In the 1976 Ensign article entitled “Organization Begins at Home,” author Lyman De Platt states:

“Genealogical activity begins with training the children to appreciate family ties and heritage. Developing a family book of remembrance which is used, along with the scriptures, in teaching children; emphasizing membership in larger family organizations; participating in genealogical research, temple work, and subsequent activities—these are all means to that end.”

There are many ways to light the spark of interest in our children, but I would also like to add that children aren’t the only ones whom we can inspire to begin learning their family history.

On my father’s side, I am the only one currently doing any genealogical research. How I would love for some of my siblings or cousins to take interest and join with me in discovering our family history! Of course, it takes a little more creativity to spark the interest of an adult sometimes. So I am thinking of going with the following five genealogy gift ideas for Christmas. Maybe these are ideas you can use too!

1. Family History Calendar

I’ve thought about creating a calendar filled with photos of ancestors and family keepsakes, and including a small box of information on each photo about the ancestor or keepsake featured. An example would be a picture of the sword of my ancestor who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Shutterfly is one website I know of where you can make your own calendar. (They also let you put your photos on mugs, puzzles, mouse pads and more!) Maybe you might put your family coat of arms on a mug for your father-in-law or a picture of an interesting ancestor on a puzzle for your children to put together and then tell them about.

2. Digital Photo Frame

Uploaded with family pictures, this might be a nice gift!

3. Family History Book

You can create this with the service MyCanvas. Their sample books look beautiful and the site seems very user-friendly.

4. Military History Binder

I’ve thought about compiling information on all known servicemen in our family tree. This could include muster rolls, enlistment records, pensions, photographs, etc.

5. Family Recipe Book

I would love to compile a book of all the recipes that have been passed down through the generations in our family and give it to those who love to cook and bake. To make it more personal, I may photocopy the recipes I have that are originals, written in my ancestors’ handwriting, along with a transcription if needed.

Do you have any other family-history-themed gift ideas to recommend?

This post was originally published in December 2007. Edits have been made for accuracy and timeliness.

Summer O

I remember posing for photographs in below-freezing weather, my cheeks and nose red and my skin pale. In between photo shoots, my new husband rubbed my gloved hands between his to try to keep my fingers warm. The gloves didn’t seem to keep the cold out at all, but I was thankful that I had chosen to wear white sneakers instead of high heels because at least I had socks on! (Don’t worry, my gown kept them hidden.) Our ceremony, the brunch afterward, and our reception that night kept us in a flurry all day. I look back on that day and remember most of it as a whirlwind of activity, but there was one portion of that day that plays back slowly and is etched clearly in my memory. It was of the ceremony that united us in marriage for eternity.

We were married in a temple of God. As I knelt across the temple altar and looked into the eyes of the man I was marrying, I felt such peace and joy. I looked into the mirror behind him that reflected the mirror behind me and saw our reflections multiplied infinitely, a representation of how our marriage would be if we stayed true to the covenants we were making that day.

I had decided from an early age that I would never be married anywhere other than the temple. I wanted to be with this man, and our children to come, forever. By being married and sealed in the temple, I would have that blessing.

“Eternal celestial marriage is a sacred covenant between man and woman, consecrated in the holy temple by servants of God who hold authoritative keys. It bridges death; it includes both time and eternity” (Spencer W. Kimball, “Temples and Eternal Marriage,” Ensign, Feb 1995).

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that two different qualities of life extend into eternity. We believe all people will one day be resurrected because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, becoming immortal, but only those who have been proven obedient to the laws and ordinances of the gospel will be able to live as families and within God’s presence. The latter is called eternal life or exaltation and is a gift God desires all of His children to have.

Salt Lake Temple

After receiving that gift myself, I hoped more than ever that my ancestors would accept it as well. Until the time I was married, I had not been able to personally perform marriage sealings for any of them as I did not yet have my endowment. The endowment is a spiritual blessing that must be given to a person before that person is able to be sealed to a spouse or sealed by proxy for the dead.

Like the day of my own eternal marriage, I remember the first time I was able to perform sealings of eternal marriage for my ancestors with my new husband. I’ll never forget the overwhelming feeling of joy that came upon me as husband was sealed to wife through us. I felt a joy that was greater than my own and I know those ancestors were accepting that gift with gratitude, thankful that their eternal marriage had finally begun.

This article was originally published in December 2007. Minor changes have been made.

Summer O

I distinctly remember running my hand over the smooth plastic cover, so nice and new. Name after name rolled off my tongue, and a fire was kindled in my fourteen-year-old heart. Every blank line on a pedigree chart called to me, begging to be filled with a name. Twelve years later, my desire to find those names and learn about their lives has only increased.

Not everyone is filled with that desire upon first learning about genealogy. For some, it seems a difficult task (and therefore not an enjoyable one). Learning to do genealogy can seem like learning a new language, or, for me, like trying to understand math. But it is doable, and the satisfaction that comes from comprehension or discovery is so much greater after working hard to attain it. But we don’t have to learn it all on our own.

In an earlier post, I quoted the following scripture and I’d like to quote it again:

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Nephi 3:7)

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, doing family history is a commandment—one that if they take up, they will have divine help in so doing. Even members not of the Church may have the blessing of divine guidance in seeking out their kindred dead. The Lord hears all prayers. And prayer should not be forgotten in carrying out, “the greatest responsibility in this world that God has laid upon us…” (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:313)

I testify to you that as you make an effort to do your genealogy, your mind will be enlightened. You will be able to understand those things which before seemed muddled. What was once something you did because you knew you should will become something you will continue doing because it will bring you joy. Heavenly Father will create miracles! Things will happen that could not possibly be coincidence. I would like to share with you a story in relation to this.

Soon after I began delving into my father’s genealogy, I found myself at a standstill. I knew the name of my great grandfather, the names of his parents, and the area in which he was born, but nothing else. I had no record of siblings to research in trying to find out more about his parents. His parents had died when he was a baby and he had been raised by friends. I could not personally go to the area to search, so I found someone who could through RAOGK. This kind volunteer visited the local historical society once a month and made time to look for further information for me. Three months into our correspondence, I received an email that filled me with joy.

He told me that on his monthly visit that morning, (which was a two-hour visit) he ran across two brothers looking through the same section as he was. He asked them about what they were looking for, and they told him they were searching for information on the same family I was. It turns out that they were my great grandfather’s nephews (though they had never known him). They were making a genealogical research trip through the area.

That was the only day and time they were in that particular historical society… And they ran into my correspondent, also during the only day and time in which he was there that month.

My correspondent gave me their email address. These brothers had a wealth of information on my great-grandfather’s family which they willingly shared, and we still keep in touch, working to find more information on our family line, hoping someday to meet.

The meeting of my correspondent and my distant relations was no coincidence. I can promise you that when you do this work, you do not do it alone.

This article was originally published on October 26th, 2007. Minor changes have been made.

Summer O

Mount Timpanogos Utah temple

In Gospel Principles, Page 258, Fifth Paragraph, we read: “Temple Ordinances have been performed for the dead since the early days of the Church. Consequently, some ordinances for our ancestors may have already been done. To find out which ancestors need temple ordinances, we can look in two places. Our own family records might have information about what has been done. If not, the Church has a record of all ordinances that have been performed in the temple.”

The most current form of this record can be found on FamilySearch.org. FamilySearch was created and is maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is the largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world. It contains a special feature just for members of the Church. That of being able to see if certain ordinances have been performed for various ancestors.

At the bottom of the Registration form there is a section titled: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Membership Information (Optional). Latter-Day Saints must fill out this portion if they wish to see what ordinances have been performed for their ancestors.

The membership number that is asked for can be obtained from their Ward Clerk or from their own Temple Recommend. A Temple Recommend is a type of certificate given to members who are considered to be in good standing with the Church. A person may not enter the temple without a recommend. The confirmation date asked for can be obtained from the Ward Clerk.

Once registration is completed a church member will be able to sign on and begin their search for ancestors who have had their temple ordinances completed. This information can be obtained by searching the International Genealogical Index (IGI).

This is done by clicking the SEARCH tab at the top of the page that appears after signing on. The next page that appears will have a list of links in a sidebar on the left. One of those link options reads, International Genealogical Index. Once this is clicked on, a page will appear with a number of search options. It is not necessary to fill every search option offered there. Once you have decided which options to fill, click the search button. You will be taken to a results page showing numbered results.

Each number will have next to it the Name, Gender, and a date/place of either Birth, Marriage or Death for an individual. By clicking on the name of an individual you may then see more information about them. For Latter-Day Saints this includes a section titled: LDS Ordinances. This section will show what, if any temple work has been completed for that individual. There are several things that might appear:

* A capital B inside a blue box means Baptism. The date appearing next to that blue box is the date on which that individual was baptized.

* A capital P inside a blue box mean Sealing to Parents. The date appearing next to that blue box is the date on which the individual was sealed to their parents.

* A capital S inside a blue box means Sealing to Spouse. The date appearing next to that blue box is the date on which that individual was sealed to their spouse.

* A capital E inside a blue box means Endowed. The date appearing next to that blue box is the date on which that individual was endowed.

Sometimes an ordinance will appear but will not have a date next to it. Instead you will see either CHILD or CLEARED.

*CHILD indicates that the individual died before the age of baptism (age and therefore does not need those ordinances performed.

Philadelphia LDS temple baptistry

*CLEARED indicates that someone has submitted that ordinance to Temple Ready and that the temple work for that ordinance will be completed soon. TempleReady is a program created by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is used to submit individuals to an LDS temple so their ordinance work can be completed.

Another thing you might see next to the dates of ordinances that have been completed are the abbreviated names of the Temple at which the ordinance was completed.

You may notice as you use FamilySearch that there is a lot of duplicate information. This usually happens when multiple people submit the same name, with slightly varying information. This often happens because many people do not check FamilySearch to see if temple work has already been done or has been submitted for completion for an ancestor before submitting that name to TempleReady. Please be willing to check FamilySearch before submitting your ancestor’s names to TempleReady to avoid adding to the duplication on the site.

Summer O

In Part II of this series, I discussed treasure hunting and obtaining a GEDCOM if your genealogy has already been started by a relative.

So far we have discussed gathering as much information as possible through relatives you know. Now, it is time to begin gathering information from relatives you may not know you even have. This can be done online, through the use of Message Boards and Family Trees.

Message Board

Also known as an internet forum or discussion group, a message board is a place for holding discussions, asking questions and posting answers. You can find message boards on nearly every genealogy database on the web. This includes the Ancestry.com Message Boards, Rootsweb.com Message Boards, and Genealogy.com Message Boards among others. Most message boards are indexed by surname and locality in addition to offering a search bar. Most message boards also require registration to use, but this is normally free.

After registering you will be given a Username and password that can be used to Log In to post or answer a question. Once you have found your desired surname message board you may then post a question about your ancestor of that same surname, in the hope that someone who reads it can and will answer your question.

Family Tree

A Family Tree is a genealogical diagram of one’s ancestors, usually represented in a form similar to a pedigree chart. The same genealogy databases listed above also have a place for Family Trees. The family trees on these sites are usually GEDCOM’s that users have uploaded.

Many different search options are provided. You can search for ancestors by name, place, dates of birth or death and more. Any similar entry you find will often be accompanied by the submitter’s email address so that you can contact them if necessary.

There are many questions that arise after searching through online Family Trees, and here is an example of one that I am asked the most:

“I searched for my ancestor on Rootsweb.com and found over 40 different Family Trees for her. Most of them included the same family names but many of the dates of birth and death conflict with one another. Who is right? What should I do?”

It is an unfortunate fact that a lot of incorrect and conflicting information is in circulation in the world of Family Trees and genealogy in general. It may begin with the misreading of or assuming or guessing about certain information and is compounded by those who simply copy and paste said incorrect information into their own family tree without ever verifying it is indeed true.

Connecting the Dots

It is further compounded when someone takes the most complete looking information from multiple family trees and adds those to their own family tree without ever verifying any of it either. Now, it is certainly not criminal to put incomplete or as yet unverified information into your family tree, but it does make it difficult for those of us wanting to know which of the 8 different death dates listed for Aunt Molly is the correct one.

This is where you hope that the creators of the family tree’s in question have included a primary source for their information. Most of the time they have not, and you are left to send them an email telling them of your dilemma and asking them if they have proof that the death date they have listed for Aunt Molly is the correct one. And if you find no one can remember where they got that date of death from or if they don’t respond to you at all, then you write each date down with a note reminding you that you’ll have to find out which date is correct yourself.

Message Boards are much the same. Someone may give you the information you’ve asked for, but when you ask them for source material they can’t help you. So you take what they’ve told you with a grain of salt and set about proving it yourself. This is when things begin to get very interesting. This is when your days as a beginning genealogist end, and entrance into a new realm begins.

Summer O

Now, on your Family History. Please don’t let that stop you. There is still plenty for you to do. Collaborating on Family History can be fun. And it often takes different points of view to solve a genealogical dead end. So call that family member and ask them for a GEDCOM saved to Flash Drive or the Cloud which you will then be able to upload into your Family History Program.

Or you might request paper copies of all documents. This will ensure you do not waste time searching for that which has already been found. You can then begin gathering information on any family line within the GEDCOM on which you find work has halted.

Let’s talk about the next step in gathering information from living family members, treasure hunting. I refer to it as such because the things you discover may often prove themselves the only record of information of that kind, making them truly priceless.

If you can, plan a visit to the homes of any relations you think may harbor any of the following. Make sure you ask their permission first and if there are any places they do not want you rummaging through.

Items to look for:

* Journals/Diaries
* Old letters
* Photographs
* Autograph Albums
* Baby Books
* Wedding Books
* Other scrap books or photo albums
* Family Bibles
* Books of Remembrance
* Printed Histories, family or locality
* Certificates – Birth, Marriage, Death, Divorce, Blessing, Baptism, Award
* Report Cards
* Year Books
* Newspaper clippings
* Military Records
* Records of membership to Genealogical, Historical or other societies
* Drivers or other licenses
* Records of Employment
* Cards – birthday, wedding or other.

You may find things your relative didn’t remember or even know they had. Such was the case when I searched my Grandmother’s home. There were many names and dates she couldn’t recollect, but when I searched her home I found scores of sheets with these names and dates on them. She didn’t even remember that she had written them down.

The things you find may provide vital information for your ancestor as well as information about who they were, what mattered to them, who their friends were and so forth. As I said before, every little detail may prove significant to your search, if not immediately, then certainly down the road.

Summer O

Items you may find useful:

*A pencil
*A notebook
*A phone
*Envelopes
*Stamps

1) When possible, make personal visits to relatives to ask for information. Bring a notebook, a pencil and a list of questions. Write down all known vital information (births, deaths, marriages, place names, maiden names, surnames) as well as memories and family stories. Family memories may not seem relevant in the beginning but may be crucial to your search later on. Don’t discount any detail.

2) I remember spending many hours talking over the phone, pencil in hand scribbling notes as we spoke. It was through one of our many phone conversations that she remembered a detail which allowed me to find a death certificate for her father.

Don’t assume you’ve received all you need to know in one call or visit. Especially when you are speaking to your older relatives, whom you should make your first priority to speak with, as when they die their memories go with them. My grandmother remembered new details and new memories every time we spoke.

3) Another idea you might consider is mailing a tape with a return envelope and a list of questions to various relatives, asking them to record their answers or relate any special memories onto the tape.

After you have begun to gather information, you will then want to begin recording it in a standard way. There are two forms you can use to do this:

A Pedigree Chart is a record of your Direct ancestral line (you, your parents, your grandparents, etc.)

A Family Group Record, unlike a Pedigree Chart, will let you list all the members of one family and their information. So you, your spouse and children, your parents and siblings, your grandparents and all of their children, etc.

By visiting the links above you can download each type of form to your computer which will allow you to print it out and record the information by hand. Or you can record the information into a Family History Program such as Personal Ancestral File (PAF). PAF is a free program offered by the LDS Church. Version 5.2 is the most current version available.

No matter how you ultimately decide to record your Family History, the most important thing is to begin gathering information as soon as possible. Don’t let precious, time-saving information and memories die with those you love.

Summer O

In Gospel Principles, Page 255, first paragraph, we read:

“The atonement of Jesus Christ assures each of us that we will be resurrected and live forever. But if we are to live forever with our families in Heavenly Father’s presence, we must do all that the Savior commands us to do. This includes being baptized and receiving the ordinances of the temple.”

So what of those who have died without being baptized? Who perhaps never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ on this earth. Would a just God cast them aside without ever giving them that opportunity? No. Would a loving God cast them aside? Of course not, and our Heavenly Father is loving. He loves each of to receive them after death.

He has asked worthy Latter-Day Saints to perform baptism and other ordinances, for the dead. Just to be absolutely clear, Latter-Day Saints do not actually baptize their dead. They are baptized and receive other ordinances for them, by proxy. This can be done in any Latter-Day Saint Temple.

Latter-Day Saints believe that their unbaptized ancestors are taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the afterlife, or spirit world. Those ancestors are still free to choose whether or not to accept the gospel, and those who do accept it are waiting for their ordinances to be performed in the Temple.

Ordinances which include not only baptism but being sealed together forever, generation upon generation.

For Latter-Day Saints, Family History is much more than a hobby, it is the key to the salvation of billions of souls, as well as to uniting that which we love dearest, our families, together.

Summer O

All too often in Family History research, these collateral ancestors are set aside with little thought. . I have often run into beginning genealogists who have confessed their determination to trace their direct line back as far as possible but have already come to a dead end fairly early in their research.

Where are you stuck?

I ask each of them the same questions, “Who is the ancestor you’re stuck on?”, “Exactly what information do you have on this person?” “What information are you looking to find for this person?” and “What have you already done to try to find this information?”

I am usually given a variety of answers, but they almost always fall within the same range. That of searching for information only through the direct son or daughter of this direct ancestor on whom they are trying to find more information. Let me give you a hypothetical:

Sandy was searching for information on her 4th Great Grandfather. She knew his name was Bernard Wilkins and that was all. She had no dates of birth, marriage or death for him. She knew that he had lived in Knox County Tennessee, as four of his children including her 3rd Great Grandfather James Wilkins, were born there.

She thought first of searching the County Death records, not entirely sure whether he had actually died there or not. She found nothing. She had searched the church cemetery where James had died, hoping his father might be buried there too. But he was not. So then she had searched for the obituary of James Wilkins. But upon finding it, she was disappointed to find no mention of James’ parents in there.

“I’m at a dead end, I’ve looked everywhere!” she says, exasperated.

But she hasn’t looked everywhere.

There are 4 other children whose obituaries she hasn’t thought to search for, simply because they’re not direct ancestors. After being told this and tracking down all of them, she finds one that briefly mentions when Bernard Wilkins came to Knox County and from where, giving her another place to start looking.

If that hadn’t yielded any results there were a number of others ways in which to try to find information, all pertaining to her collateral ancestors.

Consider Family Heirlooms

Collateral research is nearly always essential to furthering direct line research. Consider family heirlooms. Perhaps you prize that beautiful antique photo album with three generations of family pictures inside. You realize you share a striking resemblance to your 3rd Great Aunt Martha and your father looks just like your 2nd Great Uncle John. You wonder if their descendants love looking at their photos as much as you do.

But wait, photo reproductions weren’t wide spread in that day. Often all family photos were included in one photo album, and one photo album can only be passed on to one child. You may have distant relatives who have no idea pictures of family dating back that far exist!

Likewise those same distant relatives may have copies of Uncle John’s Muster Roll or a ships passenger list with not only Martha’s name on it, but that of her parents whom you haven’t discovered names for yet. And as the above example with Sandy illustrates, obituaries, along with other records may have widely varying information in them.

While one may be only one sentence stating the name of the deceased and when they died, another may practically be a biographical sketch, talking about the immigration of the family into the county, where they came from, when the parents were married and so forth. Yes, collateral lines can be crucial to breaking through that brick wall. Don’t discount them.

Summer O

In the June 1989 Ensign Article Family History: “In Wisdom and Order” Elder Dallin H. Oaks says:

“…In the work of redeeming the dead there are many tasks to be performed…all members should participate by prayerfully selecting those ways that fit their personal circumstances at a particular time…Members of this church have many individual circumstances—age, health, education, place of residence, family responsibilities, financial circumstances, accessibility to sources for individual or library research, and many others. If we encourage members in this work without taking these individual circumstances into account, we may do more to impose guilt than to further the work…Our effort is not to compel everyone to do everything, but to encourage everyone to do something.”

I’d like to suggest the following ideas for contributing to Family History work:

1) Young Men and Young Women contribute to the work when they babysit for couples so that they may attend the temple. They also help when they attend their youth temple trips to be baptized for the dead.

2) Older members or those with fewer obligations in the home might volunteer in the Temple on a regular basis or consider serving a Temple mission. They might also help with the newest FamilySearch Family History program, FamilySearch Indexing.

3) Visit a cemetery and write down headstone information or take pictures of headstones to submit to an internet website such as the USGenweb, Find A Grave or Interment.net.

I transcribed a small cemetery in my area in four hours on a Saturday, typed the entries into my word processing program and emailed the information to interment.net the next day. It’s very simple to do and someone looking for birth or death information for an ancestor will be eternally grateful that you took the time to do that.

4) When a church accompanies a cemetery, that church will often have a record book of those buried in the cemetery. You might call ahead and ask if you can take digital photos of the records or transcribe them, as not everyone buried there (especially if the church dates way back) will have a headstone.

5) Volunteer to take headstone photographs or to look up obituaries or other items of genealogical interest at Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness.

6) Elder Dallin H. Oaks in the June 1989 Ensign Article Family History: “In Wisdom and Order” said:

“Some of the most important temple and family history work is done at home. I do not refer just to the important work of keeping family genealogies up-to-date and the much needed verifying that all sealings have been performed. At home we can keep our journals and gather pictures and data for the books of remembrances of our family members. We can gather and record information available through living relatives. We can write family histories and share their great lessons with our children.”

I hope that through reading this article, you have thought of some ways you can personally contribute to the work of redeeming the dead. Even if your life only permits for a seemingly small task or small amount of time, it is enough. No effort put toward this work is considered small.

In Doctrine and Covenants, Section 128:22, Joseph Smith gave this call to action:

“Brethren (and sisters) shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage…and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.”

Summer O