2026 Class Preview

Here is a sneak peek at all of the new sessions coming to RootsTech in 2026. This list changes frequently, so come back often and plan to start building your schedule in January.

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  • In person
    Advanced/Professional
    2026

    Provenance & Proof: Advanced Strategies for Finding and Using Manuscripts In Your Research

    Manuscripts are more than historical artifacts; they are silent witnesses that can transform your genealogical research. This session will explore how to locate and analyze valuable manuscripts, including minister journals, lawyer notebooks, personal papers, and unpublished family histories, found in both major repositories and local collections. We will dive into the complexities of working with manuscripts, including evaluating provenance, identifying authors and transcribers, comparing manuscript versions, and extracting reliable data from uncited or edited materials. Attendees will learn how to incorporate scripted evidence into genealogical proof arguments, how to overcome challenges with unsourced content, and discover underutilized resources that can break through research barriers. This session is designed for professional genealogists looking to expand their research toolkit and tackle the complexities of manuscript-based evidence.
  • Online
    All Levels
    2026

    Founding a Nation: Acadian & French Canadian Pioneers and Their History

    Do you know if your ancestors were among the earliest of French people that settled Acadia (which became Nova Scotia) or Quebec (which became Quebec City, then the Province of Quebec)? Learn about websites, records, timelines and the ancestors who created New France, which later became Canada.
  • Online
    Beginner
    2026

    Medicine and the Family Historian: Reading US Death Certificates from 1900 to Present and Understand

    Many presentations at RootsTech appropriately focus on identifying and documenting ancestors to grow our family trees. Death certificates offer a rich source of demographic information useful for the family historian. In addition, they document the health struggles our ancestors faced and provide us an insight into their lives.
  • In person
    All Levels
    2026

    Beginning Your Acadian and French Canadian Research & Taking It Further!

    What do you know about your Acadian and/or French-Canadian ancestors other than basics such as their surnames (do you know their "dit" name?), who they married, where they were born, married or died? Do you know the resources that will tell you more about their lives and what they experienced? This session will offer resources, websites and deeper information about the lives of the ancestors from colonial Acadia, Quebec, and the communities they built as they moved, grew in numbers and spread across North America and the world.
  • In person
    All Levels
    2026

    Family History Work in YOUR Phase of Life: An Empowering Approach for Latter-day Saints

    Prophets continue to encourage members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to engage in family history work as part of the very important “gathering of Israel.” HOW we engage may look very different at various stages of our individual lives. Understanding that concept is critical for avoiding guilt, feeling the Spirit of the work, and feeling productive & joyful through a lifetime of family history efforts. This session will include encouraging and empowering quotes from prophets and apostles as well as real-life examples of the kinds of family history activities that make sense during various life phases. Attendees will consider how seeking personal revelation for our family history efforts is individually unique and can aide us over and over again as we seek to gather Israel through our ever-changing lives.