When Alayna Efnor, Young Women president in Mesa, Arizona, heard her stake president say, “We have a limited amount of time to make a difference in the lives of the youth,” it struck her deeply. She couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“How can I help them feel the Spirit?” she wondered. “How can I light a fire in them—to truly want to go to the temple and understand why it matters?”
She decided to issue a challenge: a friendly competition between the Young Women and Young Men centered on temple baptisms. Whoever does the most in seven weeks wins dinner.
But what followed went far beyond tally charts and team points. It became a transformative experience that changed hearts, deepened testimonies, and brought heaven a little closer for the youth.
“Even If We Lose, We Won”
From the moment the competition began, the youth were all in. They learned how to use FamilySearch, set up their accounts, and began seeking their own family names, many of them involving their family members in their efforts. But it wasn’t just about earning points. Something deeper began to stir.
“On the drive home [from the temple], I’d hear the girls say, ‘I know they were there today. I felt it,’” Efnor says.
The spirit in their homes shifted. Their youth activities gained new meaning. The excitement wasn’t just about winning—it was about connecting with their ancestors, feeling the Spirit, and discovering the joy of temple service.
One shy young woman, who rarely spoke up at church, began going to the temple regularly. She later stood at the pulpit to share her testimony of how the experience had changed her. She summed it up perfectly: Even if we lose, we won.
For seven weeks, the youth made temple worship part of their lives. At first, groups went three to five times a week. By the end, some were going daily.
They encouraged one another. They texted leaders to report their baptisms. They learned about the people whose names they were taking to the temple—their birthplaces, their stories. “They weren’t just names anymore,” Efnor says. “The youth felt connected.”
Father and Son Complete 1,000 Names
Ian Christiansen, one of the young men in the ward, was perhaps especially all in. While the competition may have been motivating, the real reason he immersed himself in finding family names and going to the temple was to serve.
“I’ve always believed that when you put time into spiritual things—even if it doesn’t sound fun—you’ll be blessed for it,” he says.
Then came an idea from a family member: What if he and his dad flew to a less busy temple where they could do more baptisms at a time?
They ramped up name-gathering into high gear. With help from multiple family members’ FamilySearch accounts and Ordinances Ready tool, he managed to print 1,000 names. Stack in hand, they boarded the plane to Billings, Montana.
“It was surreal,” Ian says. “We were just giddy. My dad and I were so excited. We couldn’t believe we were really doing it.”
They coordinated with the temple president, President Wilde, and asked if they could do 300 names. “Is that all?” he replied.
That’s when Ian knew—doing all 1,000 names might just be possible. They immediately completed 100 baptisms in a row. The temple workers were astonished—and supportive. After a short break, they did more. And more. By the end of day one, they had finished 500 baptisms and confirmations.
“My eyes were sore from the chlorine,” he says. Otherwise, he was raring to go.
His dad insisted on performing each baptism. “His arm got a little sore from raising it a thousand times,” Christiansen added, “and his voice was hoarse from repeating the prayers—but we made it.” On day two, they adjusted their strategy for better pacing. The stack of names got smaller and smaller.
“At the end, my dad and I were crying during the last confirmation. Hugging people, shaking hands, thanking everyone. We got so close to the workers that by the second day, they had our jumpsuit and garment sizes memorized. They’d have a dry set of clothes ready so we could switch quickly between baptisms and confirmations.”
True Winners
When Ian returned and shared his story, it left Sister Efnor in awe.
“He and I had a lot of deep talks,” she says. “Like, ‘Is it just a number?’ And he’d say, ‘At first, maybe. But I kept reminding myself why I was really there.’”
With the Young Men declared winners of the competition, the Young Women cooked dinner for them as the prize. In the spirit of everyone winning, the boys arrived with flowers—and invited the girls to eat with them.
The youth may have started with a challenge—they completed 3,226 names in seven weeks—but they ended with conviction. They had changed. Their hearts were softer, their testimonies stronger, their understanding deeper.
“This experience has taught me so much about the need for saving ordinances,” Ian says.
They came for the challenge—but they stayed for the Spirit.
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Learn to feel at home in the temple
Read the first chapter here: How to feel at home in the house of the Lord
