— Gathering Israel —

Helping with the Gathering of Israel

January 20, 2024

President Russell M. Nelson declared, “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.” 

Do you ever have family, friends or ward members say that all their family history is done, and they don’t have anything to do? Even if our own family has a lot of completed work, we can help in many ways to gather Israel or to improve the information on our own family trees. Here are some ideas:

  1. On your own family tree:
  • Create a short biography that you could post as a Brief Life History on an ancestor’s Details page using information in Sources, Memories and the About tab.
  • Look at the Other Information (Alternate Names, Events, Facts) on the Details page of an ancestor. If no source is attached to a piece of Other Information, click on the Edit pencil, scroll up, and click on the Tag Sources link. Attach the source which documents each piece of information. 
  • Verify the records of 5 generations of your direct line ancestors’ records by doing the following:
    • Standardize the format of all Vital Information (names, dates and places)
    • Convert Hints to Sources
    • Reconcile Duplicate records
    • Request needed Ordinances
    • Organize Sources (click on Options button on the top right to Sort sources by date and have Sources displayed in chronological order)

(If you don’t know how to do these things, ask your Family History Consultant for help!)

  1. In FamilySearch: Click on the Get Involved Tab, then on Opportunities to access different projects to help provide sources and information for others: https://www.familysearch.org/getinvolved/opportunities. 
  • Indexing:  Transcribing—or typing out—the names, dates, and other details that you see in an official record.
  • Quick Name Review: Review a name, checking a computer’s work and correct any errors that you see.
  • Full Name Review: Review full names, making sure the person’s entire name was identified and indexed correctly. 
  • Verify Places: Help improve the accuracy of the family tree by connecting standard places to unverified places.
  1. The BYU Linking Lab has several opportunities for members to help others: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1leQEvi7r5TVHNLQOojaeQVhpqfaZ542uaOSdnLovMho/edit.
  • Task #2, Numident Records: Add African American families to the Family Tree by attaching Numident (Social Security Administration) records.
  • Task #3, Converting Yellow temples to Green temples: Change yellow temples green by  completing birth information, standardizing dates and places, and removing invalid characters.
  • Reverse indexing: https://indexing.familytech.byu.edu/home. Search for a surname, then click on any images that DO NOT match the transcription.

There are many different ways to “gather Israel.” Find the way that is best for you!

Source:  

Russell M. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” worldwide devotional for youth, June 3, 2018, URL: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2018/06/hope-of-israel?lang=eng

– Marianne Bates, Consultant, Granite FamilySearch Center