My husband passed in January 2018. As a living spouse can I do family history work and temple work
Best Answer
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While it is perfectly acceptable to continue to research, identify and correct records for your husband's family, the First Presidency has issued a very specific statement about performing ordinances for those to whom we are not related by blood. https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/individuals-for-whom-i-can-request-temple-ordinances states:
"A letter from the First Presidency dated February 29, 2012, states, "Our pre-eminent obligation is to seek out and identify our own ancestors. Those whose names are submitted for proxy temple ordinances should be related to the submitter."
You are responsible to submit names of the individuals below:
- Immediate family members (spouse, children, siblings, and parents).
- Direct-line ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on, and their families)."
If your husband has living children or nieces and nephews, you might enlist them to complete these ordinances after you have identified the people who need them.
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Answers
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@Gail Craigie Gibbs
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Short Answer: 'Yes'; and, 'No. ...
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Let me explain ...
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You can certainly do the "Family History" Work on you Husbands Ancestral lines (ie. Add them, if they are not already there; or, Add to them, if they are already there - 'there', being "Family Tree" of "FamilySearch").
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But, as your Husband is now "Deceased"; then, the preference is that you should refrain from doing the "Temple" Work on his Ancestral lines, leave that to his Direct "Relations".
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When you select that "View My Relationship", when you have you Husband open; and, it indicates that there is NO Relationship, that is BECAUSE, there is NO "Blood" Relationship between you.
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For example, my Wife and Children are ALL currently "Living" ...
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- When I select that "View My Relationship", when I have my Wife open, I get the same as you, NO Relationship.
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- Whereas, when I select that "View My Relationship", when I have my Children open, I GET a Relationship - Son or Daughter.
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Hence, as there is NO "Blood" Relationships between you and your Husband or his Ancestral lines - that is WHY the preference is that you should refrain from doing the "Temple" Work on his Ancestral lines.
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I hope that makes sense.
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Here is a VERY short "Knowledge Article" in "FamilySearch":
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Who am I related to?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/salesforce/viewArticle?urlname=Who-am-I-related-to&lang=en_US
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Where is states;
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However, you are not related to her husband’s extended family (parents, siblings, and so on.)
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Here is another "Knowledge Article" in "FamilySearch":
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Individuals for whom I can request temple ordinances
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I hope this helps.
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Brett
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My understanding is yes you can do Temple and Family History work for your Spouses line. You are connected and related by marriage just as if that uncle related by marriage can be done. If my Children can do it than I assume I can do it as well. Oftentimes it is me reserving the work like Baptisms that they actually perform in the temple. Now I do not go overboard and reserve all the ordinances in my husband's line but I do the research and then he does male ordinances whether from my side or his and I likewise do the female ordinances for my line or his. I do not see why this would be any different if your husband has passed. Use good judgement and common sense.
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Thank you Brett for your knowledge articles.
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Thank you Cindy, for taking the time to answer me.
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Gail, I am so thrilled with your thoughtfulness. The FamilySearch Community is made up of many people helping each other. Sometimes people don't ever comment when someone gives them an answer and the helper wonders if their answer was even seen. I know that when we remember to show appreciation that your thanks are appreciated. It takes a lot of people to run a Community, and the FamilySearch Community has many wonderful volunteers helping in it.
We are glad that you are part of Community. We invite you to continue to ask questions, answer questions and share information with the rest of us. People like you make this a fun place to be a part of.
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