Permission to do ordinances

Ward, Marianna Kate

I'm a full time missionary and one of the friends we are teaching is on hospice and most likely will be passing away very soon. We are in contact with his son about getting His temple work done once He passes and he has given permission over text. Do we need to get more official signed permission or is just a text enough

Basford P A

Hello Sister Ward,

Thank you for posting your query regarding doing Temple Work for the person that you are teaching.

You do need to get a signed, written permission from one of your friends closest relative as outlined below.

The following is a Knowledge Article from FamilySearch Help Centre.

Can I request proxy temple ordinances for a friend?

"When submitting names for proxy temple ordinances, members should generally submit only the names of persons to whom they are related" (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 28.1.1.1).

Before you can request proxy temple ordinances for a friend to whom you are unrelated, you must submit signed permission from a close living relative of your friend.

As noted in the Church’s General Handbook, 28.1.1.1, a close living relative is:

• an undivorced spouse (the spouse to whom the individual was married at the time of death)
• an adult child
• a parent, or
• a sibling 

Before you start

Make sure that you have signed, written permission from one of your friend's close living relatives. We cannot accept signed, written permission from yourself or your deceased friend. Permission must be from the closest living relative. You can receive the written permission through email. Word the written permission this way: 

I (name of person giving permission), give (your name) permission to do temple work in a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple, for (name of deceased), who is my (relationship to person giving permission). (Signature of person giving permission)

If your deceased friend has no close living relatives that can provide written permission, then a request cannot be granted. 

Steps

1. Add your deceased friend to Family Tree. See the KA below How do I add an unconnected person to Family Tree?
2. Note your friend's ID number in Family Tree.
3. Sign in to FamilySearch Community.
4. Click the FamilySearch Help tab.
5. Click Temple.
6. Click Ask a Question (in Blue).
7. For the subject (Question), enter Permission to do ordinances.
8. Explain that you would like help about requesting ordinances for a friend.
9. A community moderator will contact you privately. Please be prepared to provide the following details:

• The Family Tree ID of the person for whom you want to perform ordinances.
• The full name of the person for whom you want to perform ordinances.
• The name of the person who gave permission and that person's relationship to the deceased.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/can-i-request-proxy-temple-ordinances-for-a-friend

How do I add an unconnected person to Family Tree?

You can add individuals who are not connected to your family line.

You could add an unconnected person who has a probable family relationship that you cannot verify. For example, you could add people who have the same last names and who resided in the same small geographical areas as known ancestors.

Tip: When you add an unconnected person, it is helpful to record the ID number of the new record or follow that person for future reference.

Tip: To find contributions you have made on the website, click My Contributions, then My Changes. Click Private People to find unconnected living people you have added.

Steps (website)

1. While signed into FamilySearch.org, click Family Tree and select any option in the drop-down menu.
2. Click Recents on the menu bar that appears at the top of the page.
3. At the bottom of the list of recents, click Add Unconnected Person.
4. Enter information about the person, and click Next.
5. Review the search results. If you find the right person, click View Person.
6. If you do not see the person in the search results, click Create Person.

Steps (mobile app)

1. In the Family Tree mobile app, open your list of recently viewed people:

• Android: In the top-right corner, tap icon that looks like 2 people.
• Apple iOS: In the bottom toolbar, tap Recents.

1. Scroll to the bottom of the list. If your list is long, wait for list items to load, and keep scrolling.
2. Tap Add Unconnected Person.
3. Enter information about the person and tap Continue.
4. Review the search results. If you find the right person, tap Select.
5. If you do not see the person in the search results, tap Create New.

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/add-other-relationships

Thank you once more for posting your question in FamilySearch Community and the service that you provide serving your mission.

Kind Regards.