Promises to Those Who Have Gone Before Us

If you read the previous post you'll remember my father mentioning his Grandfather McCormick, and how he had felt inspired to do his temple work. About a year after my father's first heart attack I received news that our Stake was going to have a "Day of Sacrifice". It was a day to spend in the temple doing work for our ancestors. I felt inspired that I should start researching and finding my ancestors. I had never in my life done my ancestry work and was intimidated, but I felt strongly that it needed to be done. It is a funny thing, what we will be inspired to do. I do not think it was mere chance or coincidence. I spoke to my father and I found out that he had started doing his family work as well. I took some computer disks off his hands and even some tapes of a recording of a great, great aunt giving an oral history and got to work.

After months of work I was able to get some names together, including Raymer Jess McCormick and his lovely wife Mabel Mary Smith. My father decided to come with me to the temple for the "Day of Sacrifice". I picked him up from his home, made a quick stop at the local Burger King at his request for a breakfast sandwich and then we made our way to the Salt Lake Temple. We came in through the front door and tried to find our way to the baptismal font. We were a little turned around so a temple worker took us through a back way to the font. As we were walking we started noticing some familiar faces. My Dad pointed out the Director of the Tabernacle Choir. Then we were stopped in the hall by a temple worker. Suddenly there was President Gordon B. Hinckley walking down the hall. I was absolutely amazed. I could tell my dad was as well. The prophet looked tired as he walked to his weekly meeting, but it was wonderful to see him right in front of me.

That was the beginning of a wonderful day. My father baptized and confirmed me for the female ancestors and he was baptized and confirmed for the few male names we had. We then proceeded to do initiatory work and then the endowment for Raymer Jess McCormick and Mabel Mary Smith. The last thing we did that day was to seal both of them together for time and all eternity. The spirit that was present there that day was amazing. My dad was happy. He had kept his promise to his grandfather that he had made not long before as he was recovering in the hospital room just a year or so earlier.

We went out to lunch and visited and just talked about everything. It was wonderful to reconnect with him and to take part in something so special and sacred together. It is one of the fondest memories I have as an adult with my Dad. Not long before he died, after a General Conference, we had both talked about picking up the family history work again. He wasn't with us much longer after that.

I still have cards that need to be done. I know there are other family members that need to be found as well. I know that by slow and steady progress great work can be done. I have had to put some of the work down now and again, but I haven't given up on it. I am so grateful for my father's testimony and I am grateful that I can continue with his family history work, even though he has passed on. We have that connection, the work we did together which not only brought us closer together, but also brought us closer to those we have gone before us.