Christmas – and the last article for 2011

It is time to wish each of you a wonderful Christmas.  May you and your families feel the true spirit of Christmas as you celebrate the birth of the Saviour.

Thank you for all that you do to help others with their temple and family history work.  We have enjoyed our visits with you in 2011 and look forward to seeing you in 2012.

This is our last article for 2011.  We will resume on 8 January 2012.

We hope that 2012 will be a wonderful and special year.

1. To Turn the Hearts Leader’s Guide and DVD are on their way or already at Stakes and Wards!  There are some wording changes as well as formatting changes.  Please destroy any copies of the draft copy including any copies of the pdf file you downloaded previously.  While only 5 copies of the Guide were sent to each unit, they will be available shortly through Distribution.  Please download a copy of the pdf file from either Serving in the Church at lds.org or familysearch.org/serve/.  An example of a change can be found by comparing the old page 11 from the draft version which is now page 12.  The draft version wording “position the High Priest Group Leader as the coordinator of the ward council’s temple and family history work . . .” has been changed to say “the bishopric ensures that the high priests group leader acts as the coordinator of the ward council’s temple and family history work.”  Please study the final document. .
2. Please continue to review familysearch.org/serve to see new training resources.

For Christmas we would like to give each of you a colored 9 generation fan chart of your family history.  Go to createfan.com, and log in with your lds account. Then click on Create.  You get a coloured fan chart which you can save and zoom.  We hope you enjoy your chart!  Instructions are in a video available on the FH for Youth website at lds.org/fhy in the section entitled See My Family Tree.  Createfan.com is a 3rd party affiliate service that prints a chart from your file at nFS.

Every best wish for Christmas and the New Year!

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Help with Feature Changes at FamilySearch as of 23 Nov 2011

Should I be saying “Thank you” to those of you who joined with me in asking for a document listing Feature Changes in FamilySearch.org?  or maybe they intended to do this all along and just caught up with their work load?

Under the link to the Blog at FamilySearch.org you will find 2 helpful new documents that help with the November update to FamilySearch.org:

1.  Feature changes at FamilySearch.org – 23 November 2011

“The November release of the FamilySearch website includes some powerful new search capabilities that our users have been requesting. It does this while at the same time making the search experience simpler and more intuitive. Let us show you what we mean” – then click on the link to the Full Story.

2.   Using the New FamilySearch Historical Records Search Form

“Below is a summary of what the new historical records search form offers and how to use it. Most users will find this new form simpler to use, more intuitive to interact with and more powerful than the older forms.”  – then click on the link to the Full Story.

These documents are very helpful!

Thank you to CFHC for tipping me off about these articles!  I really like the weekly challenges they send out to their members of Staff!

2 other short items regarding software:

1. There is a version of Family Insight for the Mac that works with MacFamilyTree – this is good news for Mac users as it gives them more choice of products that work with nFS.  Another option is FamilyTreeMaker – otherwise you need to install Windows and use a Windows program.  MacFamilyTree offers a 25% discount to anyone who owns other FH software.  MacFamilyTree is already certified by FamilySearch and has some features within the program that work with nFS – just not as many features as Family Insight.  There is a version of MacFamilyTree called MobileFamilyTree Pro ($14.99) that works on the ipad and iphone and which will sync with the MacFamilyTree file so you can add or update information either on your ipad or your Mac and simply Sync.
2. Rootsmagic have released a new version of their software.  This is version 5 and there is a fee to upgrade from the current version 4.  See Rootsmagic.com for details.

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