Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Family Search

Genealogy organization operated by the LDS Church

FamilySearch International

Predecessor	Genealogical Society of Utah
Germination	November xiii, 1894 (1894-eleven-thirteen)
Founders	Franklin D. Richards James H. Anderson A. Milton Musser
Founded at	Salt Lake City, Utah, U.Due south.
Type	Nonprofit organisation[1]
Purpose	Family history genealogy kinship and descent
Location	Common salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Services	Record digitization and preservation digital record access genealogical collaboration tools genealogical training
President and CEO	Steve Rockwood[ii]
Parent organization	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-24-hour interval Saints
Website	familysearch.org

FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church building), and is closely connected with the church building'southward Family History Section.^{[three] [four]} The Family History Section was originally established in 1894 every bit the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) and is the largest genealogy system in the world.^[5] FamilySearch maintains a collection of records, resources, and services designed to aid people learn more well-nigh their family history. Facilitating the operation of LDS ordinances for deceased relatives is some other major aim of the organization. Although it requires user account registration, it offers complimentary access to its resources and service online at FamilySearch.org. In addition, FamilySearch offers personal assistance at more than than 5,100 family history centers in 140 countries, including the Family History Library in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah.^[6] The Family unit Tree department allows user-generated content to be contributed to the genealogical database. As of February 2021^[update], there are over 1.3 billion individuals in the tree and the historical records database contains over five.vii billion digital images, including digitized books, digitized microfilm, and other digital records.^{[7] [8]}

History [edit]

Genealogical Gild of Utah [edit]

Logo of the Genealogical Society of Utah

GSU, the predecessor of FamilySearch, was founded on ane November 1894. Its purpose was to create a genealogical library to be used both by its members and other people, to share educational data nearly genealogy, and to gather genealogical records in order to perform religious ordinances for the dead. It was founded under the management of LDS Church leaders, when the First Presidency appointed Franklin D. Richards every bit the outset president.^[9]

The society published the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine from 1910 to 1940.^[ten]

The GSU began microfilming records of genealogical importance in 1938.^[11] In 1963, the microfilm collection was moved to the newly completed Granite Mount Records Vault for long-term preservation.

In 1975, the GSU became the LDS Church's Genealogical Department, which later became the Family History Department. At that time, its head officer was renamed president from executive managing director, starting during Theodore K. Burton's term.^[9] However, the title "President of the Genealogical Club of Utah" and other GSU titles were still used and bestowed upon department officers.

In 2000, the Church consolidated its Family History and Historical departments into the Family and Church History Section, and Richard E. Turley Jr. became managing manager of the new section and president of the GSU. Subsequently this decision was reversed and the Family History Department was separated from the Church History Department, becoming its own department.^[12]

In 2008, the Vatican issued a statement calling the do known as baptism for the dead "erroneous" and directing its dioceses to go on parish records from Latter-twenty-four hours Saints performing genealogical enquiry.^[xiii]

Presidents of the Genealogical Society of Utah [edit]

Name	Term	Notes
Franklin D. Richards	1894–99	[nine]
Anthon H. Lund	1900–21	[nine]
Charles West. Penrose	1921–25	[9]
Anthony W. Ivins	1925–34	[ix]
Joseph Fielding Smith	1934–61	[nine]
Junius Jackson	1961–62	[9]
North. Eldon Tanner	1963	[9]
Howard W. Hunter	1964–72	[9]
Theodore M. Burton	1972–78	[ix]
J. Thomas Fyans	1978	[9]
Royden G. Derrick	1979–84	[9]
Richard G. Scott	1984–88	[9]
J. Richard Clarke	1988–93	[nine]
Monte J. Brough	1993–2000?	[9]
Richard E. Turley Jr.	2000?–08	[14]

FamilySearch [edit]

FamilySearch logo used 2006–2013

In 1998, the GSU began digital imaging of records and in about August 1998 the decision was fabricated by LDS Church leaders to build a genealogical website. In May 1999, the website first opened to the public as FamilySearch.^[15] The beta version, released April 1, almost immediately went off-line, overloaded considering of high popularity.^[four] But a few days after the official launch, the website had received an estimated 100 meg hits. To handle the load, site visitors were only given access to the site for 15 minutes at a time.^[16] In Nov 1999, 240 1000000 names were added, bringing the total number of entries to 640 meg.^[17]

In 2009, the LDS Church building launched a collaborative tree known as "New FamilySearch." It was the precursor to the current "FamilySearch Family Tree," and was only bachelor to church members.^[18] The organization was an attempt to combine multiple genealogical submissions to FamilySearch's databases into ane single tree, but information technology did non allow users to edit data that they had not submitted. It also was difficult to add sources to individuals in the tree or determine what was the correct data among multiple submissions. Past April 2011, plans were in place to redesign the database into a more collaborative platform.^[19]

In 2011, the FamilySearch website received a major redesign. The previous site had allowed users to only search one database at a fourth dimension, simply the new version allowed sitewide searches of multiple databases. Information technology also included the improver of more databases every bit well equally some digitized and indexed microfilms.^[20]

On xvi Nov 2012, it was announced that the new Family unit Tree database would be available to all users of New FamilySearch, and that the New FamilySearch database would eventually be phased out.^[21] On five March 2013, it was announced that Family Tree would now exist available to everyone, whether or not they were members of the LDS Church.^{[22] [23]} On 16 Apr 2013 FamilySearch completely revamped the site design mostly, with new features and a changed color scheme. Some of the new features include an interactive fan chart and some press capabilities, as well every bit the power to add photos to Family Tree.^[24]

In February 2014, FamilySearch announced partnerships with Ancestry.com, findmypast and MyHeritage, which includes sharing massive amounts of their databases with those companies, and members of the LDS Church receiving costless subscriptions with these companies. They also have a standing relationship with BillionGraves, in which the photographed and indexed images of graves are both searchable on FamilySearch and are linked to individuals in the family tree.^{[25] [26]} At the terminate of 2015, FamilyTree had ane.ane billion persons added by 2.47 million contributors.^[27]

In August 2017, FamilySearch discontinued distribution of physical microfilm to its family history centers due to large-calibration availability of digital images of those films and planned digitization of remaining films.^[28] In May 2018, FamilySearch added and digitized its 2 billionth tape.^[8] In September 2020, FamilySearch announced that information technology now includes 8 billion names, iii.2 billion digital images, and 490,000 digital books, with over ane million new records each day. 7 billion names from almost every country were added within the last x years.^[29]

Activities [edit]

RootsTech [edit]

Since 2011, FamilySearch International has organized an almanac family history and engineering science conference chosen RootsTech. It is held annually in the Table salt Palace Convention Middle, Table salt Lake Urban center, Utah. The conference is attended past genealogists, technology developers, and members of the LDS Church. In 2014 there were nearly thirteen,000 people in omnipresence. As of 2020, it is the world's largest family history and technology briefing in the earth.^[thirty] It is the successor to 3 former conferences: the Conference on Computerized Family unit History and Genealogy, the Family History Technology Workshop^[31] and the FamilySearch Developers Conference.^[32] Over the years, RootsTech has welcomed a number of celebrities, goggle box personalities, and actors as keynote speakers.

Website [edit]

Historical Records [edit]

The main service of the FamilySearch website is to offer access to digital images and indexes of genealogical records. These images can be searched along with a number of databases. While admission to the records is always free, some records take restricted access, and can only be viewed at a Family History Eye, an Affiliate Library or past LDS members.^{[33] [34]} FamilySearch.org as well contains the catalog of the Family unit History Library in Salt Lake Urban center, Utah. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions, including over 2.iv million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 490,000 books, serials, and other formats; and 4,500 periodicals.^[35]

FamilySearch Family Tree [edit]

FamilySearch FamilyTree (FSFT) is a "one world tree," or a unified database that aims to comprise 1 entry for each person recorded in genealogical records. All FamilySearch users are able to add together persons, link them to existing persons or merge duplicates. Sources, images, and audio files tin can as well be fastened to persons in the tree.^[36]

There are also several features specific to the membership of the LDS Church, facilitating temple ordinance work. In keeping with an agreement with Jewish groups and to foreclose abuse, performing LDS ordinances for Holocaust victims or celebrities results in account intermission until the researcher proves a legitimate family connection to the bailiwick of their search.^[37]

As of July 2014, the Family unit Tree website was bachelor in 11 languages:

• English language
• Deutsch (German)
• Español (Spanish)
• Français (French)
• Italiano (Italian)
• 日本語 (Japanese)
• 한국어 (Korean)
• Português (Portuguese)
• Русский (Russian)
• Svenska (Swedish)
• 中文 (Chinese)

By ii December 2020, the website was available in xx additional languages^[38] to brand 31 full languages:

• Български (Bulgarian)
• Česky (Czech)
• Dansk (Danish)
• Suomi (Finnish)
• Vosa vakaviti (Fijian)
• Magyar (Hungarian)
• Bahasa Republic of indonesia (Indonesian)
• ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer)
• Монгол (Mongolian)
• Nederlands (Dutch)
• Norsk (Norwegian)
• Polski (Polish)
• Română (Romanian)
• Slovenčina (Slovak)
• Gagana Samoa (Samoan)
• Shqip (Albanian)
• Svenska (Swedish)
• ภาษาไทย (Thai)
• Faka-tonga (Tongan)
• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

FamilySearch allows users to input same-sexual practice marriages or other unions.^[39]

Indexing projects [edit]

Searchable indexes of the records on FamilySearch are created by volunteers of the FamilySearch Indexing program. To ensure greater accuracy, each batch of records is indexed by an indexer and is then checked by a more experienced indexer. Indexing volunteers demand non be members of the LDS Church. FamilySearch is currently working with genealogical societies all around the world to index local projects.

At the cease of 2010, 548 million vital records had been transcribed and made publicly bachelor through the FamilySearch website.^[twoscore] In April 2013, FamilySearch Indexing completed their goal to offer one billion indexed records online.^[41]

Education [edit]

FamilySearch offers free lessons on FamilySearch.org to assist people learn how to observe their ancestors. The topics range from bones inquiry to grooming on specific tape types and are designed for both beginners and experienced researchers. Almost of the classes come from research consultants in the Family History Library in Common salt Lake City, just FamilySearch is also collaborating with partners such as the Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri, to record and post classes.

In 2007, information technology was decided to start a Family History Research Wiki to help FamilySearch users and others researching genealogy and family history to find and share information on data sources and enquiry tips. The get-go version of the wiki was built on the Plone wiki software production, but it was shortly discovered that MediaWiki software was much more suitable, so in January 2008 it was moved to the MediaWiki platform. In the intervening years it was rolled out in other languages, and as of July 2014 information technology was bachelor in 11 languages.^[42] The other language wikis are found via links at the bottom of the wiki homepage. The wiki in English had over 79,500 articles and over 150,000 registered users equally of July 2014.^[43]

[edit]

In 2009 a forums site, which grew to include a variety of subject and topic categories, was started. Some of the extra features included social groups where people could discuss a item surname or other topic related to genealogy. Help topics were likewise featured with discussions related to New FamilySearch (new.familysearch.org), FamilySearch Indexing, and some other products and site features. The forums were never linked from the homepage, but were accessible at forums.familysearch.org. Effective 31 December 2012 the forums were closed, although they remain available in read-but form.^[44] In 2018, FamilySearch launched a new community forum, called "FamilySearch Customs." ^[45]

Many FamilySearch users accept created communities and Facebook groups in an effort to answering members' genealogy research questions, assistance in translation of documents, and other resource. These research communities cover the majority of the world's countries, assuasive members abiding assistance with genealogical research.^[46]

Mobile apps [edit]

FamilySearch has 2 mobile apps: FamilySearch Tree and FamilySearch Memories. They are both supported in iOS and Android and are available in 10 different languages. The FamilySearch Tree app provides virtually of the features available on the FamilySearch website when exploring the Family Tree. The FamilySearch Memories app accesses the features in the "Memories" department of the Family unit Tree, and allows users to record audio and upload photos directly into the FamilySearch Family Tree from the mobile app.^{[47] [48]}

Facilities [edit]

Family History Library [edit]

FamilySearch operates the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library was built in 1985 as a successor to previous libraries run by the Genealogical Lodge of Utah. The library is open to the public and has a big collection of international genealogical materials, including microfilm, books, and digital materials. The library's itemize and many of their digital materials are located at the FamilySearch website.

Granite Mount Records Vault [edit]

FamilySearch stores copies of their records in a dry out, environment-controlled facility built into Granite Mountain in Piffling Cottonwood Coulee, most Table salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. The storage facility is known as the Granite Mountain Records Vault. The vault stores over 2.four million rolls of microfilm and i one thousand thousand microfiches.

Family History Centers [edit]

FamilySearch operates over 5,100 Family History Centers in 140 countries around the world. The centers are branches of the Family unit History Library, frequently located within LDS Church buildings. Their purpose is to help people with their genealogy and provide access to and assistance with genealogical materials and software provided past FamilySearch.

See also [edit]

• Baptism for the expressionless § Genealogy and baptism
• GEDCOM
• Immigrant Ancestors Project
• List of Mormon family organizations
• Personal Ancestral File

References [edit]

1. ^ "Almost FamilySearch". FamilySearch . Retrieved August 2, 2019.
2. ^ Nauta, Paul Thousand. (July 1, 2015). "FamilySearch International Appoints Steve Rockwood as President and CEO to Replace Dennis Brimhall Who Retired". FamilySearch Blog . Retrieved August 2, 2019.
3. ^ "World'south Largest Family History Result Held in Utah". RootsTech. February ii, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019. Stephen T. Rockwood is the managing managing director for the Family History Department of the LDS Church building and president and CEO of FamilySearch International, representing the close connexion of the two organizations.
4. ^ ^{a b} Davis, Erik (July 1, 1999). "Databases of the Dead". Wired . Retrieved August iii, 2019. The commodity refers to the "Family History Department" of the LDS church building equally the entity behind the creation of the original FamilySearch website.
5. ^ Noyce, David (Baronial 3, 2017). "Mormon genealogy library unveils a fun new way to notice your roots". Salt Lake Tribune . Retrieved June 26, 2019.
6. ^ "Observe a Family History Heart and FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries". FamilySearch . Retrieved August three, 2019.
7. ^ "FamilySearch Company Facts". Retrieved June 27, 2019.
8. ^ ^{a b} "FamilySearch Adds 2 Billionth Image of Genealogy Records". FamilySearch News Releases. April 23, 2013. Retrieved August iii, 2019.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j one thousand l m north o p} Allen, James B.; Embry, Jessie 50.; Mehr, Kahlile B. (1995), Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Order of Utah, 1894-1994, Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, Brigham Young University
10. ^ Meyerink, Kory Leland (1998). Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records . Table salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, Inc. p. 710. ISBN9780916489700.
11. ^ Pugmire, Genelle. "LDS Church celebrates 120th anniversary of Genealogical Society, now FamilySearch". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on August three, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
12. ^ T, Justin. "Breaking News: Changes in Family and Church History Department System". Juvenile Instructor Blog. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015.
13. ^ Muth, Chad (May ii, 2008). "Vatican alphabetic character directs bishops to keep parish records from Ladder-Day Saints". Catholic News Service. Us Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved May five, 2008.
14. ^ "Biography - Richard E. Turley Jr.", Church Newsroom, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 12, 2008, retrieved November 20, 2008
15. ^ "Sowing Seeds for Family Trees". Wired. Reuters. May 24, 1999. Retrieved August three, 2019.
16. ^ Toone, Trent (March 28, 2017). "How applied science revolutionized family history work in contempo decades". Deseret News . Retrieved August 4, 2019.
17. ^ "640 Million Names Added to Familysearch Site". Beginnings Magazine. Ancestry Inc.: 9 January–Feb 2000.
18. ^ "Updated FamilySearch.org to Bring New Features Under One Roof". Church building News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-24-hour interval Saints. July 16, 2010. Retrieved Baronial five, 2019. New.familysearch.org, which replaced TempleReady terminal twelvemonth and includes the Family Tree characteristic, will exist integrated into the updated site.
19. ^ "The Example for moving to "Our Tree" : A FamilySearch White Paper" (PDF). FamilySearch International. April 2011.
20. ^ Crume, Rick (June ix, 2011). "Inside the New FamilySearch.org". Family unit Tree Magazine . Retrieved August v, 2019. ^{[ permanent expressionless link ]}
21. ^ Green, David (November xvi, 2012). "Family Tree Now Bachelor To new.familysearch.org Users". FamilySearch Web log . Retrieved August 5, 2019.
22. ^ Wright, Matt (Apr 12, 2013). "Family Tree is Available to All Users". FamilySearch Blog.
23. ^ Lloyd, R. Scott (March 11, 2013). "FamilyTree: New FamilySearch Service Promotes Collaboration". Church News. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-24-hour interval Saints. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
24. ^ "FamilySearch launches redesigned website". KSL News. Apr 18, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
25. ^ Brimhall, Dennis (February 26, 2014). "FamilySearch Partnerships: Some Questions and Answers". FamilySearch Blog . Retrieved August three, 2019.
26. ^ "MyHeritage Partners With FamilySearch To Add Billions Of Historical Records To Its Genealogy Database". Tech Crunch. October 15, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
27. ^ Sagers, Diane (December 29, 2015). "2015 Twelvemonth in Review: FamilySearch Grows as World'due south Foremost Family History Resource". FamilySearch Blog.
28. ^ FamilySearch (May thirty, 2017). "Microfilm Distribution to Exist Discontinued on August 31, 2017". FamilySearch Blog . Retrieved August three, 2019. Improving search results and indexing additional records is on-going work, as is improving international resources for those living in countries outside of the United States.
29. ^ "FamilySearch Hits 8 Billion Searchable Names in Historical Records". FamilySearch News Releases. September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
30. ^ Toone, Trent (Nov 12, 2020). "Trent Toone/4 keynote speakers appear for RootsTech'due south get-go virtual conference". Deseret News . Retrieved February 14, 2021.
31. ^ "Family History Technology Workshop". Brigham Young University.
32. ^ "Conferences and Workshops". ce.byu.edu . Retrieved August 1, 2018.
33. ^ "What are the image restrictions in Historical Records?". FamilySearch Assist . Retrieved Baronial 3, 2019. ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
34. ^ Tanner, James (August 27, 2017). "Restricted Records on FamilySearch.org". Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: Genealogy from the perspective of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
35. ^ "About the Family History Library". FamilySearch.org. Archived from the original on February half-dozen, 2007. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
36. ^ Morton, Sunny (Feb 15, 2019). "The World's Largest Shared Family Tree". FamilySearch Weblog . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
37. ^ Jensen, Derek P. (March seven, 2012), "Mormon church blocks whistle-blower's access to baptism information", The Table salt Lake Tribune, archived from the original on October 21, 2013
38. ^ Bradshaw, Laurie (December 2, 2020). "New Languages available on FamilySearch.org". FamilySearch Web log . Retrieved April xix, 2021.
39. ^ "FamilySearch completes projection to allow aforementioned-sexual activity family trees". Deseret News . Retrieved December 10, 2019.
40. ^ "FamilySearch Volunteers Have Indexed Over 500 Meg Records". FamilySearch Weblog. February one, 2011.
41. ^ Connolly, Courtney (April 22, 2013). "Thank you A Billion". FamilySearch Blog.
42. ^ "FamilySearch Wiki:Non-English versions of the wiki". FamilySearch Inquiry Wiki . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
43. ^ "Statistics". FamilySearch Inquiry Wiki . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
44. ^ "FamilySearch Forums". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on Feb 10, 2013. Retrieved Jan 11, 2013.
45. ^ "FamilySearch Customs Groups Assistance with Questions". Roots and Branches Blog. April one, 2018. Retrieved September iv, 2019.
46. ^ "FamilySearch Genealogy Enquiry Groups". FamilySearch Research Wiki . Retrieved August iii, 2019.
47. ^ "Using the New FamilySearch Mobile Apps for iOS and Android!". FamilySearch Web log . Retrieved December 11, 2014.
48. ^ "Family Tree Mobile". FamilySearch . Retrieved August 3, 2019.

External links [edit]

• Official website
• Taylor, Rebecca Thou. "A Century of Genealogy" The Friend, March 1994.
• "Genealogical Society: A century of steady growth and development" Church News, November 1994.

burgeswastand98.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FamilySearch

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