"We want to prove the science and let that carry us to the next level of human kindness and dignity," Sorenson said. He said he truly believes that as people come to understand their similarities, even in genetic makeup, they will be more inclined to "brotherhood, peace on Earth and love for all our fellow men. We're all connected in so many ways, and we don't even realize it."

Woodward said the information provided through the database protects the identity of people currently living. If someone finds matching genetic markers and retrieves a paternal pedigree chart through the database, only people who lived prior to 1900 will show up on the chart. There are many reasons for that, he said, including the possibility that people who believe they are children or grandchildren of specific people will find their parentage lies elsewhere.

Sorenson isn't particularly concerned with such revelations, he said, believing truth will ultimately come out and that understanding the truth better serves those who are seeking to definitively establish their ancestral lines. He sees his work as an extension of science but acknowledges there is an additional motivation because of his faith.

For Christians — and particularly members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — who are familiar with the biblical reference in Malachi to "turn the heart of the fathers to their children and the heart of the children to their fathers," the technology provides a stunning example of how literally that process can now happen. The LDS Church is considered the world's leading organization for family history research, and Sorenson admits it is no small coincidence that his research is being conducted within blocks of the church's world headquarters.

Sorenson himself is a Latter-day Saint, as are Woodward and many others employed by the foundation. "It's a 'turning the hearts'-type process, and a lot of people working here are working on the basis that they feel something more than just a test-tube study."

But science is at the forefront, he maintains.

"Genomics is the big deal" in the future of family history research, he said. "It's huge. We're fortunate to have some platform work done by the Mormon Church, but if we were trying to make this simply an LDS phenomenon, we would lose the rest of the world."

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com