The abruptness with which the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we worship with our fellow saints, work, and recreate has been swift and breathtaking. All have experienced some loss from this terrible plague—whether it be a lost loved one, a lost job, financial status or whether it has been a lost High School Graduation, Wedding Reception, or long anticipated Cruise.  The Coronavirus has very personally affected all of us.

As I have reflected on the past several months and specifically about my calling as the Temple and Family History Leader for the Legacy Park Ward and as a Consultant at the Granite Family History Center, I am reminded about how I learned to swim as a young Boy Scout.  We were taught first to float and then how to tread water.  These skills are incredibly important life skills and lead to other important swimming skills. The usage of the term “treading water”, however, is more frequently used to mean to stagnate and not to move forward.

Serving in a church calling in these times can seem incredibly challenging, but I was recently reminded that none of us has been released from our callings.  We are to serve to the best of our abilities, given our current circumstances and magnify our callings to the extent possible.  But how can we do Temple and Family History with the temple essentially closed and our family history centers closed (including our own Granite Family History Center)?

There are many things that we can do with family history in our own homes.  We can become better acquainted with the FamilySearch website.  We can collect names to bring to the temple when our temple reopens.  The Temples will not be closed forever.  That was confirmed by President Nelson when he said that more temples are planned and will be announced in the future.

We can get involved in Indexing.  This is an especially important service to further Family History.

We can take this opportunity to write our history or the history of our parents and ancestors.

We can make sure our Temple Recommend is current.  If we do not have a current recommend or it has expired, this is a perfect time to renew it or prepare to get one.

All of us have a calling to do Family History, whether we serve on a ward Temple and Family Committee, as a consultant at the Granite Family History Center,  or like all members in the Restored Gospel, we are to seek out the names of departed loved ones and prepare their names for temple ordinances.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we must continue in this important work.  Treading water works in swimming, but the cause of the Gospel requires us to move forward beyond this level. The prophet Joseph Smith assured us that nothing can hinder this work from moving forward. “The standard of truth has been erected; No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” 

Let us all recommit ourselves to this important work.  If you are a patron to the GFH center, we look forward to seeing you and working with you soon.  In the meantime, your ward family history consultants can aid your efforts with face-time contact or zoom meetings if face to face meetings are not advisable. For the consultants, we must move forward in this calling even if it is simply praying for guidance in these times. We must also be prepared to serve whenever and however we can and especially when the GFH center is reopened.

I’m so thankful to be a part of this wonderful work and Gospel.  I know you are too.  God bless our efforts. –Paul Emmer, Sandy Granite Stake