Getting Started

Starting your family history in just 6 steps:
   After a lot of reading and research these are the steps that I've found are most useful when we want to get started on our family history

Getting Started on Your Family History

Many of us have felt overwhelmed or inadequate when it comes to starting Family History. We know it’s important, we know its part of the Plan of Salvation, but one question always comes to mind and for many, stops them from actively doing the work.  “Where do I start?” Some of us are new converts and will start the work without anything being done before; others have been in the church since they were born and much of their family history has already been done by someone else. No matter where you are or how much work has or has not been done, we can all follow a few simple steps to get started.

1.      Pray: “And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” (1 Ne 4:6) As He did with Nephi, the Lord will guide us in this work. We may not “know the things which [we] should do” but the Spirit will guide us if we ask.

2.      Start with Yourself: Unless guided otherwise, gather and organize what you have at home. Look through them and see what is there. Some things you may look at are:

a.      Birth records

b.      Marriage certificates

c.        Journals

d.      Old newspapers and obituaries

e.      Diaries

f.        Photographs

g.      Personal and family histories/stories

3.      Document What You Find: Write down dates, places, and names. This will give you a starting point, a foundation for your research. You may want to use some kind of Family History software such as RootsMagic. These programs help organize what you have found and what you need to work on. If you don’t have access to a computer write it down but keep it legible so you and others can read it later.

4.      Branch Out: Once you have your own documents organized and the information kept somewhere start looking in other areas

a.      Visit with relatives, find out what information they have

b.      Visit a family history library, talk to the workers and volunteers (take the information you already have)

c.       Research online, there are many online resources that can help you in your search.

5.      Repeat Steps 1, 3, and 4: Always start with prayer so that the Spirit will be with you. When you find something make sure to document what you find and where you found it. Branch out again, when you’ve found all you can from one source go to another.

6.      Don’t Quit: If it becomes frustrating or you hit a wall, don’t quit, pick someone else to look for, continue to pray and have faith that those on the other side are helping.