principles.

Kalen with his Dad, who baptized him

Kaleb with us and my mother

Kaleb with his entire family

Abbie teaching about baptism and the Kit Kat bar

McKenzie taught Kaleb about the Holy Ghost and also sang a solo of "Gethsemane"

Popcorn popping on on the Apricot tree

10 Year Old Retreat:

We also wanted to hold a one day retreat with our 10 year old grandsons that lived close, using our Grandparent pass for Thanksgiving Point. After several reschedules, we finally settled with 2 of them participating on October 9. We had a wonderful time with Ashton and Jacob. They were very responsive to our efforts and enjoyed time at the Light the World Statues and the Curiosity Museum. After a nice lunch at Chuck-a-Rama, we enjoyed time at the Swimming pool near our home. Jacob then stayed a little longer at our home and played games with Ashton and his brothers while Ashton's parents went to the temple.

At the Sacred Grove sculpture

On the rope bridge in the Curiosity Museum

Looking in the fun mirrors

At Chuck-a-Rama

Halloween Party:

Our top rated family activity each year is our Halloween party. Once again we were not disappointed. Debbie put her heart and soul into the preparation. Several of our teenagers were the helpers with the games. The joy comes from the smiles on each of their faces.

We have to follow the example of our children, adults dressing up

The teeth were delicious

So were the ants on the logs

A cake made by 11 year old Abbie

Mom's helped with different chilis for all to eat

Moroni with his daughter, Tiare

Jared with his family

Kari and her biological children and granddaughter

Pollyanna with her family

Gina with her family

Caleb enjoying the Witch's Brew

Sisters as Sister Missionaries

Abbie helping with one of the twins, her favorite activity

Even though Lamoni was working, we were pleased that Aide came. She also was a great help with some of the younger grandchildren

We always include trick or treating at various doors of classrooms at the Church house

Thanksgiving Dinner:

We just finished our Thanksgiving celebration. As many of our children were celebrating with the other side of their family or alone in their homes, we only had 12 people at our celebration. However, that became a special time for those that participated. We only had two grandchildren with us, but they were able to build their relationship together. However, we had 19 more of our posterity come over for pie, either that night or the next day. These smaller groups facilitated greater interaction. So, all was good. We are thankful for our posterity, wherever they are!

Cornucopias of candy made by Debbie for all at dinner and all grandchildren coming later

A table and a half were sufficient to hold the dinner in our condo

7 of the 9 pies to feed our small group.

The complete dinner group, including 5 single sons

Interactions in the parlor between dinner and pie participants

Cousins having fun together downstairs

Some small group game playing

More pie eaters later on

Other Activities:

The week after Halloween we were pleased to receive a visit from Giovanna and her family who were in Utah for the weekend. We hadn't seen little Sophia since the previous February. We sure love this special part of our family.

Giovanna with Leo and their daughter, Sophia

Joshua is now in the mixed choir at Hillcrest High School. We were able to attend a fund raising concert for ALS, focused on the Beatles. It was an enjoyable ride down memory lane with a special grandson.

A worthwhile fundraiser

Joshua after the performance

We recognized all of the songs!

Gina came and made a visit to Camila with me. Camila's condition continues to worsen, but we know her spirit is strong.

Camila's communication is now gone

Every year I try to grow a garden on my patio. This year we had our ups and downs. However, it was my best year ever for growing green peppers and a warm fall let us keep harvesting tomatoes up until the week before Thanksgiving.