Temple & Family History Work for Enslaved Ancestors | Tony Jackson's Testimony (LDS)

Send us Fan MailHow do you do temple and family history work for enslaved ancestors — and what happens when the veil thins as you search? In this Latter-day Saint (LDS) interview, Tia Smith sits down with Tony Jackson, an ordinance worker at the St. George Temple, who shares a lifetime of thinning-of-the-veil experiences tied to finding her African-American ancestors, many of whom lived and died in slavery in Florida. Tony describes feeling drawn to the Church as a young child, the spirit of Elijah working in her before she ever joined, and the moment Elder Richard G. Scott's General Conference talk "Redemption: The Harvest of Love" (October 1990) opened the door for her to begin temple work for names she'd collected for years. She testifies of feeling her ancestors' gratitude and liberation as their ordinances were performed, of angels softening a family member's heart to release records withheld for twenty years, and of being guided to unexpected genealogical sources — voting records from an 1876 congressional investigation, plantation records, museum books, and local libraries — when traditional birth records did not exist. Woven throughout is a witness that redeeming the dead takes help from both sides of the veil, that the Lord's timing is everything, and that no one is left out.Q: How can I research and do temple work for ancestors who were enslaved, when so few records exist?A: In this episode, Tony Jackson — an ordinance worker at the St. George Temple — shares how she was guided to alternate sources when birth records didn't exist for her enslaved ancestors, including voting records from an 1876 U.S. congressional investigation, plantation records, museum books, and local library holdings. She and Tia Smith encourage researchers to pray for guidance and stay open to non-traditional records, trusting the Lord to bring the right sources.Q: Can you really feel your ancestors' presence while doing temple work?A: Tony Jackson testifies that she has repeatedly felt her ancestors near — their gratitude, and a sense of liberation — especially during initiatory and endowment ordinances performed for family who lived and died in slavery. She describes their response as people who had long been waiting and were ready to receive the covenants of Jesus Christ.Q: What is the spirit of Elijah, and can it work in someone before they join the Church?A: The spirit of Elijah refers to hearts being turned to one's ancestors and the desire to do their temple work. Tony shares that she felt drawn to family history — keeping obituaries and sensing the importance of her ancestors — even as a child, before she learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which she offers as evidence the spirit was already working in her.Q: How do angels help with family history and temple work?A: Both Tony Jackson and Tia Smith testify that praying for angelic help is part of this work — echoing counsel Tia references from Sister Wendy Nelson and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that we can pray for angels to assist us. Tony shares that after a heartfelt plea, a family member's heart was softened to send her a genealogy book withheld for twenty years, filling gaps she couldn't close any other way.▶️ WATCH & LISTEN🎬 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinningoftheveil🌐 Website: https://www.thinningoftheveil.com🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinning-of-the-veil/id1753511394🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jWCfMHkZXwnSwy2b98J4M🎵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a0a45561-d4c2-46d3-af8d-a1e967a21a25📖 BOOKPatterns of Revelation — Spiritual Foundations for Hearing God's Voice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW36MG9B📱 CONNECTInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinning.of.the.veilFacebook Group (Gathering of the Gatherers): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429562078443774Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinningoftheveil💛 SUPPORT THE SHOWVenmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/thinningoftheveilPayPal: https://paypal.me/thinningoftheveil✉️ Have you had a thinning of the veil experience? Email [email protected] — your testimony may be exactly what someone needs to hear.#ThinningOfTheVeil #SpiritWorld #TempleWork #FamilyHistory #LDS #LatterDaySaints #GatheringOfIsrael #MinisteringAngels #FamilySearch #PersonalRevelationSupport the show