The Church History Library houses the sacred and valuable historical records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If your family has been associated with the Church in the United States or in other countries, these records can help bring your family’s story to life.
Records and Collections
The Church History Library holds millions of original, authoritative historical records, including official church records, diaries, memoirs, personal papers, letters, photographs, oral histories, and local-unit Church records. The records are stored in climate-controlled vaults and are accessible to researchers in the reading room. Many records have been digitized and are also available online.
Free Online Resources
Church History Catalog
The Church History Catalog is the principal resource for searching the Library’s archive, manuscript, and print collections. Simple and advanced searches for names, places, and topics yield results that may be narrowed by material type, date, and language. Wildcard and Boolean searches are also supported. Millions of digitized images are added to the catalog each year and users may recommend sources for future digitization. Materials in the catalog come from a wide spectrum of sources and represent numerous points of view. Users of the catalog should not assume that the Church or the Library endorses every item in the collection.
Database of Early Missionaries
The Missionary Database documents every known Latter-day Saint missionary from 1830 to eighty years ago. The database currently lists more than 42,000 individuals with links to images of thousands of original and authoritative records. The database can be searched by name or browsed to find sources and photos. (Use your FamilySearch login to identify your ancestors in the database.)
Database of Overland Pioneers
The Pioneer Database attempts to document every Latter-day Saint overland pioneer who traveled to Utah between 1847 and 1868; it is the product of more than two decades of work. The database currently lists more than 57,000 individuals with links to thousands of original and authoritative records of pioneer experience. The database can be searched by name or browsed to find sources and photos. (Use your FamilySearch login to identify your ancestors in the database.)
Day-by-day Chronology of Church History Events
The Journal History of the Church is a chronological, day-by-day compilation of Church history events from 1830 to 2008. Taken mostly from newspapers but also from correspondence, diaries, letters, sermons, minutes, and accounts, this 1,200-volume collection contains valuable historical and biographical information. Indexes may be searched for names of individuals, places, church units, and events. Digital images of the index cards and the corresponding pages of the Journal History of the Church are available in the Church History Catalog.
Index of People Named in the Joseph Smith Papers
The Joseph Smith Papers Project is an effort to gather all extant Joseph Smith documents and to publish them with both textual and contextual annotation, including brief biographical sketches for selected persons mentioned therein. Names listed in this index include church leaders and members, Smith family members, people Joseph Smith encountered in his travels, parties involved in legal and business matters, and other acquaintances. (Use your FamilySearch login to identify your ancestors in the database.)
Index of Letters Written to Brigham Young
The Brigham Young Office Files contain approximately 15,000 letters from Church members who sought personal guidance, spiritual advice, or financial help from Brigham Young between 1844 and 1877. Many letters report on missionary matters and colonization progress. The index letter of writers together with digital images of the letters can be accessed through the Church History Catalog. Researchers may also consult letterpress copybooks for replies to letters.
Index to Periodical Articles by and about the Church
The Church Periodical Index enriches access to articles related to the Church and its history by indexing all significant articles in Church-produced, English language magazines, namely, the Ensign, Liahona, New Era, Friend, and Church News. The index also points to content in selected other periodicals, regardless of perspective, that contribute to the study of the history, doctrine, and culture of the Church. The index contains more than 165,000 entries and is searchable through the Church History Catalog.
Answers to Your Church History Research Questions
Click on the “Ask Us” button anywhere you find it in the catalog or on our web pages to submit a question to our archivists, librarians, historians, conservators, curators, or records managers.
Visit the Church History Library
Visit the Library in person Monday through Saturday at 15 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84150-1600. Visit the Library online today at ChurchHistoryLibrary.org.
Bonus Links
- Find people named in early Relief Society records. (Use your FamilySearch login to identify your ancestors in the database.)
- Request a copy of an ancestor’s patriarchal blessing.
- Consult research guides for topics including sources on family and local history, the Perpetual Emigrating Fund (PEF), blacks in church history, women’s organizations, women’s suffrage, and much more.
