| Whether you belong to the Church of Jesus | | | | 3. You can search the database using more than |
| Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly | | | | just first and last names; if you have information |
| referred to as the Mormon Church, or not, the | | | | like the year of birth or death, or even the date |
| church has made available an extensive database | | | | of a wedding, you will be able to narrow down |
| of their genealogy records. Launched in 1999 and | | | | the number of search results you retrieve. |
| free to the public, this database can be an | | | | Most members, both current and former, of the |
| invaluable source of genealogy records for an | | | | Mormon Church have done their own extensive |
| intrepid researcher. | | | | research into their ancestry. Making contact with |
| FamilySearch.org is the web site maintained by | | | | these researchers would be incredibly helpful for |
| the Church which you will certainly want to | | | | you; not only to compare your research |
| bookmark. Before using this expansive database, | | | | side-by-side with theirs for accuracy, but also to |
| there are a few things to be aware of so that | | | | help you fill in those possible gaps in your own |
| you can make your search of Mormon Church | | | | research. The genealogy hobby is like few others, |
| genealogy as easy as possible. Here are a few | | | | it is hobby that inspires passion and a burning |
| tips for searching the Church's database. | | | | desire to seek out more information, you are |
| | | | sure to find fellow hobbyists and historians eager |
| 1. As with any search for information, be aware | | | | to share their findings with you when you make |
| that not all of the data your search turns up is | | | | contact with them. |
| going to be 100% accurate. The best course of | | | | In addition to the expansive online database there |
| action for this situation is to make sure that you | | | | are also many Mormon genealogy and family |
| verify the information from more than one | | | | history books that have been published. These |
| source. While the Mormon Church does maintain | | | | books can not only be located online for |
| good records it would just be a prudent move to | | | | purchasing, but the content can very often be |
| check with other researchers and family | | | | searched online. The books are also available for |
| members who would have a recollection of those | | | | viewing in several libraries around the country. |
| you are researching. It never hurts to | | | | Should you struggle locating a book then consider |
| double-check your information, no matter the | | | | either posting on a forum for assistance, or |
| source! | | | | contact the church directly. |
| 2. The bulk of researching sites will not allow you | | | | Another wonderful source of information is the |
| to search without a last name, the Mormon | | | | information documented by early church |
| Church search website is no exception. If you do | | | | members who kept diaries, journals and thorough |
| not know the full first name of the person you | | | | records of their daily activities; these records date |
| are researching then consider just searching by | | | | as far back as the 1830's, and can be located in |
| the first few letters of their first name if you do | | | | libraries. |
| have that information. Remember, the more | | | | A large collection of physical data covering |
| information that you use in your search, the more | | | | Mormon Church genealogy is warehoused in Salt |
| likely you are to reach the exact information that | | | | Lake City, it is considered to be the largest |
| you are seeking. | | | | collection of genealogy records in the world. |