Issue 19.14
FamilySearch has begun sending the invitations to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sponsors of FamilySearch. To receive free access to previously paid sites. FamilySearch entered into agreements with Ancestry.com, findmypast, and MyHeritage. As a result, members will receive personal access to these family history websites at no cost. I received mine and the transition from my paid site on Ancestry was easy. I also had an expired subscription to findmypast, which was easy to convert to the now free site. MyHeritage, I also had an account with and the transition was just as easy there.
The invitations come by email, so be sure you have logged into https://familysearch.org with your LDS account and that your email address is current. Also make sure the check box next to the email is made public. In April it was given to the Family History Department employees and missionaries, General Authorities and Area Seventies and spouses, and Area Family History advisors to give us a heads up on how the process would work. Then it started going out to family history consultants, center directors, Indexing directors and High Priest Group Leaders. The next group is active FamilySearch.org users, so the more you use it, the faster you will receive your invitation. That will occur in increments until late July and then newly called family history consultants since April 2014 will receive it. Then in August and September, LDS.org account users by area will receive the invitation. That is why I say, don’t wait to start using familysearch.org or you will be delayed until autumn for your invitation.
By the end of the year it should be worldwide free access as the invitations should have gone through each area. Those who are not members of the LDS Church may receive free access on computers at any LDS FamilySearch center.
FamilySearch is excited by the progress the team has made in making these resources available to all members free of charge. They encourage you to use these sites to help you find your ancestors and submit their names. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum Apostles said in October, “We finally have the doctrine, the temples, and the technology for families to accomplish this glorious work of salvation.”
For more information, contact Shanna Jones at shannasjones@msn.com (435)628-4900.