One question that many new genealogists have, after seeing that many great genealogy resources are connected with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is why genealogy is so important to Mormons. For Mormons, family life is important, eternal, in fact, and it is central to God’s plan. Since family is an eternal structure, baptisms may be conducted for deceased family members.
Genealogy research enters the picture when Mormons trace their roots in search of ancestors who died without learning about the Mormon Gospel. It is these ancestors who are then baptized by proxy in the temple, so that they may be saved. It is believed that once an ancestor has been baptized by proxy, they can join their eternal family in the Celestial Kingdom.
Mormon and non – Mormon genealogy researchers have many reasons to thank the LDS Church for having such an interest in genealogy. Some of the best genealogy record collections are affiliated with the Church, and anyone may use them. Over two billion names have been traced and recorded onto microfilm, which is kept by the Church in a secure repository. Copies of the information contained on the microfilms are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as the Family History Centers.
Mormon genealogists have created online genealogy research tools as well. The best known of these resources is FamilySearch.org, which has many different types of records. The folks at FamilySearch.org sponsor the wildly popular Roots Tech conference in Salt Lake City every year. The web site also has a wealth of learning resources for genealogists at all levels of expertise. There is a research Wiki, online courses, and discussion forums. You can even volunteer as an indexer or help others with their research through the site, if you are looking for a way to give back to the genealogy community.
Photo by kahanaboy on morguefile.com.