Mormons Have World's Largest Database on Human Race: Why?

Originally posted by PuterMan
That is a rare thing to have a maintained family history over that period of time. Most people find it difficult to go back very far before the registration requirements began in July 1837, and depend on parish records and of course the LDS for futher information.

To get back to the 1600s using the parish records and LDS is rare, to have the gift of 1000 years is simple incredible.

I agree that this seems to be a rare regard among families. Why is it that so many did not keep an heirloom record book on their families? Were families split up, shipped out? Did they lose touch or get redistributed in other areas? Shouldn't the book of Genesis have been an example of the importance of keeping up with the 'begats'? Why did most people of the past 1000 years not maintain some articulation of their family tree?

reply to post by PuterMan


*Waves to Brother PuterMan!**

Also rolling my eyes, as I am sure you are. I have a very distinctive family geneology....there is only one known line on my paternal side. The only "complete" geneology known was burned by my Great-Aunt (a non-member) when she realized it was the documentation needed to show that the family did not have any Jewish blood in it so they could join the Nazis. Nice, huh?
My maternal side is also different. Nothing my Grandfather has told anyone really matches anything I"ve found yet, except the name. Go figure.
And my husband's surname has had DNA testing done. There are four families with the same name, from the same time, in the same general places that are not related by blood at all. My MIL says the DNA is wrong......she's connected many names by deduction, and had been looking for the records for years wondering why she couldn't find them. It's because they aren't there, because they aren't the same family. Oy.
To all the non-geneologists, this is why you look for records and not just use family stories.

Originally posted by PuterMan
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

but thankfully my side (Saxon) have kept a note of themselves running back about 1,000 years

You probably have no idea how lucky you are! That is a rare thing to have a maintained family history over that period of time. Most people find it difficult to go back very far before the registration requirements began in July 1837, and depend on parish records and of course the LDS for futher information.

To get back to the 1600s using the parish records and LDS is rare, to have the gift of 1000 years is simple incredible. Are you Royalty by any chance?

No... my family has tended to take the path of scholar or master craftsman, and general drunk while never much leaving the area they where born into.. and if they did leave they've always returned.

It's been the scholar tho who have done all the hard work.. (so lazy bones like me doesn't have to)

But I think the bigger part is that they where also generally drunks (seems to me anyway) and got up to naughty things while inebriated.. the legal system has played a large role in recording my families imprint on the world

Originally posted by stars15k
reply to post by Alethea

 

We do allow access from almost any Church building in the nation (I'm US, and know of the US facts).

Why would churches be allowed access rather than libraries or private individuals? Why would the request have to come through a church?

Originally posted by stars15k
The website "Ancestry.com" is a private company, used by LDS and non-LDS alike, started by LDS members, but not run by the LDS church.

Thank you for that clarification.

I don't ask or care what kind of underwear anybody else wears. Well, except for the really large people in really tight pants so you can see their thong has been completely imbedded. (Spends too much time at "People of Walmart".)
Why should the underwear I freely choose to wear be any different? Do you worry what kind of underwear your neighbor wears? Your clergy? Your teachers? No, because that would be weird.
Please consider my underwear off limits, like I do yours.

I thought they were like the amish and didn't use electrical things?

reply to post by Alethea

Why would churches be allowed access rather than libraries or private individuals? Why would the request have to come through a church?

How many private individuals have microfilm/fiche readers? It's because our records are open and we want people to be able to access them. It's like that pretty much anywhere, by the way. Many records are held on microfilm at our Public Library.
Really, drop the paranoia. You can go ask yourself. Or visit the website and look up something. If it's on microfilm still, how are you going to be able to read it? Hmmmm???? Do you see now? We have the libraries open to the public so they can order and access records that they cannot get online and wouldn't be able to read without the specialized equipment needed.
It's a good thing providing free access, not a paranoid thing about churches.

Originally posted by PuterMan
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

Genealogy is perhaps quite lucrative, and I suspect gives them a huge number of email contacts in today's digital age, that is a very valuable commodity.

In the 12 years I have been using the LDS I have never ONCE been asked for my email address and I continue to use the service without let or hinderance so to speak.

edit on 13/12/2010 by PuterMan because: (no reason given)

I learnt something new, thanks
I was really guessing and being way to suspicious

To me this is very interesting but also very creepy that someone would be gathering information about me without my permission and for what real purpose. It is also very interesting as well. I do want to find out more about my roots too.

reply to post by ldyserenity


Oh, heck no! LDS people have been at the forefront of many advancements in science and technology.
For example, for me a hometown hero, Philo Farnsworth. He invented the cathode ray tube and is considered to be one of the fathers of the TV. The first commercially available TV's were made in my hometown, and Philo lived here for many years. His widow still does.
Also digital sound technologies, Pixar animation, and computer science.

reply to post by enament


There would only be information directly about you if someone in your family has you as part of their family tree. If you would happen to find something about you, you can also ask that it be removed.
As far as the records available, they are decades old or older. The overwhelming content would be public records anyway. But they wouldn't have current records, just the things that are old enough to be hard to find otherwise. Back from when things were written in books or files and and are not yet converted to digital information.

reply to post by stars15k


*waves*

Lost the Internet for a while. The DNA rarely lies - only if you have insufficient markers can it possibly be error prone. A 37 marker test is usually good enough.

God bless the LDS is all I have to say. Without them I would not have found my family.

Conspiracy? Nope.

Originally posted by Alethea
Why does this seem to be the mission and focus of the Mormon religion to collect information on genealogies? What is it's purpose to hold these records? Does the Mormon database have more information on your family history than you yourself have?

I did some work on my tree with the help of these services. It is amazing the paper trail going back hundreds of years that can be found. I found my granddas WWI Draft Card for petes sake! My GG grand dads marriage licence from 1828! That someone from our family still lives on the old homestead property/land grant in another state and over 200 years later 6 generations removed! All this info was not gained from the mormons, its still a good deal of work, but yes they have more info than one would beleive untill they looked into it.

reply to post by stars15k


Just a point here. In England you can also request this information from the LDS at the local Records offices. My Mother got masses of printed info from the LDS at the Gloucester Records Office.

You really could not ask for a more freely accessible resource.

Originally posted by Alethea

Originally posted by ThinkingCap
Thanks for the thread. I suppose if I was conducting a hugely expensive genealogy study I'd want it safe from a Nuclear blast or those jerks with sunglasses and suits trying to confiscate anything.

But why would it be tucked away instead of openly released to people like through a public library? Publications that could have been updated with new volumes each year? Why would they collect information on the general public and not make it available publicly?

I dont think they do. Most of the info they have was found on public records anyway and the location of same was posted on thier message boards and on line submissions of info. Having a large central data base of census records simply means that...its just a large one stop data base on census info. They dont have like a record of every documant in every court house or otherwise about folks. Most counties in most states have their own data base of info that a person doing good research will have to look at at some point.

Originally posted by thoughtsfull

Originally posted by cazzy2211
reply to post by thoughtsfull

 

I don't know the ratio between Americans and the rest of the world but they certainly had plenty of my English, Irish and Scottish ancestors on there.

Cool, thanks for that

I didn't know any of this, my relatives in the US are deeply interested in genealogy of their side (Cherokee/German) but thankfully my side (Saxon) have kept a note of themselves running back about 1,000 years, hence why I've never used these sites, and why this is fascinating

1000 years back, this is fascinating. Are you like Saxon aristocracy or something? Most folk that came over to the US just forgot thier past and didnt put any stock in their history. But there is a paper tail that is current hobby to track back.

As far as your Saxon/German/Cherokee.....my heartfelt condolences.

Originally posted by stars15k
reply to post by Alethea

 

No, the LDS geneology department is not Ancestry.com. That is a subscription service, not part of the Church at all. The LDS libraries are available to anyone at anytime.
Please research it at least a little bit.

Yes. However I must say that when I was a paying member of Ancestry.com I asked and they indicated a strong connection..just not on paper. But heres some info.

Ancestry

They baptise the dead with standins from the LDS church. The database is just for them to get names and to have baptisms. I don't think it's a big deal. It's part of their religion and it doesn't effect anyone anywhere. Not really. It's a - whatever.

reply to post by FlyersFan

Do they do that in their underware?

reply to post by Alethea


Please don't shoot me for having a different opinion.

The only groups interested in human DNA/Genealogy are the illuminati/Reptilian race.

My humble opinion.