The International Genealogical Index (IGI)

The Mormon Church of Latter-Day Saints preserves a compilation of names, baptisms and marriages are included to about 1875, usually broken down into counties, and then into surnames and Christian names.

IGI statistics are available on the Internet as well as at a computer base found in Utah in the United States, a true shrine for genealogists.

Even if your family does not have any known connection to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as LDS, you may still be able to use their records to help you to learn about your family.

During the 1900’s, this group worked hard to create a program of moving all of their available records on ancestry into the valuable tool of microfilm. They placed all records they had in this medium, to safeguard them. Also this, they also created an index used to keep track of all of their members.

These two undertakings were large, thorough and would become among the best tools for genealogical searches today. Today, these two projects have combined into two accessible databases.

The International Genealogical Index, known as IGI, is a usable tool. It is a transcription record of filmed civil and ecclesiastic records. These records have come from various locations from cooperating local areas around the world.

The other database that you can use is the Ancestral File or just simply AF. This database collects the information about the member’s contributions overtime.

So, how can these databases help you? First off, the IGI is among the best records of old birth and marriage records from the LDS. It has records of those that have been born, died and married starting from well back to 1500. Most of this information is from the United States, Europe and Canada.

Information about members has been able to reveal a bit about family ancestry from these resources.

How can you use the LDS’s collection of information? In Salt Lake City, Utah has a collection of these microfilms. The resources found at the Family History Library have a vast collection of information about the entire society.

You do not have to travel there to find them. There are branches around the country and world that can offer you help.

You can visit these locations, seek information or even rent information for your on-site research needs. In fact, they have expanded this search ability to the internet as well. You can visit the collection at this location at FamilySearch.org.

The website provides free research guide and a variety tools including the Ancestral File, the International Genealogical Index, the Social Security Death Index, and the 1880 United States Federal Census information. This is an ideal place for you to get started with your search.