Making temple blessings available to our ancestors brings joy. Advances in technology continually open doors to vast amounts of information about those who have gone before. This can be a blessing but can also cause difficulties. Anyone with experience navigating FamilySearch Family Tree understands the intricacies of creating “one tree for the family of Adam.” Here are a few tips from the pros at Legacy Tree Genealogists.
- Research and document every detail. Find primary sources – birth, marriage, and death records – as well as secondary sources like census records, wills, property records, newspaper articles, and local histories. “Family GEDCOM data” or “published family tree” are not acceptable sources.
- Use a computer program to complete background research. Changes are easy to make on a personal computer and can help you prepare your ancestry before updating Family Tree.
- Merge with caution! Unfortunately, many entries in Family Tree are actually conglomerations of several individuals. Examine each possible duplicate in detail to be certain they are the same person before merging. For guidelines on resolving conflicting information in sources, click here.
- Look for duplicates. Some temple ordinances have been completed based on a marriage record, but those people can lack links to parents. Researching the whole picture about everyone in a family helps make it easier to find duplicates.
- Obtain assistance from professionals. Brick walls may seem insurmountable, but trained researchers are familiar with record sets and techniques that can lead to breakthroughs.
Based in Salt Lake City, Legacy Tree Genealogists is the world's highest client-rated genealogy research firm. Founded in 2004, the company provides full-service genealogical research for clients worldwide, helping them discover their roots and personal history through records, narratives, and DNA.Additionally, LDS researchers on staff are very experienced with Family Tree and LDS ancestry. Contact us for a free consultation to assist you in creating a record worthy of all acceptation. Your genealogy research project may also be tax deductible! Click here for more details.