Each month, FamilySearch publishes a list of new changes and updates to the FamilySearch.org website. This list includes changes to Family Tree as well as other parts of FamilySearch.org. In some cases, these changes will also be published as individual articles where the need to do so exists.
Recently Released
Search: Oral Genealogies
A new collection of unique and high-quality data is being added to the Genealogies search. Oral genealogies consist of large lineage-linked trees constructed from the memories of tribal, clan, or family leaders in Africa, Tonga, and other locations. Most trees come with attached audio, PDF, and image artifacts documenting the interviewee and the recorded family history from which the tree was generated. These represent the only family history that will likely be obtained from these locations and are believed to be highly accurate.
To search for an ancestor in the oral genealogies, at the top of the screen, hover your cursor over Search. In the drop-down list, click Genealogies.
The Search Genealogies screen appears.
Search: Updated Person Card
The person card displayed on the search pages has been updated. It now matches the person cards that you see in Family Tree. The new card includes the Watch or UnWatch control and the number of Sources, Discussions, and Memories. If you are signed in as an LDS Church member, it also includes temple ordinance status.
Find Your Family Names: A First Time Guide
A new beginner resource card, Find Your Family Names: A First Time Guide is now available to help members find success in their family history efforts. This card and the accompanying online experience provide a simple, guided path to help members get started with their family history and find family names of ancestors who need temple ordinances.
To download a PDF, go to https://familysearch.org/firsttimeguide. You can also order copies from BYU Print Services.
Printing Family Ordinance Cards at the Temple
You can now print family ordinance cards at home. However, you can still choose to have the cards printed at the temple. To get cards printed at the temple, you will need the 16-digit number from the Family Ordinance Request. Temple workers in the office will use the number to print the ordinance cards.
There are two ways to get the 16-digit number.
- Sign in to FamilySearch.org, and click Temple near the top of the screen. This takes you to your temple reservation list.
- Click the boxes by the names you want included in the Family Ordinance Request.
- Click the Print button.
- You can click Print Family Ordinance Cards or Print an FOR (Family Ordinance Request). Both options create a PDF of the Family Ordinance Request, which includes the 16-digit number.
- If you click Print Family Ordinance Cards, you will eventually see a page with the cards on it. The page includes the 16-digit number.
- If you click Print an FOR, you will see a bar code and the number. You can write down the number or print the FOR to take to the temple.
FamilySearch Research Wiki: Updated
The FamilySearch Research Wiki (https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page) has been updated. We have moved to the most current, stable version of WikiMedia. This has made some changes to where you access options on the pages, but we can now correct problems we couldn’t fix in the earlier research wiki platform.
How is it different?
New URL. The wiki now has a new URL (https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Main_Page)
Navigation on the left. The update moves the navigation to the left side, making it consistent with other wikis using the MediaWiki software.
Personal Tools. In the earlier wiki, the Personal Tools option was on the right side. Those options are still available, but now when you sign in, they appear after your name in the top right portion of the screen.
Same articles. All the articles that were in the previous wiki are in the update.
Bookmarks still work. If you’ve bookmarked articles, when you click the bookmark, the system will redirect you to the new page.
New editing tool. When you add information to the wiki, you’ll now be using VisualEditor to format the information when you click the Edit tab. Clicking on the Edit Source tab will still allow you to edit in wikitext.
All browsers. You can now contribute to the wiki using any popular browser. (Chrome users rejoice!)
New look for the state and country pages. We are in the process of giving a new look to the state and country pages.
FamilySearch Research Wiki: Easy Access to Online Genealogy Records
Did you know the research wiki has a page with links to online genealogy records? The page is easy to get to and easy to use. The links include collections that are not available on FamilySearch.org.
- On any research wiki page, look at the navigation on the left.
- Click Online Genealogy Records. A page appears with the list of links.
- Click the country, province, state, or county records you are interested in. The system displays a page with links to the online records for that place. There may be a brief description of contents. If there is a cost to use the records, you will see ($) after the collection name.
- To go to the records, click the link to the specific record collection.
Coming Soon
When You Change Information, How Many Users Will Be Notified?
Soon, when you edit a person’s information in Family Tree, like birth or occupation, the system will display the number of users who are watching that person. Watching means that users have asked the system to let them know when any changes or additions are made to the person’s information in Family Tree. So when you change the information, that’s how many people will be notified by the system.
