Preserving Freedom of Expression and Protecting Conscience

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/transcript--elder-christofferson-speaks-atinter-american-press-association-general-assembly

Genealogists live in a world saturated with information. In my experience, this huge mass of information is one of the greatest challenges to becoming personally involved in genealogical or family history research. In a speech given on October 28, 2017, at the Inter-American Press Association General Assembly, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke about the importance of preserving freedom of expression and protecting conscience.

From time to time, some members of the larger, world-wide genealogical community become embroiled in issues of freedom to access information, particularly government and other records that are restricted in some way from public access. Genealogists' concern with access to certain types of records is merely a small part of a larger concern about freedom of expression and information. Elder Christofferson quoted from The Declaration of Chapultepec and the quote has implications, not just for freedom of the press, but for the availability of records and information in a larger context. Here is the quote from Elder Christofferson's speech:

The Declaration of Chapultepec, adopted in 1994 and reaffirmed by freedom-friendly, national leaders across the Americas, reminds us of the crucial role of media. Its preamble states, “Wherever the media can function unhindered and determine their own direction and manner of serving the public, there is a blossoming of the ability to seek information, to disseminate it without restraints, to question it without fear and to promote the free exchange of ideas and opinions. But wherever freedom of the press is curtailed, for whatever reasons, the other freedoms vanish.”[2] Such declarations provide a common framework by which we can construct fair and open societies.

Governments around the world that impose restraints on access to historical records are generally repressive in other ways. Unfortunately, there are state and local governments right here in the United States that are also repressive and attempt to limit public access to the very records needed by genealogical researchers.

Many of those who are members of the Church are motivated to seek after their ancestors and relatives because of fundamental religious beliefs concerning the afterlife. Those who are most involved with family history or genealogy are generally those most concerned about the availability of historical records, but this concern should extend well beyond just those doing research.

I suggest that a general awareness of the need for access to information should be a goal for everyone.