We are taught that our bodies are temples. What does that mean and what are the blessings associated with treating our bodies as temples? In 2005, Carol Wilkinson, a BYU professor, wrote an article about these very questions. Using scriptures and citations of prophets, she teaches how we can be conduits of revelation, the same as the latter day temples that we physically enter to do temple work. D&C 109 certainly lays out the process and blessings associated with being a savior upon Mount...

AI has revolutionized the way in which we process information and utilize technology, making our lives easier. Whether good or bad, AI is here to stay. Fortunately in the work of genealogical research, it has changed the way and speed at which seemingly difficult information on ancestors is found. AI is truly a miracle when it is in the hands of genealogists and those seeking to unite families for eternity. Colette illustrates how anyone can use these platforms to better and more easily find ...

Does the ministering of angels really happen in one's life? In D&C 130 verse 5, we learn that angels that minister to this earth are "those who do belong or have belonged to it." Most often the angels that are involved in our lives are our ancestors who love us and who have gone before. They understand the perils and traumas that we currently face and are heavily involved in aiding us along the way. Angels can bring messages of comfort and peace, messages of instruction, and most assuredl...

Urim and Thummim in Hebrew means, "lights and perfections". Within the context of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we find added meaning to the most often used definition of a Urim and Thummim, being and instrument to translate languages. In the Endowment ceremony we find additional powers and insights to another meaning and use of a Urim and Thummim. We see in the pattern of the Brother of Jared, Aaron and his sons, and other scriptural patterns, that our bodies, as we gather I...

In the work of the Gathering of Israel, we all have our parts to do and accomplish before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Elder Bednar describes the aspects of the work that we should be focused on and more importantly the blessings that come from being a savior on Mount Zion. The rising generation have a crucial role in making sure that this work moves forward at an unprecedented pace. If we will get out of their way, our children and grandchildren will literally change the world on both ...

In the Gathering of Israel, revelatory experiences can be quite commonplace. Some experiences are straightforward, others leaving you wondering what they were all about. Through revelation from the Holy Ghost, impressions, dreams, pressing upon one's mind, and other distinct ways can lead you to someone who needs help on the other side of the veil. The next step is navigating FamilySearch so that you can find your ancestors who need help. This episode shows you how to turn a revelatory experi...

In studying D&C 128:18, it says, " ...things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times." In this episode, Chloe Chambers, a young single adult, explains the revelatory process of seeking to find ancestors that need help. She details how she received these answers through several thinning of the veil experiences. Truly in this...

Under extreme duress, Joseph Smith received a revelation that would change the trajectory of all persons on both sides of the veil. In this episode the patterns of the thinning of the veil and principles related to the hastening of the work in D&C 128, are discussed at length. The prophet testifies about the power and role of young people in the final dispensation. The glories and manifestations that as a church we will experience because of these mighty sons and daughters of God is...

Donald W. Parry is a BYU professor who studies and teaches, the Hebrew Bible. This particular speech was given on July 31, 2012. In this talk, he quite extensively talks about angels by looking at the patterns through out the ages of heavenly messengers visiting the earth. Elder Parry, teaches that angels have always been involved in helping those living in mortality to accomplish the work of the Savior, Jesus Christ. While it is true that much is not known about these heavenly beings, the Lo...

There are always new and exciting things happening at FamilySearch. All are intended to help us be more efficient and effective in the Gathering of Israel. Colette currently works at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake, and knows about all the new and exciting things happening behind the scenes. In this episode she instructs about one of those new opportunities. A new way of finding family ordinance opportunities, with the click of the button, is in it's experimental phase at FamilySearch. ...

In General Conference 1973, President Harold B. Lee gave a talk titled, "Stand Ye in Holy Places". He begins by teaching the importance of service in the Lord's Kingdom. The commands to comfort those that stand in need of comfort, to bear one another's burdens, and come into the fold of God. He encourages, "The great call has come now in the sermons of the brethren to aid those who are in need of aid, not just temporal aid, but spiritual aid...Who of us, in whatever station we may have ...

On May 16, 1986, in Cokeville, Wyoming, an unimaginable tragedy happened. A school of elementary aged children was taken over by two deranged individuals, David and Doris Young. They brought with them numerous weapons, including a gasoline bomb. Their intent was to get rich by holding hostages and requiring a ransom. After they rounded up everyone in the school into one small classroom, their plan started to unwind, eventually leading to the bomb exploding in the classroom. The only people wh...

M. Catherine Thomas is a scholar of the gospel of Jesus Christ and who taught at BYU in the Ancient Scripture Department. She has authored numerous articles and books. This episode is a reading of her article called "The Brother of Jared at the Veil", which was included at a BYU Symposium. Catherine describes in detail the relationship between our own journey within the temple endowment and the Brother of Jared's own journey through the wilderness and eventually coming to his own temple mount...

The Book of Mormon was written for our day and within that holy text is written a most sacred endowment experience. The Brother of Jared's remarkable journey takes him through the wilderness, eventually arriving at Mount Shelem. During his sacred experiences, the Brother of Jared learns about patterns of revelation and the importance of making covenants with the Savior. His journey truly details our own sacred journey to the veil in our modern day temples, our holy mountains. This episode det...

In this episode of the Gathering Academy, Colette goes over how to detach a source from a person in FamilySearch and reattach it to the correct ancestor. She also discusses the decision making process of determining which person the source is actually referencing, giving more confidence to the sometimes confusing process of making sure the records are accurate. YouTube: Help! The FamilySearch Source is Attached to the Wrong Person Video: https://youtu.be/SpHdXXXDv6I YouTube Thinning of the ...

In October 1989, in General Conference, Elder Haight testified of an experience that brought him to the brink of death. In that very real fight for life, he had a very sacred experience. He was taught things to wonderful to comprehend and viewed things of an eternal nature. The most important lesson learned in this holy, revelatory experience was that the Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died that we might truly live!!! YouTube "David B. Haight's Near Death Experience" Video: https://youtu.b...

Elder Richard G. Scott and his wife, Jeanene, felt a very large pull to do family history in their own family, leading Elder Scott to testify boldly of the blessings, responsibilities, and power that come from participating in this sacred work on numerous occasions. In the October 2012 General Conference, the power of his testimony touched Sister Wendy Nelson so much that she dedicated more time to finding her ancestors. Elder Scott taught "This work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort o...

"Have you prayed about your own ancestors’ work?", asks Elder Richard G. Scott. Have you prayed that intercessory prayer on behalf of your ancestor's? Have you asked who needs help on the other side of the veil? Jessica Gall, Karen Bowen, and Nelda McAllister all felt prompted to ask that very sacred question in heartfelt prayer. And while these sisters have never met, they received very similar revelatory experiences. How will your own pleadings be answered? In the way the Lord sees fit and ...

The Lord has been drawing Toni Jackson into the work of genealogy beginning at age 4. She has had thinning of the veil experiences all of her life because she is the soul descendent seeking to bring her ancestors into covenantal relationships with the Lord. Beginning at her own conversion and spanning decades, the Spirit of Elijah has been her guide in helping her connect with her ancestors from plantations and slave ships. Toni's profound perspective on the Gathering of Israel and her testim...

The Book of Mormon was written for our day and the testimonies included in that sacred book are relevant to preparing us for future ministrations, not just spiritual guidance for the here and now. Why would the 3 Nephite story be included in this holy text? Is that story important and relevant to us who are living in the last days? This episode explores the reasons behind a renewing of our bodies within the context of Priesthood duties and responsibilities. There is not a doctrine much ...