Three Reasons to Participate in the Worldwide Indexing Event

This year I made a direct difference in the life stories of 1396 individuals and helped 1000s more in the process without leaving the comfort of my own home.  How was this possible for a mom of three with limited time and resources? Simple – indexing! And you can, too!

This weekend is the perfect time to dive in and try indexing for yourself! From July 15-17, FamilySearch International is sponsoring the third annual Worldwide Indexing Event bringing 72,000 people from around the globe together online during a 72-hour event to share the world’s records by making them searchable to the public.

During the 72-hour indexing period, volunteers participate by downloading the FamilySearch software and completing as many names as they would like. Anyone with a computer and internet connection can join.

To join 72,000 teammates in saving the World’s records, visit Family Search here and get started!

That’s the nuts and bolts of it! Now I want to get to the heart of it. To be honest, I started indexing regularly because I was issued a challenge. Index 500 names as a family in one year.     I jumped in and by the end of 2015, I had submitted 700+ names.  This is the result with my head in the game.

In 2016, all that changed. With my heart fully invested in indexing, I have indexed 1396 names so far this year. Indexing is now something I love and look forward to. It’s a simple way to bless my family.

What changed my perspective on indexing? These three things:

1.  Discovering How Searchable Records Connect Families

I met and interviewed a wonderful lady named Paula, an award-winning journalist and producer. She shares her story in the documentary – Finding Samuel Lowe: China, Jamaica, Harlem. Paula grew up in Harlem on what was nicknamed the toughest street in New York. During the summer, her friends would go visit their grandparents and aunts and uncles down south. Her mother told her that her grandfather was Chinese, but that she did not remember much about him. Even years later as an adult, Paula had a deep desire to know her grandfather and to know her extended family.

Her search lead her to Jamaica – where her mother was born. Also to Canada to genealogical conference focused on the migratory Chinese. But still she only had a name and nothing beyond that. At the conference, someone mentioned Family Search to her. Within ten seconds of typing in Samuel Lowe – she found her father’s name on a ship’s manifest. From there she was able to trace her genealogy and find living family members in Shenzhen, China. She contacted them and traveled thousands of miles to meet them. Her husband asked, “aren’t you concerned about what their reaction might be?” They accepted her with open arms. Her tiny American family expanded to about 400 living members and a family tree that goes back 3000 years.

You see, indexing is not simply data input – it is creating searchable records. Searchable records that connect family’s like Paula’s. Indexing has changed for me. I no longer see names and dates. I see someone’s Grandpa. I see someone’s aunt. Someone’s daughter. I feel the heart of it and sense the sacred work.

2. Indexing Makes Our Ancestors Better Known to Us Through Their Records

Last year, my daughter Lily had the chance to attend Family Discovery Day at Roots Tech, a genealogy conference with me. A highlight was touring the new Family Discover Center at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. With exhibits designed by the same people who worked on the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point, the center appeals to all ages. Each person receives an IPAD where you log into your FamilySearch Account. At each exhibit, you connect your IPAD for an individualized and unforgettable experience.

At one station, we had our family tree displayed on a life-size flat screen monitor. Lily clicked on her Great-Grandma Kimball to see more pictures and read her stories. We discovered her death date and burial place were not listed in the Family Search program yet and that it said, “unknown.”  Lily adamantly stated, “She is not unknown to me. Go tell them we know right where she is. Heaven and the cemetery.” That information has since been updated.

I’ve had a year to ponder this experience and I can’t help but think of how God feels about each of his children. We are not unknown to Him and neither are our ancestors. Indexing creates searchable records that help us connect to and better know our ancestors. Better yet, it helps thousands more connect to and know their ancestors.

3. Indexing is a Simple Way to Serve the One. 

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are asked to the minister to the one as Jesus did.

I believe this applies to the living and our ancestors.  I attended a meeting with Bonneville Communications and the missionary department earlier this year.  A popular LDS youtuber, Stuart Edge spoke with us. His words are still something that I ponder, “God doesn’t need us to reach the millions, he needs us to reach the one.”

There’s millions of records to index, but all we need to worry about today is indexing ONE. Each name matters. Each record matters. Because each person matters.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

So what is next? Time to get started!

Can family history and indexing be daunting? Most certainly yes. That is why we are asked to focus on the one. CEO of Family Search Steve Rockwood counsels us to incorporate bite-sized pieces of family history into our everyday lives.

So how do we do this? In our ward we have been encouraged to index 500 names as a family and to find and take a name to the temple. How can we accomplish this? What is our next step?

Think about what that next step is for you? Is it getting your membership number from the clerk today so you can open a Family Search account?  Is it asking your parents to tell you a story about their grandparents?  Is it writing in your journal? Is your own name the one that needs to be in the temple for the first name? Is it logging in and indexing a batch today? Is it inviting a friend to index with you?  I invite you to prayerfully consider what your next step is and then take it one small step at a time

One of my favorite childhood book is titled Miss Rumphius. In the story, young Alice longs to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful. The story beautifully illustrates her adventures as she accomplishes these goals, include planting hundreds of lupine flowers throughout her hometown Her story was so magical to me and I’ve often pondered what I can do to make the world more beautiful, to make a difference.

My friends, indexing and family history can be that beautiful difference. We have the power to connect family’s like Paulas. Indexing is one way that we do family history. We can also search out our own family names.

Let’s get indexing today. Join me here!  You can follow along with the event on twitter and tweet along with the #theworldsrecords. Don’t miss the Facebook Live broadcasts throughout the weekend as well!

This sponsored post contains affiliate links. All thoughts and my deep love of indexing are my own!