Many churches keep records of baptisms, christenings, confirmations, marriages, burials, memberships, admissions, and removals. Some keep minutes of church meetings and the histories of their local churches. Each church has its own policies for record keeping.

Church records are important for family research because civil authorities in Utah did not begin registering vital statistics until after 1895. Church records may include names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. The records are usually recorded at the time of the event and should be accurate for the specific event.

Before 1900 the largest religious groups in Utah were The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches. You must determine the denomination of an ancestor to find their records.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been the predominant religion in Utah since the pioneers arrived in 1847. For more complete information about the Church's records, see Tracing LDS Families Research Outline (34080).

To locate records of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it helps to use an index. The LDS Family History Suite 2 and the Early Church Information File (both cited fully in the "Biography" section of this outline) are two important indexes used to find Church members and other people of Utah.

A source that describes events in Church history from 1805 to 1913 is Andrew Jenson's Church Chronology: A Record of Important Events Pertaining to The History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mentioned in the "History" section of the Tracing LDS Families Research Outline (34080). The following are a few general sources and histories for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of the sources are indexed in The Pioneer Heritage CD-ROM, LDS Family History Suite, and the Early Church Information File. Some of the complete text is also computerized on the compact disks.

Jenson, Andrew. Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Company, 1941. (FHL book 289.309 J453e; film 496776; fiche 6053258; index on film 928073 item 8; index on fiche 6051304; computer number 123456.) This encyclopedia contains histories of Church wards and branches. The history describes when the ward was organized and if it was created from a different ward. You will be able to determine where the membership records would be found. Leaders of the area are also listed. This has been indexed in the Early Church Information File.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historical Department. Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1830-1973). Salt Lake City: Historical Dept., 1969, 1973. (FHL films 1259729-795; computer number 13499.) This does not circulate to Family History Centers. This collection includes newspaper clippings and extracts from journals, letters, histories, biographies, rosters, and manuscript material. Daily events are arranged chronologically. The complete set is available in the Church History Library and Church Archives. The sets at the Harold B. Lee Library, and the Utah Historical Society Library are not as current.

The index to the Journal History is cataloged separately:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historical Department. Index to Journal History. Salt Lake City: Historical Department, 1973. (On 58 FHL films beginning with 1233503; computer number 13511.) This does not circulate to Family History Centers. This index contains an alphabetical listing of individual names, places, events, and subjects. Each entry gives the date and page where the entry is found in the Journal History films.

Many other Church records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library and the Church Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Membership records help you find birth, marriage, death, and baptism information. The records begin around the 1840s. The Family History Library has records up to 1948 and a few up to 1977. The Church Archives has the records from the beginning to about 1981. Use the Tracing LDS Families Research Outline (34080) and the Family History Library Catalog to help locate the call numbers.

A register listing available records and the Family History Library call numbers for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is:

Jaussi, Laureen R. and Gloria Chaston. Register of Genealogical Society Call Numbers. 2 vols. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (FHL book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507; computer number 135805.) These volumes contain many references to Church and temple records with their call numbers.

Other Major Denominations

Most of Utah's other major denominations were well-established by the 1870s and 1880s. There are some records and histories available at the Family History Library and at the Utah State Archives. You can write to the following addresses to learn where their records are located.

Roman Catholic

Pastoral Center
Diocese of Salt Lake City
27 C Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
Telephone: 801-328-8641
Fax: 801-328-9680