R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Tracing LDS Families
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Basic Search Strategies
Records Selection Table
Archives And Libraries
Biography
Census
Church History
Church Records
Colonization
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Genealogy
Historical Geography
History
Membership Records
Military Records
Missionaries
Newspapers
Obituaries
Patriarchal Blessings
Periodicals
Priesthood Records
Temple Records
     Access To Temple Records
     General Indexes To Proxy Temple Records
     Proxy Temple Records
     Living Temple Records
     Submitting Names For Temple Work
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIESLook this term up in the glossary.

An archive is a repository where public or historical documents are preserved. A library is where books, manuscripts, and microfilms are kept for research but not for sale. Most archives and libraries collect records about area residents (biographies, family histories, local histories, and histories of Church units), and about nearby places (maps, gazetteers, and place-finding aids). They often compile guides and special indexes to important local sources. In many communities they are a meeting place for a genealogical society. They may be able to provide referrals to people who are willing to search local records for you. Before you visit an archive or a library, contact them to ask about their collection, hours, services, and fees.

When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in this outline, return to this section to obtain the address.

The Family History Library has copies of many of the records from the archives and libraries listed below, but most of these repositories will have additional sources.


Family History Library and Family History Centers

The Family History Library has the world’s largest collection of genealogical information, including an extensive collection of books and microfilms about Church members. See the publication Family History Library and Family History Centers: Library Services and Resources (32957) for the library’s hours, holiday schedule, and services. You can contact the library at:

  • Family History Library

35 N. West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
USA
Telephone: 801-240-2331
Fax: 801-240-1584
Internet: www.familysearch.org
The Church’s FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service and Family History Library Catalog were discussed previously in the introduction of this outline. Other major collections include:
- biographies, and histories
- Church census records
- Early Church Information File index
- family histories (book and microfilm)
- immigration indexes and records
- LDS Family History Suite 2 on compact disc
- temple records
- ward, branch, stake, and mission membership records to 1948

Historical Department

In this research outline the term Historical Department refers to the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Historical Department preserves records, artifacts, and other materials regarding the Church. The Historical Department does not loan materials to Family History Centers. Their staff provides a limited correspondence service. Visitors are asked to sign in and show picture identification.

  • Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
    50 E. North Temple Street
    Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3800
    USA
    Telephone: 801-240-3603

Historical Department—Archive Search Room has manuscript material. This includes the following types of manuscripts: membership records, meeting minutes, and histories of ward, branches, stakes, and missions. They also have diaries, journals, and other histories of Church leaders.

Historical Department—Church Library. The Church Library has published works by and about the Church and its members. This includes biographies, directories, emigration books, Church history, local ward, branch and stake histories, Mormon Battalion histories, newspapers and obituaries, periodicals and indexes, and the Journal History of the Church.


FamilySearch Center

The FamilySearch Center emphasizes resources and services useful to beginning family history researchers. It has over 200 FamilySearch computers, printed family histories, the Family Group Records Collection (Archive and Patron sections), and the 1920 U.S. federal census.


Other Major Repositories

The following list shows other organizations that have genealogical and historical records about the Church and its members. Their catalogs are often available on the Internet.

Ricks College
Rexburg, ID 83440
USA
Telephone: 208-356-2355
Fax: 208-356-2385
Internet: www.lib.ricks.edu

300 North Main
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
USA
Telephone: 801-538-1050
Internet: http://northernutah.com/mayflower/dup.htm

Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, IL 62901
USA
Telephone: 618-453-2522
Fax: 618-453-3440
Internet: www.lib.siu.edu/index.html

Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602
USA
Telephone: 801-378-6200
Fax: 801-378-6347
Internet: www.lib.byu.edu/byline/

1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
USA
Telephone: 626-405-2191
Fax: 626-449-5720
Internet: www.huntington.org/ResearchDiv/AmHistRes.html

Brigham Young University Hawaii
55-220 Kulanui Street
Laie, HA 96762
USA
Telephone: 808-293-3876
Fax: 808-293-3877
Internet: http://library.byuh.edu/

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
USA
Telephone: 801-581-8364
Fax: 801-585-3464
Internet: www.lib.utah.edu/

Special Collections and Archives
Utah State University
Logan, UT 84322-3000
USA
Telephone: 801-797-2663
Fax: 801-797-2880
Internet: www.usu.edu/%7Especol/index.html

Lands and Records Office
Corner of Parley and Partridge
P.O. Box 215
Nauvoo, IL 62354
USA
Telephone: 217-453-2733

1001 W. Walnut, P.O. Box 1059
Independence, MO 64051
USA
Telephone: 816-833-1000, extension 2399
Fax: 816-521-3089
Internet: www.rlds.org/templeschool/library.asp
See the “Membership Records” section of this outline for this library’s Index to Archival Holdings, 1830–1994.

Weber State University
2901 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408
USA
Telephone: 801-626-6403
Fax: 801-626-7045
Internet: http://webpac.weber.edu
Repository Inventories

Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in Selected Utah Repositories. Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1990. (FHL floppy disk no. 4 parts1–4; computer number 726843.) This is widely available in the LDS Family History Suite 2. This inventory lists the author, title, number of volumes, location, and subject headings for each record cited. This emphasizes the Utah State Historical Society more than other repositories. It describes records at the following Utah repositories:

American Fork Public Library (AmericanFork)
Brigham Young University (Provo)
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum (SaltLake City)
Southern Utah University (Cedar City)
Springville Public Library (Springville)
University of Utah (Salt Lake City)
Utah State Archives (Salt Lake City)
Utah State Historical Society (Salt Lake City)
Utah State University (Logan)
Weber State University (Ogden)
Whittaker, David J. Mormon Americana: A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States. BYU Studies Monograph. Provo, Utah: BYU Studies, 1995. (FHL 289.30160973 M828m; computer number 762639.) This covers more repositories but in less detail than the previous inventory. It includes references to the Family History Library and Historical Department.


Computer Networks and Bulletin Boards

Computers with modems are important tools for obtaining information from selected archives and libraries. In a way, computer networks themselves serve as a library. The Internet, certain computer bulletin boards, and commercial on-line services help family history researchers:

You can find computerized research tips and information about Latter-day Saint ancestors in a variety of sources at local, state, national, and international levels. The list of sources is growing rapidly. Most of the information is available at no cost. Addresses on the Internet are subject to frequent changes. The following sites are important gateways linking you to many more network and bulletin board sites:

FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service [Internet site]. [Salt Lake City]: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 22 March 1999 [cited 10 September 1999]. Available at www.familysearch.org. At this site you can access the Family History Library Catalog, Ancestral FileLook this term up in the glossary., International Genealogical IndexLook this term up in the glossary., SourceGuide, lists of Family History Centers, web sites related to family history, and lists of researchers interested in similar genealogical topics. You can also learn about and order Family History Library publications.

Crockett, David R. Mormon History Resource [Internet] Page. [Lehi, Utah]: D.R. Crockett, 1 March 1996 [cited 20 October 1999]. Available at www.indirect.com/www/crockett/history.html. This site has dozens of articles about Church history in each of the following categories: general, New York period, Kirtland period, Missouri period, Nauvoo period, Utah period, and Mormon diaries, journals, and biographies.

Howells, Cyndi. “LDS & Family History Centers.” In Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet [Internet site]. Puyallup, Wash.: Cyndi Howells, 8 February 1998 [cited 10 September 1999]. Available at www.cyndislist.com/lds.htm.This has a long list of Family History Center addresses, and links to several Family History Center Internet sites.

“Roots-L.” In RootsWeb [Internet site]. N.p., 25 May 1999 [cited 10 September 1999]. Available at www.rootsweb.com/roots-l/. This list of sites and resources includes a large, regularly-updated research coordination list.

Ancestry.com [Internet site]. Orem, Utah: Ancestry, 1998, 1999 [cited 20 October 1999]. Available at www.ancestry.com/. For a subscription fee you can search several databases on this Internet site for early Church members. These databases are also available in the LDS Family History Suite 2 described in the “Biography” section this outline.

Many public libraries, college libraries, and private locations have computer on-line services, networks and bulletin boards, and news groups for family history research. For further details about using these services see the United States Research Outline (30972), 2nd ed., “Archives and Libraries” section.

Some Family History Centers have computers with FamilySearch. These computers do not have access to on-line services, networks, or bulletin boards.

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Version of Data: 6/9/2001]