Response from a distant cousin via Family Search

[Gardengirl]

I thought some of you might find this interesting. As we all know, Family Search is an intergral part of the Church of the Latter Day Saints but in my experience so far I have not come across anyone who is connected with the church so my knowledge and understanding are fairly basic. However, a couple of days ago I had a notification that someone had added to the page of my grandfather (Albert Edward Goodall) so I was instantly curious to see if it was a distant relative.

The person concerned had added recently a couple of death facts https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pe...urces/L1CH-PV2 so I did a bit of ferreting around to see what else she had added and any clues to a connection between us. I found some links 4-5 generations back so I sent her a message, tentatively asking if she was related in some way and this is the reply that I got...

"Jane Carpenter (Toomer) was my ancestor. Her brother Richard Carpenter was Albert Edward Goodall' s ancestor. My sister has a lot of grandchildren who like to go to the temple and do to baptisms for the dead. I research to find names of relatives who need baptisms and confirmations. When I research people, I put in a lot of sources, because I like to show respect for the lives they led (especially veterans and those who gave their lives for the freedom of those who came after them). I don't know any more than what I posted on FamilySearch. Jackie Knight - Raymond, Alberta, Canada"

This is the first time that I have come across someone who is doing research with the intention of carrying out LDS posthumous baptisms and confirmations.

Has anyone else had this experience?

[Darksecretz]

in a word.... no I haven't. Nice to see though.

[GallowayLass]

This is the first time that I have come across someone who is doing research with the intention of carrying out LDS posthumous baptisms and confirmations.

Has anyone else had this experience?

I haven’t had any direct messaging contact from a member of the LDS Church that I am aware of but I thought that the main purpose of LDS transcribing BMDs (from their point of view) was to enable the people transcribed to be “sealed” within the Temple which as you say is giving them posthumous baptism and confirmation into the LDS church.
The benefit to the genealogy world has been the availability of huge numbers of records that we otherwise might not have had access to online (microfiche in the early days of the project) as archives could not have afforded to do the same thing on a scale themselves.
I was led to understand that the process of sealing is the reason why the Roman Catholic Church refuse to allow their records to be filmed and transcribed by LDS.

[cbcarolyn]

I have not found any connection to the church with my family either, like GL said I know that is the main aim of LDS Church and why so much into genealogy, I read a fiction book recommended by Caroline a while back, and that was based on entanglement with LDS

[Gardengirl]

I was led to understand that the process of sealing is the reason why the Roman Catholic Church refuse to allow their records to be filmed and transcribed by LDS.

I did wonder how someone from another faith would feel about their ancestor being posthumously baptised and confirmed into another religion. Personally I have no problem with it because I am essentially a humanist and words, rites and rituals believed by other faiths are their business not mine.

[GallowayLass]

I did wonder how someone from another faith would feel about their ancestor being posthumously baptised and confirmed into another religion. Personally I have no problem with it because I am essentially a humanist and words, rites and rituals believed by other faiths are their business not mine.

I think much the same as you about each to their own in religious matters but as I do not believe in any religion at all, I would not feel comfortable knowing I would be co-opted into one after my death.

[GallowayLass]

I have not found any connection to the church with my family either, like GL said I know that is the main aim of LDS Church and why so much into genealogy, I read a fiction book recommended by Caroline a while back, and that was based on entanglement with LDS

What was the book? I would be interested to read it. The topic has just made me realise that it’s ages now (even pre covid) since I have seen young LDS church members from USA on their mission work pilgrimage - if that’s the correct word. They used to be a common sight.

[Gardengirl]

I think much the same as you about each to their own in religious matters but as I do not believe in any religion at all, I would not feel comfortable knowing I would be co-opted into one after my death.

But, as people with no faith, we will not be affected by anything that is said or done after our death.

[PhotoFamily]

My mother's paternal ancestry has North American Colonial lines. Many of them are represented on Family Tree on Family Search. I have not connected with any cousins there, nor do I update Family Tree information there.

I have benefited tremendously from Family Search's genealogy records and advice, and I'm very grateful for the work they've done to make it possible.

[Anne in Carlisle]

Like PF, I am very, very grateful for all the work that has gone on in the past in collecting records for the LDS. I have distant family who left England for Utah and now connect back with rich seams of DNA tests and very detailed obituaries, which are very useful for confirming links. I don't really mind if my ancestors are 'sealed' to the church.

What I do have an issue with, and the reason why I stopped having a tree on FamilySearch, is the anyone at all can alter what you have carefully built for your tree! I don't mind them having their own tree, correct or not, but to alter mine .... grrrrrrr!

Anne

[Gardengirl]

Totally agree! I haven’t got a tree on there either but I hugely appreciate those that do

[GallowayLass]

I have never put a tree up on familysearch either for that reason but I am not comfortable with being sealed into a religion when I am dead. I respect others who have a religious belief but I don’t have one and I’d rather not have a choice made for me in death that I would not take in life. Sealing (to my mind) is disrespecting my life choice.

[PhotoFamily]

Should have added - I did try to connect with a maternal cuz on FamTree - never had a response (oh well).

At least two lines that my father connects to are on FamTree. One of them is quite muddled. Same thing on owner trees on Ancestry.
There are ways to reporting differing opinions on FamTree - I've never pursued it. I did pursue it when similar ideas started to show up on WikiTree (also a one-fam-tree system).

You may be interested in articles like this about sealing

https://www.deseret.com/2008/11/11/20285390/holocaust-survivors-halt-talks-with-lds

[GallowayLass]

PhotoFamily Intetesting article. Thanks for the link.

[jenoco]

Like PF, I am very, very grateful for all the work that has gone on in the past in collecting records for the LDS. I have distant family who left England for Utah and now connect back with rich seams of DNA tests and very detailed obituaries, which are very useful for confirming links. I don't really mind if my ancestors are 'sealed' to the church.

What I do have an issue with, and the reason why I stopped having a tree on FamilySearch, is the anyone at all can alter what you have carefully built for your tree! I don't mind them having their own tree, correct or not, but to alter mine .... grrrrrrr!

Anne

I'm also grateful for all the work that has been done but, like you I have an issue with people adding incorrect data to my tree. I made the mistake of putting my tree on a few years ago (not even the full tree) and now find others have added ancestors who are totally unrelated. It might help if the people making the changes had a better knowledge of geography of the British Isles. Apparently, there is no facility to delete the tree.

[GallowayLass]

I have not found any connection to the church with my family either, like GL said I know that is the main aim of LDS Church and why so much into genealogy, I read a fiction book recommended by Caroline a while back, and that was based on entanglement with LDS

cbcarolyn Bump. What was the book?

[cbcarolyn]

I don't remember, it must be on here, will search!

[cbcarolyn]

I don't remember, it must be on here, will search!

OK I cannot find it, will look on kindle and see if I got it to there, I do have an app of books that I have read, DH wrote it for me, so technically it should be on there, but he hasn't put on new phone yet!

[gloryer]

When I first started this obsession I was taken to oour local LDS centre and it was them that partly helped me make a connection to my mums 'other' family in New Zealand.
When I first went to usa to Salt Lake City Utah to visit one of my mums sisters and her family you could not ask for anymore love to be shown towards us and they said it is their belief that one day we would be in contact with them and we would all be reunited. I was a bit disappointed that I never got to visit the family history centre in Salt lake but I did see the tabernacle choir. such an amazing sight and sound. When I walked in they were singing climb every mountain and well the colours, vivid purple and all the gold tubes for the organ. if you had told me I had died and gone to heaven I would have believed you.

The trees on familysearch as has been said anybody can change them. I added the person whom I found to be my great grandfather through DNA but my aunt in New Zealand wasnt very happy about it and said there is no written proof so I had to delete it so I just keep him on my subscription site tree