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Learning about your LDS ancestors
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LDS Records Online
Pioneers Crossing the Plains: click here to search the LDS Church's database of pioneers who crossed the plains between 1847 and 1868. This gives you your ancestor’s name, the pioneer company he/she traveled with and the year they crossed the plains. It could give ancestor’s birth and death dates, etc. It also gives sources for finding out more about the pioneer and pioneer company.
Temple Information: click here to visit FamilySearch. Sign on, then click on “Advanced Search” and then “International Genealogical Index” (on the left-hand side). If your early LDS ancestor was baptized or endowed while still living you can get the date this occurred. You usually won’t get the name of the temple because they were not baptized in a temple and they were likely endowed in the Salt Lake Endowment House or in Nauvoo.
LDS Records at the Family History Library
Temple Records: living endowment records are in Special Collections at the back of the B2 floor. First, look up your ancestor in the TIB index. This is an index of all endowments performed. You could also look up your ancestor by the date of endowment (from the International Genealogical Index printout--see above) in the Salt Lake Endowment House (if endowed between 1847 and about 1893) or the Nauvoo Temple (if endowed before 1847). The living endowment record will give your ancestor’s birth date and place, baptism date, and parents’ names (including mother’s maiden name). This is first-hand information because it came right from your ancestor.
Index to Patriarchal Blessings: a microfilmed card index for persons who received Patriarchal Blessings. Type “Index to Patriarchal Blessings” in the Title Search option of the Family History Library Catalog. Choose the first option, which is an index from 1833–1963 (the other one goes to 1993 but doesn’t have as much information). Search by the last name of your ancestor. If your ancestor is female, she probably got her blessing under her married name. This gives your ancestor’s birth date and place and parents’ names (including mother’s maiden name) and is first-hand information.
Mormon Immigration Index: contains information on early LDS converts who immigrated from the British Isles to America. This is only available on the computers at the Family History Library. Go to “all databases” then double-click on “Mormon Immigration Index.” Put in the name of the person and maybe a year of birth. Not all converts are in this index—-they will only be found if they traveled across the Atlantic with an organized LDS group. You can get a list of all persons traveling with them and a history of the voyage. In “sources” you can get film numbers for their original records in the British Mission Records (when they emigrated from England) and the US Customs Records (when they arrived in the U.S.).
British Mission Records: these can give you your ancestor’s date of baptism and who baptized them, blessing dates of their children, and immigration information. You can get a film number from the Mormon Immigration Index. Also, on B2 (British floor), there’s a binder with maps that show where branches met in England and Wales and film numbers for their LDS church records. None of these films are indexed and finding your ancestor can be time-consuming.
LDS Histories: Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, etc. These are compiled histories about early converts in Utah. They are found in the “Utah” section at the Family History Library (Third floor, call number 979.2).
LDS Records at the Church Library and Archives
Location, hours: 1st floor of Church Office Building, East Wing. 8:30 - 4:30 M-F. You’ll need identification to go in.
Search their catalog with your ancestor’s name as title, author, and subject. They have things like journals, photographs, letters, and ward minutes (unpublished records).
They also have a computer index to Patriarchal Blessings. You can order them for direct-line ancestors for $3.00.
The Church Library contains nearly all published records concerning the Church.
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Legacy Tree is headquartered near the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, the largest genealogical library in the world. We also order records through agents all over the globe.
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