Getting Started

When you start researching records of your ward or stake, you will need to look in several places. The most important are the local records for the unit. We have published two posts on the Church History Library blog, The Historical Record, that give more information on local records, such as how to access them and the types of information they might contain: “Local and Corporate Records of the Church” and “More on Local Records.”

The following list of sources will also assist you in your research. Be certain to check multiple sources to verify information you find.

• The Church History Catalog: If a local unit has been diligent about submitting records, you will find a wealth of information here.

Search under:

• Geographic location.
• Names of prominent members.
• The stake and/or mission to which the local unit belonged.
• The unit number (this can be obtained from the ward or stake clerk).
• The current and past names of the ward.

• The Historical Department Local Unit History File: This resource lists the names, organization dates, parent organizations, name changes, transfers, and dissolution dates of local units through 1983.
• Encyclopedic History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: This book contains concise histories, including unit boundaries and leadership, for local units in existence prior to 1930. You will need to log in with your Church account to view this source.
• The Directory of General Authorities and Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The years 1892–1970 are available online; post-1970 is available upon request. When using the online version, be certain to verify all information obtained there.
• The Journal History is a daily history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 2008. It is like a scrapbook created from newspapers, minutes, diary entries, and other sources. It contains valuable historical and biographical information, such as when a pioneer arrived in Utah, when a new bishop was called, or when a ward or stake was organized. Entries are arranged by date, and page numbers start over with each new day. See the featured collections article for the Journal History of the Church.
• MormonPlaces is an interactive database and gazetteer listing important locations (including local units) in the early Church. It is a good place to start when looking for the location where an individual may have lived. This website is hosted by Brigham Young University. This is not a Church-sponsored website, and the Church does not endorse the content.
• Church periodicals: These have stories and news items on many local units that have been included in various periodicals through the years, especially in the local pages of the international magazines. There is an ongoing effort to scan periodicals, so check back for additional titles.
• The “Church News” section of the Deseret News. Access to the Church News section of the Deseret News is available in the following places:
• Index to Periodicals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1961–2004): The Church News was indexed as part of these comprehensive volumes.
• Index to the Church News (1931–1960).
• Church News website (circa 1988–present).
• 1931–present (digitized) is available on request.
• 1931–2005 (photocopies) and 2006–present (newsprint) are available in the Library’s open collection.

• The Physical Facilities Department photograph collection: This large digitized collection contains photographs of buildings built, purchased, or rented by the Church, including temples, tabernacles, stake offices, meetinghouses, Relief Society halls and granaries, recreation halls, seminaries, institute buildings, and mission homes and offices. It is organized alphabetically by the name of the unit or building.
• You can also use the Church’s online map and Geographic Information Services digital local unit maps for current and recent local unit boundary maps.

You should also check for information with the following people or locations:

• Ask ward or stake clerks for copies of annual histories.
• Ask your bishop or stake president to request a list of missionaries who have served from your ward through the Library’s “Ask Us” service.
• Search meetinghouse libraries to see if any materials have accumulated there.
• Ask current and past leaders, along with longtime members of the unit, if they have any materials.

If possible, you may also want to locate:

• Previously written histories for the ward. These are often written for important milestones, such as a building dedication or a significant anniversary.
• Old unit directories.
• Newsletters, programs, flyers, announcements, etc.
• Scrapbooks.
• Ward cookbooks.
• The local historical society or other repository.
• City and county records (especially for information on buildings).

Other Places to Look

• Local newspapers can be a valuable source. Many events connected with local Church history have appeared in local newspapers, such as the construction of a chapel or members helping out with relief efforts. To find them, consider searching these locations:

• Visit your local library.

• Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers at the Library of Congress contains selected newspapers published in the United States over several centuries.
• Newspapers.com contains over 17,000 newspapers from the United States and selected other countries; a paid subscription is required.