Have you ever wanted to find family names for temple work but felt completely overwhelmed by the research process? Gathering our ancestors is one of the most important and spiritually fulfilling responsibilities we have in this life. Fortunately, finding temple opportunities has never been easier thanks to a wave of innovative new digital tools.
The embedded document below provides a masterful overview of the best software available for family history work today. It breaks down an experimental FamilySearch page featuring nine distinct tools designed to streamline your research. By mastering these specific programs, you will be able to easily identify and prepare your ancestors for sacred ordinances.
Finding Ordinances by Family Group
When searching for temple opportunities, one of the best places to start is by looking at entire family groups. FamilySearch has introduced a brilliant new “Family Ordinance Opportunities” tool that is best utilized on a desktop or a large tablet. This feature presents a visual pie chart where you can easily select a number and immediately reserve the available ordinances.
While using this tool, you can simply click on the temple door icon at the top right of your screen to reserve remaining ordinances for those on your completed list. You can even change the focus person to your spouse and run the exact same search for their side of the family tree! However, you must pay close attention to the specific icons that appear next to the names.
A standard green icon indicates that the ancestor desperately needs temple work done. If that green icon has a small clock inside of it, it means the name has already been reserved and shared with the temple by someone else. It is highly recommended to avoid reserving these “clock” icons, as you only have 120 days to complete them before they revert to the original person.
Individual Searches and Name Preparation
In addition to family groups, there are several powerful features dedicated to individual searches. You can utilize the “Remaining Temple Ordinances” tool or the “Family Name Assist” feature to find specific people who need help. Once you find these individuals, you must ensure their records are fully prepared for the temple.
The experimental page offers dedicated tools to help you prepare these family names with absolute accuracy. You can use the “Missing Temple Information” tool to identify exact data gaps, or rely on “Record Hints” to verify historical facts. There is even a brilliant AI Research Assistant designed to help you quickly break through difficult genealogical brick walls.
The Power of the Virtual Pedigree System
Beyond the standard FamilySearch tools, the document highly recommends utilizing a brilliant BYU program called Virtual Pedigree. You can easily sign into this fast-loading program using your standard FamilySearch or Church account credentials. However, this specific approach is only useful if your ancestral line is already connected out to at least ten to twenty generations.
If you have a smaller, more recent family tree, your primary focus should be on expanding your tree using the traditional tools first. If your tree is well-established, Virtual Pedigree becomes an absolute goldmine for finding hidden temple opportunities. It completely changes the way you view your vast network of ancestors.
Navigating Low-Hanging Fruit
The core concept behind Virtual Pedigree is a research method known as descendancy research. To do this, you simply go back ten to twenty generations, pick a grandparent, and make them the “root” person on your screen. You then drag the screen to the left, moving forward in time toward their living descendants.
As you visually navigate through these descendant lines, you are specifically looking for “green” names to magically appear. These green names represent the “low-hanging fruit” of your family tree that are ready for potential temple work. It is an incredibly fast and visually satisfying way to find relatives who have been entirely overlooked by previous researchers.
The Best Strategy for Managing Reservations
When you find a list of green names using Virtual Pedigree, you will notice that about 80% of them are perfectly ready for ordinances. The remaining 20% will usually have a minor problem, such as a missing standardized date or a possible duplicate record. To maximize your time, the best strategy is to focus exclusively on reserving the clear 80%.
Once you have reserved these names, you should immediately open your reservation list and share them all directly with the temple. This brilliant strategy prevents you from experiencing “reservation overload” or feeling guilty that you cannot personally perform all the ordinances yourself. Getting these ancestors into the shared queue ensures that someone, somewhere, can help complete their sacred work immediately!
Please take a few minutes to read the excellent 4-page guide below to start finding new family names today!
