Opening a Family Search Account

FamilySearch.org is a free website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so people can build their family trees. The website is free and does not require membership in the Mormon church to join.

1) Go to the website, www.familysearch.org

2) Click on the box, Free Account, in the upper right hand corner above the picture.

3) Fill out the form to sign up for your free account.

4) If you are LDS, you will need a membership number to use the FamilySearch website to submit names for temple work. You can get your membership number in the following ways:

• from the Ward Membership Clerk in your ward
• from your Temple Recommend
• or from your LDS tools account 

5) If you have an LDS tools or LDS.org account, you can already access your FamilySearch account by logging into FamilySearch.org using your username and password.

The Prep Work: Filling out a Pedigree Chart

Before you even begin family history, you need to do a little prep work. It helps to write down a few relevant facts and use that as a jumping point for your research.

Fill out a four generation pedigree chart.

It's simple really. Here is a sample chart that you can look at.

To begin with: start by filling in your information.

Add your fill name on Line 1. Add your birthdate, starting with the day, followed by the month, and then the year. Include as much information as you can about your birthplace. If you live in the U.S., you should list the city first, followed by the county, then by the state, and followed by the country. Include your marriage information. When you list your spouse, make sure to list their maiden name, rather than their married name.

Fill in your father's name on Line 2. Follow the same format as you did with your own information. What if you don't have the exact details about your parents' birthdates or birthplaces? Write down approximate dates and places. You can hopefully confirm details later by using Family Search or a family history website.

Fill in your mother's name on Line 3. Again, use the same format as you did on entering your information. Make sure you list your mother's maiden name instead of her married name.

Follow the pattern of the chart, recording your paternal and maternal grandparents and ending up with their parents. Do your best to provide as much information as possible.

The challenge with family history is that you may not have the information that you need. Try and enter as much information as you can. If you don't know, contact your parents or older relatives. Ask basic questions to get names and dates. To find out the information about the oldest generations, look at family records such as Family Bibles, birth, marriage, and death certificates.

The purpose of filling out this form is to give you a starting point when beginning your research.

Gathering Resources

In a month, a group of women from my church congregation will gather to learn how to use the Family Search website to learn how to begin compiling their family history. In my search to find guides and resources, I haven't found one good site for all the information needed. This blog is intended as a place to collect links, lessons, PDF documents, etc. to help people in their search.