How To Use Mormon Church Records
Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010
by Jeff Sallee
http://www.SecretsOfGenealogy.com
Whether you belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly referred to as the Mormon Church, or not, the church has made available an extensive database of their genealogy records. Launched in 1999 and free to the public, this database can be an invaluable source of genealogy records for an intrepid researcher.
FamilySearch.org is the web site maintained by the Church which you will certainly want to bookmark. Before using this expansive database, there are a few things to be aware of so that you can make your search of Mormon Church genealogy as easy as possible. Here are a few tips for searching the Church's database.
- As with any search for information, be aware that not all of the data your search turns up is going to be 100% accurate. The best course of action for this situation is to make sure that you verify the information from more than one source. While the Mormon Church does maintain good records it would just be a prudent move to check with other researchers and family members who would have a recollection of those you are researching. It never hurts to double-check your information, no matter the source!
- The bulk of researching sites will not allow you to search without a last name, the Mormon Church search website is no exception. If you do not know the full first name of the person you are researching then consider just searching by the first few letters of their first name if you do have that information. Remember, the more information that you use in your search, the more likely you are to reach the exact information that you are seeking.
- You can search the database using more than just first and last names; if you have information like the year of birth or death, or even the date of a wedding, you will be able to narrow down the number of search results you retrieve.
Most members, both current and former, of the Mormon Church have done their own extensive research into their ancestry. Making contact with these researchers would be incredibly helpful for you; not only to compare your research side-by-side with theirs for accuracy, but also to help you fill in those possible gaps in your own research. The genealogy hobby is like few others, it is hobby that inspires passion and a burning desire to seek out more information, you are sure to find fellow hobbyists and historians eager to share their findings with you when you make contact with them.
In addition to the expansive online database there are also many Mormon genealogy and family history books that have been published. These books can not only be located online for purchasing, but the content can very often be searched online. The books are also available for viewing in several libraries around the country. Should you struggle locating a book then consider either posting on a forum for assistance, or contact the church directly.
Another wonderful source of information is the information documented by early church members who kept diaries, journals and thorough records of their daily activities; these records date as far back as the 1830's, and can be located in libraries.
A large collection of physical data covering Mormon Church genealogy is warehoused in , it is considered to be the largest collection of genealogy records in the world.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Jeff,Thanks for sharing. I always wondered how the general public was able to have access to those records.I appreciate the information.Lawrence
My pleasure. Thanks for reading.
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