WHAT'S NEW IN FAMILY HISTORY FROM THE LDS CHURCH

©2009 by Donald R. Snow

• Welcome and Introduction to Class
• The FamilySearch Wiki
• Family History Library Favorites
• FamilySearch Labs
• New FamilySearch and Family Tree
• Family History Training for LDS Members
• FamilySearch Indexing
• Other Helpful Resources Explaining What's New
• Assignment

• Welcome
• Instructors are Donald R. and Diane M. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu and dms34@juno.com ) of Provo and St. George, Utah.
• These notes with active Internet links are posted on the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group website http://uvtagg.org under Class Outlines , Don's Listings .  Many other class notes for family history are linked on the UVTAGG website also.
• This class will discuss some of the new things that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is working on in family history.

• Free family history research information for everyone
• Word "wiki" means anyone can edit and add to it -- all can view it, but you must be registered to make changes, so they know who made the changes
• Has information about geography, family history research, archives, records, maps, notes, websites
• Includes all the printed Research Outlines, helps, guides, and leaflets that the FH Library published -- all are updated and include websites
• Is being added to everyday by FH Library staff and people around the world
• Already very helpful for many places in the world, e.g. the U.S. and the British Isles
• Will eventually be linked on http://www.familysearch.org , but isn't yet

• Consists of 4000-5000 genealogy links organized by country and topic -- Current version is dated 12 Jan 2009
• Will probably all be in FamilySearch Wiki sometime, but just has links to it now
• Can use it online or download it and put it in your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc.)
  • To use it online go to http://www.fhlfavorites.info/ (version dated Jul 2008)
  • To download it and put it in you browser see the instructions and links on the FamilySearch Wiki above

• Has new products of the LDS Family History Department for the public to try out and comment on -- They want feedback and suggestions, so try them out.
• Their blog has the latest up-to-date info -- http://labs.familysearch.org/blog/
• Programs there include
  • FamilySearch Wiki -- See earlier paragraph
  • FamilySearch Indexing -- See paragrph below
  • Family Tree program (new interface for new FamilySearch) -- See paragraph below
  • Pedigree Viewer to view many-generation pedigree charts by expanding the parts you are interested in
  • FamilySearch Alpha -- future appearance of FamilySearch
  • Life Browser program to accept data, pictures, timelines, etc.
  • Standard Finder -- shows standard formats for names, dates, and places
    • Gives lists of variations of names and places
    • Also gives links to resources, e.g. Google Earth and how to use it

• Family Tree is the experimental interface for new FamilySearch (nFS) -- can try it out and give them your feedback -- will be incorporated into new FamilySearch
• These take the place of TempleReady -- only way to submit names for LDS temple work now, even in Utah temples
• At present you can only register on nFS when your LDS Temple District goes on it
  • Is in operation now (Aug 2009) in most of the approximately 145 LDS Temple Districts outside of Utah
  • Will be "rolled out" in Utah Temple Districts by regions (collections of stakes) in the temple districts
  • Parts will be open to non-LDS later
• Website https://consultant.familysearch.org/consultant/home.do has tutorials, links, and news about new FamilySearch
• Incorporates several databases, e.g. the IGI, LDS Church membership records, Pedigree Resource Files, and others
• FamilySearch Family Tree program -- http://labs.familysearch.org/familytree/Main.html
  • New interface for nFS and uses your nFS login info and data
  • Must be registered on new FamilySearch to see Family Tree at present -- when you log in with your nFS info you see your own family tree and info
  • Any changes you make on FamilySearch Family Tree will be shown in new FamilySearch and vice versa
• Gary Turner's Family History Online Training Links webpage includes a short slide show called "new FamilySearch" that illustrates the general philosophy of combining (not merging) names and data -- see http://newfamilyhistory.googlepages.com/home
• Miles Meyer's Family History Resources webpage includes map of temple districts with new Family Search -- http://milesmeyer.googlepages.com/
• The Ancestry Insider - up-to-date information on nFS -- http://ancestryinsider.blogspot.com/ - scroll down in the right-hand panel and click on New FamilySearch
• nFS is also discussed in Randy Bryson's PowerPoint presentation "The Future of Family History" -- can view and/or download this from Sandra Jarvis' FH webpage http://sandrajarvisfamilyhistory.com/default.aspx under Consultant Training
• Our first task in nFS will be to combine the data about our ancestors, so we need to clean up, verify, and find sources for our own databases now

• LDS Church produces good training materials for FH consultants, members, and priesthood leaders
• See my notes on FH Training for LDS Members and Leaders at http://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-ldsfhtraining.html
• Several FH training videos on http://www.lds.org under Serving in the Church > Family History > Training Videos for Family History Leaders or go directly to them at http://www.lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,8443-1,00.html
• FH Consultants Guide to Temple and Family History Work -- online at http://www.lds.org/pa/familyhistory/Family_History_Consultants_Guide_36797_000_ENG.pdf  or get to it on http://www.lds.org > Home > Serving in the Church > Family History > Family History Consultants
• Some LDS FH websites require registration to be able to see everything there
  • Some of the registrations require that you be LDS and have your membership number and confirmation date -- See your Ward Clerk.
  • Registrations are separate for each site, but you can use the same password and user name, if that hasn't already been chosen 
• New FH Sunday School materials announced and discussed at BYU Genealogy and FH Conf, 28-31 Jul 2009, including Instructor's Manual and new DVD -- Deseret News article about it - http://ldschurchnews.com/articles/57699/Flexibility-teaching-doctrine-and-focusing-on-the-Spirit.html
• LDS Church websites needing registration
  1. http://www.familysearch.org
     • Everyone can see most of this site without registering
     • Education tab on LIBRARY on has lots of good FH information
     • Need LDS registration to see temple work done
     • Need registration to upload GEDCOM's for PRF (Pedigree Resource File)
     • Need registration to ask questions via email
  2. http://new.familysearch.org -- new FamilySearch and FamilySearch Family Tree program -- http://labs.familysearch.org/familytree/#start
  3. https://lds.netdimensions.com -- for FH consultants and priesthood leaders
     • Requires signing up on https://consultant.familysearch.org to receive password for instructions and training modules
     • Will also give you sooner access to nFS
  4. https://help.familysearch.org/kb/Local_Support/en/Consultants/memos/en/englishmemos.html -- contains all the FH Support memos sent to registered consultants
  5. http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhcdirector/ -- Family History Online Guide
     • For FHC Directors and Consultants -- FHC Director has to sign you up
     • Usually shows the most up-to-date information
  6. http://www.familysearchindexing.org -- great program for you to help index FH records

• Anyone can volunteer to help index digital records -- go to above website
• Are digitizing (converting to electronic form) all 2.4 million microfilms from the Granite Mountain Vault (FH Library), so they can be indexed
  • Will take several years to finish digitizing and then indexing
  • Records and indexes without copyright restrictions will then be posted online
  • Records and indexes with copyright restrictions will probably only be available online at Family History Centers
• The general idea is that you can get large projects indexed if everyone does a little
  • Many volunteers (over 100,000 - Apr 2009)
  • LDS Church has developed programs so that when you have 20-30 minutes you can sign on and index a small batch
  • You select the records you want to work on -- see Projects on http://www.familysearchindexing.org to see the wide variety of records they have ready to index
• Tutorials on how to do it are on Helps on website
• Have just reported (Apr 2009) they have already indexed 250 million records and they are posted online at http://pilot.familysearch.org/

• News on LDS Church Press Room (link at bottom right of Home page of  http://www.familysearch.org ) , then click on FamilySearch Media Kit and Press Releases
• http://ohanasoftware.com/ -- click on Support > Lessons, etc.
• See early draft version of LDS FH Consultants Syllabus at Sandra Jarvis' FH webpage under Consultant Training -- http://sandrajarvisfamilyhistory.com/default.aspx
• See short videos for FH consultants and others onhttp://www.masteringfamilyhistory.com/
• Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group webpage http://uvtagg.org has many useful outlines and articles under Class Outlines
• Brigham Young University has free FH courses and materials
  • BYU Independent Study -- http://ce.byu.edu/is/
  • BYU's Online Genealogy Tutorial -- http://ce.byu.edu/is/genealogy/
  • Introduction to Family History -- http://261.byu.edu
  • BYU's PAF Tutorial -- http://paftutorial.byu.edu/
• See lists of websites for LDS on http://www.cyndislist.com/lds.htm

1. Go to https://wiki.familysearch.org and look at the information on some country, e.g. England.
2. Go to http://labs.familysearch.org/ and try some of the new programs and databases shown.
3. Sign up for http://www.familysearchindexing.org and index a few records to see how it goes.
4. If you are LDS and a FH consultant, register on https://consultant.familysearch.org and look at the training modules on https://lds.netdimensions.com.