Area FH Newsletter August 2010

1. Online film ordering This went live in Canada on August 19. What does this mean? You order and pay for microfilms and fiche online and then go to the FHC to view them – less paperwork and less money for the FHC to handle. The United States will be next to move to online film ordering (before the end of the year hopefully). Go to https://film.familysearch.org . Contact your local FHC for implementation details. This new web site does not use an lds account nor a familysearch account for the sign in. FHCs have the opportunity to upload inventory and other information from Inventory Manager to the new system. There is an Admin side to the web site for FHC directors. The new system will replace Inventory Manager. Please be extra kind and patient with everyone working in FHCs until they learn the new system.
2. nFS Update We hope that you noticed the update to nFS on 9 August (click on the News and Updates link on the sign in page for nFS to get to the What’s New document). These What’s New documents are good to save to your computer (they are pdf files) or print if you wish. A couple of problems have become apparent since the update and the engineers are working on resolving the issues asap – so don’t call to report either of these problems: 1. Some recently completed temple ordinances are not appearing in nFS in a timely fashion, 2. Russian & Italian FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) is blank.
3. Discussions in nFS. Please teach people to use the discussions tab in nFS but not to discuss or share ordinance information. The public will be able to see those items being discussed when it goes worldwide.
4. Community Volunteers As part of the preparations for making nFS public, community volunteers who have public/familysearch accounts no longer have access to temple ordinances. They can still help members with temple questions if they wish to by sitting beside a member who is signed in.
5. Beta FamilySearch.org Please check out http://fsbeta.familysearch.org/ , get familiar with the new version of familysearch.org and share it with people in your ward. Remember that not all the data has been migrated to the new site yet.
6. Griffiths Valuation online For those interested in Irish research an important resource has become available online. “The Primary Valuation was the first full-scale valuation of property in Ireland. It was overseen by Richard Griffith and published between 1847 and 1864. It is one of the most important surviving 19th century genealogical sources.” It is available at http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml
7. Calgary Temple Construction workers are on the Calgary Temple site. An unofficial web site http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/calgary/ has construction photographs.
8. Family Insight will work with more programs. There is exciting news coming from Family Insight. This is a quote from the Summer 2010 issue 38 edition of Ohana Insights: “. . . almost 2 years ago, we changed the name of our product from PAF Insight to FamilyInsight. . . . Today, we are announcing our latest major update. You may now use PAF and Family Tree Maker 2010 files with FamilyInsight without the need of a GEDCOM file. We will be compatible with 2011 when that version of Family Tree Maker is released very soon. Ancestral Quest and RootsMagic users can join us in beta testing FamilyInsight for that program. Legacy users, please don’t loose heart, the ability to read a Legacy file is under development. We hope to develop the ability to work with other programs, too. If you are interested in helping us with our beta testing, please send an email to beta@ohanasoftware.com telling us which program you use and would like to help test with. To use these additional program files in FamilyInsight, you will simply open FamilyInsight from the desktop icon and select your Family Tree Maker (.ftm), Ancestral Quest (.aq), RootsMagic (.rmg) or Legacy (.fbd) file.” http://www.ohanasoftware.com/ We are blessed to have so many fine programs to choose from. I know the choices can seem like a burden at times but they really are a great blessing. PAF, PAF with Family Insight or Ancestral Quest, Rootsmagic, Ancestral Quest or Legacy or Family Tree Maker are all great choices. Be kind to those who make different choices from you. Neither of you is wrong!
9. Temple Policies. We previously recommended that you go to the Help Centre in nFS and search for Temple Policies to find a comprehensive knowledge document on Temple Policies. They have now renumbered that help document! The new number is 110136. Access this either by using the search term Temple policies or by searching for 110136. I added this to my favourites in the Help Centre. This is an important document for FH Consultants, Priesthood leaders and all members doing FH work. It is a good source of material to teach.
10. FH Blog Continue to encourage all family history consultants that you know to either read our FH blog (preferably weekly) or subscribe (on the blog page midway down on the right) to receive new articles by email. We publish at about 3 a.m. each Sunday morning. The address for the blog is http://peterfh.wordpress.com/
11. FH Consultants still need to register. All FH Consultants should go to consultant.familysearch.org to register with the FamilySearch. Interested Priesthood leaders should register at priesthood.familysearch.org. This puts you on the FamilySearch email list for occasional news items and gives you access to additional training materials through the help center at nFS.

Thank you for all that you do!

Upcoming blog articles:
1. The future of FamilySearch
2. Notes from devotional and key note presentations at the BYU FH Conference.
3. The Future of FH Centres – this will be a multi part article!
4. More Google for Genealogists
Plus any articles you would like to write or topics you would like to suggest.
Please contribute and read comments!

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A Temple and Family History quote

I try to gather quotes on Temple and Family History work to use in talks and presentations. We came across the following one a few weeks ago:

How early in the restoration did the Angel Moroni teach the principles of baptism for the dead to the prophet Joseph Smith? It was early which to me reflects how important it must be.

“If the Latter-day Saints of this generation are to build upon the foundation laid by the prophet Joseph Smith, we must work to fulfill or responsibility to research our ancestors and provide temple ordinances for them so that “they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit (D&C 138:34). President Woodruff taught that if Latter-day Saints could see the labors of the missionaries in the spirit world, they “would lose all interest in the riches of the world, and instead thereof their whole desires and labors would be directed to redeem their dead.”Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 152. Other prophets have taught that “this work must hasten” (Hunter, We have work to do, p 64), and that “it matters not what else we have been called to do, or what position we may occupyor how faithfully in other ways we have labored in the church, none is exempt from this great obligation.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:14)”
(From Cynthia Doxey, “Elijah’s Mission, Message, and Milestones of Development” in “Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration” 34th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium p. 168-9 (2005: Deseret Book)

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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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Temple Policies

When we meet with a group of FH Consultants we try to make sure that they have access to all the print resources that help them with their calling.  Each FH Consultant (and FHC director) should have:

1. “Temple and Family History Work,”   Section 9 of the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2 (provided by your priesthood leader – or in nFS Help Centre/Training and Resources)
2. “Administrative Guide for Family History”  particularly the sections on pages 1 and 7 that deal with Family History Consultants (provided by your priesthood leader or nFS Help Centre/Training and Resources).
3. Family History Consultant’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work - download from the new FamilySearch web site (in the nFS Help Center under Training and Resources)
4. A Member’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work (36795) (provided by priesthood leader or download from the new FamilySearch web site (in the Help Center under Outlines and Guides)
5. Instructor’s Guide to Temple and Family History Work (35804), and watch Temple and Family History Course DVD (54102).Also available at  lds.org select Serving in the Church then go to Family History

Of course we hope the resources are looked at!  We would like to suggest that a sixth resource be added to this list!!!  - I know:  too much to do, too much to read – but this is really important and should be available as a reference:

6.  Temple Policies - What temple ordinances can I do? What are the policies? This is knowledge document (kd) faqs-temple-067faq0443htm.   (Hint: to get this document go to the Help Center in nFS and do a search for Temple Policies and then look for the kd number).  This 10 page document is an excellent reference!  Good to have on your desk or somewhere handy for when you are asked a question. Covers a lot of Temple questions.  If you need more then look up kd 1012559 which also comes with a search for Temple Policies.  This is a nested multi level document that does not lend itself to printing, but again is a great reference.

You are not expected to remember everything and don’t try!  You should  know where to go to look things up!

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