Duplicates in FamilySearch Family Tree

There is a very interesting statement in a recent FamilySearch.org blog post entitled, "Duplicates in FamilySearch’s Family Tree: Why They’re There, How to Find Them, and How to Resolve Them" by Karen Hanna. It quotes Kathryn Grant, a recent presenter at the 2014 BYU Family History Conference and says:

Grant emphasized, “Family Tree was never meant to be an ongoing source of family names so we don’t have to do our own research; rather, it’s a collection of data gathered over many generations which needs to be validated and corrected so that we can find and add additional names.”

The post also references a presentation entitled "Duplicates in Family Tree: Why They're There, How to Find Them, and How to Resolve Them." Unfortunately, neither the blog post nor the presentation acknowledge the following excerpt from the guide to the program entitled, "Using the FamilySearch Family Tree: A Reference Guide (18 October 2013) LDS Version where it states at page 152:

Some records in Family Tree cannot be merged. You cannot merge records in the following situations:

• The gender on one record is male, and the other is female.
• One record indicates the person is alive; the other is deceased.
• Both records come from the membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of
• Latter-day Saints.
• One of the records came from new.familysearch.org, where it has been combined with too many other records.
• The duplicate record has already been deleted due to another merge.
• One of the records has restrictions that would prevent it from being changed.

If Family Tree has already identified possible duplicates that cannot be merged, they appear beneath the list of possible duplicates.

It is interesting the FamilySearch is acknowledging that FamilySearch.org Family Tree cannot and should not be "mined" for names to take to the Temples, but it seems that the message has yet to reach many Wards and Stakes where the leaders are still challenging members to go to Family Tree and find a name to take to the Temple.

It is also unfortunate that the reasons that mergers still cannot be made in Family Tree are not more well known. There is presently another limitation of the program that if frequently encountered: individuals that were wrongly combined in the now old New.FamilySearch.org program cannot yet be corrected. See page 160 of the Reference Guide.

During the past week as I have taught classes at the BYU Family History Library, I have encountered several very frustrated users of the Family Tree due to both of these limitations. It is well to be reminded periodically as stated by the blog post:

The goal for perfection or “one complete, accurate record for each person” is attainable, little by little, but we need to keep in mind that those who organized their records using older forms, the records from grandma or Uncle Joe, FamilySearch, New FamilySearch, and finally into FamilySearch’s Family Tree, are fallible, and mistakes were made (And mistakes are continually made today be beginners and “experts” alike). The engineers who have brilliantly built the FamilySearch system are working to make everything as easy as possible. They respond quickly to the concerns of the users and fix problems as they arise.

Patience is advised.

Beginning Your Family Tree with Sources

Traditionally, genealogists have started their family tree by collecting the names of relatives. Each new name then begins a round of research to "prove" that the person was a member of the family. The focus of the search has been on "finding the named person in the record" and then substantiating events in the person's life, such as birth, marriage and death by looking for additional records.

I would like to suggest a completely different approach to the extending family lines. I can summarize the approach in three steps:

1. Identify a specific place where an event occurred in an ancestor's life
2. Search for and identify records associated with the place where the event occurred and the time of the occurrence of the event
3. Search the records for any references to the target individual or any member of his or her family, even the extended family

Going back to the traditional method of research, the genealogist will often look for a name in a series of records without making a determination of whether or not the records are applicable to the place and time the person lived. Most frequently, no specific location has been identified and the search is being made in an entire state or country. For example, many people see a U.S. Census reference that says the the parent of the individual was born in a particular state. Before verifying any event in the parent's life, the researcher will immediately begin a search for the parent, usually in the state mentioned in the Census record. The fact is that the investigation for pertinent records should begin with the place where the person was located by the U.S. Census. The researcher should begin by looking for records that may be available for the time and place of the Census.

The researcher should continue to search the available records until the possible sources have been reasonably exhausted. One good way to start such a search is to search for a place in the FamilySearch Catalog on FamilySearch.org, beginning with national, then state, then county, then city. Of course, if you are researching in a country other than the U.S., you would search each of the levels of that particular jurisdiction.

Part of the process of identifying a particular location, includes also identifying the layers of political jurisdiction that existed at the time to the event. For example, being aware of the date of county formation. Places can be identified with geographic coordinates, but, even with an exact geographic location, you must still determine the jurisdictional location. This may turn out to be a very difficult task, especially if the place has been subject extreme boundary changes in the past, such as the eastern portions of Europe. In the U.S. state and boundary changes can be determined fairly easily using the Newberry Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

You may have to refer to both current and historic maps also. I have compiled a list of online map websites in my blog post entitled, "Online Digital Map Collections by State."

If you cannot find a specific location for an individual, you need to move forward in time until a specific location for an event can be identified. In some cases, a city and state (province, district etc.) may be sufficient, but in other cases, you may have to find a location down to the actual house the family occupied.

I believe you will find that this is a much more effective approach and will lower the possibility that you will spend time searching in the wrong location.

Video Collections for Training Stake and Ward Family History Leaders

In writing this blog, I frequently refer to the need for Ward and Stake leader to follow the guidelines in the guidebook entitled, "To Turn The Hearts, Leader's Guide to Temple and Family History Work." To reinforce the teachings in the guidebook, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced a series of videos. Links to these videos are on the Leader Resources page of the Family History Callings section of LDS.org.

The video instructions fall into four categories:

• Featured Videos
• Training for My Calling Videos
• Individual Stories and Topics Videos
• Leaders' Secrets of Success Videos

Here is a screenshot of the video section of the Family History Callings page:

One of the key factors to success in implementing family history activities in the Wards and Stakes is following the guidelines in the guidebook. From my own experience, there are two key components to implementing a successful program: first, that each individual act in accordance with the activities and duties outlined in the guidebook and second, that the Wards and Stakes call adequate numbers of qualified family history and Indexing consultants. 

It seems strange to me, when I talk to a High Priest Group Leader or High Councilor, to find that they are either entirely unaware of the guidebook and provisions in the Handbook 2 for family history or that they claim to be familiar with the guidebook but are not following any of the procedures outlined.  For example, I have been a Family History Consultant for about 8 or 9 years and I have yet to have one meeting with the Ward High Priest Group Leader. For most of those years, the High Priest Group Leader was entirely unaware of any of the family history activities in the Ward. 

There is no substitute for reviewing and implementing the guidelines in the guidebook. 

Turning Our Hearts to the Fathers

As reported in a LDSChurch News article entitled, "Family, a pattern of heaven," Elder Paul E. Koelliker, an emeritus Seventy, addressed the need to further the work of the Lord through family history. He is quoted as saying:

Sharing ideas of his own, he invited listeners to think of family history as a broader idea as they move ahead in a forward direction. He encouraged listeners to increase their temple worship and invited them to find a cousin or other family member they can take to the temple. 

“Be open to new technology and ideas for connecting with others,” he said, adding that many tools are provided to help in family history work. 

It is through that love for and remembering family that individuals develop a desire to be vigilant in establishing and retaining their family line. Through discovering ancestors in the past and creating a record for the future — just as King Benjamin made a record for his people and future generations — individuals are able to develop a strong connection in their family tree. 

“This is a time of change, and we have got to make family history a priority,” he said. “This is the work of all people.”

I certainly agree that motivation to begin our family history work is a vital factor in whether or not the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints become involved in actually doing something to further their responsibility. In addition, as a regular teacher on genealogical subjects, I also recognize the need to learn how to proceed. Elder Koeliker's talk was given in conjunction with the BYU Family History and Genealogy Conference held in Provo, Utah on the BYU Campus from July 29th to August 1st, 2014. At the same time, I was attending a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah held by the International Association of Jewish Genealogy Societies. I have attended the BYU Conference in the past and there is a marked difference between the two conferences, not just due to the cultural and religious background of the two groups.

Both conferences feature presenters who are abundantly qualified in the their particular areas of interest. However, the IAJGS Conference is aimed at people who are intensely interested in the topics presented. They travel great distances and at a great expense to come to the conference. In contrast, not to criticize, the BYU Conference is largely locally attended. The IAJGS Conference in 2015 will be held in Jerusalem, Israel. How many of the attendees at the BYU Conference would travel to Jerusalem to attend a BYU Conference next year instead of again coming to the BYU Campus?

I ask this question, again, not to criticize, but to demonstrate exactly what is needed to "turn your heart to your fathers." It involves a dedication and a measure of sacrifice to achieve the objective of finding your ancestors. It may also include sifting through hundreds or thousands of names where the Temple ordinance work has already been accomplished.

Back to the IAJGS Conference. Again, many of the participants came from Europe and Israel. Would you travel to Israel to attend a conference on genealogy? Would you even drive down the hill and attend the BYU Conference if you lived in Provo? This was part of the contrast I observed between the two conferences.

Elder Allan F. Packer speaks of our Spiritual Passport

At this year's RootsTech Conference held in the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, Elder Allan F. Packer of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave an extraordinary presentation entitled "Spiritual Passport." If you log in to LDS.org, you can view the presentation on video or read the transcription.  Since that presentation at RootsTech 2014, there have been many Conference talks and at least one and sometimes two articles in the Ensign and other Church publications about family history. Here are some links to some of those talks and articles:

• Roots and Branches, Elder Quentin L. Cook, April 2014 General Conference
• Live True to the Faith, Elder William R. Walker, April 2014 General Conference
• Wanted: Hands and Hearts to Hasten the Work, Sister Linda K. Burton, April 2014 General Conference
• Spiritual Whirlwinds, Elder Neil L. Andersen, April 2014 General Conference
• Protection from Pornography—a Christ-Focused Home, Sister Linda S. Reeves, April 2014 General Conference
• A Priceless Heritage of Hope, President Henry B. Eyring, April 2014 General Conference
• Are You Sleeping through the Restoration? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2014 General Conference
• Keeping a Journal Your Way, Tara Walker, July 2014 Ensign
• Touched by the Spirit of Elijah, Carol Brennan Moss, June 2014 Ensign
• Know Your Stories, June 2014 Ensign

I could go on and on, but perhaps you can get the message. Family history and searching our our ancestors is a top priority topic for the Church as a whole. Are you missing the boat? Don't you understand that as Elder Packer points out in his presentation:

Hastening the Work of Salvation is the call of the Prophets to leaders and members in our day. To hasten is “to move or act swiftly, to cause to hurry, to speed up; accelerate.”[i] It also means “to cause (something) to happen more quickly.”[ii] The work of Salvation is “to help individuals and families qualify for exaltation”.

There are four divinely appointed responsibilities for us to work out our exaltation as explained in Handbook 2[iii]. One of them is to help “enabl[e] the salvation of the dead by building temples and performing vicarious ordinances.”[iv]

There is presently no excuse for ignoring this vital part of the mission of the Church. We have the tools and we have the time during our mortal probation to do the work.

FamilySearch Tree App for iOS and Android Updated

The new FamilySearch Tree App for iOS and Android has already been updated with features allowing you to delete an uploaded photo, story or audio file and you can also select a default portrait for people in your tree. Here is a screenshot of the iTunes Store selection:

FamilySearch.org has also added a link to the App on the FamilySearch.org startup page. Here is a screenshot showing the newly added link:

Spiritual Passport

Elder Allan F. Packer of the Seventy has said that "There is a spiritual passport needed by every person on earth to qualify for exaltation. To enter, all the criteria must be met." Following this lead, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has designed a graphic "Spiritual Passport" that summarizes what Elder Packer has to say in his talk at RootsTech 2014 in February. Here is a screenshot of the two sides of the Passport:

The reverse side is as follows:

You can click on the images to see them enlarged.

Elder Packer made the following comment about what it took to have success in the Ward with family history:

We found a number of proven tips from surveying Bishops. The Family History Department has researched what wards with high family history activity rates are doing. The following is the list of what was found. Where were doing 5 of the 7 of these things the rate of temple activity was about double the average ward.

1. The “To Turn the Heart” guidebook is a core in the ward plan. The ward council develops and works their plan.
2. Youth are called as family history consultants.
3. There are three or more active family history consultants.
4. Youth took family names on temple trips. The First Presidency have encouraged youth to always take family names or the names of other ward or stake members to the temple.
5. Consultants helped members at least monthly.
6. Consultants met with priesthood leaders at least monthly.
7. Consultants helped new converts at least monthly.

This is a pretty simple check list to see if the Ward in on the right track.