Elder Mpho Mothusi: My Family History Story

My name is Elder Mpho Mothusi, and I am serving as a missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would like to share my story about how I was converted into the Church and my desire to do the work for my ancestors when I learned more about it.

I joined the Church in 2024. I had been coming before then, but I was baptized on 12 May 2024. When I joined the Church, I enjoyed my experience, which I still do. I got to learn of the work we do within our temples and family history research. I became more curious to understand the work. Therefore, I went to the Family History Center at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple to learn more and to actually understand what we are practicing in the temples. So when I got to understand and learn more about the work, I became desirous to do work for my ancestors.

I started to do my own research. I looked through Facebook first for photos because I wanted this glamorous family history profile for myself, but then I was advised to do the real work. So that is when I went home to sit down and think of the names I remember and dates.

At first, it was a bit challenging because I was all alone in the gospel. I didn’t know how I would introduce this to my family. And then I started drafting names for myself. I thought, “I can remember my grandma’s sister (my great-aunt). She passed away five years ago.” So I started to figure out a way to do the work for her. But I couldn’t do it because I thought I had to find the correct dates for her. So I went back to the Family History Center and told them, “I can only remember this much.”

Then they said, “It’s fine. We can estimate with your mom, now that we know she is still alive, about when your great aunt was born and deceased.” This helped me so much, and it helped both me and my family because I was able to do the temple work for at least my great-aunt.

Before I was able to do the work, I remembered there was a place where I had to get permission within the FamilySearch portal. I went and asked my grandma if I could do the work, and she said, “Are you trying to steal my ancestors away from me?”

I said, “No, Grandma, I’m not.” But I still wanted to do the work, so I went and got the work done for my great-aunt. I told my grandma, this was a divine work, and nothing will be added besides baptism and confirmation. We won’t slaughter any sheep or cow, so please don’t be worried. She was a bit skeptical. She didn’t believe me at first. But after, she told me about the dreams she was having.

She said, “Mpho, you know, I had a dream that these things you are doing at your temple are right. And now I can approve these things.” She revealed a book that she had been keeping. It has most of our ancestors’ names and birth dates and death dates. She then said to me that if I want to take photos, I can. If I want to use the book, I can. I was so happy that I cried. It was so divine and so special! I don’t know what happened in the dream, but I was so grateful that it actually came through.

I can do more of our ancestral work at the temple for our family. So I know with a surety that the work that we do at our temples is real because there is nothing that we add. It’s a baptismal font. It’s just water. But because of the priesthood, it gets done in the spiritual realm. What happens here, because of the priesthood, happens beyond the veil. I just wanted to share with you that the work is real.

The people are dead, but their spirits are still waiting for the Resurrection, and it is our duty to help as much as we can and help them be saved and move from spirit prison to spirit paradise.

I’m so excited that I can actually perform ordinances for more of my ancestors now that I have the photos that I took from the book. Before I came on my mission was when she revealed the book. And it’s so exciting to me that I get to come and preach what I have been practicing since I joined the Church in another country.

I am so excited about the work, and I know it is true. I leave my testimony with you that God desires us to help the people because He loves each and every one of us, and He even gives those beyond the veil a chance still to receive the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 138). As long as we do so, we will be on the right side with our Heavenly Father. We will be pleasing Him.

I would like to extend my invitation: May we continue in this great work and may we hold on. And this I know to be true.