Family History Conference: 10 great databases

You can waste a lot of time looking for information on your Mormon ancestors (if you have any) or you can look at Devin Ashby's "Ten Great LDS Family History Databases You've Got To Try." Ashby gave a presentation on these 10 databases at the Conference on Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University on Tuesday.

Ashby works for FamilySearch Indexing, a non-profit family history organization run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Where should you spend your time — your precious time — researching and finding information on your ancestors?" Ashby asked. He described the Internet as a massive ocean that is only getting bigger. The key is to finding and using the best databases that have the information you need.

He suggested 10 databases that have excellent information for people with LDS ancestors.

Database 1 — Record Search

"A fantastic tool!" Ashby said. Record Search is the publishing site for FamilySearch Indexing, a volunteer program to digitize records into searchable text files. Collections include U.S. Census records, Utah death certificates, Ellis Island arrival lists and more.

Database 2 — FamilySearch.org

"I think it is great," Ashby said. "It is the largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world."

Database 3 — LDS Church Archives

"There is a ton of good information." Ashby said. Some of the database information is searchable online, such as the "Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel" database. More is available if you go to the church archives, currently in the east wing of the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City (50 East N. Temple St.). At the location, for example, you can find "Mission Calls and Recommendations" from 1877 to 1918, a searchable database of mission call letters and response letters.  There is also a searchable database of 15,000 letters written to Brigham Young.  "I strongly recommend you go to the LDS Church Archives and look and keep digging," he said.

Database 4 — Patriarchal Blessing Index

"There is great, great information there. If your family is generations in the church, there is a good chance you have a direct-line ancestor that has a patriarchal blessing in here," he said. At the LDS Church Archives in Salt Lake City, you can use the database of the blessings to request them or you may request the blessings by mail.

Database 5 — BYU Databases