Utah Church Records

Overview

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. 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 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, Utah: Deseret News Publishing Company, 1941. (Family History Librarybook 289.309 J453e; film 496776; fiche 6053258; index on film 928073 item 8; index on fiche 6051304). 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, Utah: Historical Dept., 1969, 1973. (Family History Library films 1259729-795). 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, Utah: Historical Department, 1973. (On 58 Family History Library films beginning with 1233503). 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 1840's. 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 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. Two Volumes. Provo, Utah: Genealogy Tree, 1982. (Family History Library book 979.2258 A3j; fiche 6031507). 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 1870's and 1880's. 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 Internet: http://www.utahcatholicdiocese.org/

The Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City has records from the early 1870s to the present for all of Utah. The early records are incomplete. Each congregation presently keeps its records for a few years before sending them to the Pastoral Center.


 * A history of the Catholic Church in Utah is: Mooney, Bernice Maher. Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1776-1987. Salt Lake City, Utah: Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, 1987; (Family History Library book 979.2258 K2m). This gives a history of the church for most of Utah. It includes photographs and an index. It gives a historical account and information of church officials, when church buildings were erected, and a list of reverends and their dates of service.
 * The directory of the diocese covers many parts of Utah in addition to Salt Lake City. Catholic Church, Diocese of Salt Lake City. The Official Directory of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City. [Salt Lake City, Utah: The Diocese], 1988. (Family History Library book 979.2 K24c). The book has a list of parishes with addresses and maps for Salt Lake City showing the 1988 boundaries. It includes a list of clergy, deacons and their wives, and sisters.

Episcopal
Episcopal Diocese of Utah 80 South 300 East Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 Telephone: 801-322-4131 Internet: http://www.episcopal-ut.org/

Each parish maintains its own records. The Diocese has records for some discontinued parishes. The Marriott Library of the University of Utah has a collection of their records. The Family History Library has a few records including the following:


 * Episcopal Church, Diocese of Utah Episcopal Register of the Bishop of Utah (Bishop's Personal Register) 1899-1946, 1951-1967 Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1975. (Family History Library film 908728). This record has baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials. it covers all of Utah and some areas of eastern Nevada.

Methodist
Iliff School of Theology Ira J. Taylor Library Archives 2201 South University Blvd. Denver, CO 80210 Telephone: 303-744-1287 Fax: 303-744-3387 Internet: http://www.iliff.edu/academics/denominations/um-student.php United Methodist Church

Rocky Mountain 2800 S. University Blvd. Denver, CO 80710 Telephone: 303-733-3736 Fax: 303-733-1730 Internet: http://www.rmcumc.org/

The Methodist church was organized in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 8, 1872. The history is found in the following:


 * Merkel, Henry Martin. History of Methodism in Utah. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Dentan Printing, 1938. (Family History Librarybook 979.2 K2m). This book has a bibliography and a list of pastors. Each congregation maintains its own records.
 * The Ira J. Taylor Archives has the records for some of the discontinued congregations of Utah. Staff there can also help you locate existing congregations.

Presbyterian
Presbytery of Utah 342 West 200 South Street Suite 30 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Telephone: 801-539-8446 Internet: http://www.pbyutah.org/

Each Presbyterian congregation maintains its own records. The Presbytery of Utah can help you locate current congregations and will provide suggestions for finding records of discontinued congregations. The Westminster College Library has a miscellaneous collection of Utah Presbyterian records. Their address is:

Westminster College Library 1840 South 1300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84105 Telephone: 801-484-7651 Internet: http://www.westminster.edu/library/library_overview.cfm

A historical society for Presbyterian churches maintains records of discontinued congregations and some current congregations. Their address is:

The Presbyterian Historical Society 425 Lombard Street Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 Telephone: 215-627-1852 Internet: http://www.history.pcusa.org/

The Family History Library has a history of the Presbyterian Church:


 * Murray, Andrew E. The Skyline Synod: Presbyterianism in Colorado and Utah. Denver, Colorado: Golden Bell Press, 1971. (Family History Library book 978.8 K2m). It is indexed by the name of the church. It is a historical account of the church with a list of officials. There are some pictures of church buildings and reverends.
 * The library also has few church records, such as: *Presbyterian Church (Corinne, Utah). Church Records 1870 to 1897. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972. (Family History Library film 906168). This record includes minutes, baptisms, congregational records, registers of elders, deacons, and church records.

Lutheran
Rocky Mountain District, LCMS 7000 North Broadway Street Suite 401 Denver, CO 80221-2907 Telephone: 303-427-7553 Fax: 303-426-5603 Internet: http://www.lcmsdistricts.org/pages/default.asp?NavID=7217

Each congregation maintains its own records. The Rocky Mountain District office can help you locate current congregations and provide suggestions for finding the records of discontinued congregations. === Others === To locate records for other churches, contact the existing congregations in Utah. The Utah State Historical Society and the Marriott Library of the University of Utah have church record collections. For information about national and regional repositories see the United States Research Outline. The following guide can also help you learn about church records in Utah:


 * Historical Records Survey. Inventory of the Church Archives of Utah. Three Volumes. Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Historical Records Survey, 1940. (Family History Library book 979.2 K2h; fiche 6046577). This was prepared to be a complete inventory of the records of churches. It contains a history of religion in Utah and has a list of books arranged by the name of the denomination. It also contains an inventory for the various religions