Noble County Genealogical Society

www.youtube.com is a video describing how to learn more about the Mormon Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the largest genealogical library in the world. This is evidence of the importance the Church puts on genealogical work (now more commonly referred to as Family History). The reason for such interest in ancestors comes from doctrines of the Church. Mormonism teaches that after death, a person’s spirit still has the opportunity to learn about the gospel, and accept Jesus Christ as his Redeemer. But in order for him to become a member of Christ’s Church, he must be baptized and have other saving ordinances performed in his behalf. This is the job of those who are still living. In temples, members are baptized, or have other ordinances done, on behalf of those who have passed away (such work is said to be done “by proxy”). This gives that person, if he chooses to accept it, the opportunity to become a member of the Church. Every person who has ever lived has a right to make such an important choice. Members of the Church are strongly encouraged to only perform ordinances for people from their own family lines, and to obtain permission from surviving descendants of the recently deceased. The LDS Church gathers genealogical information in two ways—through people who submit names of members of their own families, and from public records (as governments allow). These two ways of gathering information are called “submitting names” and “extracting …