Family History
Tyler Graf


FamilySearch.org
I love family history!

My Goal
-
Proclaim the gospel.
- Perfect the Saints.
- Redeem the dead.
Mission of the Church
Requires Technology
6 Promises
As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.
- Elder Bednar
Asael Smith

- Joseph Smith's grandfather
- My great grandfather
5
New Features on FamilySearch.org
Tips

- In-context help
- videos
Descendancy View
- View whole families
- Best way to find names for temple
FamilySearch Messaging

- Communicate with other patrons through FamilySearch.org
3rd Party App Gallery
- Useful tools
- Uses FamilySearch Data (APIs)

Discovery Campaign
- Easy "ins" for new users
View My Relationship
- Helps patrons gain context in the tree

Ancestor Patriarchal Blessings
- Get closer to ancestors

Coming Soon
Indexing on FamilySearch.org
- Patrons won't have to download an application to index
- Indexing on iPad/Tablets/Laptop
- Lots of new features
- Currently in beta
- View everything at once
- Great organization
Memories Gallery
Maybe... a new family tree
Much, much more!
How to get people excited

Make it easy
- 4 week intro program
- Each week showed how to accomplish each task
- Easy homework each week
- Get copy of fanchart
- Upload photo and tag it
- Write story and share it
- Try to find a new person
- Each week had a handout



People kept coming back!
Make it a party!
- Ancestor Photo scanning/capturing party
- Include the youth since they're good at technology
- Have multiple stations set up with a youth helper
- Easy in to connect with Ancestors
- Chips and Salsa!!!

Make it a Game
- Genealogy is a hard concept
- Learn how it works through a game
- The Colt Game
- Searching records
- Record Types
- Help Center to find answers
- Familysearch Wiki
- Create a fake family tree
- Chips and Salsa!

Keep it Simple
- Choose an ancestor each Sunday
- Share a story about them (find a photo if you can)
- Share it on Facebook, etc.
- Invite family to share stories about them

Record Grandparents
- Audio (uploadable to FamilySearch.org)
- Video (hopefully coming soon)
Don't Scare People Away
Positive Note
""The Saints have the privilege of being baptized for their relatives who are dead who have received the Gospel in the spirit, through those who have been commissioned to preach to them.” Later he added, “Those Saints who neglect it in behalf of their deceased relatives, do it at the peril of their own salvation."
- Joseph Smith
I don't want to know what that means

Go and Do!
Family History Ideas
By Tyler Graf
Family History Ideas
- 1,026