When you want to climb a family tree, there is one place to begin -- www.FamilySearch.org. This website is sponsored and managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is available for FREE to anyone who wants to use it. One does not have to be a Latter-day Saint to reap the benefits of this wonderful website.
Over the next few weeks, I hope to explore many features available on www.FamilySearch.org. Unfortunately I won't be able to do it justice with my small effort on "Life is a Homeward Journey" because the website contains so many great aspects.
Several times I have learned "one more tip" about using www.FamilySearch.org. It is a place to ponder and search for information about our ancestors. No matter what a researcher's experience level there is always another lesson to learn there. In addition, new items are posted regularly.
FamilySearch.org also opens up the door to millions of other sources through the online family history catalog. While I plan to post some information about the online catalog at the end of the month, let me say now that the online catalog displays records which can be ordered at local Family History Centers for a modest fee.
If a researcher will be able to visit the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the online catalog can provide a wealth of information beforehand. Planning ahead can avoid disappointments and bring a lot of success in a short amount of time.
The online catalog is also a link to a family history collection at the Harold B. Lee Library of Brigham Young University. More family histories are coming online regularly at BYU but many researchers don't even know the opportunity exists to read these works over the internet.
Another point worth mentioning now is that the staff members at www.FamilySearch.org are very willing to help researchers. There is a "hotline number" for FamilySearch which is open to anyone -- 866-406-1830. An email form is also available if the researcher would prefer writing out their questions for a staff member's response. (Emails are a good choice for more complicated questions because the email can be easily forwarded to an expert in that category in the Family History Library.)
The adventure of climbing a family tree is far better with a friend's guidance and kindness. Using www.FamilySearch.org is such a friend to any and all researchers.
