OK to reserve ordinances for distant cousin's spouse's family?

Chelsea Slade

Hi, I am wondering if I am allowed to reserve ordinances for the extended family of a distant relative linked only by marriage (assuming they were born over 110 years ago). For example, my great-great-great-great grandfather's, great granddaughter's, spouse's parents and their ancestors?

I have always assumed I am not allowed to reserve these names for temple work, nor share them with the temple, since when I click the "Show My Relationship" button, it says "No relationship found." However, one of my family members who does family history work regularly says it is totally fine to reserve these names as long as you know there is a link (via blood or marriage) at some point.

I posed this question to FamilySearch's email Help line and was told NO, I can't reserve these names; but before I received that answer I called FamilySearch's phone Help line and was told YES, I can reserve these names.

Help??

Gordon Collett

You are correct you should not reserve ordinances for people you are not related to except for the spouse of someone you are related to. Do not reserve or share with the temple the extended family of those spouses.

Your family member is incorrect. The e-mail Help Line was correct. The phone help line must have misunderstood your question because that answer was wrong.

Ron Tanner has a nice, clear explanation of who we can reserve ordinances for in his 2019 RootsTech presentation: https://www.rootstech.org/video/whats-new-on-familysearch?lang=eng The whole thing is quite interesting and fun to listen to but his discussion on who we can reserve ordinances for starts about 38:30 if you don't have time to watch the whole thing.

With all recent posting about reservation lists, I'm starting to wonder how many people are still reserving people for ordinances when they have no authorization to do so and if FamilySearch is going to have to go ahead and enforce policy by blocking our ability to reserve when View My Relationship does not confirm that we are authorized.

LAHS6

@Chelsea Slade

Here is another article to explains who & who not to reserve ordinances for.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/can-i-do-temple-ordinances-aunts-uncles-and-cousins

Can I do temple ordinances for my aunts, uncles, and cousins?

Article Id: 119

April 20, 2020

You can perform temple ordinances for aunts and uncles to whom you are biologically related. You can also do temple ordinances for their spouses and children. However, you should not do temple ordinances for the spouse’s extended family (parents, siblings, and so forth).

For example, you can do ordinances for your father’s sister (your aunt) and for her husband (your uncle). You can do ordinances for their children (your cousins). You should not do ordinances for your uncle’s extended family (parents, siblings, and so on).

If any of these relatives were born in the last 110 years, please obtain permission from a close living relative first.

Chelsea Slade

Thank you! This is very helpful. @LAHS6 , the article saying "you should not DO temple ordinances for..." also means I should not RESERVE / share with the temple, the ordinances for those people, right? Even if I am not the one performing the ordinances myself.

Gordon Collett

Correct, don't even reserve then share them. That is for their relatives to do.

Gordon Collett

The actual policy, which we are presented with every time we reserve ordinances is clear on this point:

And being related only by marriage does not count. Except for the spouse of a relative.

Chelsea Slade

Thank you! Very helpful. It seems it would be helpful if FamilySearch prevented us from reserving ordinances if we aren't related to the individual, due to the confusion on this point; I wonder why that isn't an automatic thing.