Why is the LDS Church so involved in Family History?
It’s hard to delve into the wild and wonderful world of family history without coming into contact with the members or resources of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons. In fact, the LDS Church has been a huge force in the genealogy world for decades. Aside from a huge, state-of-the-art family history library in Salt Lake City, Utah, the LDS Church also has smaller family history centers in many of its meetinghouses where members are encouraged to seek out vital records for their ancestors. Those unfamiliar with the LDS Church may wonder, why the intense dedication to genealogy?
Family history work, as it turns out, is a huge part of Mormon theology. It is no secret that the LDS Church is big on families, but what many do not know is that this devotion goes beyond the grave. Mormons believe that their dead ancestors in the afterlife are just as connected to them as those still living. More importantly, they believe they have an obligation to receive ordinances like baptism on behalf of their dead ancestors in order for them to receive all of the blessings of eternal life to which they are entitled. For Mormons, the dead can’t do this work for themselves; they will be held accountable if they don’t perform this work for their ancestors. Therefore, they are co-dependent on each other for salvation. The living can’t obtain eternal life without assisting their dead ancestors; and, of course, the dead can’t be saved without their help.
That’s where genealogy comes in. In order to perform these saving ordinances, Mormons need their ancestors’ names and vital information.
So there you have it. The LDS Church is devoted to family history because they believe their salvation is riding on it.