RECORDS SELECTION TABLE: TRACING LDS FAMILIES

The table below can help you decide which records to search.In column 1 find the goal you selected.Find in column 2 the types of records that are most likely to have the information you need. Then turn to that section of this outline.More records that may also be useful are listed in column 3.The Early Church Information File is an important index to many of these records and their family history information.

1. If You Need	2. Look First in	3. Then Search
Baptism date	Membership Records, Genealogy, Biography	Priesthood Records, Missionaries, Obituaries
Biographical sketches	Biography, Obituaries, Genealogy	History, Priesthood Records
Birth date and place	Membership Records, Biography, Priesthood Records, Missionaries	Patriarchal Blessings, Military Records, Census Temple Records
Children	Census, Genealogy, Obituaries	Membership Records, Biography
Crossing the ocean and crossing the plains	Emigration and Immigration, Biography, Genealogy, Obituaries	Membership Records, Periodicals, Colonization, History, Newspapers
Death information	Vital Records, Membership Records, Obituaries, Newspapers	Biography, History, Periodicals, Emigration and Immigration
Divorce	Genealogy, Membership Records	Biography, Obituaries
Emigration information	Emigration and Immigration, Genealogy, Biography	Colonization, Obituaries, Periodicals
Family history or genealogy	Genealogy, Biography, Temple Records	History, For Further Reading, Military Records
Historical background	History, Historical Geography	Periodicals
Living relatives	Genealogy, Biography, Obituaries	Census, Newspapers
Maps	Historical Geography	Colonization, History
Marriage information	Vital Records, Membership Records, Temple Records	Biography, Genealogy, Obituaries, Newspapers
Missionary service	Missionaries, Membership Records, Biography	Obituaries, Genealogy, History
Occupations	Biography, Obituaries, Genealogy	Newspapers, Military Records
Parents	Genealogy, Membership Records, Temple Records, Biography	Missionaries, Patriarchal Blessings
Patriarchal blessings	Patriarchal Blessings	Biography, Genealogies
Photographs	Biography, Genealogy	History
Physical description	Biography, Genealogy	Military Records
Place-finding aids	Historical Geography, Colonization, History	Archives and Libraries
Places of residence	Biography, Membership Records, Directories, Census	Obituaries, Priesthood Records, Colonization, Missionaries
Previous research	Genealogy, Temple Records	Biography, History, Periodicals
Priesthood ordinations	Membership Records, Priesthood Records, Temple Records	Biography, Genealogy
Record-finding aids	Archives and Libraries, Periodicals	For Further Reading
Spouses	Membership Records, Temple Records, Biography	Genealogy, Obituaries, Military Records
Temple ordinanaces	Temple Records, Membership Records, Genealogy	Biography
Wards/branches attended	Membership Records, Directories, Census, Biography	Priesthood Records, Missionaries, Historical Geography, History
Ward/branch boundaries	Historical Geography, History, Colonization	Biography, Genealogy