how to use this website

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.

And there are some other pages you may find interesting. Fascinating Stories are just that, family stories of some members of the Stake in a slideshow format.

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.

Success Stories have been submitted by fellow members of the Stake.

Finally, there is a link to the FamilySearch site.

holiday DNA sales!

AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit — As low as $39–$29 (depending on retailer or current sale). Many sites report 50-70% off during sales events. Genealogy Bargains+1

MyHeritage DNA Kit — Currently offered for as low as $25. Free shipping deals may apply for two-or-more kits. Genealogy Bargains+1

MyHeritage DNA Duo Bundle — A two-kit bundle, often around $50 total, which may be a good value if you have multiple family members.

23andMe DNA Test Kit — Standard ancestry kits reportedly can drop to around $79 or less during holiday sales. PCWorld+1

23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA Test — Including ancestry + health analysis, some promotions show around $98–$109 (down from typical $199–$229). Yahoo+1

Feeling disorganized?

You are not alone. At our recent Open House we conducted a survey of topics visitors at the FamilySearch Center wanted to know more about. The most-requested topic was "Organizing your research to be more productive." We have decided to offer a class on this topic to be taught by the FamilySearch Center staff. The class will be offered Saturday, January 10th at 10 am at the FamilySearch Center.

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?

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 need to browse through images of the original documents, a process that can be easier with access to the resources available at a center.

Microfilm Holdings: Although FamilySearch has digitized its massive microfilm collection, our local Family History Centers and affiliate libraries has physical microfilms in their holdings that can be viewed.

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➡️

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

what's new at Family search

Link to the FamilySearch blog

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

"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?

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.

ROOTSTECH MARCH 2026

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 learn more and to register.

Below is a video from last year's RootsTech.

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