Frequently Asked Questions



Is LDSGenealogy.com owned by the LDS/Mormon church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)?


No, this site is independently owned and operated. The official sites for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include FamilySearch.org and ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Is this site just for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church)?


No, this site is for anyone interested in finding their ancestors. All visitors to the site are welcome. LDS stands for our 3 main site features, which are Learning, Directory, and Source Finder.

What is the purpose of the website?


LDSGenealogy.com was created to help people to find information about their ancestors. It includes many helpful articles for learning genealogy research and an extensive records directory to help you to locate genealogical records. It also has a ancestor source finder, a free tool to help U.S. researchers to identify more sources to look for.


My goal is to have an extensive directory for all of the best genealogy record sources available, both online and offline, free and paid. Though I'm still a long way from reaching my goal, I do update and add to this site regularly. The information found on this site is freely available. However, some of the sites listed do require a subscription to view all of the available records.


For information about updates to the site, please see the blog.

How was the records directory created?


In 2008, I started doing U.S. genealogy research and was frustrated trying to locate where the good online records were found. I decided to make a website directory that had all of the relevant online genealogy records for the state of Connecticut. The project eventually expanded to all of the U.S. states. It also was later expanded to include helpful articles for learning how to do genealogy as well.


At various times over the years, I have had other people assist me from time to time with gathering information to add to the site, programming the site, and writing articles. But for the most part, the site has been a one-woman operation run by me (Jeniann Nielsen) since 2008.

What makes this site unique?


There are many excellent genealogy sites out there, some of which have similarities to my site. The directory on this site is unique because (1) it includes only actual genealogy records that you can directly use for your research, (2) it is organized all the way down to the city level, (3) it is as detailed as I have been able to make it so far, (4) it includes both online and offline records, (5) it includes articles that explain how to use the records as well as giving information about where the records are found, and (6) it includes a source finder tool to help you identify which sources to look for next.


The section on Newspapers and Obituaries is particularly detailed since it includes every title I can find so far, usually includes the year range, and is organized down to the city level.


My hope is that the level of detail and the simple way the site is organized will save you hours of time hunting down where the record sources are located.


In addition to the records directory, there are 30 Brick Wall Case Studies that can help you to generate more ideas for looking for your ancestor that is difficult to find. There are also 90 other articles on various genealogy topics.

Can I suggest new record sources you should be listing in the directory?


Yes! If you have suggestions, please submit them through the contact us page. Note that I generally only link to records that are specific to a certain locality for a specific time frame, are broadly applicable to many researchers, and can yield genealogically significant information. All submissions will be carefully considered, though I cannot guarantee that all sites submitted will be added.

Are there things I can do to help your site?


Yes, there are several ways you can help including:

  • Use the site in your research! Knowing that the site is helpful to others makes the time and effort required worth it.
  • Bookmark the site on your computer (it can help increase the rankings from Google and other search engines).
  • Share the site on your website, blog, and/or social media channels.
  • Like or follow the LDS Genealogy Facebook page.
  • Help me to identify what records I still need to include in the records directory through the contact us page.
  • I also gladly accept donations if you would like to do so.

Can I link to your site?


Yes, please do! If you have found this site helpful, please link to the site through other websites, blogs, or social media so that others can use it and benefit from it as well.

What if I encounter errors on this site?


I do my best to keep the links on this site maintained so that you don't encounter broken links, but websites change quickly and links do end up broken at times despite my best efforts. If you do encounter a broken link or other errors, I would appreciate it if you would let me know by submitting the errors on the contact us page.

Are there links on this site that go to websites that require a subscription?


Yes, this site links to both free sites and sites that require a paid subscription in order to access their full content. Affiliate links are used within the directory on this site and a small contribution goes to the website if you sign up for a subscription on the following sites: Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, Archives.com, Newspapers.com, GenealogyBank.com, Fold3.com, FindMyPast.com, E-Yearbook.com, Genealogical.com, and FamilyTreeDNA.com. The revenue from affiliate links is used to pay for the cost of maintaining and improving the site, keeping the information free to the users.

Is this site copyrighted?


Yes, this site is copyrighted by LDSGenealogy.com, with the exception of some of the articles, maps, and graphics which are copyrighted by their respective owners and used with permission or license. Trademarks owned by their respective owners are their own intellectual property and some are used on this site for educational purposes. The maps are available through one of the following licenses via Wikimedia: CC 2.0, CC 2.0 BY-SA, CC 3.0, CC 3.0 BY-SA, CC 4.0, CC 4.0 BY-SA, public domain.


The content of this site may not be copied, bulk downloaded, or otherwise used to create content or value as part of any other product or service, either for nonprofit or commercial use, without written permission.

Thank you for visiting. Best wishes in your research!


Jeniann Nielsen
Owner at LDSGenealogy.com