Reader comments
MormonTimes.com: Engineer cuts digitizing time for 2.4 million records

Ken Baguley | 7:36 a.m. July 15, 2008

Thanks to God and man.

Chuckles55 | 10:55 a.m. July 15, 2008

In another couple of years, I'll bet the time to digitize will be halved again. It's great to see that we are able to convert paper documents, photos, etc. into long-lasting digital formats. The next big challenge will be how to make the digits more permanent. CD's and DVD's are not nearly as permanent as most of us think. Additionaly, one low-level nuke burst might just erase all we have digitized to date...

MoJules | 12:00 p.m. July 15, 2008

What an awesome story, you really can see that God knew this guy and his gift which was needed in this work. This young man was given a gift and a calling, which is actually a job, but I do not doubt that the Lord has placed Brother Nelson on a path to serve those on this earth and those on the other side. Now is the time and season for this work to be done.

Comments continue below

Mark | 3:58 p.m. July 15, 2008

I certainly hope that NONE of my family is in those records...they are NONE of LDS business. Shame on you!!!!!

Jeff | 4:08 p.m. July 15, 2008

Mark, I'm glad to know you think you have exclusive rights to all information pertaining to your deceased ancestors. You most likely share ancestry with someone who may feel very differently from you.

R.e. Mark... calm down.... | 4:14 p.m. July 15, 2008

What's the matter? If you don't believe it means anything, then why do you care? I guess you'll be covering gravestones so no one can know who your ancesters were? Such intollerance... and for such a societal service.

What a fantastic advance to help (not just the LDS)everyone find their ancesters, who they were, where they came from, what made them special.

Even without a religous motivation, this is such a wonderful service to be providing. Thank you for employing resources that we as the average person, couldn't hope to employ to help with this project!!

bilbo | 6:13 p.m. July 15, 2008

yes, Mark...just calm down.

If you do NOT believe in this baptism by proxy, then what IS the harm?
If you NOT believe like I do, should I demand you not pray for me?
I wish for EVERYONE to pray for me.
BTW: I really have a need for your personal prayers. I have stage IV kidney cancer...pretty grim, BUT....
I would be extremely arrogant to ask ANYONE to NOT pray for me.
I really doubt of God would answer any of my prayers intil I asked forgiveness of my pride.

Mark my word | 7:28 p.m. July 15, 2008

I am a voice on the other side..Shame on you! who gave you permission to speak on my behalf anyway!!

actually... | 7:40 p.m. July 15, 2008

Already in the 1990s, it took Harvard only four years to digitize all 14 million cards in its old library catalog. Why would it take a century to digitize 2.4 million family history records?

Looks like the publicity department on Temple Street is working overtime....

Mom to Many | 8:18 p.m. July 15, 2008

Very cool, Heath, very cool. Keep up the good work. Oh, and I think the church "owes" you a whopping bonus. :)

Steph | 12:03 a.m. July 16, 2008

It's not just 2.4 million individual documents, it's 2.4 million rolls of microfilm - the story was not clear on this fact. Also, I didn't see one mention in the article to baptisms for the dead or any other temple work. This process is making these public documents available to anyone who is interested in researching their family history.

doug | 12:09 a.m. July 16, 2008

2.4 million rolls of film, each film has some 1100 pages.

That is 2.64 billion pages.

A bit bigger than 14 million cards at harvard. That is 188 times more. 4 years time 188 is 752 years, yet they guessed at 100 years with the old methods.

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