:FamilySearch

File:Genealogical Society of Utah logo.svg

GSU, the predecessor of FamilySearch, was founded on 1 November 1894. Its purpose was to create a genealogical library to be used both by its members and other people, to share educational information about genealogy, and to gather genealogical records in order to perform religious ordinances for the dead. It was founded under the direction of Church leaders, when the First Presidency appointed Franklin D. Richards as the first president.

The society published the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine from 1910 to 1940.{{cite book|page = [https://archive.org/details/printedsourcesgu00meye/page/710 710]|url = https://archive.org/details/printedsourcesgu00meye|url-access = registration|title = Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records|first = Kory Leland|last = Meyerink|year = 1998|publisher = Ancestry, Inc.|isbn = 9780916489700|place = Salt Lake City, Utah}}

The GSU began microfilming records of genealogical importance in 1938.{{cite web |last1=Pugmire |first1=Genelle |title=LDS Church celebrates 120th anniversary of Genealogical Society, now FamilySearch |url=https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/lds-church-celebrates-th-anniversary-of-genealogical-society-now-familysearch/article_fd4b36fd-794f-5eb0-8f9d-c4794be5ea0f.html |website=Daily Herald |access-date=August 3, 2019 |archive-date=August 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803223228/https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/lds-church-celebrates-th-anniversary-of-genealogical-society-now-familysearch/article_fd4b36fd-794f-5eb0-8f9d-c4794be5ea0f.html |url-status=dead }} In 1963, the microfilm collection was moved to the newly completed Granite Mountain Records Vault for long-term preservation.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

In 1975, the GSU became the Church's Genealogical Department, which later became the FHD. At that time, its head officer was renamed president from executive director, starting during Theodore M. Burton's term.{{Citation

| last1 = Allen

| first1 = James B.

| author-link1 = James B. Allen (historian)

| last2 = Embry

| first2 = Jessie L.

| last3 = Mehr

| first3 = Kahlile B.

| title=Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994

| publisher=BYU Studies, Brigham Young University

| year=1995

| location=Provo, Utah

| url=http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/byustudies,2282

}} However, the title "President of the Genealogical Society 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 Department, and Richard E. Turley Jr. became managing director of the new department and president of the GSU. Later this decision was reversed and the Family History Department was separated from the Church History Department, becoming its own department.{{cite web|last1=T |first1=Justin |title=Breaking News: Changes in Family and Church History Department Organization |url=http://davidgolding.com/ji-test/breaking-news-changes-in-church-history-department-organization/|website=Juvenile Instructor Blog |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006153215/http://davidgolding.com/ji-test/breaking-news-changes-in-church-history-department-organization/ |archive-date=2015-10-06 }}

In 2008, the Vatican issued a statement calling the practice known as baptism for the dead "erroneous" and directing Catholic dioceses to keep parish records from Latter-day Saints performing genealogical research.{{cite web |last=Muth |first=Chad |date=2008-05-02 |title=Vatican letter directs bishops to keep parish records from Mormons |url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802443.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080513195437/http%3A//www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802443.htm |archive-date=2008-05-13 |access-date=2008-05-05 |work=Catholic News Service |publisher=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops}}

File:FamilySearch logo.svg

In 1998, the GSU began digital imaging of records and in about August 1998 the decision was made by Church leaders to build a genealogical website. In May 1999, the website first opened to the public as FamilySearch.{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/1999/05/sowing-seeds-for-family-trees/|title=Sowing Seeds for Family Trees|magazine=Wired|date=24 May 1999|agency=Reuters|access-date=3 Aug 2019}} The beta version, released April 1, almost immediately went offline, overloaded because of high popularity.{{cite magazine|last=Davis|first=Erik|url=https://www.wired.com/1999/07/mormons/|title=Databases of the Dead|magazine=Wired|date=1 July 1999|access-date=3 Aug 2019}} The article refers to the "Family History Department" of the LDS church as the entity behind the creation of the original FamilySearch website. Only a few days after the official launch, the website had received an estimated 100 million hits. To handle the load, site visitors were only given access to the site for 15 minutes at a time.{{cite web|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865676564/How-technology-revolutionized-family-history-work-in-recent-decades.amp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329021305/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865676564/How-technology-revolutionized-family-history-work-in-recent-decades.amp |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 29, 2017 |title=How technology revolutionized family history work in recent decades|work=Deseret News|date=28 Mar 2017|access-date=4 Aug 2019|last=Toone|first=Trent}}

In November 1999, 240 million names were added, bringing the total number of entries to 640 million.{{cite journal |title= 640 Million Names Added to Familysearch Site |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Qg9k9CLMZHoC&pg=RA1-PA7-IA2 |journal= Ancestry Magazine |date=January–February 2000 |page= 9 |publisher= Ancestry Inc.}}

In 2009, the Church launched a collaborative tree known as "New FamilySearch". It was the precursor to the current "FamilySearch Family Tree", and was only available to church members.{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/updated-familysearch-to-bring-new-features-under-one-roof?lang=eng|title=Updated FamilySearch.org to Bring New Features Under One Roof|work=Church News|quote=New.familysearch.org, which replaced TempleReady last year and includes the Family Tree feature, will be integrated into the updated site.|publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|date=16 July 2010|access-date=5 Aug 2019}} The system was an attempt to combine multiple genealogical submissions to FamilySearch's databases into one single tree, but it did not allow users to edit information that they had not submitted. It also was difficult to add sources to individuals in the tree or determine what was the correct information among multiple submissions. By April 2011, plans were in place to redesign the database into a more collaborative platform.{{cite web|url=http://broadcast.lds.org/eLearning/fhd/Community/en/FamilySearch/FamilyTree/pdf/The_Case_for_Our_Tree_FamilySearch.pdf|title=The Case for moving to "Our Tree" : A FamilySearch White Paper|date=April 2011|publisher=FamilySearch International}}

In 2011, the FamilySearch website received a major redesign. The previous site had allowed users to only search one database at a time, but the new version allowed sitewide searches of multiple databases. It also included the addition of more databases as well as some digitized and indexed microfilms.{{cite web|url=https://www.familytreemagazine.com/index.html%3Fp=3899.html|title=Inside the New FamilySearch.org|last=Crume|first=Rick|work=Family Tree Magazine|date=9 Jun 2011|access-date=5 Aug 2019}}{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

On 16 November 2012, it was announced that the new Family Tree database would be available to all users of New FamilySearch, and that the New FamilySearch database would eventually be phased out.{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/family-tree-newfamilysearchorg-users/|title=Family Tree Now Available To new.familysearch.org Users|website=FamilySearch Blog|last=Green|first=David|date=16 Nov 2012|access-date=5 Aug 2019}} On 5 March 2013, it was announced that Family Tree would now be available to everyone, whether or not they were members of the Church.{{cite web|last=Wright|first=Matt|url=https://familysearch.org/blog/en/family-tree-users/|title=Family Tree is Available to All Users|work=FamilySearch Blog|date=12 Apr 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/familytree-new-familysearch-service-promotes-collaboration?lang=eng&_r=1|title=FamilyTree: New FamilySearch Service Promotes Collaboration|work=Church News|publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|last=Lloyd|first=R. Scott|date=11 Mar 2013|access-date=5 Aug 2019}}

On 16 April 2013, FamilySearch completely revamped the site design generally, with new features and a changed color scheme. Some of the new features include an interactive fan chart and some printing capabilities, as well as the ability to add photos to Family Tree.{{cite web|url=https://www.ksl.com/article/24839297/familysearch-launches-redesigned-website|title=FamilySearch launches redesigned website|work=KSL News|date=18 Apr 2013|access-date=5 Aug 2019}}

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 Church receiving free 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.{{cite web|last=Brimhall|first=Dennis|url=https://familysearch.org/blog/en/questions-answers-familysearch-partners/|title=FamilySearch Partnerships: Some Questions and Answers|work=FamilySearch Blog|date=26 Feb 2014|access-date=3 Aug 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/10/15/myheritage-partners-with-familysearch-to-add-billions-of-historical-records-to-its-genealogy-database/|website=Tech Crunch|title=MyHeritage Partners With FamilySearch To Add Billions Of Historical Records To Its Genealogy Database|date=15 Oct 2013|access-date=5 Aug 2019}} At the end of 2015, FamilyTree had 1.1 billion persons added by 2.47 million contributors.{{cite web |last=Sagers|first=Diane |url=https://familysearch.org/blog/en/2015-year-review-familysearch-grows-worlds-foremost-family-history-resource/ |title=2015 Year in Review: FamilySearch Grows as World's Foremost Family History Resource|date=29 December 2015|work=FamilySearch Blog}}

In August 2017, FamilySearch discontinued distribution of physical microfilm to its family history centers due to large-scale availability of digital images of those films and planned digitization of remaining films.{{cite web|date=30 May 2017|author=FamilySearch |url= https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/microfilm-distribution-discontinued-august-31-2017/ |title=Microfilm Distribution to Be Discontinued on August 31, 2017|work=FamilySearch Blog|access-date=3 Aug 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. In May 2018, FamilySearch added and digitized its 2 billionth record.{{cite web|author=|url=https://media.familysearch.org/familysearch-adds-2-billionth-image-of-genealogy-records/|title=FamilySearch Adds 2 Billionth Image of Genealogy Records|work=FamilySearch News Releases|date=23 Apr 2013|access-date=3 Aug 2019}} In September 2020, FamilySearch announced that it now includes 8 billion names, 3.2 billion digital images, and 490,000 digital books, with over 1 million new records each day. 7 billion names from almost every country were added within the last 10 years.{{cite web|author=|url=https://media.familysearch.org/familysearch-hits-8-billion-searchable-names-in-historical-records/ |title=FamilySearch Hits 8 Billion Searchable Names in Historical Records|work=FamilySearch News Releases|date=24 Sep 2020|access-date=25 Sep 2020}}

{{main|RootsTech}}

Since 2011, FamilySearch International has organized an annual family history and technology conference called RootsTech. It is held annually in the Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. The conference is attended by professional and amateur genealogists, technology developers, and members of the Church. In 2014 there were nearly 13,000 people in attendance. As of 2020, it is the world's largest family history and technology conference in the world.{{Cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2020/11/12/21562464/rootstech-genealogy-family-history-keynote-2021-nick-vujicic-lorena-ochoa-utah-francesco-lotoro|title= Trent Toone/4 keynote speakers announced for RootsTech's first virtual conference|last=Toone|first=Trent|date=2020-11-12|work=Deseret News|access-date=2021-02-14|language=en}} It is the successor to three former conferences: the Conference on Computerized Family History and Genealogy, the Family History Technology Workshop{{cite web|url=http://fht.byu.edu/|title=Family History Technology Workshop|publisher=Brigham Young University|access-date=August 3, 2019|archive-date=August 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803233544/http://fht.byu.edu/|url-status=dead}} and the FamilySearch Developers Conference.{{cite web|url=http://ce.byu.edu/cw/cwcompu/infoTech.cfm|title=Conferences and Workshops|website=ce.byu.edu|access-date=1 August 2018}}

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 access to the records is always free, some records have restricted access, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center, at an Affiliate Library, or by members of the Church.{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/ask/salesforce/viewArticle?version=ka23A000000qfRJQAY&lang=en_US|title=What are the image restrictions in Historical Records?|website=FamilySearch Help|access-date=3 Aug 2019}}{{Dead link|date=January 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |last=Tanner|first=James|url=https://rejoiceandbeexceedingglad.blogspot.com/2017/08/restricted-records-on-familysearchorg.html |title=Restricted Records on FamilySearch.org|website=Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: Genealogy from the perspective of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|date=27 Aug 2017|access-date=3 Aug 2019}} FamilySearch.org also contains the catalog of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions, including over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche; 490,000 books, serials, and other formats; and 4,500 periodicals.{{cite web | url=http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/FHL/frameset_library.asp | title=About the Family History Library | publisher=FamilySearch.org | access-date=March 11, 2010 | archive-date=February 6, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206021655/http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHL/frameset_library.asp | url-status=dead }}

FamilySearch FamilyTree (FSFT) is a "one world tree," or a unified database that aims to contain one entry for each person recorded in genealogical records. All FamilySearch users are able to add persons, link them to existing persons or merge duplicates. Sources, images, and audio files can also be attached to persons in the tree.{{cite web|last=Morton|first=Sunny|url=https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/online-family-tree/|title=The World's Largest Shared Family Tree|work=FamilySearch Blog|date=15 Feb 2019|access-date=3 Aug 2019}}

There are also several features specific to the membership of the Church, facilitating temple ordinance work. In keeping with an agreement with Jewish groups and to prevent abuse, performing ordinances for Holocaust victims or celebrities results in account suspension until the researcher proves a legitimate family connection to the subject of their search.{{citation |url=https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=53667482&itype=CMSID#:~:text=A%20technological%20crackdown%2C%20telegraphed%20by,called%20baptisms%20for%20the%20dead. |title= Mormon church blocks whistle-blower's access to baptism data |first= Derek P. |last= Jensen |date= March 7, 2012 |newspaper= The Salt Lake Tribune |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021215344/http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53667482/church-names-radkey-proxy.html.csp |archive-date= October 21, 2013 }} FamilySearch allows users to input same-sex marriages or other unions.{{cite news |url=https://www.deseret.com/utah/2019/12/10/21004733/familysearch-same-sex-family-trees-lgbtq-geneology|title=FamilySearch completes project to allow same-sex family trees|newspaper=Deseret News|access-date=10 December 2019}}

{{Main|FamilySearch Indexing}}

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 need not be members of the Church. FamilySearch is currently working with genealogical societies all around the world to index local projects.

At the end of 2010, 548 million vital records had been transcribed and made publicly available through the FamilySearch website.{{cite web|url=https://media.familysearch.org/familysearch-volunteers-have-indexed-over-500-million-records/|title=FamilySearch Volunteers Have Indexed Over 500 Million Records|date=1 Feb 2011|work=FamilySearch Blog}} In April 2013, FamilySearch Indexing completed their goal to offer 1 billion indexed records online.{{cite web|last=Connolly|first=Courtney|date=22 Apr 2013|url=https://familysearch.org/blog/en/billion/|title=Thanks A Billion|work=FamilySearch Blog}}

FamilySearch offers free lessons on FamilySearch.org to help people learn how to find their ancestors. The topics range from basic research to training on specific record types and are designed for both beginners and experienced researchers. Most of the classes come from research consultants in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, but FamilySearch is also collaborating with partners such as the Mid-Continent Public Library in Independence, Missouri, to record and post classes.

In 2007, it was decided to start a FamilySearch Research Wiki to help FamilySearch users and others researching genealogy and family history to find and share information on data sources and research tips. The first version of the wiki was built on the Plone wiki software product, but it was soon 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 it was available in 11 languages.{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/FamilySearch_Wiki:Non-English_versions_of_the_wiki|title=FamilySearch Wiki:Non-English versions of the wiki|work=FamilySearch Research Wiki|access-date=3 Aug 2019}} 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 as of July 2014.{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Special:Statistics|title=Statistics|work=FamilySearch Research Wiki|access-date=3 Aug 2019}}

{{main|FamilySearch Library}}

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

{{main|Granite Mountain (Utah)}}

FamilySearch stores copies of their records in a dry, environment-controlled facility built into Granite Mountain in Little Cottonwood Canyon, near Salt Lake City, Utah. The storage facility is known as the Granite Mountain Records Vault. The vault stores over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm and 1 million microfiches.

{{main|FamilySearch Center}}

FamilySearch operates over 6,300 FamilySearch Centers in 140 countries around the world as of 2023. The centers are branches of the FamilySearch Library, often located in meetinghouses of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their purpose is to help people with their genealogy and provide access to and help with genealogical materials and software provided by FamilySearch.

{{Portal|Latter Day Saint movement}}

• {{section link|Baptism for the dead|Genealogy and baptism}}
• GEDCOM
• Immigrant Ancestors Project
• List of Mormon family organizations
• Personal Ancestral File

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|FamilySearch}}

• Taylor, Rebecca M. [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/1994/03/a-century-of-genealogy "A Century of Genealogy"] The Friend, March 1994.
• [https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/1994-11-26/genealogical-society-a-century-of-steady-growth-and-development-7209 "Genealogical Society: A century of steady growth and development"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802231822/https://www.thechurchnews.com/archive/1994-11-26/genealogical-society-a-century-of-steady-growth-and-development-7209 |date=August 2, 2019 }} Church News, November 1994.

{{Latter-day Saints}}

{{Genealogy software}}

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Category:1894 establishments in Utah Territory

Category:Genealogy and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Category:American genealogy websites

Category:Genealogy databases

Category:Organizations established in 1894