Why is the reservation period show 6 years for my deceased ancestor's ordinances instead of 30 days?

Dev Coul

Hello,

I can't tell if this is a glitch or not. I'd like to do temple ordinances for my deceased ancestors but quite a lot of them are already reserved by other people to do (which is totally fine), except not for 30 days or 2 years like I've read they are supposed to be, but for 6 whole years! and in some cases more. I remember when you'd only have to wait like 30 days for someone's reservation to expire, and I know they've changed that after Covid shut down the temples, but one of the names I saw, William Harrison Decker GMMJ-RB9, was reserved by someone else way back in 2018 and the reservation won't expire until 2025. Is this a permanent policy? It can't be because when I request an ordinance, the reservation only lasts 2 years. Is, and if so, why is the reservation period inconsistent?

Thank you,

Devan

Wayland K Adams

Hi, welcome to Family Search Community

Reservation expiration dates have been impacted by COVID as you stated. But here is what happens with expiration dates under normal circumstances. Reservations are good for 2 years but get extended as stated below. Ordinances from ordinances ready or shared with the temple by someone else are good for 90 days and are not extended except during this COVID time.

"Expiration extensions

Expiration dates get extended automatically by 1 year when 1 or more of the reserved ordinances is completed within the original 2-year reservation. The ordinance of sealing-to-spouse is a separate reservation, however, and is not connected to any of the other reservations you may hold for a particular ancestor.

Completing an ordinance such as initiatory or endowment will not extend your reservation for the sealing."

So you see that when an ordinance is completed, the expiration date is extended.

Now we have COVID. Here is what happens to reservations under COVID

"Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and temple closures, FamilySearch is temporarily suspending all temple ordinance expiration dates until all temples have reopened.

• Reservations for temple ordinances will not expire until all temples have resumed pre-pandemic operations.
• An expiration date less than 90 days in the future will be extended to 90 days. Once all temples reopen, the person holding the reservation will have 90 days to complete the ordinance.
• An expiration date that is scheduled more than 90 days in the future will be automatically rescheduled, day by day, until all temples reopen. This means that if a particular reservation expires in 100 days, the 100-day period won’t begin until all temples reopen.

See the Church newsroom for the most recent updates on temple reopenings."

I know this is all a little confusing. Hopefully we will soon return to full operations and reservations will begin to expire.

Hope this helps.

Amber Inman Oliver

I've also seen this on several of my husband's ancestors that were reserved by a family member on the same date. They automatically bumped 3 more years than they were already reserved. So now reservations that were originally being held from January 2019 until May 2023 bumped to expiring to May 2026. That's over 7 years to get temple work done on only a few people. Completely confusing. Not sure this was thought through properly or that the changes implemented are being executed in the way FamilySearch meant . Maybe one day we'll get a clear understanding of what has happened recently with the extensions. Honestly, it has started to be discouraging contacting FamilySearch, the way the staff responds with condescending and vague, confusing explanations. I do love the FamilySearch system otherwise, as long as I don't need to contact anyone working there. I'm praying and trying not to let the attitudes I've encountered discourage me from what is really important: the ancestors and the ordinances!