Family Name Assist

Dean T. Lindsay

As we were meeting with our high councilor over temple and family history, he mentioned Family Name Assist but said that he didn't know a lot about it. Later I went to FamilySearch.org, entered "Family name assist" into the ?-in-a-circle, and found "Family Name Assist for Temple and Family History Consultants." That opens an article by that name, Article Id: 26849, April 25, 2024. There is lots of information there, and also many links to more information in more articles.

If you just want to go there directly, here's the URL:

https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/family-name-assist-for-temple-and-family-history-consultants

Maybe everyone already knows about this information, but lots of it was news to us.

Chris Schmink

Dean, I think most people had just enough information to be excited about it, but not enough information to use it or inform others that need to use it. That's great info. Thanks!

—Chris

Jaelene Starr

My understanding is that one of the purposes of Family Name Assist is to help the new member perform ordinances for family members who are deceased. I am curious if within Family Name Assist additional special permission is required for those deceased family members born within the 110 year rule? Such as sibling, parent, child, etc.

Chris Schmink

@Jaelene Starr

Here's how it works. I just got this earlier this evening on a new member, as assigned by our bishop. This is the message I received:

*****************************

You have been selected by your local leaders to assist [name deleted for privacy of course] to prepare to attend the temple for the first-time proxy baptism and confirmation experience.

Will you please meet with and help Randolph to set up a FamilySearch account and print a family name card for the baptistry by visiting this simplified experience at: [link to special page with further instructions]

Members who attend the temple to perform proxy baptisms are
much more likely to remain active and to progress along the covenant
path. Thank you for helping with this important work.

*****************************

When I clicked on the link to the special page with further instructions, it has five brief sections of instruction as follows:

1. Overview, help [name of new member] with his baptistry experience.
2. Assist [name of new member] to access the simplified family name card preparation experience.
3. Assist [name of new member] to sign in to FamilySearch.
4. Assist [name of new member] with temporal and spiritual baptistry preparation.
5. Help [name of new member] schedule and attend the temple.

Clicking each of those items results in brief instruction on the particular item.

So in answer to your question, with the above in mine, the new member will have completed a basic family tree in FamilySearch, and therefore there should be no problem with the 110 year permissions rule, since the person is a direct ancestor. And if there is a closer relative, presumably we can help guide him through asking permission of that relative (such as a still-living sibling or spouse). Family Name Assist is NOT intended for more distant relatives - it's an opportunity for a new member to hopefully identify someone he or she knew, or knew a good bit about through family stories, prepare the submission, and have a much more meaningful spiritual experience being baptized and confirmed in that relative's place as proxy.

Part of the instructions state: "You can help [name of new member] prepare the name of a close deceased family member, such as a grandparent, parent, spouse, sibling, or child, with at least one date and place for a vital event (birth or death). This would be sufficient information to qualify the name for temple ordinances."

It also states, "If relationships listed above are not available, you will be able to easily find other names through Ordinances Ready." And I would add, help the person confirm that sufficient information is available for that person to determine it really is the right person, not just someone with a name similar or the same as who should be in that place on the Family Tree, of Ordinances Ready is used (i.e. start them out right with proper confirmation that the right person has been added in the right place on the Tree. My grandfather had a brother brother named Melvin J. Quinn. Some trees over on Ancestry have mixed members of my family up with their ancestors, because another Melvin J. Quinn was born just blocks away (walking distance), in West Orange, NJ, whereas my grandfather's family lived in Orange, NJ at the time (later re-designated as East Orange). We have a responsibility to help beginning family historians learn how easy it is to put the wrong person in as an ancestor, thereby wasting ordinance time in the temple, and also having an ordinance done for the wrong person.

Long answer, but hopefully complete enough on some very new procedures. There are a number of additional helps with all of this embedded in the instructions, intended to be covered with the new member present, for a very personalized experience without taking a burdensome amount of time. I just went over the above (plus the rest of the process) myself for the first time tonight, and it's impressive and well laid out.

Note: I'm both the ward T&FH Leader (which is the capacity in which our bishop assigned this new member to me), as well as the FamilySearch Center director, which makes it very convenient for me to meet with the new member there and assist him. Hope this all helps.

—Chris

WilbergClarkN

@Chris Schmink Thanks for the detailed explanation. This is new to me and will enable me to assist Ward T&FH Leaders in their efforts.