What are the limitations on number of ordinances that can be done during a temple visit?
What are the limitations on the number of ordinances, B, C, I, E, SP, SS that can be done by a temple recommend holder during a temple visit? Note: I suspect that this applied mostly to the B, C, I, SP, and SS ordinances.
For sealing ordinances: are there number limitations/recommend holder or is the only limitation the time allotted for the sealing session?
For sealing ordinances: are there difference limitations for a "family" sealing session as opposed to a sealing session reserved for a ward group or a "walk-in" sealing session?
Answers
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@Merlynn D. Densley Typically temples do not set limitations on the number of ordinances you can do on a visit. Much depends on how much time you have to spend at the temple that day. And, for sealings, how many other people are in the sealing session with work to do.
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A friend recently emailed me the following: The sisters have really been enjoying the opportunity to be witnesses; the number of sealings possible has increased dramatically with the change in witnesses. Now, we only have to have one priesthood holder in robes to do SS and female SP. So often we will have 4 sisters, or more, with only one brother. Now, also, some of the sealers without an assignment are coming to a sealing session with robes on to facilitate sealings. SL Temple for the past 3 months has been limiting the number of sealings per person per session: 2 SS OR 1 Couple and 3 children OR 6 children. This makes the sealing session generally in the 40--45 minute range, which is another reason that more sealings can be accomplished. This restriction on number of sealings per person/per session was hard to get used to, but the change in witnesses has counter-acted that.
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I do know personally of limitations placed on numbers of SP, SS, B,C,&,I. That's always been related to the number of Temple Workers available and has been a local decision.
E on the other hand, have generally only been limited by the patron's stamina and their own time. If the Temple is so crowded that people are being turned away from sessions, that could be a problem though.
Cultivating relationships with the people in Family File is very helpful. In the meantime, calling the Temple will put you in touch with whoever is in Family File that particular day. Sometimes it might mean multiple calls to get everything you need, asking different questions until you have all your answers. Those who have served a long time generally know the rhythm of your own Temple (busiest days and times).
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In the Provo temple sealing sessions are just under an hour, and the amount of family file cards depends upon how many people you bring with you (each person or couple can do x cards- for example, a couple can do 5 SS and 0 SP or a combination of both to 0 SS and 20 SP while an individual can do 3 SS and 0 SP or a combination of both up to 0 SS and up to 12 SP). You can also schedule a family sealing time, so that your session will be just people in your family. You can still only do so many SP or SS in the 50 minutes or so. Each one takes a certain amount of time to perform.
I know some temples (like Dallas) have a sealing session running continuously so that you come and go with your family cards... it depends upon the temple. Provo often runs 3-6 sessions at the same time- depending upon how many sealers are on any given shift. It is wonderful now that sisters can also be witnesses- more work gets done than previously when we needed to wait to have enough brothers to be witnesses to begin a session.
Our baptistry is usually a busy place as well, and we usually a steady stream of people throughout the day (heaviest times are before school and in the evenings). You are generally limited to 5 names per person. When you call to schedule an appointment for a group (appointments encouraged but not required), that is how they limit it- 5 cards per person and 4 people every 15 minutes. Sometimes when you are there, they will ask if you are willing to do more, like do some for someone who is waiting but unable to do the baptism themselves (gender or other limitations). But you are usually limited to 5 of your own family file cards. I have gone in the middle of the day and been able to do 7, but I try not to push it and respect the time of others. We all want to get work done for ancestors and my ancestors are not more important than the ancestors of others.
Initiatory also has limits when we are busy. There are times when sisters are lined up along two walls and out into the dressing room. Then you can only do 3 names, which is what is printed up on a temple file list (3 for sisters, 5 for brothers). You can always get back into line if you have more to do. If it is not busy, or there is no line (middle of the day sometimes) I have done as many as 5 or 6 at a non-busy time.
If you are thinking that it's ok to just try to make friends with temple workers so you can share your names with the temple family file desk hoping to get your cards done faster or sooner, I hope you will reconsider. I have worked at the Family File desk in my temple, until recently, and I was told that it is church policy that we should share names through the FamilySearch temple system. When patrons would ask if they could just leave cards for us to get done we would explain that to them- we have no way to share their cards with others. When you reserve a name you can keep it to yourself and do the ordinances or you can share it with the temple file system. Because of the habit many people have gotten into of printing large numbers of cards and trying to distribute them to people they do not know, those of us who follow church policy and share it through FS temple sharing can get discouraged. It is kind of like those handing out cards to strangers are cutting in line. Those strangers would have taken a temple file name instead, so now my ancestors who have been waiting a year or more (on the temple file list) must continue to wait... in the Provo temple, every name that appears on a temple file list was shared by a patron in our temple district. We also provide names to other smaller temple in many areas. There have been no record extraction names used for years.
I hope this helps to answer some of your questions. The best advice has been stated already- call your local temple to find out what their policies are. I was just sharing what we do to give some perspective. Some temple adhere to their policies more rigidly, while others try to be flexible if they are not busy.
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