Mesa Regional FHC Quickstart

Mesa Arizona Regional Family History Center
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

LDS Records Quick Start

I. WHAT DO I ALREADY KNOW ABOUT MY FAMILY?
1. Fill out as much as you can on a Family Group Record
2. Fill out as much as you can on a Pedigree Chart

II. REVIEW WHAT IS MISSING
1. Circle or highlight any missing or incomplete information on your charts.
2. Decide what information you want to find first.

III. FIND OUT WHAT INFORMATION ALREADY EXISTS
    1. Gather your records, organize them, and analyze them for information.
    2. Talk to your family to collect information, stories, copies of certificates, journals,
        letters, photos, etc.
    3. Search www.familysearch.org site - IGI (Register for ordinance information)
    4. Search Ancestral File DOS program. It is not on the Internet but can be found on
        selected computers at the Mesa Regional Family History Center.

IV. STUDY RESEARCH OUTLINES AND RESOURCE GUIDES
    1. "Tracing LDS Families" in Mesa Regional Family History Center copy room - $3.25
         or click here to get research outline on internet
   2. "Early Church Information File" in Mesa Regional Family History Center copy room
         or click here to get pamphlet on internet
    3. "Membership of the LDS Church, 1830-1848" in Mesa Regional Family History
        Center copy room (free)

    2. Resources available in Family History Catalogs: (sample searches listed below)
        Family History Library Catalog (www.familysearch.org) (click Library Catalog)
            Subject Search: Church Census
          Author Search: Minnie Margetts (The Membership Card Index)
            Keyword Search: Patriarchal Blessings
            Keyword Search: Mormon Migration
           Keyword Search: Annual Genealogical Report, Form E
            Title Search: Early Church Information File
            Title Search: Family group records collection; patrons section, 1962-1979
        Mesa Regional Family History Center Electronic File Catalog (www.mesarfhc.org)
            Title search: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah
            Author search: Jaussi, Laureen R. (Church records - indexes)
           Keyword searches: Church Census, Patriarchal Blessings, Early Church
                                              Information File

    3. Internet Websites
        www.familysearch.org
        www.mesarfhc.org
      www.genealogy-links.org (LDS Instructions, LDS Ancestors, LDS to Zion)
        www.lds.org (About the Church - Church History - Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel
        www.lib.byu.edu/dlib/mmd (LDS Missionary Journals (1830s to 1960s)
        www.lib.byu.edu/fhc (Family History Archives)
                Harold B. Lee Library
                1. Digital Collections at BYU
                2. Family History Collections & Services
                     BYU-Idaho (Special Collections - Family History)
        http://www.xmission.com/~nelsonb/pioneer
                1. Utah Census Search
                2. Mormon Pioneer Search
                3. Journey To Zion
        www.earlylds.com (Saints dispersion from Nauvoo)
      http://www.historyresearch.utah.gov/indexes/index.html
               (Utah History Research Center surname index search - digital images available)
        www.mormonhistory.org (British LDS history - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales)
         www.dupinternational.org (History Department - scroll to "History Card Index")
        www.lib.utah.edu (Collections: Digital Collections - Utah Digital Newspapers and
                Mountain West Digital Library)
        Western states marriages (Index for early marriages - search by groom or bride)
        www.cyndislist.com/lds.htm (History of the LDS Church - Miscellaneous LDS Church
                & Genealogy Resources)
        www.google.com
                1. Type in "Tracing Mormon Pioneers" - click on Tracing Mormon Pioneers
                2. Type in (with quotes) "Mormons on the high seas" - click on topics of choice
        www.handcart.com (1856 handcart history)
        http://handcart.byu.edu (Willie Handcart Company daily journal)
        nauvoopageantcousins.org

1. Record results of all records searched in a Research Log. Make copies of key
documents.
2. Evaluate. Did you find new information? Is the information accurate? Are there
additional records to search?
3. Enter your information into your Personal Ancestral File (PAF) program.
4. Organize documents into appropriate folders.