Please train your Temple and Family History Consultants

https://www.lds.org/family-history/video/2019-family-history-leadership-session

With all the changes for the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is interesting to me how little attention is being paid to the 2019 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction by some of the local leaders of the Church. The presentation by Elder Dale G. Renlund was particularly graphic about the need for Temple and Family History Consultants to be integrated into the Ward leadership structure and to be trained about the duties of their callings. The training materials have been available for quite some time and are being updated regularly.

As I have observed many times previously, Family History Consultants now Temple and Family History Consultants have been essentially ignored in many local Wards around the United States and into Canada. Elder Renlund's comments about Temple and Family History Consultants was right on point. Family history is often viewed as a subsidiary and purely optional activity by Ward and Stake leaders. There are, of course, some outstanding exceptions but often family history is considered as just one more thing that needs to be done sometime in the future.

Because of the worldwide nature of the Church, the current emphasis is on the FamilySearch mobile apps. It is probable that not only the Temple and Family History Consultants may need training on these apps but also any older members of wards and stakes need to be trained also. I am also finding a considerable amount of misunderstanding about the introduction of the Ordinances Ready feature of the FamilySearch.org website and of the FamilySearch Tree app also.

I am certain that there will be many changes in the future and I'm hoping that the details of these changes are not lost. In case you need some links to the available training for Temple and Family History Consultants here is a partial list:

• 2019 Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction
• Getting Started
• Temple and Family History Consultants
• For Priesthood Leaders
• Talks from Church Leaders
• Family History Lessons and Training Presentations
• Family History Activities
• RootsTech
• Family History
• Together, we can make a difference
• Helper Resources
• Personalized Family History Experiences
• Delivering Personalized Family History Experiences
• The Family History Guide

And many more. There is really no excuse for the ignoring family history in the Wards and Stakes.