Hi, Michael
If you're a genealogist who hasn't made use of the facilities and
information available through the LDS church, you have indeed missed a great
deal. I am not an LDS church member, so I will not discuss the reasons why
genealogy is strongly supported by the church. Suffice it to say that it IS,
and we in the rest of the genealogical community are by far the greatest
beneficiaries.
LDS volunteers around the world spend hours every day microfilming and
transcribing records of every kind - from government, church (any
denomination) and other sources. These range from vital records (birth,
marriage and death certificates), to wills, deeds, and even privately
printed genealogies. LDS researchers and other genealogists have contributed
millions of pedigrees and family group sheets to create Ancestral File, a CD
ROM genealogical database that is available for free use at any of thousands
of Family History Centers worldwide. The church also produces the
International Genealogical Index, another CD ROM database of vital records
from around the world. The newest version of Ancestral File has just been
released and now covers 9 CDs. The IGI is up to around 18, I think.
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah USA is probably the
largest genealogical collection anywhere. Many of its volumes are available
on microfilm that can be rented and viewed at local Family History Centers.
The cost is moderate, less than five dollars for a 60 day rental in the US.
I used an LDS Family History Center while I was in the UK and was able to
rent films there also. The cost was slightly higher and shipping took longer
because of the distances involved, but it was still a very good deal.
Obviously, from your email address, you are not in the US, but there are
Family History Centers wherever there are LDS churches, so the quickest way
to find one near you is to look in the telephone directory under Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Instead of parishes or other divisions,
the groups are called "Stakes", so if you don't find a listing for a Family
History Center, you could call the Stake President in your area to find out
where the Center is.
I have always been given a very friendly welcome and a lot of assistance at
any FHC I have visited, and no one has ever "preached" to me or otherwise
made me feel uncomfortable about not being an LDS member. Most people who
use the Centers aren't LDS, just genealogists who know a good deal when they
see one.
Because I appreciate the help I've been given, I volunteer one day a week in
my local FHC, so I know a bit more about the subject than most. I did a
program last week at our county genealogical society on using a Family
History Center, so I'm happy to pass the information on to an even wider
audience.
There is a web site which lists FHCs, but I can't recall the URL right now.
Tomorrow is my day at the center, so if you need the information, drop me a
note and I can check for you. Good Luck!
Victoria L. Sullivan
vlsullivan(a)prodigy.net
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Carden [mailto:michaelc@panasonic.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 1999 10:28 PM
To: CARDEN-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CARDEN-L] LDS?
Please excuse my ignorance.
I've recently received a couple of emails from this list talking about
something called LDS.
Does this refer to the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?"
If so, what is the family history connection?
MC
feeling like he's missed something...