Hastening the Work

The leaders of the church seem to be really focusing on this topic lately. A member of our bishopric bore his testimony on this topic as well today. I don't know about you but I really feel that the Lord is hastening His work upon the Earth. In the last few months this has really snowballed!

Today, I was on lds.org and read a message by Elder Russell M. Nelson. I love what he shared about his wife and this subject. He said:

“We not only teach this concept, but we participate in it,” he remarked to the departing missionary couples. “We do so as we help to gather the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil. Marvelously and mercifully, the invitation to come unto Christ can also be extended to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel. Part of their preparation requires earthly efforts of others.”

He said his wife, Wendy, whom he had introduced to the group earlier in the session, “is on night call.” He explained that she feels the call of deceased ancestors and works late into the night doing research to identify them. “She keeps our family supplied with names for those people who are keeping her from sleeping at night.”

I too have felt certain names in my family tree press upon my mind. Sometimes we forget that while it is hastening on earth it is also hastening on the other side. In the last few months our bishop has increased temple work from our ward members. It's going full speed ahead!

A couple of years ago in our old ward there was a couple who spoke one Sunday during sacrament meeting. They shared a beautiful experience that I would love to share with you!

They had moved away from Utah for a job and during that time had befriended a nice couple through that same job. The couple were not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So many months later, the husband died in a tragic accident. It was very sad and the wife had a hard time with his death.

Over the next couple of months, the husband who was killed  would often visit his friend (the husband of the couple in our ward) and tell him to please do his temple work. His friend was very afraid to approach his wife and tell her that her deceased husband was regularly visiting him and telling him he wanted to be baptized and have all of his ordinances done. However his friend continued to visit him in his dreams and insist that he do his work.

One day the friend gathered some courage and wrote a letter to the wife explaining to her what had been happening and asked for her permission to do his work. She read the letter and called him and bust into tears and said that she had been raised a member of the church and had been baptized and ever since her husband passed away she too had been longing to have that work done so they could be together forever.

So, he went to the temple and did the work on behalf of his deceased friend. When it was complete, his friend came to him in another dream, dressed in white and thanked him for doing his work.

It was a beautiful story and the spirit was so strong when they shared it. The couple could not hold back their tears as they each gave their perspective on the story.

I have really enjoyed doing genealogy these past few years. It never seems like there is enough time in the week to get a lot of it done, but whenever I find the time to work on it I am always blessed.

I know the time is getting near for the Lord's return. Let us all do our part to help hasten this work and we will be blessed for our efforts. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ amen.