Family Search Indexing is a non-profit community effort sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe that every person is important and that families are meant to be both sacred and eternal. We encourage all people to find their ancestors and preserve their family histories. To help in this great pursuit, the Church has been actively gathering and preserving genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years.
We have learned that interest in family history is not limited by culture, ethnicity or religious faith. People around the world are innately and intensely interested in their family heritage. Because the Church’s family history efforts are funded by charitable donations, it freely offers its resources to anyone interested in finding their family’s roots.
Augusta, Maria, and Germaine Hillaert in Belgium.
My Grandmother (middle) with her sisters.
EVERY PERSON MATTERS!
![]()
Sandra Joy Beaujeu Dodge
Perhaps it is this feeling that prompts millions to seek out their family history. For most, records of their ancestors provide key links to their past. An army of volunteers from around the world is now helping to save and make these records available. Using our online system, they are able to easily extract data from valuable records and provide free searchable indexes—all from the convenience of their homes.
YOU CAN HELP. No special skills or fixed time commitments are required. Volunteer when you can. Just register, sign in, and follow a simple process:
- Select a “batch” of records to download to your computer.
- Enter the requested information (names, dates, events, etc.) in the corresponding spaces.
- Submit your completed index to the online system.
It's easy.
But, you say...'I don't know what I'm doing, or where to begin.' There are excellent tutorials that you can listen to that explains things beter than I can. And there are instructions on each project. You can go here to find out more: https://www.familysearch.org/volunteer/indexing
Elder Dallin H Oaks of the quorum of the twelve Apostles gave a message in the 2007 General Conference entitled, 'Good, Better, Best' where he said, "We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families."
You can read/listen/watch/ or print this message in it's entirety here:
I knew when I heard this message at Conference that I could do better at choosing the 'BEST' things. It was not that I was doing bad things...but there was places in my life that I could stand room for improvement. How many episodes of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' can one watch? LOL! I'm NOT an avid TV watcher but this message spoke to my heart on many levels. I not only could take my unproductive moments and make them more meaningful...but I didn't know how fun, interesting, and fulfilling indexing could be. There are beginner, intermediate, and advanced records that need to be indexed. If you know another language they especially need YOU!
You can even download several 'batches' and work on them 'off-line' when you are at the cabin, camping, fishing, or waiting in an airport. Our old Bishop frequently goes overseas on business and indexes on his long flights. Then when you plug back in to internet service they are easily uploaded.
You don't have to be a member of our church. Anyone can volunteer. This effort makes thousands of records available to anyone searching for their family history.
In fact you can begin searching for YOUR family here: https://familysearch.org/
If you are ready to begin your quest to find and link yourself to YOUR family the best software out there (imho) has a free version you can download here: http://rootsmagic.com/
This is fun. It is interesting. It is meaningful. It is addicting! :) And if you EVER need help. You can call me. I am NOT an expert but I can find you someone who CAN help you. My email address is:
Come on! Pick the BEST things to do with your time. GET STARTED! Go Here:
Love as always,
~Sandi
No comments:
Post a Comment