In the October 2011 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of Twelve, invited “the young people of the church to learn about and experience the Spirit of Elijah.”
“I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead. And I urge you to help other people identify their family histories,” the apostle said in his 2011 remarks. “As you respond in faith to his invitation … your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.”
In the October 2012 conference, Elder Richard G. Scott, also a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, said Russian teens were invited to each index 2,000 names and then qualify at least one name of their own family for temple ordinances. Those who accomplished the goal were invited to travel to the new Kyiv Ukraine Temple. Elder Scott related the story of one young man who found family history to be more fun than computer games.
“When I started indexing, I didn’t have time to play games. … When the project was over, I even lost interest in gaming,” the young man said. “Genealogy work is something that we can do here on earth, and it will remain in heaven.”
Following Elder Scott’s remarks, the First Presidency sent a letter to priesthood leaders in the church that encouraged “youth and young single adults to use for temple work their own family names or the names of ancestors of their ward or stake members.”
