“Stake Leadership,” To Turn the Hearts: Leader’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work (2011), 6–11
“Stake Leadership,” To Turn the Hearts, 6–11
Stake Leadership
“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”
Stake President and His Counselors
The stake president presides over the work of salvation in the stake, which includes temple and family history work. Stake presidents can use temple and family history work as a way to strengthen members and their families. Stake presidents consider ways to use family history to help with missionary work, convert retention, member activation, and teaching the gospel. Stake leaders should review the “Ward Leadership” section for examples of ways to use family history in these efforts.
The stake president and his counselors set an example by teaching the doctrine of temple and family history work and testifying of the blessings that come from participating in this work. They encourage stake members to identify their deceased ancestors and provide needed temple ordinances for them. They ensure that stake leaders use family history to help accomplish stake goals. They direct temple and family history efforts and events in their stake councils.
The stake presidency may assign one or more high councilors to oversee temple and family history work. Below is an example of how family history is organized at the stake level.
Stake Councils
As stake councils focus on the work of salvation, they should consider how temple and family history work can be an important resource in accomplishing the many aspects of the work of salvation. Stake councils do the following:
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Assist with stake temple and family history plans, goals, and events.
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Determine how temple and family history can help stake auxiliaries accomplish the work of salvation, including member missionary work, convert retention, activation, and teaching the gospel.
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Determine how stake activities such as stake service projects, celebrations, youth conferences, and young adult activities can be enriched by incorporating family history efforts into the events.
High Councilor Assigned to Temple and Family History Work
The high councilor (or councilors) assigned to temple and family history work coordinates temple and family history efforts in the stake. He oversees family history work in three ways.
High Councilor
Instructs high priests group leaders
Coordinates FamilySearch indexing
Coordinates stake family history resources
Instructs High Priests Group Leaders
The high councilor instructs high priests group leaders and elders quorum leaders in their temple and family history responsibilities. He ensures that the stake, the wards, and the high priests groups and elders quorums are organized to do temple and family history work.
Coordinates FamilySearch Indexing
If the stake chooses to organize a stake FamilySearch indexing program, the high councilor oversees the program. If requested by the stake presidency, he may recommend an individual to be called as the stake indexing director.
Coordinates Stake Family History Resources
The high councilor oversees all family history centers in the stake. If requested, he may recommend to the stake presidency individuals to be called as family history center directors or assistant directors. He makes assignments to wards, through high priests group leaders, to provide family history consultants to staff family history centers in the stake. For multistake family history centers, high councilors from participating stakes work together to help oversee the centers and provide family history consultants and funds.
Because family history centers are important to the community and serve many people who are not Church members, the high councilor works also with the stake’s public affairs representatives to involve the community in family history events.
In stakes where leaders, including high councilors, participate actively in family history, name submissions to the temple are double the average of stakes that do not have strong leader participation. (Taken from analysis of 2010 FamilySearch data.)
FamilySearch Indexing
Benefits of Indexing
FamilySearch indexing is a way for the Church to make its immense collection of genealogical records available to the public. Volunteers use the tools available at FamilySearch.org to create easily searchable indexes to the records. The indexed records are then made available through FamilySearch.org.
Indexing can be done by virtually anyone, young and old. It touches the lives of both those who do the indexing and those who use the indexed records. Some of the benefits of indexing include:
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It provides a way for individuals to more quickly search for and find their ancestors.
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It provides opportunities for service. Members—including those who are less active, homebound, or elderly—can do indexing in their homes.
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It provides an opportunity for youth and young adults to participate in family history work.
Indexing in Stakes and Wards
While individuals can do indexing on their own, “the stake presidency may determine that it would be beneficial for stake members to work together in an indexing program” (Handbook 2: Administering the Church [2010], 5.4.7). If the stake chooses to establish an organized FamilySearch indexing effort, it is coordinated by the high councilor who oversees family history work in the stake.
The stake presidency, in consultation with the high councilor, recommends an individual to be called as the stake indexing director. Assistant directors may also be called. The director trains and supports members in their indexing efforts, coordinates members’ efforts, and is given rights to the indexing program’s reports in order to keep track of the stake’s participation. The director provides regular updates on the stake indexing effort to the high councilor.
Members of the stake may be called to serve as indexers. They are called at the ward level and directed at the stake level.
Wards may choose to organize a ward indexing effort if there is no structured FamilySearch indexing effort in the stake.
Stake and ward leaders have discretion in how they organize FamilySearch indexing efforts. Leaders organize indexing efforts in ways that best fit the needs of their members.
Leaders can help with indexing efforts by:
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Encouraging members to volunteer and participate, whether on their own or as part of an organized effort.
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Inviting local community members to use the indexed records through FamilySearch.org and to assist with indexing efforts.
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Assigning consultants, including youth, to help others learn indexing.
A teenager explained how participating in indexing blessed her life:
“I know that I’m helping to find people that maybe wouldn’t have had the chance to have their work done. … It’s cool to know that even if I don’t go to the temple for them myself, I can help them get there” (Amanda Pace, in Mindy Raye Holmes, “Indexing Mania,” New Era, May 2009, 19).
Family History Centers
Purposes of Family History Centers
The Church has established thousands of family history centers throughout the world. Leaders use family history centers as a resource to bless the lives of members as well as to provide a valuable service to the community.
Family history centers operate under priesthood direction. The assigned high councilor responsible for temple and family history work, under the direction of the stake presidency, oversees all family history centers in the stake.
Family history centers give members and community patrons access to family history resources, including:
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Genealogical resources
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Classes and workshops
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One-on-one assistance
As stake leaders seek to accomplish specific public affairs goals, they view family history centers as a unique and effective way to enhance the Church’s position in the local community. The majority of the patrons who use family history centers are not members. A community patron explained how her life had been blessed by a family history center:
“I think the center is just fantastic, and I love having access to the records from Salt Lake City. … When I find something, I wish I could say ‘I found it,’ but it is like God put it there. I’m not a Mormon, but one of the things I really do feel in my heart is that this is something that God wants done” (Myra Sims, in LaRene Gaunt, “Family History Wellspring,” Ensign, Aug. 1993, 24).
Family History Center Staff
The assigned high councilor ensures that the staffing needs of family history centers in the stake are met. For multistake family history centers, high councilors from participating stakes work together to help oversee the centers and provide family history consultants and funds.
Family history centers are staffed by individuals who have specific skills in teaching, doing family history research, and using FamilySearch technology. Staff members include:
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Family history center director and assistant directors, if needed. Directors and assistant directors are recommended to serve by the stake presidency and are approved by the stake presidency and the high council. The stake presidency may ask the assigned high councilor for a recommendation.
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Family history consultants. The high councilor coordinates through bishoprics and high priests group leaders to assign enough family history consultants to staff family history centers in the stake. Consultants are called by bishoprics.
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Volunteer members of the general public. These individuals may serve in centers with the approval of the high councilor. There are many skilled individuals in the community who are willing to serve when given the opportunity.
Establishing, Relocating, or Closing a Center
If the stake presidency is considering establishing, relocating, or closing a family history center, they contact their area family history advisers. The stake submits a Request to Create, Relocate, or Close a Family History Center form to the area adviser. The area adviser reviews the request with the Family History Department.
The assigned high councilor coordinates family history in the stake. He instructs ward leaders and reports regularly to the stake presidency.
FamilySearch indexing blesses the lives of those who do the indexing as well as those who use the indexed records.
FamilySearch indexing provides service opportunities for many people.
Family history centers are a valuable resource to Church members and to the community.
Family history centers are gathering places for classes, workshops, and one-on-one assistance.