Dear friends and family: Good morning! Last night I decided to go to one of my book shelves to find a book to read, and chose a book titled Spirit World Manifestations by Joseph Heinerman giving accounts of Divine Aid in Genealogical and Temple Work and other Assistance to Latter-day Saints. It was published by Joseph Lyon & Associates doing business as Magazine Printing Company, whose address is 2255 South West Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115, and whose phone number is 801-486-2351 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 801-486-2351 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, and whose website is www.josephlyon.com. It was published in 1978. The reason I'm giving you this address is that you might be interested in reading this book. It will open your eyes and your heart to the great work done in the Temples for our dead ancestors.
Joseph Heinerman fulfilled a two year mission to Central Germany and attended Brigham Young University, studying Church History and Doctrine and foreign languages. He has previously written Temple Manifestations and Eternal Testimonies.
On the back cover it states: "Is there order in the Spirit World? Are mortals aided in genealogical work by divine beings?"
"How have spirit personages helped missionaries?"
He states in CAPS: THESE AND NUMEROUS OTHER SIMILAR QUESTIONS HAVE ARISEN IN THE INQUISITIVE MIND OF THOSE WHO HAVE SEARCHED DILIGENTLY FOR THE EVERLASTING TRUTH. OF THE MULTIPLICITY OF CHRISTIAN CREEDS AND DENOMINATIONS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IS THE ONLY TRUE CLAIMANT TO THAT PROFOUND YET PECULIAR DOCTRINE OF SALVATION FOR THE DEAD IN WHICH SPECIFIC PRINCIPLES SUCH AS GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH, TEMPLE WORK AND OTHER SPIRIT WORLD-RELATED TENETS ARE EMPHATICALLY DELINEATED. (portrayed) BECAUSE THE CHURCH WAS FOUNDED UPON HEAVENLY REVELATION IT, UNLIKE OTHER CONTEMPORANEOUS RELIGIONS, HAS ACCESS TO THOSE DIVINE PRIESTHOOD BLESSINGS AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS WHICH FLOURISHED AND WERE IMMENSELY ENJOYED BY THE FAITHFUL SAINTS OF GOD FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL. LATTER-DAY SAINTS ARE INDEED PRIVILEGED TO RECEIVE THESE SAME BLESSINGS FROM BEYOND THE VEIL FOR, LIKE THE RIGHTEOUS ANCIENTS, THEY CAN ALSO COMMUNICATE WITH OR RECEIVE MANIFESTATIONS FROM GOD, HIS ANGELS OR OTHER DIVINE BEINGS FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD."
Listed as its contents are chapters pertaining to "The Spirit World," Divine aid in Genealogical work," "Spiritual experiences in God's Temples," "To pierce the Veil,"
"Manifestations to Missionaries," "Special Messengers from Heaven," "The Restoration and Spiritual Manifestations," "A Future in Eternity," and "Epilogue."
I read chapter 1 last night, and then put it down, and this morning as I sat at my computer, I read part of chapter 2, containing many wonderful stories of people being visited by relatives who had died, giving them instructions on where to find certain records or information needed so that they could perform the temple work needed for their ancestors, so they could progress in the spirit world. Many have been clearly spoken to, with specific instructions as to who had the information needed, or where they could find the information or old Bible which contained genealogies of their ancestors.
As I read these, I was reminded of a story my mother shared with us of an experience Aunt Lida Prince had as she sat at her kitchen table with her genealogy books out reviewing research for a particular family which she hadn't been able to find, and having a great desire in her heart to discover that person so names could be turned in to the Temple so that their work could be done for them there, which was needed for their salvation.
As she sat there, she suddenly heard footsteps on the stairs coming up from her basement, and it sounded like wooden shoes making the noise. Suddenly the door opened, and out came two little girls dressed in Dutch costumes, who danced around her table there in the kitchen, and finally stopped in front of her.
She said to them, "You must be Keziah Keturah Van Benthuisen," to which one of the girls said to her, that she was, and the girl said, "And you must be looking for information concerning my father," to which she replied that she was. Then the girl said to her, "You have been looking in the wrong place. You need to go back to the library and search for his record in this certain file, and you will find him."
With that, the little girls danced around her and the kitchen table once more, in their wooden shoes and Dutch costumes, and then went back down the stairs to the basement and disappeared.
Of course, Aunt Lida went down the stairs to look for the girls, and they were nowhere to be found. So she headed for the library, following their instructions, and went right to the file cabinet containing the very records she had been searching for so long to find.
I have read several marvelous stories this morning from that book, and am anxious to read them all.
Here is an email I sent out back in 2003 about some faith promoting testimonies concerning Temple work by my own parents, James Horald Lee and Jennie May Woodbury Lee, taken from their own histories.
Faith Promoting Testimonies of Temple Work from My Ancestors
by James H. Lee Jr.
From my Father, James H. Lee
I lost a brother in the war and I had the privilege of doing his work and I knew he was pleased with it for he went through with me. I was changing my clothes after I had been washed and anointed. I had a locker at the far end of the isle. No other person was around when I stepped out and I had been thinking about him and as I stepped out, I said, "Well, here we go, Lester." As I reached to lock the door I bumped into someone. I looked around to see who it was. But no one was there. I knew then, it was Lester and three times as we proceeded, I felt him by my side.
by James H. Lee Jr.
From my Father, James H. Lee
I lost a brother in the war and I had the privilege of doing his work and I knew he was pleased with it for he went through with me. I was changing my clothes after I had been washed and anointed. I had a locker at the far end of the isle. No other person was around when I stepped out and I had been thinking about him and as I stepped out, I said, "Well, here we go, Lester." As I reached to lock the door I bumped into someone. I looked around to see who it was. But no one was there. I knew then, it was Lester and three times as we proceeded, I felt him by my side.
From my Father and Mother
Another experience in the temple: We had been living in North Bend, Oregon, and when we came to Salt Lake after the job was over there, we wanted to go to the temple a few times. So we took our trailer house and left it at Myrtle's in Tooele, with our six children, and came in to the temple. We didn't know that mother's brother, Marion, was also going through to be sealed and have their children sealed to them. They were married out of the Church. She was converted through Genealogy. When we came to the veil room, they called for Brother Keele's company, I recognized them right away. I got Jennie and said, "That's for us, too." Marion, having been blind from the first world war, recognized my voice as one of the Lees, and Effie told him, "It's Horald". He clasped my hand and said, "This is just perfect. Now we need two witnesses. We are here to have our family sealed to us. It is the crowning blessing of our lives." I told Marion we would be pleased.
After going through the veil, and then going to our assigned room, the officiator, having arranged the family around the alter, Jennie and I at one end of the room as witnesses, the officiator took the papers with names of all the children. After starting with the names of Marion and Effie, the Brother started to seal the children to their parents. Then he said, "Is this all of your children?" Uncle Marion said, "Yes." He started again but stopped and asked the same question. "Brother Keele, are these all of your children?" and turned to Aunt Effie, so puzzled--Then Effie said, "We had twin girls, who were born dead. I didn't think they were to be included." The Brother then said, "I thought so. They are standing by your side. They don't want to be left out." So got two women as proxies and they proceeded to seal them all together. (I made a sheet on this experience in TESTIMONIES)
I heard my grandmother tell about being baptized for the dead and she could see them all around the font and each time she was baptized for one, she would leave the group and walk away with a smile on her face."
Another experience in the temple: We had been living in North Bend, Oregon, and when we came to Salt Lake after the job was over there, we wanted to go to the temple a few times. So we took our trailer house and left it at Myrtle's in Tooele, with our six children, and came in to the temple. We didn't know that mother's brother, Marion, was also going through to be sealed and have their children sealed to them. They were married out of the Church. She was converted through Genealogy. When we came to the veil room, they called for Brother Keele's company, I recognized them right away. I got Jennie and said, "That's for us, too." Marion, having been blind from the first world war, recognized my voice as one of the Lees, and Effie told him, "It's Horald". He clasped my hand and said, "This is just perfect. Now we need two witnesses. We are here to have our family sealed to us. It is the crowning blessing of our lives." I told Marion we would be pleased.
After going through the veil, and then going to our assigned room, the officiator, having arranged the family around the alter, Jennie and I at one end of the room as witnesses, the officiator took the papers with names of all the children. After starting with the names of Marion and Effie, the Brother started to seal the children to their parents. Then he said, "Is this all of your children?" Uncle Marion said, "Yes." He started again but stopped and asked the same question. "Brother Keele, are these all of your children?" and turned to Aunt Effie, so puzzled--Then Effie said, "We had twin girls, who were born dead. I didn't think they were to be included." The Brother then said, "I thought so. They are standing by your side. They don't want to be left out." So got two women as proxies and they proceeded to seal them all together. (I made a sheet on this experience in TESTIMONIES)
I heard my grandmother tell about being baptized for the dead and she could see them all around the font and each time she was baptized for one, she would leave the group and walk away with a smile on her face."
My mother, Jennie May Woodbury Lee, daughter of Patriarch Charles R. Woodbury
Logan Temple Experience
Logan Temple Experience
I have had many wonderful things happen in my life. This is about when I came down from Emmett, Idaho on the bus and went to the temple in Logan. This lady told me of an experience she had there. She had been through two sessions and was tired, as she had left home early in the morning. She was hurrying to get ready to go home and the others had all gone out of the dressing rooms. When a voice spoke and said, “GO THROUGH AGAIN.” She looked around to see who had spoken, but could see no one. She thought she had imagined it, when the voice spoke again. “GO THROUGH AGAIN.” This time she knew she had heard a voice. So she went through again and at the veil the voice said, “Thanks a lot. I’ve waited hundreds of years for this.”
Grandpa Charles Robert Goddard Woodbury
Baptisms in The Manti Temple
Baptisms in The Manti Temple
I would like to relate an experience that happened to me in the Manti Temple, as I witnessed 300 baptisms one day. As a name was called out for baptism, a voice said to me, “This person has had the Gospel taught them and is converted and is ready for baptism.” Another name would be called out, “This person’s never heard the Gospel yet.” Another name would be called, “This person’s heard the Gospel and is not converted.” I sat there in that condition and witnessed 300 baptisms. I knew every one of them that had accepted it and those that didn’t . . . 25 out of the 300 weren’t ready for it. They weren’t converted and ready for the work. The rest of them, the other 275 were prepared and rejoiced that their work was being done.
This is the testimony that I have to show people that the departed spirits know and appreciate when their work is done in the temple, so they can enjoy the blessings of the Gospel when we do their work for them in the Temples of the Lord, which is our great responsibility.
This is the testimony that I have to show people that the departed spirits know and appreciate when their work is done in the temple, so they can enjoy the blessings of the Gospel when we do their work for them in the Temples of the Lord, which is our great responsibility.
The House of God
18 October 2003
The House of God is holy, as holy as can be,
Because it is The Lord's House,
Wherein God's work may be
Performed for all His children, who may one day be His heirs,
And joint heirs with The Savior,
Beyond the Golden Stairs.
When God commanded Joseph Smith to build a temple here,
It was to be The Lord's House,
Who dwelt in heaven's sphere.
He wanted Him to have a place to come while here on earth,
Wherein His keys and powers,
Of great eternal worth,
Could be restored from heaven, to mortals once again,
Through Joseph Smith, His Prophet,
To we as mortal men,
To help us gain salvation, and exaltation, too,
And then to help our ancestors,
Their temple work to do,
By acting as their Proxy within God's temple here,
And opening the prison doors
For Father's children dear.
They've waited many, many years in hopes that we would be
Willing to perform their work,
And set their children free.
It's only in His Holy House where this work may be done
Through the Holy Priesthood powers of
The Father and The Son.
And we've been called to do it in these, the latter days,
So all God's sons and daughters
May KNOW our Father's ways.
Praise God for holy Temples wherein His work may be
Performed by we, His children
For all His family.
And may we be about the work He's asked us here to do,
Within His holy Temples, which
I testify is TRUE.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Your friend and brother.
James H. Lee Jr.
Heart Thoughts by Jim
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