At the end of April 2014, FamilySearch.org announced a unique partnership with three genealogical database companies: Ancestry.com, Findmypast and MyHeritage.

As a result of a year’s worth of cooperation and negotiations with these new partner organizations, it was announced that members of the Church with an LDS.org account will receive access to these family history websites at no cost by the end of 2014.

Emails were sent in May, and will continue to be sent for the rest of 2014 to members with family history callings, including family history consultants, family history center directors, stake indexing directors, and high priests group leaders, inviting them to create accounts on these three websites.

An article (by Thom Reed, on FamilySearch.org blog) states: “The rollout to those without family history callings will be done by individual email invitation, and the rollout will last for approximately three months. After the initial three months and by the end of 2014, access will be given in stages to all members in specific areas.”

“We are excited by the progress in making these resources available to all members free of charge and encourage you use these sites to help you find your ancestors and submit their names for temple ordinances this year,” the blog article further states.

The article then quotes the words of Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said in a recent general conference, “We finally have the doctrine, the temples, and the technology for families to accomplish this glorious work of salvation.”

This new venture has already had an impact on FamilySearch Libraries and family history researchers. Directors of the Riverton FamilySearch Library, Elder Brad Jensen and Sister Pat Jensen said they are already in focused training classes on the MyHeritage site, with training for Ancestry.com and classes for findmypath planned for later in the summer.

“Things are really hopping here at the Riverton FamilySearch Library, with the partnership of Ancestry, Find My Path, and My Heritage with FamilySearch. The increased activity is not necessarily because our missionaries now have their own free access from home, as will all Church members by the end of the year,” the Jensens said. “We are working intensely because we have to respond quickly now and add training courses, ‘how to get started’ handouts, and all other related support material for these great new additions to the FamilySearch ‘family.’ We have started the processwith the focused training of our staff.”  

Further details will be available in up-coming Family History Consultant newsletters, from FamilySearch.org. For additional information concerning these partner websites, access for members, or answers to questions, please contact FamilySearch Support at support@familysearch.org.