Creating Green Arrows for Others to Use

Over the past few years, I have written a number of times about mining the "green arrows" from the New.FamilySearch.org program and now, from the FamilySearch.org Family Tree program. My concerns have centered on the fact that most of the so-called green arrows indicate duplicate entries where one entry has the Temple Ordinance work complete and a second (or more) entry shows those same completed ordinances as available. In New.FamilySearch.org this situation initially lead to a multiplicity of additional duplicate ordinances.

In New.FamilySearch.org, the green arrows were defined as a marker where Temple Ordinances were available. In Family Tree, there is a difference. The same type of markers usually lead to a request to search for duplicates.

Now, Family Tree has released their Descendancy View with the same invitation of what is essentially "green arrows." But there is a substantial difference. Here is a screenshot showing the Family Tree equivalent of a "green arrow."

The difference is in what happens when you click on the "green arrow." Here is a screenshot of the results of clicking"

However, if you disregard all of the warnings and explanations of warnings, you could add the person to your Temple list. But in this particular case, there are this number of possible duplicates:

All of them, with one exception, seem to be the same person. So, there is a way to avoid all these possible duplicates and do the Ordinance work over yet another time, but the warnings and education are there, if the user wants to heed them.

One very important detail about this entire inquiry is that every one of the individuals in the Descendancy View above have a marker that indicates that they need sources. In effect, there is no assurance that any of this information is correct. By the way, after doing one or two of the possible merges, the record shows that all of the Temple work has been done. But the "green arrow" remains and could still be used to reserve the Temple Ordinance. But if you refresh the screen and go back to that same person, the "green arrow" has disappeared. Here is a screenshot showing the arrow is now gone:

I would suggest a couple of things need to be done.

First, I would suggest that anyone working on Family Tree focus on doing as many valid merges as possible. That will help to reduce the number of possible duplicate Temple Ordinances.

Second, I would suggest that if you are looking for valid genealogy to do, that you add to and correct the Family Tree file. Add records and allow people to "glean" them from the Family Tree field. That will give those who do not yet know how to find additional records the experience of participating in Temple Work.

Youth Temple Challenge Added to LDS.org

Announced in an LDSChurch News article for 5 July 2014, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as added a Youth Temple Challenge. Quoting from the article:

In front of more than 4,000 youth at the 2014 RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City this past February, Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued a challenge: “My challenge for you is to prepare as many names for the temple as you perform baptisms in the temple.” 

In an effort to help LDS youth around the world complete this challenge, the Church recently released a number of helpful tools online at templechallenge.lds.org. 

Irinna Danielson, product manager with the Member and Patron Outreach Division of the Family History Department, said, “After giving the message, Elder Andersen wanted to make sure that youth around the world who weren’t in the convention hall heard about the challenge and had an opportunity to accept.” 

On July 1, 2014, the youth temple challenge was extended worldwide with the launch of the website templechallenge.lds.org.

The site basically introduces the recently introduced Descendancy View in FamilySearch.org Family Tree. Apparently, the new Descendancy View searches the Family Tree for individuals who qualify for Temple ordinances but do not have duplicates. If an individual appears to have Temple Ordinances available, but has a duplicate in the system. Clicking on the link will take you to the merge function rather than releasing the individual for ordinances.

There was an interesting quote in the LDSChurch News article:

Finding family names can be difficult, especially if a family has completed a lot of work already. “FamilySearch is working hard to get rid of barriers by creating technology that makes doing family history work easier than ever,” said Sister Danielson. For example, the new descendancy tool at FamilySearch.org is for those who think all of their family’s temple work is done. 

“The descendancy tool helps us look beyond our direct lines to our cousins, where many more ancestors are waiting. It can be a powerful tool in the hands of our youth for quickly searching out our distant ancestors,” said Jim Greene, member outreach manager for the Family History Department. The new tool, along with a how-to video, can be found at familysearch.org.

This is one of the first times I have seen a public acknowledgement that researching family history can be difficult. But I do see this particular emphasis as very positive. The Descendancy View can be used by any member to find families that need more research. This helps to overcome the idea that all the Temple work has been done.

Important Updates to the Indexing Program

According to a blog post from FamilySearch.org written by Spencer Ngatuvi, Beta testing of the new Indexing program has officially started. The post stated,

Beta testing has officially started for the new indexing program, and we want to make sure that you are ready when the program officially launches. Hopefully, you have been able to stay up-to-date with some of the features of the new program. One such change will be a new reporting system for those with indexing callings.
In order to access reports from the new indexing system, you need to do a couple things. First, talk with your ward or stake clerk to make sure your name appears next to the appropriate indexing calling in the Member and Leader Services software (MLS). Your ward or stake clerk will be happy to make sure you are properly accounted for in the Church system so you can access these reports.
The second thing you need to do is make sure to update your email address. You can do this yourself:

• Visit www.FamilySearch.org, and sign in to the account you use as stake indexing director, which is most likely the same as your LDS Account.
• Click your name in the top right corner, and then click Settings.
• Under the FamilySearch logo in the top left corner, clickthe tab labeled Contact.
• Click inside the email box, and update your email address.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the blue Save Changes box.

 Another blog post from Janell Vasquez asks the question, "How Are You Preparing Your Stake for the New Indexing Program?" The post points out the following:

As an indexing leader in your ward or stake, your role is vital in helping your indexers and arbitrators to transition to the new program. We encourage you to learn how your volunteers are feeling about the transition and show empathy for any who may struggle with the change. When the new program is launched, you may need to work with some volunteers individually, reassuring and training them until they are comfortable using the new system.

The post asks for feedback on your plans for helping to prepare indexers for the new program.

Yet another blog post was entitled "More Blessed to Give Than to Receive" by Michael Judson. It refers to a video. Here is a quote from the post:

Feeling inspired that FamilySearch indexing could help lead the members of the Chorley England Stake to greater personal righteousness, stake president David Pickup issued a challenge to his stake members. Members who took the challenge seriously enjoyed blessings not typically associated with an activity that some describe as “data entry.”
Watch this video to learn how FamilySearch indexing proves that one is truly more blessed by giving than by receiving.

This post also asks for feedback.

A blog post by Courtney Connolly asks the question, "Peer to Peer: How Can I Help My Stake Try Intermediate Projects?" Quoting from the post:

Many indexers choose to index beginner projects because they feel safe doing them. This choice makes perfect sense unless it’s your ancestor’s information that happens to be trapped in an intermediate or advanced record. Indexing is the key to unlocking information about our ancestors, including the ones who had the misfortune of having their life’s details recorded by someone with bad handwriting or poor organization skills.

The post goes on to give several responses from Indexers in countries around the world.

If you are not getting email notifications of these blog posts, you need to make sure you are registered as consultant on LDS.org and also in your Settings on FamilySearch.org and in the Indexing programs.

Valuable Temple and Family History Guides and Training

Whatever your level of participation in family history in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you have valuable guides and other support material provided on LDS.org. Here is a list of the current materials available courtesy of Charlie Shults, Area Director in the East Valley of the Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona Area.

MEMBER’S GUIDE to Temple and Family History Work (Item # 36795000) 

Leader’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work: To Turn the Hearts (Item 08886000) 

INSTRUCTOR’S GUIDE to Temple and Family History Work ( Item 35804000) 

Family History Consultant’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work 

Temple and Family History Course DVD (Item #54102000)

My Family: Stories That Bring Us Together (Item# 10974000) 

You may want to make sure that everyone in your Ward has access to these materials. 

IOUSs Explained -- Why you can't merge your ancestors

FamilySearch refers to individuals whose records have been submitted by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints many, many times as Individuals of Unusual Size (IOUS). This name is a hold-over from New.FamilySearch.org where the number of multiple submission copies of a given individual exceeded the allowable number of combined records.

I think this whole process needs to be explained.

By the way, I would not be surprised to learn that you have to read and re-read this explanation a couple of times. The only reason I understand how all this worked and is working today is because I have lived through it. Bear in mind that I have had this explained to me by many different people, not all of whom knew what they were talking about. This post is my best guess so far as to how all this happened.

To begin the explanation, it is important to realize that the database making up the named individuals in New.FamilySearch.org (NFS) came from multiple sources. Those sources included the following:

• The Ancestral File
• The Pedigree Resource File
• The International Genealogical Index (IGI)
• The Church membership records
• The existing Temple ordinance records

If records for an individual were submitted in any two or more of these categories, then there were duplicates in the system. For some individuals with numerous descendants in the Church, there could be hundreds of duplicate entries. One problem was that with so many entries it was inevitable that there would be differences in the way the records were recorded. Hence, there could be entries with any number of family member variations, name spellings, dates and places, but all referring to the same person.

NFS tried to resolve these duplicates by using a method of combining records. The idea was to preserve all the information but make a package of all of the differences. Problems began to appear immediately with these individuals that had too many copies in the system. For a reason that remains obscure, FamilySearch cut off the total number of duplicates that could be combined. That total number was changed upward a couple of times, but there were still a significant number of individuals whose duplicate entries exceeded the larger combinatory target number. These individuals are the ones referred to as IOUSs.

That was only the tip of the NFS iceberg. The biggest problem was that users of NFS began combining people who were not the same individual. So we began the process of uncombining (separating) individuals improperly combined.

Now, Family Tree comes on the scene. Theoretically, there is only one place in the Family Tree for each individual. So what happens when Family Tree is using the same database as NFS? The duplicates are still there in the database. Family Tree introduced a "merge" function, so rather than combining the records for duplicate individuals as in NFS, Family Tree merges the individuals and only one is left in the system. Theoretically, again, this should resolve the problem. Except that the merge function did not apply to those IOUS individuals. What about individuals who were improperly combined in NFS? For a while the users could uncombine these individuals in NFS but now what happens? My best guess is that the wrongly combined individuals just come up missing in Family Tree. See Common Family Tree Problems from 11 September 2013 and the comments.

Where does this leave the IOUSs? As long as the two databases, NFS and Family Tree, are using the same data, all the limitations of NFS apply to Family Tree. Hence, nothing can really be done with the extra duplicate ancestors. The problem with this is that the extra people are not just extra people; they are extra entire pedigrees. So making changes to any of the IOUS people is a high risk activity. Your changes may simply disappear when they are finally merged or worse yet, someone could delete the person you are working on.

Yes, Family Tree allows users to delete individuals. There are tons of warning messages but the people do disappear (with all their Temple ordinances attached). So what am I going to do? Continuing waiting. I have been working back about 3 or 4 generations until I get to the level when there are IOUSs and then I am effectively stopped.

Let me know if some of these details are not exactly correct.

Genealogical Anomalies

We all come to our family history with preconceived notions. An anomaly is something that deviates from what is standard, normal or expected. Science has advanced largely through scientists trying to explain the peculiar exceptions to the generally accepted theories of the times. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are certain generally accepted notions or theories about genealogy or family history for which there are abundant anomalies. Unfortunately, disproving a widely held notion is not usually sufficient to change the collective minds of those who adhere to it.

You do not have to look far for an example. Take the notion that genealogy or family history is something that is done by old people after they "retire." The actual practice in the Church seems to support this notion or theory very well. It would be easy to become convinced that old people had some special interests or abilities lacking in the youth that gives them a predisposition to accumulating family history. This may also be a cultural issue that preserving family traditions is a function of age. But the anomaly is that there are a good number of young people involved in genealogy.

Another common notion, particularly among members of the Church with a long history of ancestors in the Church, is that "all my genealogy has been done." Even though this statement cannot possibly be true given the number of direct line ancestors and their descendants that each person is related to, this is a very persistent notion that I hear regularly. The anomaly is the fact is that there are presently at least two software tools that will help to dispel this belief or notion. First is the program known as Puzzilla.org and second is the newer Descendancy View in FamilySearch.org's Family Tree.

A very persistent notion is that somehow Temple work and family history (genealogy) are separate and distinct areas of concern. Active, Temple attending members often justify their inactivity in family history on this artificially imposed notion. It is more than just an anomaly that you do not have to go far to find statements from General Authorities and Prophets to answer this. Here is a quote from Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:

Temple and family history work is one work divided into two parts. They are connected together like the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The main idea of this persistent notion is that you can somehow separate and compartmentalize these two parts and ignore the family history part.

Yet another notion about family history is that it is a class during Sunday School time taught once or so a year. Many of the newly called Family History Consultants I have talked to during the past couple of years have told me that they were "called to teach a family history class." This notion flies in the face of the vast anomaly of the very detailed instructions to everyone in the Ward and Stake that are defined as involved in family history. See LDS.org Family History Topics. A few minutes spent looking at the responsibilities of each level from the Stake President to the Family History Consultant will quickly dispel that notion. When I visit Wards and ask about a family history class, they usually always reply that they "just had one" or that they might have one in the future.

There is also a notion that only certain members of the family have the genealogical responsibility. This notion holds that if my [fill in the blank, i.e. grandmother, mother, father, aunt etc.] is involved in genealogy then I have it made and don't have to do anything. The anomaly here is simple, family history and Temple work is an individual responsibility. Each of us has our duty to work out our salvation. See The Book of Mormon, Moroni 9:27

27 O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

In fact, you might want to re-read all of Chapter 9.

I could go on, but I suggest that you go back to the LDS.org reference above and start finding out how family history is really supposed to operate and not just as an anomaly.

Some thoughts on duplicates in FamilySearch Family Tree

The guidebook called, Using the FamilySearch Family Tree: A Reference Guide (18 October 2013) LDS Version, at page 152 gives a number of specific reasons why merging duplicate entries in Family Tree may not be possible:

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.

Let me put this as concisely as I am able. Family Tree inherited thousands of duplicate entries from New.FamilySearch.org (NFS). Many of these duplicate entries exceeded an arbitrary limit of the number of combined entries allowed in NFS. Because the two programs have been using the same database, this arbitrary limit was imposed on Family Tree. Therefore, there are a huge number of duplicate entries in Family Tree which cannot be resolved. In fact, because of limitations in the find function used for the merge process (not the overall find function) many of these duplicates cannot be found even when both are showing on the screen at the same time. In short, merge does not yet fully work.

The merge function will work properly if none of the above criteria are present.

What are the results of the merge function's inoperability?

More duplicate Temple work.

In effect, with un-merged duplicates, one of the duplicate entries can show all of the Temple work completed and the other can show all of the Temple work available to be redone. The availability of the Temple work is shown by a "Green Arrow." You would think that users of the program would realize by now that famous people and their pioneer ancestors probably had all their Temple work done years ago, if it could be done at all. But, that is not the case. They still keep clicking on green arrows and redoing the work.

You might also suspect that FamilySearch would have some kind of notice out there that the merge function does not work. Guess what, you just read it above.

There is no stated time frame for when NFS and Family Tree will finally be separated completely and more of the merge functions start to work, but that will be the day I start cleaning up the existing entries on my ancestral lines.