The work for the redemption of the dead was only a seed when planted by the Lord through Elijah's appearance to Joseph Smith in 1836, Elder Earl C. Tingey of the Seventy said Saturday afternoon.

But as the result of skills, tools and computer technology, this seed has become a beautiful, fruit-bearing tree, he added.Elder Tingey explained that in 1823, the Angel Moroni said to Joseph Smith, ". . . He [ElijahT shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers." (Joseph Smith - History 1:39.)

"The promises relate to the covenant of the Lord that He is no respecter of persons and that He has a plan whereby all of His children may have opportunity to return to His presence, by being obedient to the laws, principles and ordinances of the gospel," he said.

"I salute the thousands of workers, volunteers and service missionaries who, as the scriptures say, `wear out [theirT lives' to redeem those who are living beyond the veil," remarked Elder Tingey, who serves in the Family History Department.

"Much has been accomplished over the years. Faithful saints in years past, and today, have identified many millions of their ancestors. The Church has assisted by gathering information on nearly 2 billion individuals who have at one time lived on this earth."

In 1977, major emphasis was given to the redemption of the dead, Elder Tingey noted. Now many tools and skills are in the hands of Church members.

The most prominent of the new tools in many of the Church's 1,500 family history centers is the computer-aided resource entitled FamilySearch, he said.

Elder Tingey described the following features of FamilySearch:

- The Ancestral File provides more than 7 million names linked into family relationships.

- The Family History Library Catalog provides easy access to the Church's Family History Library and its resources.

- The International Genealogical Index provides data on more than 147 million deceased individuals. Elder Tingey said millions of names are being added to this index.

- The Personal Ancestral File computer program that permits members, in their homes, to organize their family history records.

In addition, Elder Tingey said more than 800 stakes are participating in the new Family Records Extraction Program. More than 75,000 volunteers, serving primarily in their homes, are involved in this effort, which will soon allow members to clear names for temple work in their own meetinghouses, rather than waiting for headquarters approval.

" . . . The invisible hand of the Almighty is providing for us and we should live and act to merit a continuation of His help and blessings," remarked Elder Tingey.