To start off I want to just point out a few resources that explain the temple experience a little more for those not familiar with the LDS faith or temples. This post is directed to members of the LDS faith and those who attend the temple.

What Are Mormon Temples?

How many of us have gone to the temple with a pile of family temple cards and hope that someone will be able to help you get the work done for you family? We hurriedly hand them out and without a second thought carry on with our temple experience, later picking them up with the completed cards. This has been a common occurrence for me as an effort to get as many ordinances done during that trip as I could. If this is going to be apart of our temple experience why don’t we try and help those doing the ordinances know the ancestors that they are doing the work for a little better?

Recently I was talking to my sister, who is big into family history and often helps me with my research, who while talking with a friend heard an impressive suggestion they do when they give others a temple name to do. They suggested writing on the back of the temple card the relation that you have to this person. This helps the people doing the name feel closer to the ancestor and gives them a reference to who they are. When I heard this I was surprised that I have not heard about others doing this as well. This was the first time I have heard of someone doing this in my entire life.

There are many directions you can take this. You can include on the back nicknames, places they have lived or occupations the person had. Including these things will help make the ancestor more real for the person doing the ordinance and help your friends come closer to them as well. I have started doing this on my trips to the temple and they have become more positive and meaningful experiences for me. Try it out and see if it increase the love you have for your ancestors.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions that help your friends and family members know more about your ancestors.