BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Catching the spirit of temple and family history work, 263 youth ages 12-17 from the Bakersfield California Stake spent a "Day at the Temple" on Saturday, Feb. 26. The so-named activity included baptisms for 2,438 individuals — most of them of family names, many researched and submitted by the youth themselves — and other activities designed to help them appreciate the blessings of the temple.

The day included a tour of the Los Angeles California Temple grounds led by their bishop or branch president and a workshop in the temple visitors center including an address by President Aaron Speirs, first counselor in the stake presidency.

The event was capped by a fireside the following Sunday for the youth and their parents where the youth bore testimony based on their own temple experience.

For many of the youth, it was their first time attending the temple. Many sentiments were expressed, including thankfulness for being able to do something for their own ancestors and joy that was felt as baptisms were performed. They said they felt peace in the temple and on its grounds, great love for parents and leaders who had made the experience possible, and a desire to remain worthy to attend the temple again and again.

Mason Urmston, 13, said, "I'm thankful that I was born into a righteous family so I don't have to wait around in heaven to be baptized."

The "Day at the Temple" was the culmination of a four-month project, under the direction of the stake presidency. Stake Young Men and Young Women presidencies had a desire to share with the youth the peace, strength and joy they feel through temple attendance. They wanted the youth to have the complete temple experience by developing a better understanding of why members of the Church are a temple-going people, and the importance of the work done there, not just for the participant, but also for the person whose ordinances are being performed.

A goal was set to have a thousand family names submitted and baptized, giving the youth the chance to do the work for their own ancestors. Ward and stake family history coordinators held workshops to teach the youth how to access and use the family history tools available on the Church Web site to do research and find family names.

Then the youth were taught how to use the PAF and TempleReady programs to submit names to be cleared for temple work. Even some local schools allowed wards and branches to use their computer labs after hours so that large groups of youth could obtain instruction and hands-on training in one session.

Through those efforts, the goal was surpassed and 2,000 family names were submitted.

The temple day began about 3 a.m. followed by a 2 to 3-hour trip the 115 miles to the Los Angeles temple. Parents and leaders accompanied the youth and helped make the massive procedure reverent and efficient. The adult volunteers also helped at the baptistry and in the laundry to handle the extra work the large group created.

President Speirs said, "I think the greatest thing to come out of this activity is that it has created more interest in family history and temple work in our stake than anything else we have done. Many youth have come to me and excitedly asked, 'When can we do it again?' My own children have already asked me if we could make plans to return soon to the temple as a family and do baptisms for some more of our family names."

He added, "The challenge now goes out to all of the adults in our stake to perform the endowments and sealings for these family members who have been baptized. This work is just beginning."