FROM: https://www.familysearch.org/en/newsroom/company-facts
Searchable Names in Historical Records 13.16 Billion
Digital Images Published 5.19 Billion
Digital Books Online 618,688
Number of FamilySearch Centers 6,466
Monthly Visits 21.78 Million
Sources in the Family Tree 3.35 Billion
People in the Family Tree 1.64 Billion
What is "family history"?
When I served in Family History Centres, I learned that this term means different things to different people. Instead of assuming I knew what patrons were looking for, I learned to start by asking "How can I help you?" As a consultant today, I find that this is a good starting point. Then I can focus my efforts on addressing their concerns, whether is finding an ancestor, reserving ordinances, printing temple cards, adding some photos to Memories, or finding sources to document someone's life. When I have helped members to accomplish their own goals, they are usually more open to our ward and stake goals.
"Why can't I see my own ordinances in FamilySearch?"
When I served in FamilySearch Support, the answer included "This protects the ordinance data of living people." "You can get a list of your own ordinances from your ward or branch clerk at any time. It is called an Individual Ordinances Summary."
But today, look in the Member Tools app. You can see confidential data including ordinances, Church Membership Record Numbers, etc. but only for your own household. (This is a smaller, more secure database.)
I love old family photos. Each time I visit a relative that I have not visited before, one of my first questions is "Do you have any old family photos I can scan?" If so, I bring out my laptop and scanner. While I am at it, I will also scan old documents that are of interest, These days a smart phone may make acceptable copies, I feel closer to my deceased relatives when I can see their faces, and I can feel Heavenly Father's love for them.
Five years ago I was given a large box of old photos by a relative who had no place to store them.
Two years ago I received a message on Ancestry messaging from a total stranger in Scotland that basically said, "I see that you have an Ancestry tree that includes Wilfred Anderson and Jessie Evans. After Jessie's death, Wilfred married my widowed mother. I have now inherited Mom's photo collection and I was surprised that it includes a large number of Jessie's old family photos, Would you like them?" "Yes, please, they are part of my family" Sarah mailed the photos to me and sent me scans of them as well, all at her own expense, despite my desire to pay. Bless her.
I love FamilySearch Memories, it is a safe place for my old photos and for yours as well.
Some day in eternity I will meet these relatives face to face and I may recognize them from their photos.
As a stake consultant, I help to author a monthly newsletter for the Edmonton Alberta North Stake.
Why does FamilySearch.org exist?
One of the reasons stated by President Gordon B Hinckley, was to reduce the duplication of time and expense of family history research. In other words, to keep us from re-doing the same research over and over again.
Or to use a metaphor, to help us move forward instead of just spinning our wheels.
(Until then, each person did their own research and kept it in a Book of Remembrance. A record of completed temple work was available at Family History Centers but might be several years old, leading to duplication of temple work. See Hinckley October 2005)
The Help Center: https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/landing
Find help by topic:
Family Tree Memories Searching Records Your Account Get Involved
Third Party Products
DNA Temple FamilySearch Centers Mobile Apps
Temple & Family History Consultant
Getting
"FamilySearch
Center"
access
on
your own laptop
in
a chapel.
Login-in
the Liahona network and use this extension in your
browser The browser extensions tool is on the far right of the address bar. The extension you want is
FamilySearch Center Premium Content
Attaching
Record Hints on FamilySearch (This
can also be done from the Tree
View.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tw88XB5Zw7Y
Looking
for short training to include in a coordinating session, ward
council, or presidency meeting?
FamilySearch
Family Tree
(2
min. video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8zDSNfZdlU
Connecting
yourself to your deceased ancestors (3 min. video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDTXfIXvxtM
How
to Use Ordinances Ready (2 min. video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvpBaRzgY0I
Note:
The
last two show
older versions of the menus but are otherwise excellent. The
first uses
British English.
RootsTech
recordings
are available throughout the year
at https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/
Maybe consider
buying a package
of
these and
sharing
them with your ward.
Family
History: Get Started Now
"This
trifold leaflet
is
printed on heavy card stock. It has space for a four-generation
family tree and a few photos and stories. It also tells how to build
a family tree at familysearch.org. It does not contain information
about temple ordinances. 100 per package."
About
$20
CAD
including GST and shipping
https://store.churchofjesuschrist.org/
Clarification:
"Unique
submitter" means
someone who has (a) printed a temple ordinance card or
(b) reserved an ordinance and shared it with the temple system,
during
the current calendar year.
So,
0 on each Jan 1st.
Training
for Your Calling
in Temple and Family History
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/handbooks-and-callings/ward-or-branch-callings/temple-and-family-history?lang=eng
Easy sourcing from other websites is back.
https://recordseek.com/
Free
"partner
subscriptions" to commercial
sites
https://www.familysearch.org/access/member-subscriptions
Lets
use them while
they are available for free.
The
toll-free FamilySearch Support
phone number for USA and Canada is
1-866-406-1830.
You can call for help: Mon
- Sat 8am to 8pm Sunday
1pm to
8pm
(Maybe try your ward consultants first.)
I hope you find this useful.
On Sunday we were discussing positive and negative effects of social media on the Church.
One brother said, "I joined the Church because I investigated things said in anti-Mormon
material."
This reminded me of a missionary "fireside" meeting we attended at the home of our friends Allan and Carolyn Woodruff, near Duffield, Alberta. Carolyn's parents were reporting their missionary experiences in the early 1980s. They said that God had performed a great miracle.
In the 1960s-and 1970s, the Church had no missionaries in many parts of the world including West Africa. But anti-Mormon meetings in places like Nigeria had made people curious about the Church, and non-members started organizing their own version of the Church, using some Church-published materials including the Book of Mormon.
When official missionaries were sent there in November 1978, they were told to seek out these non-member congregations, interview the pastor and baptize him if he was ready, ordain him to the priesthood, and help him to baptize his congregation. Instantly we had new branches and districts formed of disciples who were already tried and true in the faith. It was miraculous.
West Africa continues to be an area of rapid growth of the Church.
(A more detailed account can be found in the history of the Church in Nigeria in Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac, pages 364-365.)
This happened during my adult life, I was greatly impressed at the time, but it had almost faded from my memory, It makes me wonder what other miracles I have forgotten. It is important to keep a record of them, This is one of the first lessons taught in the Book of Mormon.
Using FamilySearch.org in 2024
There are two different types of accounts:
Public (non-member) Account: gives access to the Family Tree but no temple information
Member Account: gives access to temple information and allows ordinances to be reserved and temple ordinance cards to be printed,
Who can you see in the Family Tree?
Member Accounts may
already show you, your parents, current spouse and children.
Public
Accounts will show no living people, unless you have added them.
With either type of account you can see all the dead people, and you will be able to add or edit information including family relationships.
Registering and Signing-In
If you already have an Account, just Sign In. Registering for either type of account, go to familysearch.org and click “Create Account”. (Use your Church membership number to register for a member account.) To use the website, go to familysearch.org and click “Sign In”. Inability to register usually means that you already have an account, so recover its user name.
I Forgot Something ...
To recover a forgotten User Name or reset a forgotten Password, click “Sign In” and then click “Forgot your user name or password?” (and follow the instructions.)
Printing Charts
In the Family Tree go to a “Person”.page.
On the right-hand side of the Person page, under Print Options, click the type of chart you wish to print. Depending on your system you can either print to paper or to a PDF file. To print charts without ordinances go into setting to hide ordinances. Or in the URL, change true after showOrdences= to false
Adding Individuals
If someone is missing, you can add them by clicking Add Parent, Add Spouse, or Add Child.
Merging Duplicates
Sometimes there are multiple records for the same person. This is a problem, as it may lead to ordinances being done multiple times for the same person, wasting time in the temple. If you find what looks like a duplicate record, carefully compare the information. If it is the same, carefully merge the two records by clicking “Possible Duplicates” on the Person page, then click Review Merge. Or copy the ID of one record and go to the Person page of the duplicate and on the lower right area click Merge By ID and paste the ID..
Reserving Ordinances
This can be done from Ordinances Ready or in the Tree view (for the whole family) or the Ordinances page (for the individual) if (a) you are related to the individuals and (b) they have been deceased for at least 30 days, (c) If an individual was born within the last 110 years, you will also need permission from their closest living relative. Reservations done from Ordinances Ready are valid for 120-days.
Printing a Temple Ordinances Card
You can click the Temple tab and select “My Reservations”. Select the people and specific ordinances and click the blue button to print the cards to take to the temple. Or use Ordinances Ready to allow the system to find your deceased relatives who need ordinances and print the cards.
An Introduction to Using DNA Testing
I am considering doing an introductory presentation on DNA at our regional family history fair this autumn. I would use the first 29 minutes of Diahan Southard's presentation (below) and then tell about my experiences for 15 minutes and then 15 minutes of me doing Q&A
This is a draft,
Rootstech Diahan Southard You Can DO the DNA #1–Get Started (or Restarted)
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/you-can-do-the-dna-1-get-started-or-restarted
My name is Bill Buchanan. Family history has been a passion of mine for over 60 years. I have filled many roles helping others with their family history. Let me clarify that I am not a geneticist or an expert on DNA, but I have a fair amount of experience in its use.
How can I relate what Diahan has said to my personal life, and my efforts to help other with their family history?
Usually my research has relied on official records, such as birth, marriage, death and census records. The records of the most recent 100 years are often sealed to protect the privacy of living people. Getting that information has required interviewing relatives and family friends, and searching newspaper archives and cemeteries.
Melva's Story
About 20 years ago I had a strange phone call. "Are you Bill Buchanan?"
"Yes, that is my name. Who is calling?"
"My name is Melva Buchanan, Do you know a Bill Buchanan who was a blacksmith at Millet, Alberta in the 1920s?"
"Yes, he was my grandfather/"
:"Do you know a Jack Buchanan?"
"Yes, he was my uncle."
"He was my father."
I was stunned, I knew Uncle Jack really well. To the best of my knowledge he died childless.
She explained that she was adopted as a baby and the adoption records had been sealed. She had just managed to have the records unsealed and discovered the names and information of her birth parents. She offered to send me photocopies of the adoption records, which I gratefully accepted.
There could be no doubt, she was biologically my first cousin.
Dad was deceased by now, but I phoned my mother, and asked if she knew that her brother-in-law had fathered a child when he was a teenager. She had never heard of this. and said "I wonder if Jack even knew,"
We welcomed Melva into our extended family,
How did she find me? She was in the process of phoning every Buchanan in Alberta to ask her questions. I have no idea what number I was on that list, but I admire her determination.
The DNA Story
Sometimes no records seem to exist, which brings the search to a halt. But DNA testing opens a whole new avenue of research . The cells of our bodies contain a partial record of our ancestry in the DNA.
I may use this short video, but probably not, as it explains mechanics that may not need to be covered at this point. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7onjVBsQwQ8
Dangers of DNA Tests
If you choose to take a DNA test, be prepared for possible surprises. Some people's lives have been turned upside down when they find that they are not biologically related to one or the other of their parents, or even both. Sometimes they were never told that they were adopted or that one parent is a step parent. This surprise is unlikely in most situations, but it is best to be prepared,
Keith's Story
About 5 years ago I had a phone call.
"Are you the Bill Buchanan who has a genealogy blog?"
"Yes, I am."
"I wonder if you can help me. I did an Ancestry DNA test, and my family name is Sanderson, but I do not see that name in any of my DNA matches, But I see a bunch of Buchanans. Would you look at my DNA matches and see if you can help me?"
"Yes, I would be glad to do that."
When I looked at his DNA matches, I could see what he was taking about. But I could see something that he could not see, Not only were they Buchanans, but they were my own distant cousins, And many of the other family names I recognized as the married names of my Dad's cousins.
Since we were looking for his father, we could eliminate that matches from his mother's side of the family.
We found that some of his closest matches had the surname Coles, so we looked for a Buchanan married to a Coles and living in the right area. There was only one possibility, Norman Buchanan married Florence Elizabeth Coles. They had 4 sons, all deceased. Now Keith's ongoing quest is to find out which son was his birth father. Two of them had somewhat turbulent lives and seem like the most likely prospects. A DNA match with a half sibling would provide the complete answer,
When I think of Melva setting out to telephone every Buchanan in Alberta, a family finder DNA test seems like a much better idea.
Other DNA Tests
What about a Mitochondial DNA test?
A female cousin in Manitoba is one of my best genealogy buddies. She took a Mt DNA test, hoping it would help her identify her Kennedy line in Ireland. She was very disappointed to discover that she matched 40% of the people in Ireland. This was no help in her quest. She felt that her $441 was wasted, Of course, your results may vary,
And what about YDNA?
This same cousin, is much more enthused by the results of YDNA tests. Our shared Buchanan line goes back to Andrew Buchanan, who left Binnawooda in County Tyrone in 1847 fleeing the great Irish famine with his family. Our paper trail goes back to the christenings of his oldest children in Castlederg, County Tyrone in the 1810s. And it goes no further back.
A YDNA test identified our family as "A typical chiefly line of Clan Buchanan in Scotland". Yea! We know the history of these chiefs, they all descend from Anselan O'Kyan, an Irish prince who fled to Scotland in 1016 with a band of supporters to escape Viking reprisals after the Limerick massacre. The Irish Surname Project traces Anselan's genealogy through the annals of the Irish kings, through times of myth and legend to Adam and Eve on one line and to Jupiter the Father of the Gods on another line. How far do we trust this genealogy? Not very far.
But it has some great stories, like Anselan's ancestor King Owen travelling from Donegal to Tyrone to meet St Patrick, and Owen and his whole household converting to the Christian faith.
Our challenge becomes the 100-year gap between our ancestor Andrew Buchanan and the Buchanan chiefs. The solution seems to be finding Buchanan cousins living in Ireland whose documented history goes further back than ours. So further YDNA tests become our best hope.
My genealogy buddy has nerve that I can never match, On a visit to Ireland, she walked up to a total stranger and said "Pardon me, but I am from Canada and I am looking for relatives in Ireland. My ancestor was married in this village. You remind me of a cousin of mine back home. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your ancestors. ... I have a DNA test kit in my purse that may allow us to see how closely we are related. Would you mind doing a simple test? ... Yes, you swab the inside of your cheek with the pad and then put it into this tube... " This was only part of a much longer conversation, of course. The YDNA match was very close, just one step different than her brother's test. What is the probability of that?
On her next trip to Drumquin, Ireland she did exactly the same thing and found another 1-step match.
I understand that a one-step difference in YDNA indicates a shared ancestor is probably within 8 generations but the specific number is random.
Unfortunately neither of these people had a paper trail that went back further than ours, but my buddy had wonderful experiences getting to know some delightful people.
Recent Success through YDNA
In the past two years I joined forces with others and we have identified the parents of my Andrew Buchanan and 3 other Buchanan men who lived around the village of Drumquin in Country Tyrone at the same time, Their parents appear to be John Buchanan and Mary Caldwell of Coolavanagh townland. This brings us a step closer to our goal of connecting with the clan chiefs.
A further confirmation was a distant match between Andrew's descendants and descendants of one of his newly-found brothers.
Success is not always as simple as looking for "FamilyFinder" DNA matches on the unknown side of the family tree. But it can be.
An additional benefit of DNA tests is that you get periodic updates as additional people are tested,
Making Practical Use of DNA Test Results
In my opinion, the main use of DNA tests is to find your closest matches, These are the people who are most closely related to you, They may be able to answer your questions,
If they can't answer your questions, look for clues that the matching process itself provides.
Can you view the list of matches that you have in common?
Are there shared ancestors listed?
Are there shared surnames?
Is there a public tree attached?
Will they give you permission the view their tree if it is private?
Will they share an email address or phone number? (Email allows the sharing of documents,)
Can you share any old family photos or stories with each other?
And so forth...
Use any new information to expand your family tree.
Frustrations
One of the most frustrating things is when you contact someone who is a good match and they never reply. In one recent instance we were able to answer questions by providing detailed information from published obituaries. Samantha, if you are here, please see me after my presentation.
Another frustration is a lack of matches, if none of your biological relatives have been tested.
And after a few generations of random recombining of DNA there will be some ancestors from whom you have no DNA.
What about Ethnicity Reports from DNA Tests?
These estimates change from time to time, as testing companies expand or refine their reference populations. We hear the chant "The science does not lie." But the biological evidence is subject to re-interpretation over time. Remember that these reports are based on current populations, not based on where your ancestors actually lived during their time period. So a little a caution is justified.
Diahan connected an ethnicity report to the percentage of matched DNA to verify a family story. So ethnicity reports can be useful.
Family is More than Biology
Family relationships are not always biological. Adoption and step parents have always been part of some families. I cringe when someone refers to a sperm donor as "Their REAL father." I think, "What of the man who raised you? Isn't he your real father?" But I keep my peace. The FamilySearch family Tree can list multiple sets of parents for any person, so it is not an EITHER/OR situation..
I wish you success and enjoyment in your search. It is an exciting journey, and DNA can be an important part of it,
QUESTIONS?
DISCLAIMER: FamilySearch does not endorse any particular type of DNA test or any particular testing service.
On Saturday morning, I had a phone call asking what we can do in our stake fair to encourage family history and temple attendance, In two weeks??? And asking about what we will be doing in the regional Temple and Family History event in October.
This was a bit of a shock since I was unaware of both events. So I had nothing planned, I found out that my fellow stake consultant was also unaware, Obviously we need to work on communicating better, We do put out a monthly stake newsletter, but we can only inform others of what we know,
I asked a few questions and I found out that the expectation for the stake fair was basically a display table and some consultants to answer questions. That seemed very manageable. In fact, if the stake could provide us with a TV we could do much better than that, There are some good videos we could use, and a slide show of local temples might be a good way to attract viewers, If I had more advance warning I would have bought a supply of the tri-fold leaflet Family History: Get Started Now, At roughly a penny each, I could afford to be generous. I have a few copies of Our Family : Stories that Bring Us Together but at $1 each, my frugal Scottish ancestry might be a bit of a challenge. Of course, I can print blank pedigree charts on my printer ,,,
What other suggestions do you have?
~~~~~~~
Sometimes working in family history can leave us feeling isolated. That should not be the case, as a favorite old talk reminds us.
“All of us have parents, friends, or other loved ones who have passed away. They too exercise faith in our behalf. Do parents stop caring because they die? Are friends no longer friends at death? Does caring stop at the grave? I want you to know it does not. Life is eternal.
“And what of those yet unborn? Do they have an interest in your success? Your unborn children watch you from above with great interest and concern. They want the best for themselves and for you. You can be sure of it. Probably millions of spirits yet to be born cheer loudly for the millions of us who prepare the way for them. I believe it could be no other way.
“My message to you is, hopefully, clear. Every person in this life has a cheering section. It is composed of those around us, those who have passed over to the other side, and those who are yet to come.”
“Above all, I bear you my witness that there is a Father in Heaven who put you here and wants you back. His support alone will do it. May we draw close to him so we can know it. May we then give it to those around us who need it, especially our own families. May the Spirit give you the same assurance that I have that our Father lives, that he loves us, and that he, together with many others, can bring us safely home.” - Paul H. Dunn, “The Cheering Section,” Ensign, June 1980
I was reminded recently of old friends, now deceased, Chesley and Joan Pierson, of Calgary 5th Ward.
In 1964 I was a convert of 2 years, preparing to serve a fulltime mission.
Ches and Joan arranged to take me to the temple for the first time. They were wonderful, generous people. At that time the closest temple was in Cardston, a 2 or 3 hour drive from Calgary, Ches was my escort, my guide, and my helper.
At the end of the session, we were descending the stairs from the Celestial room dressed in white. I had the strongest impression that this was like Jacob's vision at Bethel. I have never forgotten this.
The temple has remained important to me ever since. One of my choicest callings was to serve with my wife in the Edmonton Temple for 19 years.
And my experiences in the House of The Lord started when my elders quorum president invited me to come to the temple with him and his wife. Bless you both, my friends.
The voice on the phone was somewhat frantic: "We are taking our daughter to the Cardston temple to be baptized for a close relative, I created an account for her but I have lost the username and password."
I suggested that
my caller use the "Forgot Username" and "Forgot
Password" functions but apparently they
were on
vacation and this
would be difficult.
Then I asked, "Have
you ever tried the Help
Others
link to sign into someone else's account as a helper?"
She
had not.
So I said, "Let me try, to make sure you
can print the card." I
asked the child's names, date of birth and the last 5 characters of
her Church membership number. I used these successfully to sign in as
a helper.
I checked that the child was an immediate family
member of the
deceased
relative, Good, no permission was required.
Then I checked
the relative's ordinance status, and was relieved
to see that the child already had the ordinances reserved.
Everything
looked good, so I guided the mother through the steps of signing
in
in as her daughter's helper, and printing the card to take to the
Cardston
Temple.
Fortunately the mother had access to a printer, but if not, the long
number from
the card would allow the temple to print the card.
The
mother soon
had
the ordinance card in her hands.
"Help Others" is an amazing tool.
