Completing the Genealogy Merit Badge Requirements with FamilySearch

Completing the Genealogy Merit Badge Requirements with FamilySearch

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to use FamilySearch.org to fulfill the requirements for the Genealogy Merit Badge.

1. Set Up Your Account and Start Your Family Tree

• Go to FamilySearch.org.
• Click "Free Account" in the top right corner and follow the prompts to create your personal account. If you already have one, click "Sign In."
• Once logged in, click "Family Tree" in the main navigation.
• Start by adding yourself, then your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. FamilySearch will often help you connect to existing records if your family is already in the shared tree. This begins fulfilling Merit Badge requirement 3a (finding four generations).

2. Populate Details and Attach Sources

• For each person in your tree (you, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents), click on their name and then select "Person" to view their individual details page.
• On the "Details" tab, enter full names, birth dates, birthplaces, marriage dates, marriage places, death dates, and death places. This directly addresses Merit Badge requirement 3b (listing details for each person).
• Pay close attention to "Record Hints" (often a blue icon with a number) on the right side of the details page. These are suggested historical records that may contain information about your ancestor.
• Click "Review and Attach" for relevant hints. This process allows you to link actual historical documents (like census records, birth certificates, and compiled genealogies) to your ancestors, fulfilling Merit Badge requirement 4. As you attach them, identify whether each source is a primary (direct evidence) or secondary (interpreted information) source.

3. Explore and Record Family Stories

• Navigate to the "Memories" tab on any person's detail page within FamilySearch.
• Click "Add Memory" to upload family photos, documents, or write stories and traditions passed down in your family. You can tag individuals in the photos and stories. This helps fulfill Merit Badge requirement 5 (identifying and explaining a family story or tradition).
• While FamilySearch.org doesn't facilitate an in-person interview, it provides the perfect platform to store and share the results of an interview with a relative, fulfilling the spirit of this requirement.

4. Utilize the FamilySearch Research Wiki

• From the FamilySearch.org homepage, click "Search" and then select "Wiki."
• Use the search bar in the Wiki to find definitions of genealogical terms (e.g., ancestor, descendant, primary source, secondary source, pedigree chart, research log), addressing Merit Badge requirement 2.
• The Wiki also provides extensive guides on how to research specific locations or record types, acting as a valuable online genealogical library. You can report on how you used this "digital library" to learn research strategies or understand different record types, fulfilling aspects of Merit Badge requirement 6 (visiting a genealogical library, digitally).

5. Share Your Findings

• FamilySearch.org's collaborative nature means your tree and the memories you add are automatically shared with other relatives who also use the platform. This inherently fulfills Merit Badge requirement 7.
• You can also easily download photos, documents, or stories from the "Memories" tab to share with family members via email, social media, or print, demonstrating how you would share your research.