Other Sources
Local Unit Records Research Guide
Periodicals
Local newspapers from a unit’s area may have some documentation of the unit’s history and its role in the community. The researcher should check with local libraries, museums, and other heritage institutions about the availability of local resources.
Church-produced periodicals may also contain organizational or historical event information. Many of the periodicals listed below have been digitized and are available online on the Church History Library or Brigham Young University websites. Few of the periodicals are thoroughly indexed, however.
The following periodicals are listed in approximately chronological format.
1832–1834; Ohio and Missouri era
Monthly newspaper published by the Church in Independence, Missouri, from June 1832 to July 1833 and subsequently in Kirtland, Ohio, from December 1833 to September 1834.
Latter-day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate
1834–1837; Ohio and Missouri era
Monthly newspaper published by the Church in Kirtland, Ohio, from October 1834 to September 1837.
1837–1838; Ohio and Missouri era
Two issues were published in Kirtland, Ohio, beginning in October 1837. The periodical was then relocated to Far West, Missouri, where another two issues were printed in 1838.
The Latter-day Saints Millennial Star
1840–1970; focuses on British and European Missions
Monthly periodical published by the Church in England beginning in May 1840 and continuing through December 1970. Its content includes many letters from missionaries and mission leaders—which primarily discuss the British Mission’s affairs—but it also occasionally features content from leaders and missionaries elsewhere in Europe.
1839–1846; Nauvoo era
Newspaper published monthly (sometimes twice monthly) by the Church in Nauvoo, Illinois. Publication began in November 1839 and continued to February 1846. Content includes many letters from missionaries, primarily from various parts of the United States but also from foreign countries.
1842–1843; Nauvoo era
Weekly newspaper published privately by Joseph Smith’s brother William in Nauvoo, Illinois, from April 1842 to April 1843.
1843–1845; Nauvoo era
Weekly newspaper published and edited by John Taylor (who at the time was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) in Nauvoo, Illinois, from March 1843 to October 1845.
1850–current; see also “Church News”
Newspaper published by the Church in Salt Lake City, Utah, beginning June 15, 1850. It is still published today. During the early years of its existence, it was issued weekly. Later it was published semiweekly and then daily. A Church-specific section was later titled LDS Church News and issued as a separate publication of the newspaper. (See the section on the Church News below.)
1872–1914; Utah and Intermountain West
Semiofficial publication of the Church that was issued semimonthly and later monthly from June 1, 1872, to February 1914. One of its purposes was to uplift and strengthen Latter-day Saint women. Content includes letters from local Relief Society leaders and members, primarily in the Intermountain West.
1897–1970; covers Churchwide topics and history
Monthly publication of the Church issued from November 1897 through December 1970. Contains frequent references to local unit organizational details throughout the Church.
Latter-day Saints Southern Star
1898–1900; focuses on Southern States Mission
Weekly publication of the Southern States Mission from December 1898 to December 1900. Published in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Focuses on missionary work and news in the southern United States.
1903–1907; focuses on Southern States Mission
Monthly (and later twice-monthly) publication of the Southern States Mission, spanning August 1903 to June 1907. Published in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Focuses on events and missionary activities in the southern United States.
1907–1942; focuses on Churchwide missions
Semimonthly publication founded when the Elders’ Journal merged with the Liahona, which had launched in 1907 to cover news in all Church missions. It was published in Independence, Missouri, from 1907 to 1945. Its last issue recommended that its readers subscribe to either the Improvement Era or LDS Church News.
1931–current
The Church News began as a weekly insert within the Deseret News. It was (and is, in an updated format) also available via mail to subscribers around the United States. Today it is also available online, and it covers local unit information in particular. You can request digital access to it in the Church History Catalog.
Beginning in 1850, before the emergence of the Church News, the Deseret News published frequent articles about local unit organization and leadership changes in Utah and the Intermountain West. Here you can access a database of digitized and word-searchable newspapers, mostly from the mid- to late 19th century and early 20th century: digitalnewspapers.org.
Miscellaneous
Record of Members collection, CR 375 8
The Record of Members volumes in this collection may include membership and vital statistics for individual Church units, including information about births, marriages, deaths, priesthood ordinances and actions, quorum records, names of missionaries and military servicemen, and reports of immigration to the United States in the early years. This collection consists of more than 7,700 rolls of microfilm. It contains the information from Record of Members volumes through 1941 (when that record-keeping system was replaced by another system) and “Form E” reports (see below) from 1907 through 1970. The collection is organized alphabetically and geographically. Keep in mind that records for branches and wards may be found under stake, district, or mission records and country names outside of North America.
Record of Members volumes have been digitized, and researchers can request access through the catalog. To do so, log in to the catalog, navigate to the section of the collection you need, and then fill out the form under the “Request Digital Access” link:
Besides membership information for a unit, the Record of Members volumes may include the following:
Annual “Officers, Historical, and Statistical” reports, 1907–1937
This type of report was submitted annually by branches and wards to Church headquarters. The records contain lists of local unit officers for each specific year and often include very brief descriptions of historical events. Many local units did not fill out these annual reports. These records were microfilmed along with the membership and “Form E” and “42-FP” records in the CR 375/8 collection.
Annual statistical and genealogical “Form E” (branches and wards) and “42FP” (missions) reports, 1907–1970
These reports contain names of branch presidency and bishopric members during a specific year. The reports are primarily genealogical in nature. They also contain priesthood ordination information but not the dates of ward leaders being sustained to or released from callings. Form E and 42FP records were microfilmed with the membership records and are found in the CR 375 8 collection.
The reports that succeeded Form E and 42FP are filed under call number CR 375 2 and extend from 1971 to the early 1990s. After the mid-1980s, the reports are available only for foreign units that were not yet able to input their information directly into the computer. These reports list only the name of the bishop and ward clerk at the time the report was submitted. These records are not yet digital but can be accessed on microfilm in the library.
Church Chronology
Published by Andrew Jenson, this volume contains some local unit information through 1913 as well as an index. A digitized copy of the book is available. Although Jenson was careful in his research, information in the book should be verified against original records in the Church History Library.
The title page of Church Chronology
Directory of General Authorities and Officers of the Church, 1892–2008
These printed directories were circulated among general and local Church leaders. Names of local unit leaders are listed but do not include dates of sustaining or release or the dates of creation or discontinuation of local units. There appears to be a delay of one to two years before information was updated. The Church History Library has a full collection of these directories.
Before 1892, the Deseret News frequently published lists of local Church leaders (usually bishops and stake presidents). Generally, the lists seem to have been published close to when general conferences were held. Back issues of the Deseret News can be accessed online.
Church Directory of Organizations and Leaders (CDOL)
The Church currently maintains CDOL online, but it is not accessible to the public, and its information is incomplete. Your local leaders and clerks should have access to the historical information for all local Church units. It would be wise to verify the information in CDOL against original records preserved at the Church History Library.
Histories authorized by the local unit or compiled and published by private individuals
The Church History Library strives to acquire copies of histories of local units worldwide published by either the units or private individuals. The histories are listed in the library’s online catalog. The Family History Library also houses many published local histories not found in the Church History Library’s collection.
If you have produced a local history or discovered one in your research that is not in our collections, consider donating it to the library. You can email our acquisitions department at history@ChurchofJesusChrist.org or fill out the form on our Gifts and Donations page.
Researchers should be attentive to potential inaccuracies in such published histories. Many have been compiled with little or no corroboration in official Church records.
Journal History of the Church, 1830–2008
The Journal History of the Church is an unpublished collection of both general and local Church history that was compiled by staff members of the Historian’s Office using a scrapbook-like approach. The information is organized chronologically in over 1,200 volumes. Historians in the Church History Department have prepared an in-depth guide to help you use the Journal History of the Church in your research.
Our collection of local records is incomplete. Researchers should also check Utah State University, Weber State University, the University of Utah, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum, the Utah State Historical Society, Brigham Young University, and Southern Utah University, as well as other local historical societies.