Often as I consult with people, the question arises of how to keep track of all the ancestors we are researching. I have found printing and using the descendancy chart of each ancestor helps me keep track of where I am on my search for lateral line cousins, especially those needing ordinance work done. Listed below is the information I provide others to help them understand how and why I use the descendancy charts as an index. Hopefully in sharing this, it may help someone else.

1. Choose an ancestor born in the early 1800’s.
2. Print a 3-generation Descendancy Chart (accessed through the FamilySearch Tree option on the ancestor’s detail page).
3. As you study this chart, look for the icons all the way to the right of each person listed. There will be Temple icons and others representing different types of hints or problems with the record.
4. Act on the hints and follow the recommendations to clean up the record. A light blue icon usually will give you hints, purple will suggest that there are no sources attached to the record, orange means there needs to be more information or some of the information is incomplete or entered incorrectly. A bright red exclamation point means there is an inconsistency in the record.
5. If there is a red temple icon, it means that the ordinance has been shared with the temple. If it has been shared with the temple and not been printed, ask the person who shared it with the temple to unshare with the temple and to share it with you.
6. Add spouses and children where appropriate by surveying the sources and rechecking appropriate censuses (from 1850 forward every 10 years).
7. Check unmarried females by looking at the sources to be sure that they were truly unmarried and not just “spouses not found.” Look at the census sources and death records–did they die with their maiden names? Do this also for unmarried males if they lived long enough to be married.
8. Where there are multiple spouses, check for coherency of dates, for marriages, divorces, and death of a spouse. Be sure children are sealed to the appropriate marriage. *Children born after 1908 won’t show up with the family in FamilySearch except on your own tree. (110-year rule) You can follow them in the United States in the 1910-1940 censuses.
9. When there is a bright green icon, check for duplicates before reserving and add to your temple list any not done if born before 1908. (110-year rule) Check for duplicates before submitting for ordinances.
10. If there is a dark blue temple icon (indicating ordinances are in progress), check to see which ordinances were done and where, and how long ago they were reserved and who has it reserved. You can contact that person and ask them if they would like to share it with you if they are not able to complete the work in a timely manner. Be sure to include your email in this request because they will need it to send the ordinance to you through FamilySearch. –Cindy Spencer