What is "family history"? / Why can't I see my own ordinances?

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.)