Ordinance Preparation System: Help Documentation

• Start New Endowment, Sealing, or Marriage
• Setup Tab
• Information Tab
• First Presidency Requests Tab
• Temple Appointment Tab
• Required Actions Tab
• Interviews Tab
• How Priesthood Leaders Verify Completion of the Ordinance Preparation Process

Ordinance Preparation is an online system to assist members and priesthood leaders as they complete the administrative and spiritual tasks related to receiving temple ordinances.

In the past, temple workers have handled administrative tasks relating to temple ordinances. The Ordinance Preparation online system allows bishops, branch presidents, stake presidents, and mission presidents to complete and track these tasks in Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR). This simplifies the administrative process and allows priesthood leaders to be more involved in temple preparation.

Priesthood leaders are now responsible for tasks previously managed by the temple, including verifying personal information and gathering necessary documents. This system allows priesthood leaders and members to work together in the sacred process of preparing to receive temple ordinances.

The Ordinance Preparation system allows priesthood leaders to complete the following tasks:

• Create a new ordinance preparation task, verify the member’s information, and record answers to qualification questions.
• Add all members who will participate in a sealing ordinance to the ordinance preparation task.
• Request any needed First Presidency approvals or policy exceptions.
• Verify any necessary paperwork, including marriage certificates or adoption papers.
• Record the dates when temple recommend interviews are completed.
• Assist members in scheduling temple appointments.

Note: Bishops, branch presidents, stake presidents, and mission presidents are responsible for helping members prepare to receive their living temple ordinances. Counselors may assist only under the bishop’s or stake president’s direction.

The Ordinance Preparation system is also visible to Church members on the Church website. From here, they can quickly access and help complete the tasks relating to their preparation for living temple ordinances. This page also provides resources to help members learn more about living temple ordinances.

By simplifying the process of ordinance preparation, Church members and their priesthood leaders can focus less on administrative tasks and more on the purpose of temple ordinances — to draw closer to Jesus Christ and be eternally united as families.

Setup

In this step, the bishop or branch president reviews basic temple preparation guidelines, enters a tentative ordinance date, and sends the member an email inviting them to verify their personal information. For stake and mission presidents, this step is read-only.

Information

In this step, the member verifies his or her personal information and answers questions about his or her current situation. The bishop or branch president may help with this. These qualifying questions help determine whether the member must provide documentation, such as a marriage certificate or adoption papers, before ordinances can be performed. For a stake or mission president, this step is read-only.

First Presidency Requests

If a member needs First Presidency approval before receiving their living ordinances, the First Presidency Requests tab will be visible. Bishops, branch presidents, stake presidents, and mission presidents handle these requests using the Confidential Records program.

Temple Appointment

In this step, the member schedules a temple appointment. The member can reschedule the appointment later if needed. For a stake or mission president, this step is read-only.

Required Actions

In this step, the member, bishop or branch president, and stake or mission president complete all required tasks before the temple appointment. These steps may include reviewing temple instructions, completing preparatory ordinances, ordaining the member to the priesthood, or certifying consent letters or legal documents.

Interviews

Before attending the temple, the member must participate in temple recommend interviews with both the bishop or branch president and the stake president or mission president. In this step, priesthood leaders record the interview date and complete the temple recommend process.

Temple Ready

This is the final step in the Ordinance Preparation process. When all other steps are complete, priesthood leaders finish the Ordinance Preparation process by submitting the recommendation to the temple. After that, details of the temple appointment will be visible in this section. If priesthood leaders need to make changes to the Ordinance Preparation later, they will need to click Reopen Preparation before doing so.

Accessing the “Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” Page – For Bishops and Stake Presidents

1. Go to ChurchofJesusChrist.org and sign in using your Church account.
2. After signing in, you will see your Dashboard. From here, select the waffle menu (nine small squares in a grid) next to your profile photo. This will open a menu called Tools. From here, select Leader and Clerk Resources. This will open a new page.
3. Select Temple from the menu bar at the top. Then select Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances.

Navigating the “Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” Page

On this page, bishops and branch presidents can view ordinance preparation invitations from other bishops and branch presidents, view members in their units who are currently preparing for living temple ordinances, view members ready for their temple appointments, and view completed or canceled ordinances.

Invitations from Other Bishops

This section lists ward members who have been invited to participate in a sealing ordinance with a member of another unit.

When bishops and branch presidents receive these invitations, they follow these steps:

1. Click View Invitation.
2. Contact the invited member to determine whether they wish to accept or decline the invitation.

If the invited member accepts:

1. Enter their name in the search box and select their name from the list.
2. Click Accept and Begin Preparation. You may then begin the preparation process with the member of your unit.
3. If the system indicates this is a duplicate ordinance, click Accept/Merge Ordinance. This will combine the two preparations into one.

If the invited member declines:

1. The bishop or branch president clicks Reject Invitation. The other person’s bishop or branch president, who sent the invitation, will receive an email notifying him that the invitation was rejected.

Members Preparing

This section lists ward members who are preparing for a living endowment or sealing. The green circles represent finished sections of the ordinance preparation process. Messages pertaining to First Presidency approvals and pending invitations are visible on this screen in red text.

• Name: Click a member’s name to view their contact information.
• Ordinance: Click on the name of the ordinance to view ordinance participants, temple appointments, or to make changes to temple plans.
• Temple Appointment: This section lists scheduled temple appointments.
• View Preparation: Click View Preparation to complete the necessary steps for the member to receive their living temple ordinances. View Preparation is also visible to the member when they sign into their Church Account.
• Out-of-Unit/Offline Participant: The names of members from outside your unit who are participating in ordinances with one of your ward members are also listed on this page. These participants will be labeled Out-of-Unit. If they are listed as Offline Participant, their bishop or branch president is not yet using the online Ordinance Preparation system.

Ready for the Temple

This section lists members whose Ordinance Preparations are complete and who are ready to receive their living temple ordinances. The temple appointment date will be listed here.

Completed Ordinances

This section lists members who have received their living temple ordinances in the last six months.

Canceled Preparation

This section lists canceled Ordinance Preparations. These are listed for one year and may be resumed during that time. If a bishop or branch president would like to resume a preparation more than a year after it has been canceled, then they must start a new ordinance preparation.

1. After signing into your Church account, navigate to Leader and Clerk Resources.
2. At the top, click Temple, then select Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances.
3. Click + New Endowment, Sealing, or Marriage.
4. Search for the ward member who will be receiving the ordinance.
5. Select the ward member and click Continue.
6. Check the box next to each of the ordinances your ward member will be receiving.
7. Click Continue.

Adding a Person to a Temple Ordinance

At this point, you will add any additional participants to the ordinance.

Adding a Person in My Ward – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Select Living Person in My Ward
2. Enter the person’s name in the Member Name or MRN box. Select the person from the list.
3. Select the role the person will play in the ordinance (Spouse, Child, Sibling, Mother, Father, Observer).
4. Click Add.
5. Repeat this process for as many people as you’d like to add to the ordinance. Note: If there are any restrictions that could prevent the person from participating in the ordinance, they will be listed in this step.

Adding a Person from Outside My Ward – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Select Living Person Outside My Ward

2. Select invitation method.

   Direct Bishop-to-Bishop Invitation
   The bishop or branch president will either accept or decline the invitation after counseling with the person. If the person accepts, he or she will work with his or her bishop or branch president to complete the ordinance preparation process. If the person declines, the bishop or branch president receives an email informing them of the person’s decision.
   

   1. In the Find Bishop box, enter the name of the invited person’s bishop or branch president and select him from the list.
   2. In the Member being Invited to Participate box, enter the name of the invited person. Select the invited person’s role in the ordinance.

   3. Click Send Invitation.

   Via Email
   This method sends an email to the person who will be participating in the living temple ordinance. He or she will either accept or decline the invitation. If he or she accepts, his or her bishop or branch president will receive an email to begin the ordinance preparation process. If the person declines, the bishop or branch president who sent the invitation will receive an email telling him so.
   

   1. Select the invited person’s role in the ordinance (usually Husband or Wife).
   2. Enter the invited person’s email address. There is no need to enter their priesthood leader’s email address; he will automatically receive an email if the member accepts the invitation.
   3. Explain to the member of your unit what this invitation means and confirm that they and the person they are inviting are aware that you are sending it. Then click I have confirmed that this individual is aware that an invite will be sent.
   4. If you’d like, you may add a personalized message and preview the email.
   5. Click Send Invitation.
      

A message will appear on your Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances summary page under “Members Preparing” in red text that says, “Invitation Pending.” This status will change when the invited person or their bishop or branch president accepts or rejects the invitation.

Note: If the person’s bishop or branch president is not yet using the Ordinance Preparation system, you will need to perform other tasks offline.

Canceling a Pending Invitation – for Bishops

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click the name of the ordinance you would like to edit.
2. Under “Pending Invitations,” find the name of the person whose invitation you would like to cancel. Click Cancel Invitation. Confirm cancelation by clicking Cancel Invitation in the box that appears.
3. The person will be removed from the ordinance.

Accepting or Rejecting Invitations from Other Bishops – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

Invitations from other bishops or branch presidents are listed on the “Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page under “Invitations from Other Bishops.”

Adding a Deceased Person – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Select Deceased Person. For this tool to work properly, the deceased person must be listed in the member’s family tree in FamilySearch (familysearch.org). Ward family history consultants can help with this. If no family history consultants are available, see the instructions below under “FamilySearch Tools for Ordinance Preparation.”

2. The names of any deceased spouses, children, or parents will be listed. If the person is preparing for a sealing-to-spouse ordinance, click the circle next to the spouse’s name. If the person is preparing to be sealed to their parents and/or children, use the check boxes to select all participants.

3. If needed, select the role the person will have in the ordinance: Husband, Wife, Child, Father, or Mother.

4. Then click Include Selected.

5. To add another living temple ordinance, select Add Another Sealing to Spouse or Add Another Sealing to Children.

FamilySearch Tools for Ordinance Preparation

For a living person to be sealed to a deceased person—whether as a spouse, parent, or child—the deceased person must be listed in FamilySearch (familysearch.org). If a deceased person is not in FamilySearch, is listed as living, is missing information, or may have duplicates in the system, these issues must be resolved in FamilySearch before the ordinance takes place. A family history consultant can help with this process. The tools listed here may also be helpful.

• To add a deceased person to FamilySearch, see “How do I add a family member to the pedigree in Family Tree?”
• If a deceased person appears in FamilySearch, but they are listed as Living, see “How do I change a status from living to deceased in Family Tree?”
• If FamilySearch indicates there is missing information for a deceased person, see “How do I add vitals and other information to a person in Family Tree?”
• If the system indicates that a person might be listed in FamilySearch multiple times, these will be listed as possible duplicates. Possible duplicates must be resolved before the person can receive temple ordinances. For help resolving possible duplicates, see “How do I merge possible duplicates in Family Tree?”

Setup

Member Understanding – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Review the Member Understanding section. Answer the question on the page that will help you evaluate the person’s spiritual readiness to make temple covenants. Then click, Yes.
2. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Estimated Ordinance Date – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Enter an estimated date for the living temple ordinance by clicking Add a Date and selecting a date from the calendar. This estimated ordinance date is not visible to the member, nor is it a temple appointment (which will need to be scheduled later). This estimated date is used to determine which policies may need to be considered and what type of temple recommend the person will need.
2. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Temple Preparation – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Review the guidelines for temple preparation listed in this section, then plan with the member to help them prepare appropriately. Click I will oversee this member’s temple preparation.
2. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Contact Prior Bishop or Branch President

1. If the member has lived in your unit for less than one year, the Contact Prior Bishop section will be visible. Use the contact information listed here to counsel with the person’s prior bishop or branch president before proceeding with living temple ordinance preparation. If the member has lived in your unit for less than a year and there is no previous bishop or branch president listed, counsel with your stake or mission president to determine whether to proceed.
2. When this step is complete, click Yes, I contacted the prior bishop or counseled with the stake president.
3. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Member Instructions – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. If the member has Internet access and can verify their own personal information, click Send Member Instructions. If needed, you may add or edit the person’s email address on this page. (If the member does not have access to the Internet, select The member does not have access to the internet.)
2. The member will receive an email with a link to verify their information. After they do so, ordinance preparation can continue.
3. If needed, you can resend the email by navigating back to this page and clicking Resend Member Instructions. To view the instructions, click View Instructions.
4. Click Continue to Information.

Information

Personal Information – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

Verifying information is the member’s responsibility. In most cases, this step will be marked “Complete” without a priesthood leader’s help. However, in some cases, the member may request the help of their bishop or branch president. In these cases, follow these instructions:

1. If the person requests your help with verifying his or her information, schedule a time to meet. When you are together, select A member of this ordinance is with me and has asked me to help in verifying information.
2. Verify with the member each piece of information listed, including name, birth date, and address.
3. If an item is listed correctly, click Verify.

4. If information is missing or listed incorrectly, click the Edit icon (pencil). Enter the correct information, and then click Save and Verify Changes. (In some cases, you may need to give a reason for the change.) If you are a bishop or branch president, these changes will be updated in Church membership records. If edits are made by someone other than a bishop or branch president (e.g., the member or a counselor in the bishopric), the changes will be forwarded to the ward clerk, who will update the information in Church membership records.

   Note: If information about another living person, such as a parent, is incorrect, contact the person directly. Only the living person’s ward clerk can update his or her membership record.

5. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Ordinance, Spouse, and Parental Information – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

Continue verifying information for each section. If there is a term you are not familiar with, see the Glossary at the end of this article.

Qualification Questions – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. On the Qualification Questions section, answer each question listed. These are not temple recommend questions, but they help identify any additional considerations that may need to be handled before the living temple ordinance can take place. (For example, a spouse may need to give written consent for an ordinance to take place, or a person may need First Presidency approval to be sealed to a spouse if he or she was previously sealed to a different spouse.) After these questions are answered, there may be additional actions listed in the Required Actions step.
2. Click Submit Information. Confirm and select in the popup window that you want to Submit Information.
3. Click Continue to First Presidency Requests or Continue to Temple Appointment.

First Presidency Requests

If the member’s answers to any of the qualifying questions indicate they may need First Presidency approval to move forward, the “First Presidency Requests” step will be visible. Priesthood leaders handle these requests using the Confidential Records system.

Application to the First Presidency – Instructions for Bishops

1. If an application to the Office of the First Presidency is needed, review the information listed. The bishop or branch president starts an application in the Confidential Records program and submits it to the stake president or mission president.
2. To view a Church policy, click View in General Handbook.
3. If you decide not to request the application, counsel with the member to determine whether she or he should move forward. If they decide not to proceed, cancel the ordinance preparation in the system.
4. The stake or mission president approves and submits the application in the Confidential Records program. When the Office of the First Presidency responds, the decision and decision date will appear in the First Presidency Requests tab.
5. If the application was approved, the stake or mission president clicks Mark Confidential Action Complete. On the confirmation message, click Mark Confidential Action Complete.
6. If the application was approved with restrictions, the stake or mission president clicks Mark Confidential Action Complete. If a significant amount of wait time is required, the system may suggest you cancel this ordinance preparation and resume it later.
7. If the application was denied, the stake or mission president counsels with the member and then clicks Cancel Ordinance Preparation. On the confirmation message, click Cancel Ordinance Preparation.
8. If there are exceptions, click Next to continue to the next section. Otherwise, click Continue to Temple Appointment.

If an application to the Office of the First Presidency for the member has already been submitted and approved through the Leader and Clerk Resources system, the stake or mission president will mark the application task as completed on the First Presidency Requests tab using the Ordinance Preparation system. The ordinance preparation process cannot proceed until the stake or mission president marks this as complete.

Temple Appointment

Making an appointment with the temple is the member’s responsibility. Members can schedule the appointment by calling the temple or online at temples.churchofjesuschrist.org. In most cases, this step will be marked “Complete” without a priesthood leader’s help.

1. Click A member of this ordinance is with me and has asked me to help in verifying information.
2. Click Schedule Temple Appointment.
3. Select your unit’s assigned temple, or search for a different temple.
4. Schedule a temple appointment by calling the temple phone number listed. You will need to provide the member’s name and birth date, the name of your ward or branch and stake or district, the person’s membership number, and the date and time the person would like to schedule their temple appointment.
5. After the temple confirms the appointment, appointment details will appear. Click Instructions from the Temple to help the member come to the temple prepared.
6. You can cancel or reschedule an appointment by clicking the Edit icon and then clicking Cancel Appointment. On the confirmation message, click Cancel Appointment. Then call the temple to reschedule it.
7. Click Continue to Required Actions.

Required Actions

Required Member Actions

Required Member Actions are the member’s responsibility. In most cases, this step will be marked “Complete” without the help of a bishop or branch president. However, in some cases, the member may request their priesthood leader’s help. In these cases, follow the instructions below:

1. Assist the member as he or she refers to this section to determine what (if any) actions they need to take before they can receive temple ordinances. These could include, for example, performing proxy ordinances for deceased family members to whom the person wishes to be sealed, receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood, or receiving other preparatory ordinances. Work with the member to ensure these actions are taken.
2. Once these actions are complete, the member clicks Next.

Required Bishop Actions – Instructions for Bishops and Branch Presidents

Required Bishop Actions are the bishop’s or branch president’s responsibility and can only be completed by the bishop, branch president, or one of his counselors.

1. Carefully review and complete each action item. Some items will require working with the member to complete.
2. Make sure each action item is completed, and the Required Bishop Actions are completed.
3. If necessary, inform the stake or mission president that the required bishop or branch president actions are completed and that actions for the stake or mission president are ready to be completed.

Required Stake President Actions – Instructions for Stake Presidents and Mission Presidents

Required Stake President Actions are the stake or mission president’s responsibility and can only be completed by the stake or mission president or one of his counselors.

1. Review and complete any needed actions.
2. Click Continue to Interviews.

Interviews

Before a person can attend the temple, he or she must complete interviews with both the bishop or branch president and the stake president or mission president. In this step, priesthood leaders indicate that they have interviewed the person and found him or her worthy to participate in temple ordinances. They also record the interview date and provide the person with a temple recommend.

Bishop Interview – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. Conduct the temple recommend interview as instructed in Leader and Clerk Resources.
2. After the interview, click Add Interview Date.
3. Enter the date of the interview.
4. If the member does not already have a current temple recommend, select the name of the person who conducted the interview and click Issue Temple Recommend.
5. Click Next to continue to the next section.

Stake President Interview – for Stake Presidents and Mission Presidents

1. Conduct the temple recommend interview.
2. After the interview, click Add Interview Date.
3. Enter the date of the interview.
4. If the member does not already have a current temple recommend, select the name of the person who conducted the interview and click Activate Temple Recommend.
5. Click Continue to Temple Ready.

Temple Ready

Temple Ready – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

This is the final step in the Ordinance Preparation process.

1. When all other steps are complete, click Complete Ordinance Preparation.

2. After that, details of the temple appointment will be visible here. If you need to make changes to this ordinance preparation later, you will need to navigate to this tab and click Reopen Preparation before doing so.

Removing a Person from an Ordinance – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click the name of the ordinance you’d like to remove a person from.
2. Below “Temple Appointment,” click Remove Person.
3. Select the person(s) to remove by checking the box beside their name, then click Remove.
4. Confirm whether you really want to remove the person from the ordinance or select a reason if prompted to do so. Click Remove or Cancel Ordinance Preparation.

Canceling a Pending Invitation – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click the name of the ordinance you’d like to edit.
2. Under “Pending Invitations,” find the name of the person whose invitation you would like to cancel. Click Cancel Invitation. Confirm cancelation by clicking Cancel Invitation in the box that appears.
3. The person will be removed from the ordinance.

Editing a Person’s Role in an Ordinance – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click the name of the ordinance you’d like to modify.
2. Below “Temple Appointment,” click Edit Roles. (If this option does not exist, you cannot edit the roles in that ordinance.)
3. Choose the appropriate role from the drop-down list below the name of the person whose role you would like to change. Only roles you are permitted to change will show as drop-down lists.
4. Click Save.

5. Read the confirmation message. If you are sure you’d like to modify the role, click Save Roles.

   Note: If you change a person’s role in an ordinance, you may need to re-verify some information.

Editing or Updating Ordinance Preparation Information – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click View Preparation.
2. Below the person’s name, click the tab you’d like to edit, update, or finish. Navigate to sub-sections using the links on the left.
3. When you finish a section, click Next or Continue to move to the next section.

Canceling an Ordinance Preparation – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, click the name of the ordinance you’d like to cancel.
2. Below “Temple Appointment,” click Cancel Ordinance.
3. On the confirmation message, select a reason. This will not be shared.
4. Click Cancel Ordinance Preparation. The person’s name will be removed from the “Members Preparing” section and will appear under the “Canceled Preparation” section of the “Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page.

Resuming a Canceled Preparation – for Bishops and Branch Presidents

1. From the “View Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page, scroll down to the list titled “Canceled Preparation.”
2. Find the name of the person whose preparation you would like to continue and click Resume Preparation.
3. Read the alert and confirm you understand that you will need to resume each participant’s preparation by clicking Resume Preparation.
4. If needed, repeat steps 1-3 for each person in the ordinance. You may need to verify some information or send some invitations again.
5. The person’s name will appear in the “Members Preparing” section of the “Members Preparing for Temple Ordinances” page.

This is an alphabetical list of terms used in the Ordinance Preparation system. These definitions may be useful as you help members prepare to receive temple ordinances.

Baptism: Baptism by immersion is the first saving ordinance of the gospel. A person must be baptized before they can receive temple ordinances.

Born in the Covenant: Children born to parents who were sealed in the temple before the child’s birth are “born in the covenant.” These children are part of an eternal family at birth and do not need to participate in a sealing to parents ordinance.
Child to Parents Sealing: A temple ordinance that eternally binds a child to her or his parents.

Civil Marriage: A civil marriage is a marriage performed by a government approved person outside the temple. Some temples require patrons to present a civil marriage certificate before a sealing-to-spouse ordinance can be performed.

Confidential Records: Confidential Records is an online tool that priesthood leaders use to send sealing applications to the office of the First Presidency. It is also used to request exceptions to Church policies regarding temple ordinances from the office of the First Presidency.

Confirmation: Confirmation is an ordinance wherein a person is confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by the laying on of hands. It takes place shortly after baptism.

Endowment: The temple endowment is an ordinance that we must receive in order to return to God’s presence. As part of the endowment, we learn about the plan of salvation, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, God’s love for His children, and our divine potential. In the endowment, we also covenant to obey God’s laws and strive to become more like Jesus Christ.

FamilySearch: FamilySearch is an online tool created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located at FamilySearch.org. Its purpose is to record the names of all deceased individuals in a pedigree, using historical information to unite the family of God. Information on FamilySearch includes a person’s basic personal information, family relationships, and completed temple ordinances.

FamilySearch ID: A personal identification number (PID) given to individuals listed in FamilySearch.

First Presidency Approval: In some situations, the First Presidency must give its approval for an ordinance to be performed. This is common in situations where a person planning to be sealed to a spouse has been previously sealed to a different spouse. Priesthood leaders must obtain this approval before an ordinance is scheduled, but the member can complete other temple preparations while waiting for approval.

Initiatory: The initiatory ordinance is a preparatory temple ordinance that a person receives privately before proceeding to the temple endowment. Church members usually receive the Initiatory ordinance in the hours prior to their endowment.

Licensed Marriage: When a temple sealer is authorized by the local government to perform marriages, a sealing to spouse ordinance performed in a temple is also considered a “licensed marriage.” Depending on where the temple is located, some laws may prohibit legal marriages being performed as part of the sealing ordinance. If the member cannot be married in the temple, the member will need to change this option and make arrangements to be married civilly before their sealing or select another temple.

Living Ordinance: A temple ordinance received by a living person on their own behalf.

Membership record number (MRN): The identification number associated with a person’s official Church record. This number is assigned and a Church record created when a person is baptized, or in the case of children born to Church members, when the child receives a name and a blessing in the Church.

Observer: An immediate family member who is observing the ordinance, not participating in it. For example, in a child-to-parents sealing, an observer may be a sibling who was previously sealed to his or her parents.

Participant: The person(s) participating in an ordinance. For example, in a child-to-parents sealing, the participants are the father, mother, and child.

“Preparing to Enter the Holy Temple:” A pamphlet available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org or from Church distribution centers that can help members who are preparing to receive temple ordinances as they prepare spiritually.

Primary Contact: The person who should be contacted if there are questions or concerns regarding a scheduled temple appointment.

Proxy: A person who receives temple ordinances on behalf of a deceased person. The term “proxy ordinances” refers to ordinances received by a living proxy who represents and receives the ordinance on behalf of a deceased person.

Proxy Baptisms and Confirmations Recommend: A temple recommend (see Temple Recommend below) indicates a person is worthy to enter the temple to perform proxy baptisms and confirmations, but not initiatory, endowment, or sealing ordinances. These are generally used by youth or adults who have not yet received the temple endowment but have been baptized and confirmed.

Recommend: See Temple Recommend.

Sealing Certificate: A printed certificate indicating when and in which temple a sealing ordinance was performed.

Sealing to Spouse: An ordinance that eternally binds a husband and wife to one another and to their future children. This ordinance may take place after the couple is married civilly, or, if a temple sealer is legally authorized to perform marriages, a couple may be legally married and sealed at the same time. A Church member may also be sealed to a deceased spouse. After being married, the marriage date and legal authority granting the marriage must be entered into the Required Actions section. It is still possible to schedule a temple sealing appointment before being civilly married.

Temple Preparation Course: An optional class that bishops can offer to ward members who are preparing for temple ordinances. The Endowed from on High manual is the preferred resource for this course and is available on the Church website or from Church distribution centers.

Temple Recommend: A certification that indicates a Church member is worthy to participate in temple ordinances. Church members present their temple recommends at the front desk of the temple before they are permitted to enter.