Some of Bill's Picks from RootsTech

As a retiree, I have been able to watch nearly 40 sessions of RootsTech over the past 2 weeks.
Each person's picks will depend on their own needs and interests, 

Some of Bill's picks from RootsTech 2025:

You’ve Got This! Tried and Tested Ideas for Ward Temple and Family History Success (21 minutes)
This class centers on encouragement and help for those with ward temple and family history callings.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/youve-got-this-tried-and-tested-ideas-for-ward-temple-and-family-history-success

Family History Consultants - Changing the Paradigm (Start with Christ.)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/family-history-consultants-changing-the-paradigm

Family Discovery Day Live Session | RootsTech 2025 Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Sister Kathy Andersen and President Jeffrey R Holland tell some of their own family stories.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/rootstech-2025-family-discovery-day-live-session

Combine Multiple DNA Test Types (How atDNA+YDNA+mtDNA+atDNA=More Answers!)
(I found this highly entertaining and probably the clearest explanation ever of the different types of DNA tests.)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/combine-multiple-dna-test-types-how-atdna-ydna-mtdna-atdna-more-answers

The Getting Started series by BYU seemed aimed at professional research, but good overall. (There are 7 parts.)

Mining the Census, Are You Finding Every Clue? Part 2 (Part 2 has lots of good general tips.)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/mining-the-census-are-you-finding-every-clue-part-2

What's New at FamilySearch for Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/whats-new-at-familysearch-for-members-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints

FamilySearch Global and Tech Forum 2025 (All the latest tech for geeks)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/familysearch-global-and-tech-forum-2025

Family History Department Leadership Roundtable with Elder Kevin S. Hamilton (This was a live Q&A session.)
The panel explained why temple ordinances can only be reserved now for our own relatives.
It was mentioned that during the past year, 8.7 million people have registered to use FamilySearch, of whom 98% are NOT members of the Church. So don't be afraid to invite non-member friends and relatives.
Temple appointments are preferred. Many temples reserve some of their seating capacity for those who come without an appointment. Temples in areas with small populations of members can only operate by appointment.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/family-history-department-leadership-roundtable-with-elder-kevin-s-hamilton

And of course ... Tree Integrity: Protecting Your Research in Family Tree
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/tree-integrity-protecting-your-research-in-familytree

Which sessions were your favorites? And what did you learn from them?

New Improved Merge Experience (courtesy of RootsTech)

I have done a lot of merging. It is often needed, but I appreciate the need for caution. A bad merge can make a big mess. Sometimes the very best answer is "Not a match." But not always. 

Deciding When to Merge
To what extent do the following things match?
Names, places (are they less than 10 miles apart?), dates, relationships (do they have the same children?)
Note that information on the children is normally more detailed than information on the parents. Are the children of the possible duplicates born in the same place in the same time period?

If they fail these tests, I would mark them as "not a match". If they pass these tests I would merge them.
If it is unclear, I would seek guidance through prayer, which tends to result in "not a match".

A BIG UPDATE:
I tried out the new Improved Merge Experience, announced in RootsTech.
See the explanation and the buttons at www.familysearch.org/labs
And take a look at this 10-minute video of me learning to use the new process.
Maybe try it with some of your "possible duplicates".
https://youtu.be/F9tRBHqbfiY

Correcting a Bad Merge
Recently I discovered that my 2xGGPs were incorrectly merged with a different couple with the same names living 30 miles away, in the next county. As I studied the Sources and the Changes log, I could see what had happened, and how I could separate the records of the two families. The Undo Merge option was unavailable, but I could RESTORE the people deleted by the merge, and then move children to the correct parents, and detach sources that referred to the wrong people. 
I made a 26-minute video demonstrating the main parts of the process. If you suspect relationship errors in your part of the family tree, start with an analysis of the Sources and Changes. Include prayer in your decision. More research may be needed. If you decide to proceed, this video may help. https://youtu.be/kWB6aAbBZbw

Correcting Data Errors in Family Tree
Correcting factual errors is usually super easy. (Click the pencil icon, replace the incorrect data, and Save.)
Correcting relationship errors is more complex but this video may help.

This video by Aimee Cross may also be helpful. To Merge or UnMerge, that is the question (FamilySearch Tutorial)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6V99HfzeBts

Removing other users' tags in Memories

 In the "Tree Integrity: Protecting Your Research in Family Tree" session in RootsTech, I saw the following posts in the chat:

"I found that a person with ill intentions posted records in Memories and the records were totally incorrect, but I found that only the person who posts in Memories can delete them. So here I am stuck with records posted that are not correct and I can not have them removed. All that I can do is make a comment that it is not correct information." ...

"Incorrect Memories has that glitch... only person who entered info can delete the info... I too have that problem... but why? If anyone can edit and merge why not have that ability go in all categories? Hmmm."

I suggested this solution in the chat:

"In the tagging/edit screen, you should see a paperclip icon that will allow you to detach the tag from someone in a memory uploaded by someone else."

Today I received a thank you message.

"Thanks, the directions on how to delete an unwanted Memory post by someone else on your account worked .  Thanks so much to Bill Buchanan's post."

Please use this in only extreme cases. We do not want vigilantes wildly un-tagging memories they consider "unneeded", "unflattering" or whatever. But if you are 100% sure that the memory is not for that person, FamilySearch does provide a way to un-tag it. And please provide a clear reason statement.

T&FH Training for my stake: RootsTech and Memories

 

As leaders and consultants, our job for the next 3 weeks is to invite everyone to RootTech.

Opportunities include Coordinating meetings, Relief Society, Priesthood, Sunday School, Young Women, Primary, and personal conversations with friends and family. Something at RootsTech may totally change someone's life for the better.

Get ready for RootsTech 2025 (30 seconds) Super!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BReMltTKLVc

Welcome to RootsTech 2025 (visuals without sound. cycles thru 4 screens in about a minute)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/?start=0&id=K2&video=2245338986001

I especially enjoy Relatives at RootsTech and tonight I discovered that a long-time friend is my 6th cousin twice removed, 😃

RootsTech will have something for everyone.

Consider the final words of the Old Testament, in Malachi 4:5-6

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
"And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."

We are part of the Lord's work.

FamilySearch Memories can help us to know and love our ancestors and their families.

Let's view this 2-minute video.
Your memories can live forever on FamilySearch (about 2 minutes)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-use-familysearch-memories-to-preserve-my-ancestors-life-stories

Memories Choices include:
      Add Photo or Document (upload files)
     Write a Story (write in plain text - maybe 10 minutes worth, for longer items save as PDF and use the choice above)
     Add an Audio (create or upload)

Once items have been uploaded they are safely stored for future enjoyment.

Some Limits:
Maximum of 1000 Memories per profile
Public or Private? Public Memories should not identify living people.
Maximum size of any one Memories item is 15 MB.
Only certain popular file formats are supported, but your computer can save images and/or text as PDF files. If you have trouble uploading photos try one of these file formats PNG, PDF/A, JPG/JPEG or JPEG 2000.
PDF is the best format for multi-page items. e,g, books and other word processor documents,
If scanning images, use a minimum of 300 dpi (600 is better) to preserve good image quality.
The easiest way to create and upload audio files is from your phone using the Memories mobile app.
Audio files are usually limited to about 5 minutes in length to fit in the 15 MB limit without extensive tinkering. (The free Audacity software is great for tinkering with sampling rates, etc, I have a 22 minute audio clip that is 15MB in size.)

You cannot upload videos to FamilySearch Memories, But videos can be saved to Youtube etc, and then linked to FamilySearch Memories. This works so long as the link is live.)
e.g. https://www.familysearch.org/photos/gallery/album/1464865 has live and dead links.
Albums can be accessed by anyone who has the album's link even without a FamilySearch account, so an easy way to share Memories.

You can instantly colorize black and white photos or repair faded color photos by using your free account at https://www.myheritage.com/incolor.

This is not an exhaustive list, but is based on my experience uploading thousands of Memories and supporting Memories in FamilySearch Support.

Remember that items in your home and on your home computer are at risk of being lost over time. FamilySearch Memories can keep copies of them safe for future generations,

I hope you find this helpful.

Bill

Recent questions and some answers

What is RootsTech?

RootsTech is the Church's HUGE annual family history conference of the year. It is co-sponsored by companies that serve family history. (Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, findmypast.com, etc.)

I have heard RootsTech described in many ways, including "A rock concert for family history." and
"A technological extravaganza centered on family history." Basically, there is something for everyone.
Whether you are looking for fun activities for your family, the latest research tips, or preserving your family heritage for future generations, you will probably find something there that is useful and fun.

One of the best things about RootsTech is that many of the sessions can be viewed years later. If you are looking for training or information on any related topic, try searching RootsTech. We do!

You can register to view the online sessions of RootsTech 2025 for free and watch at your own convenience. Or you can pay to attend in person. Both options have their advantages.

One of my personal favorites is "Relatives at RootsTech", where I can see distant cousins from other parts of the world who are also attending. (As a convert, I don't have as many of these as you may have. - Bill)

The Power of "Alert Notes"
The most frequent complaint about the FamilySearch Family Tree is "Other people can change the information."
This is because Family Tree is designed to be editable, so that all registered users can contribute.
Experienced users are seldom a problem, the usual problem is inexperienced users with incomplete or inaccurate information. How can we prevent them from replacing well-researched information with something interesting they have seen recently on social media?
Alert Notes can be your best friend in this situation. To create an Alert Note, click Collaborate > Add Note > write your note, put a check mark in the Alert Note box. and then Save. This will place the following caution on the Details screen. "Important research has been done on this person. Please read these alert notes before making changes."
And you can click on Follow so that you are informed when changes have been made to that record.
You can normally use the Latest Changes list to undo changes too.

An interesting presentation at RootsTech 2024 - It is an hour long but if you are a Consultant (or family member) wishing to create a family history discovery experience for someone, check this out.
Discoveries Await with Ordinances Ready - Webinar by Lynzi Kidman Coffey of FamilySearch
She tells how to use Ordinances Ready as a starting point for a motivational 30-minute discovery experience.
(This is a much faster and easier way than the old method that used Descendancy Research.)
"Using simple, repeatable steps, you will easily build confidence in yourself and in those you are guiding."

"How can I sync my PAF database with the FamilySearch Family Tree?"
I recently had a phone call from a distant cousin asking how to do this. (We both had a chuckle over the fact that we both still have a PAF database.) My suggestion was to use Ancestral Quest or Roots Magic to do this.
For many years I used Ancestral Quest to do this twice a year, using the Last Changed Date in my PAF database. But these days, the FamilySearch Family Tree is my main database. That is where I put my latest research. (Currently, I am focusing on using Ancestry's newly-released 1921 census of England and Wales as a source.
And since this is outside of FamilySearch, I use RecordSeek to add the sources to FamilySearch.) – Bill

Changing the Focus Person on the Source Linker page
(In the case of marriage documents I do not find this process intuitive at all. - Bill)
Q: How do you get the child's spouse to appear in the correct spot in the Source Linker?
A: Click Change Person on the left side (the document's side) of the screen. Then select the son or daughter whose marriage is recorded on the document.
Now their spouse will automatically appear in the correct spot so that you can attach the source to their record in the Family Tree (and add them to the Family Tree if they are missing.)
Q: How to move the spouse's parents into the correct spot?
A: Click Change Person and select the spouse as the focus person. This will pop the spouse's parents to the top, where you can attach the source to their records in the Family Tree (and add them to the Family Tree if they are missing.)
Note: Complicated multi-generational census documents may require you to also use Change Person on the Family Tree side of the screen to change the focus person in the Family Tree to a parent, child, or sibling.
And you may need to drag names on the document side up or down to match names on the Family Tree side of the screen.
The Source Linker is a wonderful tool but it has its own peculiarities.
(For a detailed tutorial, you can view this 70 minute video from BYU Family History Library)

Q: Can you reserve temple ordinances for unrelated people?
A: Since January 1st, I noticed that this is not possible unless it is done automatically through Ordinances Ready.(We have long been asked to focus on ordinances for our ancestral families, but others used to be possible.)

Q: How can I print (or email) charts from Family Tree for a non-member (that excludes ordinance data)?
A: Click your username in the upper right-hand corner > Settings > Account > Show Temple Options > Off (Remember to change this setting back when you have generated the PDF document.)
There may be other ways to accomplish this task, but this is the one we usually recommend.
(I was reminded of this when emailing a family group record to someone in Slovakia this week.)

Just as you schedule time to commune with God, try to schedule time to serve your ancestral families.