Latter-day Saint Record Finder

The Table Can Help You Decide Which Records to Search

• In column 1 find your research goal.
• In column 2 are the types of records that will likely have the information you need. Each record type is linked to additional information about the record you should search.
  
• More records that may also be useful are listed in column 3.

The Early Church Information File is an important index to many of these records and their family history information.

1.  If you need	2. Look First in	3. Then Search
Baptism date	Membership Records Genealogy Biography	Priesthood Records Missionaries Obituaries
Biographical sketches	Biography Obituaries Genealogy	History Priesthood Records
Birth date and place	Membership Records Biography Priesthood Records Missionaries	Patriarchal Blessings Military Records Census Temple Records
Children	Census Genealogy Obituaries	Membership Records Biography
Crossing the ocean and crossing the plains	Emigration and Immigration Biography Genealogy Obituaries	Membership Records Periodicals Colonization History Newspapers
Death information	Vital Records Membership Records Obituaries Newspapers	Biography History Periodicals Emigration and Immigration
Divorce	Genealogy Membership Records	Biography Obituaries
Emigration information	Emigration and Immigration Genealogy Biography	Colonization Obituaries Periodicals
Family history or genealogy	Genealogy Biography Temple Records	History Military Records For Further Reading
Historical background	History Historical Geography	Periodicals
Living relatives	Genealogy Biography Obituaries	Census Newspapers
Maps	Historical Geography	Colonization History
Marriage information	Vital Records Membership Records Temple Records	Biography Genealogy Obituaries Newspapers
Missionary service	Missionaries Membership Records Biography	Obituaries Genealogy History
Occupations	Biography Obituaries Genealogy	Newspapers Military Records
Parents	Genealogy Membership Records Temple Records Biography	Missionaries Patriarchal Blessings
Patriarchal blessings	Patriarchal Blessings	Biography Genealogy
Photographs	Biography Genealogy	History
Physical description	Biography Genealogy	Military Records
Place-finding aids	Historical Geography Colonization History	Archives and Libraries
Places of residence	Biography Membership Records Directories Census	Obituaries Priesthood Records Colonization Missionaries
Previous research	Genealogy Temple Records	Biography History Periodicals
Priesthood ordinations	Membership Records Priesthood Records Temple Records	Biography Genealogy
Record-finding aids	Archives and Libraries Periodicals	For Further Reading
Spouses	Membership Records Temple Records Biography	Genealogy Obituaries Military Records
Temple ordinances	Temple Records Membership Records Genealogy	Biography
Wards/branches attended	Membership Records Directories Census Biography	Priesthood Records Missionaries Historical Geography History
Ward/branch boundaries	Historical Geography History Colonization	Biography Genealogy