In the coming months, we will bring you messages delivered at RootsTech 2016. Some of the recorded sessions are already available in the RootsTech video archive. In addition, Family Discovery Day sessions, including presentations by Church leaders, are available on LDS.org. Finally, a family history leadership session was recorded for future training in Church units.
RootsTech Video Archive
The video archive includes recordings of all the keynote speakers and some other well-recognized presenters. All of the sessions may have an interest for you. From the perspective of a family history center director, we would suggest that you especially watch the following sessions.
Steve Rockwood’s Opening Keynote—Steve Rockwood is FamilySearch’s new managing director. In his keynote, he expressed his vision of the efforts of FamilySearch and individuals as we support the Lord’s hastening of His work. Areas of emphasis for this year include discovery, Family Tree, searchable records, memories, and contextual help, or providing the right help when users need it. Learn how each of these goals can be part of your family history center initiatives.
Ron Tanner: What’s New in FamilyTree for 2016—With his distinctive humor, Ron Tanner, a Family Tree product manager, describes what you can expect to see coming to Family Tree in 2016.
Robert Kehrer: Finding Elusive Records on FamilySearch.org—Robert is part of the team developing the amazing record hints on Family Tree. He presents tips and strategies for making record hints really work for you.
Family Discovery Day
The Family Discovery Day video was recorded as one video. Within that video, you can hear messages from:
- Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve, with his wife, Sister Ruth Renlund, and his daughter, Ashley Renlund.
- Sister Wendy Nelson and Sister Sheri Dew.
- Sister Rosemary Wixom, the Primary general president, and Brother Steven W. Owen, the Young Men general president.
- Taysom Hill and Britain Covey, athletes presenting at the youth session.
Elder Renlund extended the #YouthTempleChallenge to all members of the Church, not just the youth! He promised that great blessings of protection and power come from active participation in the Find, Take, Teach process. He challenged each Church member to “find as many names to take to the temple as ordinances you perform in the temple and teach others to do the same.”
Family History Leadership Session
The Family History Leadership Session focused on how family history, missionary work, and temple work combine to bless the lives of Church members in:
- Member missionary work.
- Temple and family history work.
- Teaching children the gospel.
Recordings of the session can be used in training for local units. Resources announced at the meeting include:
- New pamphlets for missionaries as they teach investigators and work to retain new Church members.
- Temple cards printed from home (see blog article New: Print Family Ordinance Cards at Home).
- A new family history beginner card, Strengthening Eternal Family Bonds through Temple Service: Start Building Your Family Tree. You can order the beginner card (green) or a smaller card (pink) for users with full family trees. At the Family History Materials page, click Family History Essentials to view and order the cards.
- Enhancements of the experience with the My Family: Stories that Bring Us Together This booklet can now reach 99 percent of the members of the Church.
In addition, changes are now implemented to alleviate congestion sometimes found at the temple baptistry.
Watch for more RootsTech content online in the coming weeks. We will post links on the director training page on LDS.org. Articles in the consultant blog as well as future articles in this director’s blog will help you take full advantage of all RootsTech has to offer.
