Clearing Names For Temple Work

 – Special Circumstances –
 

Adapted from:  Family Search:- Temple Ready Reference Guide - page B-3-1

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - January 1995

 

As you provide ordinances for your ancestors, do not try to determine their worthiness, whether they will accept the ordinances, or the feelings of other deceased persons affected by the ordinances. In order to be binding in eternity, any ordinance in behalf of the dead must be accepted by the people involved, merited by their individual worthiness, and sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise.  These determinations must be made beyond the veil.

 

Excommunication:
Ordinance work for deceased persons who have been excommunicated requires special handling. For more information, contact Special Services, Temple Department. 50 East North Temple Street. Salt Lake City. Utah 84150. Clearance must be obtained from the First Presidency before temple ordinances may be performed for deceased persons who, at the time of their death were excommunicated or had their names removed from the Church records.

 

Questions of Worthiness:

Temple ordinances may be performed for deceased persons one year or more after the date of death without regard to worthiness or cause of death. This includes those who may have taken their own lives or the lives of others.

 

Unmarried Couples:

A deceased couple may be sealed to each other if they lived together as husband and wife or had children, even if no marriage can be documented. If either one is still living, special approval is required. For approvals, send the details to Special Services. Temple Department. 50 East North Temple Street. Salt Lake City Utah 84150.

 

Women Married More Than Once:

A deceased woman may be sealed to all her husbands if the family desires. If she was sealed in life, all the husbands must also be deceased before any additional sealing may be performed. No special approvals are required.

 

Deceased Children:

A deceased child is usually sealed to his or her natural parents. However, where there is justification, a deceased child may also be sealed to adoptive parents, step-parents, foster parents, or grandparents. No special approvals are required. Children who died before the age of 8 (Age of accountability) and were not born in the covenant need only be sealed to their parents. (To seal living children, see the bishop.)

Persons Presumed Dead:
You may provide ordinances for someone presumed dead after ten years have passed since the time of disappearance. This policy applies to those missing in action, lost at sea, or legally dead, or those who disappeared under circumstances where death is apparent but no body has been recovered, in all other cases of missing persons, you must wait 110 years from their birth before providing ordinances. 

Persons With Mental Disabilities:

If a deceased person had a mental disability, do not consider his mental age when you prepare the name for temple ordinances. Consider only the person’s physical age at the time of death.

 

Stillborn:

No ordinances are necessary for children who are stillborn. However, if there is any possibility that a child lived after birth, he or she should be sealed to parents unless the child was born in the covenant.

 

Names of Persons Born Before 1500 :