It’s only been three years since Elder David A. Bednar gave his landmark talk concerning family history work, especially as it relates to youth, but the work on the other side of the veil has hastened since then in unprecedented ways. Today, all LDS members can gain access to multiple family history sites for free, including Ancestry.com and MyHeritage. FamilySearch.org has been revamped, revitalized, and is easier to use than ever before. Indexing has taken youth groups by storm.
Truly, the hearts are turning.
To aid in the work, here are some little known family history sites that can change the way you do family history:
Puzzilla
Puzzilla.org is the perfect tool for those who may think all of their work has been done. By connecting to your FamilySearch.org account, Puzzilla is able to generate a visual descendency map from an aerial view. By simply clicking on a member of your family, you can see all of their descendents and where there are holes in your family tree. There are symbols to help you understand which lines may be the most fruitful. Visit Puzzila.org to get started or watch this introductory video here.
RecordSeek
RecordSeek.com is a bookmarklet that allows you to save any page as a resource on FamilySearch.org. All you have to do is save RecordSeek to your bookmarks bar. Then, drag the website or resource you want to save to RecordSeek. It’s an easy and convenient way to save all your research in one place.
Relative Finder
Relative Finder is a fun project that takes your family tree and shows you how you relate to the world. You can see how you’re related to prophets, presidents, LDS pioneers, and more. You can also create groups that helps you see how and if you are related to your friends, classmates, or co-workers. Relative Finder seeks to make learning more about your ancestors fun.
Find a Grave
Find a Grave is one of the largest databases of gravesites and headstones, with over 121 million records. You can search by cemetery, by name, by location, or even take a look at famous graves listed. You are also able to request pictures be taken and submit information yourself.
Patriarchal Blessing Request
For LDS members, obtaining a copy of an ancestor’s patriarchal blessing can be a powerful and inspiring part of their family history work. Each month, you can request up to 4 patriarchal blessings from a deceased ancestor in your direct-line. You are also able to request a copy of your own patriarchal blessing. You can access the form here after signing into your LDS account.
We hope these sites will help you in your family history work! Are there any we missed that you would suggest?
Aleah is a graduate of Southern Virginia University, where she studied English, Creative Writing, and Dance. She now works full time as a marketing and product manager, writer, and editor. She currently hosts the podcast “Single to the Glory” about singlehood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aleah served a mission in California and loves baking, Lang Leav poetry, Gaynor Minden pointe shoes, and Bollywood movies.
