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The Mormons and Genealogy, a Great Love Story... Why? How? We Explain.
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200 years ago, in 1820, young Joseph Smith reported having a vision in which Jesus Christ called him not to join any of the existing churches because they were all "in error and all their creeds were an abomination." This first vision planted the spiritual seed that would lead him, a few years later, to found The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph was born in 1805 in Windsor County, Vermont, to Joseph and Lucy Mack. The family, poor and deeply religious, lived off of some farm work in the region before moving to Palmyra in the state of New York. It was at age 14, while praying in a grove, that Joseph Smith Jr. had his first vision.
Three years later, while praying again, he declared having seen Moroni, a celestial messenger, who would have revealed to him the place where ancient records engraved on golden plates were buried so that he could translate them into English. It would take until 1827 for Joseph Smith to receive this sacred text. There were, a priori, only three witnesses to this account, including Oliver Cowdery, a young teacher who was Smith's secretary.
In 1830, with the financial help of Martin Harris, a farmer and another witness to the sacred plates, The Book of Mormon was published. Less than two weeks later, several dozen people gathered in Fayette, where Joseph Smith officially founded the Church that would later be named The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While Joseph Smith's detractors were and remain numerous, accusing the Mormon Church of practicing polygamy among other things (a practice that lasted for years but no longer exists today), it cannot be denied that their place in the world of genealogy is significant. Explanations.
Source: Joseph Smith, 1971, Oil on canvas by Adrian Lamb.
You surely know Ancestry and FamilySearch, two giants in online genealogy, or perhaps you've heard of the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City, Utah? These landmarks in the world of genealogy are Mormon. It is also in Salt Lake City that the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located.
The Mormons have a goal: to trace the genealogy of humanity. Do you see the connection with genealogy?
According to the beliefs of this Church, family ties are eternal and a spiritual life exists after death. These eternal family ties must be sealed in the Mormon faith by being celebrated in the temple. However, it is possible to seal these ties for our ancestors provided they have been identified (perhaps you have already heard that Mormons "baptize their ancestors"). Therefore, having access to extensive global genealogy databases is crucial.
Nearly 80 years ago, the Mormons began microfilming or digitizing numerous records and archives from around the world. An agreement with archives centers allows us to access them today, provided that the Church has been able to keep a copy.
As a Mormon, you have responsibilities in the genealogical work, such as receiving the ordinances of the time, going to the temple as often as possible, but especially gathering many genealogical records to help ancestors receive the blessings of the temple.
Today, there are more than 16 million followers in 176 countries. This Church is the 4th largest in the United States. Its practitioners seek greater religious fervor and share a willingness to reform in anticipation of the last days. They have never been considered a sect in France, and the Church was officially registered as an association under the 1901 law in 1952.