Are you curious to know how you are related to historical figures? A website developed by the BYU Family History Technology Lab uses the power of computer algorithms combined with data from FamilySearch.org to make connections. Providing you have some family history information already entered, you can use the site to test how closely you are related to some interesting and prominent people.

The website is called “Relative Finder.” It uses information in your family tree at FamilySearch.org to connect you with past and present Church leaders, royalty and national leaders, or other groups of individuals including custom groups.

Follow these quick steps to check out the site:

1. Go to http://roots-fb.cs.byu.edu/
2. Sign in with your LDS Account. (You can enter an email if you want, but at a minimum you will have to agree to the terms of use.)
3. Click “Download my Tree” and wait for the site to evaluate your family history.
4. When the prompt appears saying it is done, click OK.
5. Click on Relatives on the title bar.
6. Select the group or groups for which you want check out relationships, such as “Book of Mormon Witnesses,” “US Presidents,” or “Science Technology.”
7. Click on the “Show Relatives” button.
8. A list will populate if relatives are present. (You will see the relative’s name, the relationship, and a link to a chart showing the common ancestor and all the links between.)
9. From here you may download a PDF or print the chart.

The site uses FamilySearch.org data, so you might run into some glitches because of data errors or missing connections, but the experience is a fun thing to do with family history. You might be surprised to find family connections to prominent people that you didn’t know about.