1. Promoting Ward Family History
Opening Remarks
-Reasons to Attend
-Class Make-up
-Sales Pitch
-My FH background
-Jump-start Treasure
-Existing Ward FH programs
-On-line Files
-Brief Overview

2. How many of you have bought one of these?

3. I wish they had one of these in my size, quadruple X, Long.

4. The perfect Christmas gift for some of us, don’t you think?

5. Nothing less than a badge of honor, don’t you agree?

6. We should have affixed one of these to all entrances of the stake center this morning, don’t you think?

7. I think it would be fun to have some of these bad boys and girls in my ancestry.
How ‘bout you?

8. I’d be happy with this find!

9. Promoting Ward Family History
Essentials of a Successful Ward Family History Program
How to Organize a Family History Committee
Ward Family History Self Help Guide Documentation
3 Major Areas of Family History Program
Remember: Developed over a three year period Park Stake, 2nd Ward.

10. Prerequisite: Hands-On
To be successful, a ward Family History Program must be hands on. It cannot be just a Sunday class. Ward members need side-by-side instruction in all phases of Family History work to not feel overwhelmed by this effort.
Unless we can we work shoulder to shoulder, most of our members will at times find the technical aspects of Family History Research frustrating.
Here’s a warning, an alert, an admonishment from the Park Stake.
Reader?

11. Ward Unity
If a ward member attends the Sunday class, has in-home personal computer help and attends the Family History Center with a committee member who guides them through the research process, family history will become one of the most exciting activities a ward can be involved in.
Do you remember when we used to have ward service assignments that included the whole ward—working together: picking cherries, thinning apples, or spraying pears? Or--Weeding sugar beats and corn rows. Even digging-up potatoes . . .
Family History programs might be used by our wards to focus them toward a single goal, a goal that brings adults, YM/YW together through-out the year.
We can help each other and we can help our ancestors.
Here’s another quote from Park Stake’s family history documentation.
Reader?

12. Elder Boyd K. Packer, The Holy Temple
“Genealogical work has the power to do something for the dead.
It has an equal power to do something to the living. Genealogical work of Church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it.
Reader?

13. Ward Spirituality
The spirituality in a ward will increase as ward members attend to temple ordinances for their own family members.
Here’s a wonderful promise from the Park Stake, 2nd Ward Family History Committee.
Reader?

14. Elder Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov 1975, 99
“Revelation comes to individual members as they are led to discover their family records in ways that are miraculous indeed.
And there is a feeling of inspiration attending this work that can be found in no other. When we have done all that we can do, we shall be given the rest.
Reader?

15. A Successful Ward Family History Program
Committee
Priesthood
Bishop
Group Leader
Goals
Publicity
Sunday Classes
Youth
FHC
Self-Help Guide
Card File
Temple
Fair
Library
Overview of the Essentials for Establishing Ward Family History Program based on Park Stake, 2nd Ward model.
In the next several slides you’ll see a break-down of each of these categories.

16. Family History Committee
FH Committees. For this program to work properly as outlined, wards will be obliged to establish a working, fully staffed family history committee.
-Essential
-Leadership
-Coordination
-Membership—1/2 dozen members to start
Essential
Leadership
Coordination
Membership

17. Bishop HP Group Leader Commitment Budget Resources Testimony
Encouraging Ward Fair
Commitment
Testimony
Ward Callings
Dedicated
5 to 10 Committee
Sacrament Meeting
Pulpit
Participation
Bishop
-A bishop can make all the difference in the success of family history work in
his ward. If the bishop is committed to family history, his testimony will shine forth to other ward members. A bishop can assist this work by:
• Making sure his ward has a dedicated Head Family History Consultant
called.
• Calling 5-10 or more individuals to the Family History Committee.
• Scheduling a sacrament meeting on Family History.
• Giving verbal attention to Family History activities over the pulpit.
• Participating in Family History activities as his time allows
• Working with the High Priest Group leader to encourage Family History.
• Providing some budget resources for the Family History Committee for
printing costs, publicity, temple night refreshments etc.
• Encouraging an annual hands-on Family History fair on a ward basis.

18. High Priest Group Leader
Stewardship
Participation
Meeting Attendance
FH Involvement
Verbal Attention
HP Encouragement
High Priest Group Leader
-The High Priest Group Leader has the stewardship over
the family history work in his ward. He can be a great asset to the Family History
Committee by:
• Attending Family History classes and activities.
• Helping to instigate temple events and ordinance work.
• Attending Family History committee meetings.
• Being involved in his own Family History work.
• Giving verbal attention to Family History activities in priesthood
meetings.
• Encouraging all high priests to be involved in temple and family history
work.

19. Set Goals Temple Day Names Prepared Endowments Sealings Baptisms
Set a goal: Ward and Family.
-Goals make the program more stimulating.
-Goals create a stronger sense of purpose.
-Goals pull the ward together to accomplish individual and mutual tasks.
-Dates and Numbers
-Set a date and schedule a ward temple day. Plan to prepare and take family
names to the temple that day.
-Perhaps you can set a goal to baptize the equivalent of your ward in the spirit world during the coming year.

20. Publicity Announcements Sign-up Sheet Newsletters Hand-outs
Role Playing
Sacrament Meeting
Super Saturday
Classes
Displays
Hands-on Training
Hands-on Research
5 Generation Pedigrees
Photo Scanning
File Folder Organization
Who’s Related to Whom
Advertise! Keep Family History in the minds’ of members every Sunday.
-Use announcements,
-sign-up sheets,
-newsletters,
-hand-outs,
-and role-playing (visiting ancestors in period dress) to publicize your goals.
-Hold a sacrament meeting on family history.

21. Sunday Instruction Modern Technology Power Point Slides Fun Graphics
Laptops
Big Screens
Internet Access
Power Point Slides
Fun Graphics
Sunday Classes
-Use modern technology enliven family history classes
-Laptops, big screens and Internet access to familysearch.org goes a long ways in getting people interested in doing family history.
-Lakeridge Stake building internet hub.

22. Involve the Youth Ward Baptisms Research Name Preparation
Temple Attendance
Priesthood Participation
Involve the Youth
-Set a day for ward baptisms and help the youth and their parents
research and prepare names.
-Then, youth and their parents can attend the temple together for ward
family baptisms.
-Priesthood holders can baptize and confirm while youth are proxies.

23. Family History Center Appointments Sign-up Sheets FH Consultants
Family History Center Appointments: Should to Shoulder
-Stake; BYU; SLC
-Pass around a sign-up sheet every Sunday to invite members to attend the FHC.
-Schedule times when ward committee members will be available to go with ward members to the center and help them research.
Appointments
Sign-up Sheets
FH Consultants

24. Family History Self Help Guide Documentation
Booklet or CD Format
How To’s
Checklists
Step-by-step Instructions
Basic Computer
Internet
Research Skills
Ward Temple Dates
FHC Hours
Ward Goals
Family Goal Forms
Ward FH Committee
Names
Telephone Numbers
Family History Self-Help Guide:
-Documentation in member hands
-Reinforce training and consultations
-Show booklet and CD
-Publish a booklet or CD for your ward members that contains how-to checklists and step-by-step instructions for basic computer, Internet and research skills.
-Also, include
-ward temple dates,
-FHC hours,
-committee members names and numbers.
-Be sure to include your ward goals
-Goal setting sheets for families to fill out.
-We’ll take a closer look at the contents of such a Guide in just a few minutes.

25. PAF Installation Computer Specialists Installation In-home Instruction
PAF Installation Program: Shoulder to Shoulder
-Computer specialists see that ward members have PAF
installed on their computers and
-Receive personal, in-home instruction on its use.
-(New Family Search in near future?)

26. Ward Card File Create and Maintain Family Names Pass-Arounds
Temple-Ready
Excess for Family
Pass-Arounds
Sundays
Complete in Week
Ward Card File
-Maintain a file of temple cards of ward member’s family names.
(This is mainly for those who have many names and few family members who can perform the ordinances. )
-Pass temple cards around every Sunday for members to take to the temple during the week.

27. Ward Temple Days Family Names Baptisms Endowments Sealings
Spirituality
Ward Temple Days: To work on ancestor names created within ward.
-Schedule days to do family names at the temple. You can have
--Baptism days,
--Endowment Days, and
--Sealing Days.
-Those who do not have names can help do ordinance work for those who have found multiple names.
-This is a wonderful way to become close as a ward and lift the members spiritually.

28. Family History Ward Activity
Super Saturday
Classes
Displays
Hands-On
Photo Scan
File Systems
File Folder Organization
Computer Skills
Scrap-Booking
Family Heritage Books
Family History Ward Activity
-Work with the ward Activity Committee to hold a Ward Family History Super Saturday.
-Classes and displays,
-Schedule families to come at appointed times for individual goal setting and
-Hands-on training on computers and Internet.
-Each families to bring their own five-generation pedigree chart to use as they practice on the computers.
-Set up equipment to scan photos into PAF.
-Design and display family history file systems.
-Find out who is related to whom!

29. Relief Society FH Enrichment Night
Mini-Classes
File Folder Organization
Computer Skills
Scrap-Booking
Family Heritage Books
Family History Enrichment Night: Shoulder to Shoulder –Relief Society
-Family History mini-classes on
--Organizing FH files,
--Using the computer,
--Scrap-booking,

30. Family History Library Research Days
Salt Lake or BYU
Schedule
Committee Member
Individual Help
Family History Library Research Days
-Schedule a day at the Family History Library in Salt Lake or at BYU where
-Ward members with research problems meet committee
members at appointed time for individual help.

31. For those who have worked on family history in the British Isles . . .
How many times have you discovered records showing an individual baptized only to later find records that indicate he or she was born weeks, or months later?

32. For many of us, this is a hard sell.

33. Family history plays a role in everyone’s life.

34. I always thought 3 A.M. was the curfew for the serious genealogist.

35. How to Organize a Family History Committee
Head Family History Consultant
Publicity
Computer Specialists
Youth Specialists
Research Specialists
Trainer
Lists and Files Specialist
Sunday Instructor
Temple Specialists
Phone Specialists
High Priest Group Leader
How to Organize a Family History Committee
-A ward Family History committee needs enough members to smoothly carry forth the many tasks related to a successful program in a ward unit.
-Following are possible positions on a Family History committee.

36. Head Family History Consultant
Oversees the Committee
Schedules Committee Meetings
Directs Ward FH Activities
Stake FH consultant
Ward Council
Head Family History Consultant
-Organizes and runs the committee.
-Holds bimonthly or quarterly committee meetings.
-Heads FH activities in the ward.
-Interfaces with the stake FH consultant.
-Can attend ward council meetings when invited.

37. Publicity Coordinator
Bulletin Announcements
Fliers
Newsletters
Posters
Publicity
-Puts announcements in bulletins,
-Produces Family History fliers and newsletters as needed.
-Makes reminder posters etc.

38. Computer Specialists PAF Installation Basic PAF Instruction
-Installs PAF on ward members computers and
-Gives them basic instruction on how to use it.
-Two or three individuals are needed who can do this.

39. Youth Specialists Proxy Baptisms Merit Badges Personal Progress
FHC Activities
Primary
Youth Specialists
-Assists the YM/YW presidencies to carry forth programs for the youth such as --baptisms for names researched in the ward,
--Ancestor research,
--Merit badge and personal progress classes, and
--Special class activities at the FHC.
-Can also serve the Primary as needed.

40. Research Specialists FH Center Trouble-Shooting Consultations
-Meets with ward members at the FHC and helps them with their
research problems.
-There should be several committee members who can do this.

41. Committee Trainer Trains New Committee Members Basic Computer Skills
Basic FH Research
Ward Consultations
Trainer
-Trains new committee members on how to:
--Run computer programs,
--Do basic research and
--Consult with ward members.

42. List/File Specialist Sign-Up Sheets Card File FHC Ward Temple Day
Temple Ready Names
Distribution & Return
Lists and Files Specialist
-Supervises the sign up sheets that go through Sunday School,
Relief Society and Priesthood classes each Sunday.
-Sign up sheets should circulate for:
--Weekly scheduled times at the Family History Center,
--Those wishing to participate in preparing names for ward temple days, etc.
-This committee member also:
--Keeps a card file containing temple-ready family names of ward members who need help with ordinance work and
--Oversees the distribution and return of these cards.

43. Sunday Instructor Mini Classes 3-4 Weeks PAF Program FamilySearch
Internet Techniques
Sunday Instructor
-Teaches the Sunday Family History class.
-In addition to the standard beginning Family History Class, it is helpful to run a series of mini- classes lasting 3 or 4 weeks specializing in one topic such as
--PAF Program,
--Familysearch.org.,
--Internet Research,
--Filing Systems,
--Research Techniques etc.
-It is possible to use laptops and TV screens to effectively teach these subjects.

44. Temple Specialists Schedules Events Temple Ready Assistance
Proxy Baptisms
Endowment Nights
Sealing Sessions
Temple Ready Assistance
Temple Specialists
-Arranges for ward temple events such as
--Baptisms,
--Endowment nights,
--Sealing sessions etc.
-Helps members get files Temple Ready.

45. Phone Specialist Appointments Reminders Phone Specialists
-Someone who may be homebound can
--Make appointments and
--Reminder calls.

46. High Priest Group Leader
Committee Member
Ward Council Liaison
High Priest Group Leader
-Sits on the Family History committee and
-Attends meetings.
-Is a liaison with the bishopric and ward council.

47. Obviously, family history has been alive and well on the American Continent for a long time.

48. “He’s searching for his roots.”
Take a look at the third of three trees.
The caption reads, “He’s searching for his roots.”
“He’s searching for his roots.”

49. “I’m only interested in locating wealthy relatives.”
Can you read the caption?
“I’m only interested in locating wealthy relatives.”

50. Yeah, they’re a bit big, but it’s a family trait I’m proud of
Yeah, they’re a bit big, but it’s a family trait I’m proud of. My grand-father was “Dumbo”!
I like this one . . .

51. Orem Park 2nd Ward Family History Step-By-Step Documentation
Introduction
Getting Started
Personal Ancestral File
Download Family Files
Getting Organized
Research Skills
Internet Family History
Submitting Names For Temple Work
The Park Stake, 2nd Ward made this very detailed, well-organized documentation available by handing-out CD’s.
--I’ll show you a glimpse of each of these.
--Note that each phase his its own checklist in order to keep members on track.

52. Getting Started Family History Fast Start Flow Chart Goals
Flow Chart Definitions
Checklist
Review the Family History Goals for the ward and meet with your family to set your personal family history goals.
Goals
Ward Goals
Research Goal
Temple Goals
Family Goals
Getting Started
-Family History Fast Start Flow Chart
-Ward Goal: Research and prepare 1000 family names as a ward.
-Ward Goal: . Perform 1000 baptisms, endowments and sealing ordinances.
-Family Goal: Seek our ancestors and prepare their temple work.
-Family Goal: We will research and share stories of our ancestors
every Fast Sunday.

53. Personal Ancestral File
What Is PAF
Checklist #2
FH Consultant
PAF Self Guided Lessons
PAF 123
Enter personal data
PAF Self Guided Tours
PAF 123
Several pages of the Step-By-Step Guide are devoted to PAF
-Personal Ancestral File (commonly known as PAF) is a Windows-based
computer program you can use to record, organize, print, share, and submit
genealogical information.
-It allows you to create a computerized family tree
beginning with yourself and continuing with your parents, grandparents, and as
many generations back as you are able to find.

54. Download Family Files Checklist #3 Downloading Family Files
Contact a relative who might have computer files on your family tree and ask them to send you a GEDCOM disk.
Bring names to FHC
Downloading Family Files
Again the Step-By-Step guidelines walk users through this important process.
Take note of the Checklist.
--If someone has already compiled genealogy data on your family lines and entered
it into a computer program you will want to download those files into your own
PAF program rather than doing so by hand.
-There are several sources available
where you might find family files.

55. Getting Organized Binders Files Miscellaneous Supplies Check List #4
High-lighters
Stapler
Check List #4
Purchase Supplies
Prepare Folders
The Step-By-Step procedures are very detailed, as you can imagine from this slide.
Again, take note of the Checklist.
-Having a simple filing and organizing system will make your genealogical life
much easier.
-Playing the I’m sure I have that paper somewhere game gets old
fast.
-To begin with you will need a research binder and a small file box with a few
supplies.
-Binder. The binder at first will contain only information on your first five generations until
you have completed the Five Generation Checklist. You will use this binder as a
reference tool as you research. When you have completed your research for this
segment of your family tree you can print out a final record for a permanent
binder.
-Files: It is nice to have a file box close to your computer to keep your supplies and
research folders in.
--It can also be helpful to have a small portable file box with a
handle that you can take with you to the library.
--In the beginning it can be the same box if you like.
-Miscellaneous Supplies: Keeping small container by your computer for miscellaneous supplies (pens,
pencils, high-lighter, stapler etc) can save you a lot of time.

56. Research Skills Check List #6 Quiz FH Terminology Record Types
Record Locations
FH Library Catalog
Documenting Research
Research Logs
Quiz
Primary Sources
Secondary Sources
Location of Death Information
As you can see we’re looking again, at yet another Checklist.
. Need-To-Know Terms In Family History
. Selecting Record Types
. Record Locations
. Family History Library Catalog
. Documenting Your Research
. Sample Research Log

57. Internet Family History
Check List #7
FamilySearch.org
U.S. Census Online Records
FHC Census Search
Ancestry.com
Other Internet Sites
Search Engines
Google
CydisList
US GenWeb
RootsWeb
The internet becomes more and more important each year for family history researchers, doesn’t it?
In addition to checklists, the Step-By-Step procedures also include:
- Reviews
-Online practice session guidelines, and
-Quizzes.

58. Submitting Names For Temple Work
Check List #8
PAF Insight
GEDCOM Files
Temple Submission Disk
Ordinance Cards
Submitting Names
Guidelines
Rule of Three
Year Rule
Right of Precedence
Again, an example of the in-depth detail available in Park Stake, 2nd Ward’s Step-By-Step procedure manual.
Review Submitting Names For Temple Work in this section of the training
guide.
* Meet your consultant at the Family History Center and run your PAF file
(or a segment of it) through the PAF Insight program. See the PAF Insight
instruction sheet in this section of your training. This will update the
ordinance records in your PAF file to its most current possible state.

59. Conclusions Commitment Goals Documentation Committees Unity Focus
Spirituality
Obedience
Time & Resources
Committees
Leadership & Direction
Coordination
Instruction & Support
Goals
Focus
Energize
Encourage
Documentation
Reinforcement
Member Support
Assistance
Direction
Conclusions:
Commitment
--Unity
--Spirituality
--Obedience
--Time
--Manpower
Committees:
--Direction
--Coordination
--Instruction
--Support
Goals:
--Focus
--Energize
--Encourage
Documentation:
--Reinforce Instruction & Consultation
--Detailed Member Support
---Shoulder-to-Shoulder Assistance
---Step-by-Step Direction

60. Family History Committee Promise
We promise you that if you will take the steps to begin this work and continue to put forth an effort to find the names of those who need temple ordinances, that you will feel guidance and help from beyond the veil and your life and family will be blessed. You will find the quiet joy that accompanies this work and it will greatly enrich your life.
This is a statement prepared by the Park Stake, 2nd Ward:
Reader.

61. Orem Family History Fair http://www.oremfamilyhistoryfair.com/
Resources
Park Stake 2nd Ward Family History Tutorial
Promoting Family History in Our Ward – Jerry Kern

62. President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Nov 1985, 53
“This work, unselfishly given in behalf of those on the other side, comes nearer to the unparalleled vicarious work of the Savior than any other of which I know.”
I’d like to end this presentation with this inspiring comment by President Hinckley.