Overview of the Church History Biographical Database
The Church History Biographical Database is an authoritative repository of individual Latter-day Saints who participated in specific Church events.
The Church History Biographical Database is an authoritative repository of individual Latter-day Saints who participated in specific Church events. Our mission is to build a self-serve research tool that categorizes key figures, institutions, roles, locations, events, and publications significant to Church history. The data we present is not meant to be an interpretive or narrative history, nor is it intended to be a holistic view of a person's life or a complete history of their membership within the Church. Profiles are built using primary sources with particular significance and emphasis to Church organizations, positions, places, events, ordinances, and publications.
What sets the Church History Biographical Database apart from other sites is that each piece of information can be tied to a document that shows how the individual connected with and contributed to the Church. The database is managed by the Church History Department with an emphasis on reliability and scholarly utility for a wide range of Church history events.
We plan to continue publishing datasets in the coming years to broaden the scope of the database and assist researchers interested in a variety of Church history topics. See the latest release notes for more information.
The Process for Adding Information
To ensure this resource effectively assists researchers, we are continuously making efforts to meticulously research and cite each event in the database. Information represented in the database is carefully verified through primary sources. We are committed to providing primary sources for as many data points as possible in the Biographical Database. Where necessary, we have referred to secondary sources to provide a broader context.
No individual is added to the database without including a primary source that provides evidence of their participation in a specific organization, position, place, publication, or event. We do not harvest unsourced or user-submitted information about a person’s interactions with the Church from other sites unless a primary document can be provided.
Basic vital information is provided for individuals in the database to aid in discovery and research. These guiding principles will be maintained with future additions to the Biographical Database.
User Feedback
The Biographical Database is a growing product. As new information becomes available about the history of the Church, we strive to make this information available and make corrections to the database where needed. Patrons of the database can let us know of any errors or mistakes using the “Feedback” button. Our research team will evaluate the suggestion using primary sources and will make the final decision concerning updates. Any changes to the database must be based on authentic and reliable primary sources.
The History of the Biographical Database
The database was created in 2022 by merging two separate databases used to research specific early Church events. These were the Mormon Overland Travel Database (MPOT) and the Early Mormon Missionary Database (EMM).
MPOT was conceived in the 1980s. Researches began by examining ship and wagon company rosters, compiling names to create the initial list for the database. Work continued for over 30 years, researching and transcribing several journals and diaries for pioneers who came to the Salt Lake Valley from 1847 through 1868. These journal transcriptions are still available in the Biographical Database. In 2003, MPOT launched online initially with 40,000 names.
EMM came about in the 2010s. The Church History Department saw an opportunity to provide information on the early missionaries for the Church. In 2015, work began on compiling missionary names who served during the first 100 years of the Church (1830-1930). About 41,000 names were initially found using sources like the Missionary Department Missionary Registers, First Presidency Missionary Calls and Recommendations, and the Millennial Star (to name a few). Ongoing research is needed to identify missionaries who were called from outside the United States. The database was finalized and launched online in 2016.
In 2022, both databases were merged into the Church History Biographical Database with the goal of creating a tool with information on several Church organizations, publications, and events. The first dataset to be published after the merge was the Mormon Battalion.