Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints work tirelessly on personal family histories, but the majority of the visitors who go to the Salt Lake Family History center are not members of the Church.
“There is only one Family History Library, and that is the one here in Salt Lake City” said Paul Nauta, manager of communications for the Family & Church History Department out of Salt Lake City.
International visitors are taking the Church of Jesus Christ’s willingness to share the information it has in the Salt Lake Family History Center. However, church members aren’t as active in genealogy, even though the Family History Center is the only one of its kind and the largest genealogy search engine.
“I think genealogy is something that everybody can do. Everyone in the world is interested in family history, and a lot of people who aren’t members know Salt Lake City is the place to go,” said Cynthia Doxey, BYU assistant professor of Church History and doctrine. “We have built up a reputation that everyone knows.”
Nauta and Doxey agree that the reason more members of the Church aren’t involved in family history is because people don’t know where to start or how to organize the information they do have.
“The most helpful thing, and yet the hardest thing for people to do is to just get organized,” Nauta said. “They don’t know how to organize based on where they are going, and they get really frustrated.”
Ray Wright, director of the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy, said a lot of students think family history is complicated and too hard to do.
Wright focuses his work with CFHG’s mission statement: “To use Brigham Young University resources to simplify the finding of ancestors and discovering the world in which they live.”
Wright works on expanding databases, creating online access and teaching BYU students how to use the genealogy tools that are available.
New technology is emerging making searching for past generations easier than ever.
There are several new ways to get organized, Nauta said. A how-to broacher, free software and Internet access to vast amounts of information make family history simpler. There is also the new research workbook that helps to find Swedish roots.
“I think the key with most members of the church is that they are worried about how hard it is going to be,” Doxey said. “But people can start by talking to their parents or grand-parents to get information, everyone knows something about their parents and maybe even their parent’s parents.”
Melissa Johnson, 20, freshman from Arcadia, California, studying computer information, said she can’t believe how easy genealogy is. “When I started, I was completely lost but now I know like seven generations.”
Doxey added that many of the students in her classes feel some kind of responsibility to do their family history and do want to get started.
“People don’t realize, genealogy is really fun,” Doxey said. “If you have never had the opportunity, don’t be frightened. Go and participate. It is so exciting to find things out about yours ancestors.”
According to Nauta there are 3,700 family history centers world wide, over 2,000 in North America alone.
“Access is not limited anymore,” Nauta said.
