Tech Forum

I was contemplating the other day about the possibilities and benefit that could be gained from dynamic, active links between the new Family Tree / FamilySearch and the Church historical data and documents in the Church archives.

Patriarchal blessings - digitized copies of blessings available to individuals based on current rules that are converted to business rules in the application - linked to records in the family tree online

Ordinance certificates - Aaronic Priesthood, Melchizedek Priesthood, Marriages, etc... - Certificates or copies are and have been sent to CHQ. Digitized copies could be available to the individuals involved and family members for their personal and family histories.

Other general Church history archival records - Subject records available and linked from individual and family records in the family tree. Example - My grandfather was a bishop in a ward - A link could be available from his record to any publically accessible but rarely accessed records from that ward, stake, region during the time period he was there.

Of course these ideas would require extensive organization of the database and a heavy-duty CMS. It would get easier as hopefully callings are stored and hopefully archived, records are digitized from the past, etc...

As has been mentioned in the SuperPAF / HyperPAF thread, ability to link to particular sections of pages in digitized microfilm records or other documents acting as source documents would be a welcome ability someday.

Are any of those records currrently avaliable, like can I use my membership record to gain access to copies of certificates, blessings, etc?

Also would records that are more then 100 years old be publicly avaliable for linking?

thedqs wrote:Are any of those records currrently avaliable, like can I use my membership record to gain access to copies of certificates, blessings, etc?

Also would records that are more then 100 years old be publicly avaliable for linking?

I'm not speaking officially but I do not believe that any of that information is available online.

Tom

kgthunder wrote:IPatriarchal blessings - digitized copies of blessings available to individuals based on current rules that are converted to business rules in the application - linked to records in the family tree online

Patriarchal blessings are not currently available online, but work is underway to make that a reality. Of course, the rules that apply now when requesting a copy will apply online as well.

From a geneological perspective, it might be nice to get ahold of records for then 100 years old and to link to them, but from a Church perspective would that have any problem?

I know this is a so old post, but I can't see any problem for that. In New FamilySearch you can create data informations for some circunstances. Since NFS is only open for Church members, a way can be done to allow members in the current family line see informations about patriarchal blessings and ordinances certificates based on the data the ordinance is received.

A son can see the blessing, aaronic priesthood and melchisedek priesthood ordinations dates for a deceased father, for exemple; the patriarchal blessing text can be add to the record of a decased Church member and only be viewed by descendents in the family line. Of course it will require a more closed work between Family History Department and Church History Department at CHQ.

MorettiDP wrote:Since NFS is only open for Church members

That's only temporary. It's intended to be open to all when it reaches version 1.0.

Also, there are non-members who work in the FHC who have been able to sign up with help from the FHC Director.

uhm... yes... I can't remember it, and it can be a problem... But, if I can understand, when NSF 1.0 will be released, it will not show temple ordinances or will not give access to temple ordinances request module. If the system can work different for Church members and non-members, I hope this thing can be resolved using the same idea: user polices. Users with polices to see these type of records can have access, user without the requirements, can not.