SACRAMENT MEETING PROGRAM
Family History Motivational Program
for Sacrament MeetingsOpening song “Love One Another” #308
The Family History Sacrament Meeting would probably be more effective if real names of the ancestors of members of the ward were used in the script, names that had been researched and who's work had not been done. Names that have been made ready to take to the Temple and will be done in the next few weeks. Narrator: We welcome you to our special program and hope you will have a spiritual experience as you participate with us today. As you entered the chapel, each of you was given a card with a name and birth date on it. We would ask for your participation by standing up if and when that name is called out.
Now, let’s sit back and imagine that we have come to the temple to participate in the ordinances of baptism, endowment, and sealings. The names you will hear represent real people who have lived here on earth who are now in the Spirit World learning and waiting….. waiting…..waiting…..and hoping. Real people who perhaps have also come to the temple hoping that someone has come today to complete this work for them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know these people by more than just a name?
Participants enter the chapel, dressed in white shirts or blouses. Men should not wear a tie, but have shirts buttoned up. They sit in the choir seats behind the podium. One man, Lysergis Thompson, shakes hands with the temple worker, Brother Murray, who is keeping the records. Throughout the program as names are read and people sit in the audience, he writes to record the work.
Lysergis Thompson: Brother Murray, does anyone have my name today? (Brother Murray looks over the list.) I don’t see it. We’ll watch and hope. Maybe someone will bring your name today.
(Lysergis goes to the podium and says): You have come to the temple today and I ask that you listen closely to the Spirit. I was the 7th of 8 children and was born 4 October 1861. When I was 16 years old, I suddenly took sick and the doctor was baffled not knowing what to do for me. I became very frail and died suddenly 3 months before I reached my 17th birthday. I come to the temple often hoping that someone will be here to do my work. My name is Lysergis Thompson. Does anyone have my name? ….. Please, does someone have my name?
(Brother Murray stands and walks to the podium and asks): If you have the name Lysergis Thompson, please stand. (No one does, and he shakes his head and escorts Lysergis to his seat.)
A young girl, Mary Ellen Tinder, now comes to the podium. I am Mary Ellen Tinder. I was born the 30th of November, 1849 and died young. Does anyone have my name? (Someone does, she excitedly clasps her hands and goes into the audience to sit by the person with her name.)
Mary Jane Clark now approaches the podium. My name is Mary Jane Clark, but everybody called me “Jennie.” Our family lived in Gordonsville, New Brunswick, Canada. When I was 6 years old my mother died. Because my father was a lumberman and was gone from home for months at a time, I was place in various homes of family members and friends. I helped out with the housekeeping and tending of children as I grew in years. Some summers I was able to visit my father, but never again was I to be there when all my brothers and sisters were together at one time. When I grew to be a young woman, I accepted a marriage proposal from my longtime friend, Robert Lawrence Wasson. I made a long journey by train to join him in North Dakota. It was a big change with its treeless plains compared to our beautiful Canadian home. But I was happy to be marrying Robert, and I had a lovely dress made for our wedding. Rob and I worked together at farming, along with our three sons and two daughters. I died 19 Feb 1880 at the age of 89. Since the Bible says our life span is three score and ten years, I lived 19 years on “borrowed time!” Oh how I long to be with my family. Does anyone have my name….Mary Jane Clark? Oh, yes!
Lysergis Thompson comes to the podium and asks again if the people would please look again and see if anyone has his name. No one does and he goes back to his seat.
Almoin Wilson Parmenter: I have come here so many times waiting to be baptized. I am Almoin Wilson Parmenter, born 19 October, 1845 in Farmer City, Dade County, Illinois. I was in business in Iowa and in North Dakota where I also homesteaded as a young lad. However, civil unrest began between the Northern and Southern states, and I enlisted to fight for the Union cause. I was only 16 and had to lie about my age in order to enlist. I served from 1862 until 1865. I kept journals throughout my life and have an entry for 30 April, 1865 which tells of the news of President Abraham Lincoln’s death as it reached us in our camp, and the sadness we all felt. Another sad thing that happened while I was away from home was the death of my beloved mother. My father remarried, so when I came home there was a stranger in her place. Forever after that, when I heard the song “After the Battle is Over, Mother” it would cause me to weep. After the war, I married Elizabeth Ann Seay, the daughter of a Baptist missionary. We reared together 5 children – 2 sons and 3 daughters. Death came for me 24 march 1934. (Pauses and looks around the audience.) Does someone have my name? ….. Hallelujah!
Jonathan Killey: I am Jonathan Killey born the 3rd of April, 1836 in Kentucky. Does someone have my name? (No one has his name….Brother Murray escorts him back to his seat.)
Kinchen Russell and Eidolon Rocker: I am so glad you have come to the temple today… I recognize many of you. We have been here together many times. I am Kinchen Russell. I was born 19 July 1839 in Indiana, the oldest of 12 children. I want you to meet my family. (Wife and baby come to join him.) This is Eidolon Rocker, my childhood sweetheart. We were married 6 May 1860. Our son was born the following March, but he died shortly after his birth. We did not name him because we thought we would have more babies. I enlisted in the infantry and was seriously wounded in the Civil War. I was sent to a hospital where I died in 1863. Eidolon lived alone until March 1867 when she was said to have died from a broken heart. (Looks over the audience.) I hope you have our names? Kinchen Russell and Eidolon Rocker? Oh, thank you.
Song: I Can See Her Face found in Songs of the Heart songbook. We set up a rocker and small table in a corner, with a quilt draped over the back of the chair. The singer pretends to write in a journal as she sings.
Elizabeth Jones comes to the podium. I am Elizabeth Jones, born 4 September 1807 in Wycoming County, Pennsylvania. Does someone have my name? Thank you so much. (She is seated in the audience.)
Platt Whitman, Maria Elizabeth Jones, Mary Gwendolyn Whitman. Platt Whitman: My name is Platt Whitman and I was born in Bocobel, Wisconsin in 1870. This is my wife Maria Elizabeth Jones, but I called her “Dolly.” We have one daughter, Mary Gwendolyn, who was born in 1902. Dolly’s health began to fail after Mary Gwendolyn’s birth and after some time she returned to live with her parents to recuperate. She was subject to fainting spells. One day while she was alone in the house holding a kerosene lamp, she turned to go up the stairs and the chimney fell off the lamp, catching her dress on fire. Her sister, Ethel, heard her screams and rushed down the stairs with a bucket of water just as I entered the house. We grabbed the floor rug to put out the flames. Dolly lived through the night……but died the next day of massive burns. Mary Gwendolyn contracted tuberculosis and died just before her 7th birthday. I never remarried….do you have our names? Maria Elizabeth Jones, Mary Gwendolyn Whitman and Platt Whitman?
(Someone has each names.)
poem by Joe Nelson Just a Card. Background music of choice.
We are individuals in the third estate (Spirit World)
Represented on earth by a card.
We had no chance to get the keys while on Earth
So, alas, our progress is barred.There are millions of us waiting here
And forward we cannot go.
How despondent we get waiting for years,
You mortals have no way to know.
For years I prayed and waited here,
And no encouragement came.
With the Church of England I had cast my lot
And I hoped they still had my name.
In an old English Church, in a little town,
Lay old church records stacked in a pile.
A young Mormon boy was looking for names
And he looked through the books for awhile.
He copied some names, and some he passed by.
When he got through he had quite a list.
There was much disappointment and sorrow for
Some of the spirits whose names he had missed.
As for me, I was joyous and full of new hope,
And to shout I could hardly resist.
My prayers and my hopes were rewarded at last,
The boy had my name on his list.The boy sent our names to the Index Bureau—
I hope he will get his reward.
We were full of much joy and rejoicing that day
When they wrote each one’s name on a card.We are individuals on earth once again,
Our soul and our hopes in a card.
And, oh, for the joy no mortal can know,
They’ve been sent to the House of the Lord.I am a card in a pile of cards,
You may think of me as just a name.
But I have lived on earth the same as you,
My chances were not just the same.I cannot do my own work on earth,
How can you mortals be so at ease?
Please drop your work for half a day
And get me those precious keys.That reassured card there in that pile
Should move you mortals to tear’s.
I have waited and longed for this day to come
For more than a hundred years.If you take my name through the Temple today,
Pay strict attention, please.
I have waited so long, so don’t fail to get
A single one of my keys.Mary Towne: Have you waited anxiously and patiently for something for a week? A month? A year? …..I have been waiting for over 250 years to be baptized. I was born in Yarmouth, Norfolk, England in 1634. My family sailed on the ship Elizabeth to the new world in 1635. We settled in Salem, Massachusetts in an area outside of what is now Boston. In 1655 I married Isaac Estey, a handsome young man who also came from England. We had a good life – we worked hard – and we raised 9 of our 10 children to adulthood. We rejoiced in God’s many blessings to us.
In the long, cold winter of 1691, a great madness came upon Salem Village. A group of young girls began to have daily meetings with Titchaba, the West Indian servant of the Reverend Samuel Parris. Titchaba told fortunes and spun wild and strange tales along with a little voodoo. Soon the impressionable girls began to imagine evil in their surroundings and would become hysterical if someone looked at them oddly. Those people became victims of the girls’ false accusations of witchcraft. My two sisters, Rebecca and Sarah and myself were among those wrongfully accused. Rebecca was tried and executed 10 July 1692. I was arrested in April of 1692 and held until May 18th when I was cleared by my accusers and released. I was arrested 3 days later and taken to the Salem jail in chains at midnight. I was allowed a humble petition for mercy and I said, among other things, “The Lord above knows my innocence as at the great day it will be known to men and angels.” I was hanged for witchcraft 22 September 1692. My sister Sarah, was imprisoned and held under severe conditions which permanently damaged her health, then was later released. She lived long enough to obtain an official pardon and apology for the 3 of us. My name is Mary Towne, daughter of William and Joanna Blessing. Please stand up if you have my name. Oh! Wonderful!
Harry John Russell: I am Harry John Russell. I was born in 1876 in Kansas. A great niece of mine joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1967. Ten years later she arranged to have temple work done for my parents and 5 brothers. Somehow my name was missed. In 1977 my parents and 5 brothers were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple……I am still waiting, hoping that someone will see that my work has not been done, so that I, too, can be part of my family eternally. (Brother Murray remains seated, but asks if anyone has this name. No one has it and Harry returns to his seat.)
Lysergis Thompson returns to the podium: Are you sure that someone doesn’t have my name…..please check carefully…..Lysergis Thompson? (He returns to his seat.)
Edson Whipple: I have stayed away from the temple for awhile because I have no direct descendants doing temple work. Many relatives are members of the LDS Church, but they don’t do their family history work or turn in names for ordinance work. My name is Edson Whipple. I was born in 1805. I was ordained a High Priest in 1841 by Hyrum Smith. I left home in 1844 to serve a mission in Pennsylvania. When I returned home, the Prophet Joseph Smith had just been martyred. The first meeting after his return, I saw the mantle of Joseph Smith rest upon Brigham Young while he spoke to the people. In the spring of 1846, because of persecution, I left with my mother, my wife and our child for the valley of the Rocky Mountains. While trying to prepare a place for the winter at Pony Creek, our entire family became sick. The camp of some 14 families had all but two persons sick and dying off. On the 9th of September, my mother died. Three days later my wife, Lavina, died and December 8th, my little girl died. She was only 2 years old. I wrote in my journal that they died martyrs to the cause of Christ and in the resurrection they will receive a martyr’s reward. Does anyone have my name…..Edson Whipple? No? Please check again. (No one has his name…..he returns to his seat.)
Lars Hansen: My name is Lars Hansen. I was born in 1841 in Norway, but lived only 1 year. My parents had a second son whom they also named Lars, in 1843, but he lived only a few months. A third son, named Lars, was born in 1844, but died at birth. My wonderful parents struggled on, having 3 more sons in 1846, 1848, and 1849. Each died before the age of 3 years, and each was named Lars. The 7th son, Lars, and a daughter named Sonya lived to be adults. We take turns coming to the temple to check for our names, because we are very busy where we are. We know that our names were recorded…. Does anyone have our names? Oh, yes! (Looking back at his brothers):
Brothers, they have found our names. Come quickly! (Looking at the audience): Thank you, thank you so much. You must be so grateful to our Father. You are in His Holy House. You have the writings of the prophets to guide you. You have living prophets to answer your questions. You have the blessings of the Holy Temple while in your mortal lives. For me, (Looks up at brothers), for us, it is enough that we lived long enough for our names to be written down. We have waited long, but now our names have been found and we can receive these holy blessings. Thank you so much! (Helping to escort brothers) Come on! (They all go sit in the audience.)
David W. Garver Family. The husband comes forward and beckons each member to come to the podium….he speaks: We love each other so much…..we want to be a family forever. Do you have our names? (He calls out the names of his wife and each child, and one by one they go sit in the audience….all but one child.)
My wife, Sarah Glessner born in 1839.
My daughter Jennie Garver, born in 1866
My sons Charley Garver born in 1868…………and Samuel P. Garver, 1868
Another daughter Maude E. Garver born in 1872
A daughter April Garver born in 1874
My baby girl Mary Lou Garver born in 1876.
Myself, David W. Garver born in 1836
Does anyone have the name Mary Lou Garver, my daughter?
(At this point the father and daughter sing “Together Forever Someday” by Michael McLean. At the completion of the song, the father hugs his child and tells her goodbye.) I hope that sometime soon someone will do your work and you can be with us. (He goes to sit in the audience….as he leaves, his child stands with outstretched arms until he is off the stand. Brother Murray puts his arm around her and leads her back to her seat.
Jonathan Killey comes to the podium smiling and hopeful: I’ve come again to see if anyone has my name, Jonathan Killey. Do you have my name? (He looks around for a long moment and as he realizes no one has his name, his smile fades and he pleads: Please, please doesn’t someone have my
Narrator, leaving a moment for audience to reflect on the scene: Some of you are holding cards of real people whose names were not called out. These are people who are waiting…..waiting for the precious gift that only we can give through family history and temple work.
Closing song: “Families Can Be Together Forever” #300