Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-09-09
. REtORps OF sAcREp WORK.


Some time since tue NHwa published
number Of articles which treated
upon the necessity and importance Of
the Latter.day Saints keeping private
journals, giving de,ails Of every event
Of any moment with which they are
associated. There Il class Of facts
the recording OF which Il Of para
mount interest TO familleE-thoev
which pertain TO their connection
with the Church. Every head Of
family should carefully keep an
account Of all baptifms, confirma.
tions, blessings, MARRIAGE, doathf,
ordinations, missions and appoint.
menia that arc associated with
tho members Of his family circle,
that the statement may be- carried for
ward by his postofiiy after him. AZ
these are matters which pertain to
eternity NJ well as time, II IL scarcely
needful TO dwell upon the reasons why
such record should DO kept. UI-
fortunately In many Of tho wards and
other divisions VI the Church the
maintenance OF communal records,
embodylng the data referred 10, has
been neglected, rendering the duty Ia
this respect Of individuals and families
all the more urgent.
There II no department Of the work
Of God ia which the keeping oi private
or fanily records Ia more positively
required than that Of tho labor per-
formed in the Tomplrs by tho living
for the dead. The redemption OF the
spirits Of these who have passed behind
the veil will DO a continuous work for
more than n thousand years. The
Gaspel Is being preached 10 them sin
the spirit" by those who have gone
from this sphere holding the keys and
authority Of tho Holy Priesthood.
Doubtless many Of tho dead have re-.
ceived the word Of the Lord with glad
ness and are waiting for tho perform
auoo by their living kindred, Of the
ordinances OF the Gospel In their
behalf They are thus prepared for
the resurrection, which will open
In this dispensation simultaneously
with tho coming OF tho Lord Jesus
Christ In Hisglory.
AZ this labor involves the redcmt-
tlon Of the race, It, magnificent pro-
psriious can readily DO imagined. 90
far a. the mind has capacity TO grasp
them. As this grand work, which
draws tho hearts OF the fathers aud
children together In tho bonds OF In.
dissoluble union, must be carried
forward through future generations,
II needs no argument 10 convince those
who have even but glimmsr Of
conception Of Its character, thai
tho children aud children's children Of
those who now enter the holy tumplei
to oiiloato In behalf OF the dead should
know In detail the extent OF this labol
that has beea done by their fathers aul
mothers. II they shall be- in isnor
Anoo on the subject, how shall they
take up the labor at the point where II
was left by their predeetssong Aud
how can they gain the Information
except an accurate account has been
kept by those who have accomplished
the work already perlormed2
Some may, la this regard, rely upon
the records which are kept In the
Temples ~ a source from which future
workers could obtain data In relation
TO labor already done for their kindred.
Those who imagine that the duty OF
keeping individual or family records
can DO obviated on this basis have not
thought Of the mpidily with which the
records in the Temples accumulate.
As an illustration, II may be stated
that since The openigg Of the Salt Lake
Temple On the .3rd OF May-com para.
lively but lew weeks ago--ovrT
ten thousand bap.isms Tor the
dead have been performed to date.
This refers 10 but one among many
departments Or classes Of the sacred
work for the dead, but II Is sufficient
for basis upon which 20 form
an estimate OF the entire aggregate.
AZ tho present ratio Of progress 30 yory
great time would elapse before the
number would run up 10 huudIods Of
thousands. This statement alone
ought to show that the furnishing Of
abstracts would be task Of very great
proportions. Aud every difficulty IN
this regard can DO avoided by eact
Individual or family keeping pryat,
rclord, Blank books, simple aud suilabl,
n finn tor the purpose,ca can be- had at q
ubmpnrgtiyely small cost. ON thes,