“I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those 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.” (D&C 128:18). As we turn our hearts to our ancestors through family history and temple work, we can forge welding links with every name we discover and learn about and do vicarious work for. We could imagine this as simply a single stranded chain... or, we could imagine the links being welded together into something far more practical in the battle of good versus evil: chainmail. The more connections we establish with our ancestors, the more coverage that our chainmail will be able to provide. This is the whole armor of God because we cannot be saved or made whole without our ancestors, and they cannot be saved or made whole without us. I hope that we will always find more time to add more and more welding links with our ancestors so that we can gain more and more protection from the fiery darts of the adversary as our selfless sacrifices free up our the righteous spirits of our ancestors to be ministering and guardian angels to surround and protect us.
