how to use this website
how to use this website
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We are glad that you are here! This website was designed for you.
The Home page will host topics of general interest and will be updated regularly. Everyone brings with them various levels of experience and so we've organized topics into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
If you are a Beginner, this page will show you how to create a FamilySearch account and insert the family information you know into a Family Tree. Family History research is
basically adding people to your tree. The Beginner page contains details about how to do twenty things that each take about 5 minutes. As you do more you will gain more experience doing a wide range of family history activities.
If you feel you are Intermediate, and eager to learn more this page will introduce you to Ancestry, another huge family data source like FamilySearch. It will also explain how to get started with DNA research, how to find videos about hundreds of family history topics at Rootstech, and how to work with Census records to find your family.
As you become Advanced, we introduce you to the research wiki where you can find more specialized records, show you how to use AI to assist you in your research, and access advanced training.
The FamilySearch Center page lists our hours and shows information about our Consultants.
And there are some other pages you may find interesting. Resources are links to other online sources..
A list of the FamilySearch Center Consultants is next. Any one of them would be glad to help you with your research.
Video Help are brief videos showing some beginning family history activities.
identifying AN immigrant ancestor
identifying AN immigrant ancestor
Unless you are a descended from Native Americans you have some ancestors that immigrated to the United States. Do you know who they are? It's simple enough to find out using FamilySearch.
Log into FamilySearch.
Go to your Family Tree.
Change the view to Fan Chart.
4. Change the filter to Country. Each color represents a different country for your ancestors. (The dark pink color is for the United States.)
Now look at your Family Tree. Look for where the color changes along a family line. What that means is that an ancestor was born in one country and their child was born in another country. Which means that they were an immigrant.
How many immigrants can you identify?
Every family has contributed to the American story in its own way. Join FamilySearch and America250 in discovering, remembering, and sharing the stories that connect us all.
Every family has contributed to the American story in its own way. Join FamilySearch and America250 in discovering, remembering, and sharing the stories that connect us all.
Honor a hero
Honor a hero
Visit the America250 site to nominate a living person—a friend, family member, neighbor, or community leader—whose story you think needs to be shared and preserved.
Take the challenge
Take the challenge
Join the 250 Challenge by contributing
2 family names
5 life event dates (birth, marriage, death)
10 memories, photos, or stories
Every contribution helps preserve the stories of the people and moments that shaped our nation.
MYHeritage
MYHeritage
MyHeritage has upgraded its standard DNA test to use Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), making it the first major consumer testing company to adopt this technology at scale. This shift moves away from traditional genotyping (which samples roughly 700,000 points) to a more comprehensive scan of all 3 billion base pairs of the human genome. DNA kits are now available for $19.00 + shipping. MyHeritage DNA Kits
new tools on ancestry
new tools on ancestry
If you have used Full-Text Search on FamilySearch you will be excited to learn that Ancestry is beginning to make Full-text searching on some of their data.
Stickies are now available in the Notes section. Stickies are a tool for collecting, organizing, and storing all your network-related notes and information in one place. You can use them to take notes, track research progress, and create tasks related to the group of people you’re researching.
watch the new 2026 ROOTSTECH videos
watch the new 2026 ROOTSTECH videos
RootsTech is the largest Family History Conference in the world. There is both an in-person event in Salt Lake City, Utah and hundreds of sessions available online. Click here to see RootsTech videos
special Class on DNA
special Class on DNA
The class Analyzing Your DNA Results went very well. If you missed it, the class slides are available on the Resources page.
simple search
simple search
Simple Search is as powerful as Full-Text Search. The reason it is called Simple is because you can use regular language to form your queries. Or you can click the microphone and speak the query.
To try it out go to the FamilySearch home page and look for the FamilySearch Labs logo (shown below) and click View Experiments. Then click Try Simple Search.
Switzer branch of cobb library offers free digital conversion
Switzer branch of cobb library offers free digital conversion
Want to turn your shoebox of old photos, collection of VHS tapes, or box of forgotten cassette tapes into lasting digital memories? Preservation Place, a free service from Cobb County Public Library, is here to help. The Preservation Place is located at 266 Roswell Street, Marietta, GA 30060. Phone 770-528-2320. Hours Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm, Monday – Wednesday: 10 am – 8 pm, Thursday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm.
Digitize and preserve your family's history. Bring your photos, slides, home videos, audio recordings, and other historical materials, and convert them into formats that are easy to share, store, and enjoy for generations to come.
Be sure to bring your own storage device. Please use the link for additional information.
what's new at Family search
what's new at Family search
NEW FULL-TEXT SEARCH
NEW FULL-TEXT SEARCH
My brother and his wife served a Family History Archiving mission in New Hampshire some years ago. They digitized over 500,000 record images and sent them to FamilySearch in Salt Lake City. Hundreds of other missionaries did the same all around the world. This resulted in a backlog of millions of images that needed indexing. Indexing of all of these images by humans could take a hundred years. But with AI-enhanced Optical Character Recognition millions of these images are available now. Full-text search can parse names, places, and dates. It works in English and Spanish and other languages are planned to be added soon. On the main page select the Search Menu and select the Full Text option. It is only available on FamilySearch. - by Phil Duncan
Can't i do everything at home: WHy go to THE FAMILYSEARCH CENTER?
Can't i do everything at home: WHy go to THE FAMILYSEARCH CENTER?
The short is answer is that there are many things you can't access from home. A FamilySearch center offers access to a wider range of genealogical records than what is typically available to individuals researching from home (and we have photo and slide scanners for digitizing your family photos). Here are some types of records that are available at a FamilySearch center but not from home:
Premium Genealogical Websites: FamilySearch centers provide access to premium genealogical websites that require subscriptions and may not be available to individuals from their homes. (See list to the right showing a sample of the hundreds of collections available for free at the FSC.)
Restricted Digital Collections: Due to contractual agreements and data privacy laws, FamilySearch may have agreements with the original record owners that restrict access to certain digitized records. These limited access records are often available for viewing on computers at FamilySearch centers or affiliate libraries.
Browse-Only Records: Millions of records have been digitized, but haven't been fully indexed. To find your ancestor in these records, you may want to use Full-text Search.
In summary, FamilySearch centers provide enhanced access to restricted digital records, potentially making it easier to explore browse-only records and offering access to premium genealogical websites that might not be available from home.
19th-Century British Library Newspapers
Alexander Street
American Ancestors
Ancestry Institution (Ancestry.com)
ArkivDigital
FamNet
Findmypast
Fold3
Geneanet
Goldie May
Irish Ancestors
MyHeritage - Library Edition
The Genealogist
Newspaper Archive
Paper Trail
Puzzilla - Premium Services
GenealogyBank
FamilySearch computer with Epson Photo Scanner
⬅️GO from this photo to this photo➡️
⬅️GO from this photo to this photo➡️
The MyHeritage website has some awesome tools to enhance your family history photos. I like the Colorize photo tool. MyHeritage is free to all members of the Church. (See the article below entitled "Free Access to Other Family History Sites.")
Another tool helps you repair scratches, spots, and other artifacts from scanned photos.
The Repair tool helps you remove scratches, spots, and other artifacts from scanned photos. The Enhance tool sharpens blurry facial features. And Deep AnimationTM animates still photos to bring them to life.
Deep Animation on MyHeritage
DOWNLOAD THE FAMILY TREE APP on YOUR PHONE
DOWNLOAD THE FAMILY TREE APP on YOUR PHONE
The Family Tree and Memories apps are great tools to get five minutes of family history in while you’re waiting at the doctor’s office or waiting for dinner to bake. They allow you to do almost anything you can do on FamilySearch.org, all on your phone or mobile device.
The FamilySearch apps also have some extra features that can be fun to do with a youth group or to gain more familiarity with your ancestors. Learn more about some of these tools and how to use them here. The Family Tree App's Cool Features (familysearch.org)
Add family members to your tree
Add family members to your tree
"Congratulations! You have added a family member to your tree. For every family name you add, We'll start looking for hints -- like photos, stories, and more!"
Join the members in our area who have already received this message from FamilySearch.
WHy does a church sponsor Family History?
WHy does a church sponsor Family History?
Whether you dive in and learn about the lives of your ancestors, or add your own stories and experiences for future generations, family history works to connect us to our families and to our Heavenly Father.
Our family history helps explain how we got where we are, where we got our most important traits, and why we look the way we look. When we discover more about our great-grandparents, we discover more about ourselves. Not only that, but we can understand the sacrifices of our ancestors, learn from their examples, and feel close to people we never knew.
It all starts by tracking those ancestors down. We search newspaper articles, land records, birth and death records, and anything that might contain clues about the lives of those who came before us. Volunteers at family history centers around the world can help you find what you’re looking for and fill in some of the gaps.
holiday DNA sales!
holiday DNA sales!
AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit — As low as $34. Many sites report 50-70% off during sales events.
MyHeritage DNA Kit — Currently offered for as low as $29. Free shipping deals may apply for two-or-more kits.
23andMe DNA Test Kit — Standard ancestry kits reportedly can drop to around $79 or less during holiday sales. 55% off Premium Ancestry when you sign up for emails and texts.
23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA Test — Including ancestry + health analysis, some promotions show around $80 (down from typical $199–$229).
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