Oakland Temple

Thanks for watching the boys for us Mom and Dad!  Alex and I were able to do some sealings this time.  One of the names of the deceased had received some temple ordinances in the late 1800's in the St. George Temple (one of the earliest, dedicated in 1877), but had never been sealed to their parents.  We got to serve as proxy for them and make that available to them if they choose to accept that ordinance. I've talked about this before, but here's a brief overview of what we do in temples:

"In the temple we are taught, we make covenants, and we are promised blessings. We receive ordinances that enable us to live in the presence of God.

One ordinance we receive in the temple is the endowment. The word endowment means “gift” or “bestowal.” As part of this ordinance, we are taught about the purpose of life, the mission and Atonement of Jesus Christ, and Heavenly Father’s plan for His children. We gain a glimpse of what it will be like to live in His presence as we feel the peaceful atmosphere of the temple.

Another temple ordinance is the sealing ordinance, in which husbands and wives are sealed to each other and children are sealed to their parents in eternal families. This means that if we are faithful to our covenants, our family relationships will continue for eternity.

In addition to receiving these ordinances for ourselves, we can receive them for our deceased ancestors. In this way, people who died without receiving essential ordinances such as baptism and confirmation, the endowment, and sealing have the opportunity to accept these ordinances."       (from church website)