Do I own my grandfather’s genealogy information?

In our new reality of sharing and cooperation I was thinking – always a dangerous thing to do! – about who owns genealogical data. We invest a lot of time and effort in finding the genealogical information on our ancestors. Surely after all our work it should be ours?
This leads one into the very complex world of copyright law. In a recent article I was reading there was a link to an interesting article on copyright and genealogy. Here is the link: http://www.pddoc.com/copyright/genealogy_copyright_fundamentals.htm
Several points I noticed in the article:
1. Facts like birthdates and places are not copyright because they are not original expression.
2. “A pedigree, descendant chart, GEDCOM, or any other standard genealogy form or format that contains nothing but facts is not copyright protected.” (Goad, Micheal P “Copyright Fundamentals for Genealogy,” link above)
3. If you create a family history book then that can be copyrighted.
4. American copyright law is not the same as Canadian law although there are lots of things in common. For the basics of Canadian Copyright law go to Canadian Intellectual Property office web site (you will have to do a google search for this as I can’t find a stable link that lasts!) or read the following article: http://users.trytel.com/~pbkerr/copyright.html The Media Awareness Network also has a summary of Canadian copyright law and the next to last paragraph refers to the Internet. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/legislation/canadian_law/federal/copyright_act/cdn_copyright_ov.cfm
(if clicking on the links doesn’t then try copying and pasting the link into your browser)
So I guess we don’t own the dates and facts related to our ancestors?

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What Errors Make Ordinances Invalid?

By Ralph and Linda Miller, Area FH Advisers in the northern part of New England

New FamilySearch brings together all the information that anyone has submitted about their ancestors.  Combining duplicate individuals is an important part of the process, to avoid duplicate, unnecessary ordinances.  When you combine, other people’s submissions (and any wrong information they contain) will not go away – the information is combined and people looking at the detail file can see all the different variations.

This can be a good thing – but it also can be a bad thing if we don’t understand correctly.  If your ancestor was entered by someone else – and temple ordinances done – with an approximate birth date (which may be 20 years off) and only part of their full name, and perhaps the wrong or inexact place, it may be upsetting to you.  You have better information.  It is important to you that the person receive temple ordinances based on exact and correct information – which you have, although the ordinances already were performed with vague or wrong information.

So what should you do?  Are the ordinances valid?  Is it best to re-do them so the ancestor hears his correct name, sees his correct date, and knows you really care enough to make the record exactly right?

Answers:

1. Enter the correct information, using the Summary view – the original wrong one does not go away, but you will have the right information there, and by entering the source, people will understand where you got the information.  The ordinance does NOT need to be redone.

1. Ordinances do NOT need to be redone to correct spellings or inaccuracies. Repetition of ordinances to “correct” inaccuracies is exactly what the church is trying to avoid.

If you have specific questions, check the Help Center in nFS or call Support (1-866-406-1830).

What mistakes require ordinances to be redone?  (from nFS Help Center) Ordinances need to be redone only under a few circumstances:

1. Wrong gender.
2. Proxy ordinances were erroneously performed while an individual was alive.
3. Individuals were sealed to the wrong spouse or parents.

In each of these cases, contact support@familysearch.org and they will help you.  They will need identifying information about you and about the person in question.

Thank you to Brother and Sister Miller for allowing us to use this article.

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Read and Teach Temple Policies

Recently the importance of knowing and following Temple Policies has been reinforced when we heard the sad consequences of not following the policies.

I think all Priesthood leaders. FH Consultants and FH Centre Directors should have a copy of the following document:

1. Go to the Help Centre at the new FamilySearch web site and search for “Temple Policies.”
2. Select the document entitled “What temple ordinances can I do? What are the policies?”
3. Go to the top left of the page and click on “Add to Favourites” so that you have a link to the document in your Favourites window every time you go to the Help Centre.
4. You can also print the 7 page document (there is a print icon in the top right hand corner of the document) or copy and paste the contents into a word processor and save it.  Note that this is the 4 February 2010 version.  Check back periodically to see that you have the latest copy.

Let’s use the document to answer some questions:

1.  What is the 95 year rule?

“For individuals born within the last 95 years, permission from the closest living relative is required” (in section 4 For Whom Can I Do Ordinances).

“To do ordinances for a deceased person born in the last 95 years, please obtain permission and honor the wishes of close relatives. Relatives may not want the ordinances performed or may want to do the ordinances themselves. The closest living relatives are, in this order: an undivorced spouse (the spouse to whom the individual was married when he or she died), an adult child, a parent, or a brother or sister.”  (in Section 7 Permission To Do Ordinances)

Is this important?  How would you feel if you found out that someone had done the temple work  for your mother and never contacted you?  What if not following this policy brings the name of the church into ill repute?

2.  Who should you be doing temple work for?

“Church members are responsible to provide temple ordinances for the following individuals who have been deceased at least one year, without regard to worthiness, mental ability, or cause of death:

• Immediate family members.
• Direct-line ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., and their families).”

Other Possibilities

Church members may also provide temple ordinances for the following family members who have been deceased at least one year. For individuals born within the last 95 years, permission from the closest living relative is required. (See section 7, Permission to Do Ordinances)

• Biological, adoptive, and foster family lines connected to their family.
• Collateral family lines (uncles, aunts, cousins, and their families).
• Descendants.
• Descendants of direct-line ancestors and their families.
• Possible ancestors. These are individuals who have a probable family relationship that cannot be verified because the records are inadequate. These may include individuals who had the same last name and resided in the same small geographic areas as known ancestors.
• Close friends. This is an exception to the rule that members should submit only the names of individuals of their own family and ancestors. Before performing ordinances for a friend, a member should obtain permission from the individual’s closest living relative.

Restricted Submissions

“Church members should not submit individuals that they are not related to (with the exception of close friends as described above). This includes:

• Famous people.
• Those gathered from unapproved extraction projects.
• Jewish Holocaust victims. Members cannot do the ordinances for Jewish Holocaust victims except under the following conditions:
  • They are an immediate family member of the deceased (defined as parents, spouse, or children), or
  • They have permission of all living immediate family members, or
  • They have permission of the closest living relative if no immediate family members are living.

Pre-1500 names. Because there is already much duplication, members can submit names of persons who lived before 1500 A. D. only by contacting FamilySearch Support at support@familysearch.org . This does not apply to individuals born before A.D. 1500 in China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, or Malaysia, who may be submitted without permission.

(Source:  Section 4 For Whom Can I Do Ordinances)

There is much more in this document!  Make sure you use it to answer questions and to teach.

Please follow and teach ward members to follow Temple Policies

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April 2010 General Conference talk on Temple and Family History work

Did you hear Elder Russell M. Nelson’s talk on temple and family history work at the April 2010 General Conference?  It was the first talk in the Sunday afternoon session and was entitled “Generations Linked in Love.”  If you heard it then I am sure you would want to hear it again and read the details.  If you missed it, then watch it!

Don’t wait for the May Ensign to arrive!

Go to Deseret News web site for a summary of the talk at:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700022003/Elder-Russell-M-Nelson-Generations-linked-in-love.html

or

http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1207,00.html The print version should be available starting Thursday 8 April

or

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=296&sid=10235986 for immediate access to a video of the talk – scroll down to the Sunday afternoon session

What a great General Conference!

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