24. Among all the facts of mortality, none is so certain as its end. Death comes to all; it is our “universal heritage; it may claim its victim[s] in infancy or youth, [it may visit] in the period of life’s prime, or its summons may be deferred until the snows of age have gathered [on] the . . . head; it may befall as the result of accident or disease, . . . or . . . through natural causes; but come it must.” (Thomas S. Monson, He is Risen!, Ensign, May 2010)
25. The memories of the departing generation are among the most valuable perishable assets in this life.
42. I alone am the link to the generations that stand on either side of me. It is my responsibility to knit their hearts together through love and respect, even though they may never have known each other personally. My grandchildren will have no knowledge of their family’s history if I do nothing to preserve it for them. That which I do not in some way record will be lost at my death, and that which I do not pass on to my posterity, they will never have. The work of gathering and sharing eternal family keepsakes is a personal responsibility. It cannot be passed off or given to another. (Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Bridges and Eternal Keepsakes,” Ensign, May 1999, 83)
104. “In recent years we have begun using information technology to hasten the sacred work of providing ordinances for the deceased. The role of technology in this work has been accelerated by the Lord himself, who has had a guiding hand in its developments and will continue to do so. However, we stand only on the threshold of what we can do with these tools. I feel that our most enthusiastic projections can capture only a tiny glimpse of how these tools can help us and of the eternal consequences of these efforts.” (Howard W. Hunter, We Have a Work to Do, Ensign, March 1995)
129. 1 BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 2 And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. 3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3
130. “The greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2007, 475.)
131. …remember that the names which will be so difficult to find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and whom you will meet again in the spirit world. When you were baptized, your ancestors looked down on you with hope. Perhaps after centuries, they rejoiced to see one of their descendants make a covenant to find them and to offer them freedom. In your reunion, you will see in their eyes either gratitude or terrible disappointment. Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them. (Henry B. Eyring, Hearts Bound Together, Ensign, May 2005)
132. Over the years one of the great stumbling blocks encountered by those newly involved in family history was the enemy of “fear” and its attendant feeling of inadequacy. The work of seeking out our dead and insuring that the ordinances of exaltation are performed in their behalf is a mandate from our Heavenly Father and his Beloved Son. They do not leave us to struggle alone but rather, in ways which are sometimes dramatic, prepare the way and answer our prayers. (Thomas S. Monson, “Happy Birthday,” Ensign, Mar 1995, 58–60 )
133.
134. We should understand that in the work of redeeming the dead there are many tasks to be performed, and that all members should participate by prayerfully selecting those ways that fit their personal circumstances at a particular time. This should be done under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord and with the guidance of priesthood leaders who issue calls and direct the Church-administered portions of this work. Our effort is not to compel everyone to do everything, but to encourage everyone to do something. (DallinH. Oaks, “Family History: ‘In Wisdom and in Order’,” Ensign, Jun 1989, 6)
149. “We have a work to do just as important in its sphere as the Savior’s work was in its sphere. Our fathers cannot be made perfect without us; we cannot be made perfect without them. They have done their work and now sleep. We are now called upon to do ours; which is to be the greatest work man ever performed on the earth” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1941, p. 406).
