Roots and Branches, Elder Cook, April 2014 General Conference

Interesting how he equates family lines to roots and branches. Gives the following scripture new meaning to me:

1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

I never thought about this scripture in terms of posterity. I guess I never really thought about "root nor branch" could refer to.

Our Murff, Kogelmann, and other ancestors are all waiting in the spirit world, asking, perhaps, "now what"? While it is reasonable to assume that many of them, whose work has been done already, are rejoicing and praising our names for doing their work, surely many others of them are anxiously awaiting the day we will find their records and take them to the Temple to complete saving ordinances for them.  As Elder Cook suggests in his address, our ancestors are in a very real sense, immortal prisoners in the spirit world until we turn the key to free them.

I am grateful that the stars have aligned and the path to complete family history work has become easy. I am glad that we are organizing ourselves as a family to accomplish this work. I am excited to accept assignments and do my part to bring freedom to our beloved Murff, Kogelmann, Golighltly, and now of course Perkins, Tucker, and other ancestors, and to be connected to them forever.

Let's do this!