Preserving History: The Progression of Recordkeeping in the Church

Authors

Wayne Crosby
W. Tyson Thorpe

Keywords

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, church records, religious history

Abstract

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a variety of experiences with living the gospel and coming closer to Jesus Christ. Where people live, what age they are, and what their family situations are can all impact how they see God’s hand in their lives, as can a multitude of other factors. For this reason, it is important for historians examining the lived experiences of Latter-day Saints to have a variety of records to draw on in their analyses and explorations. Thankfully, the keeping of histories in Church units has been an important part of the Church since its organization. But the format of these histories has changed over time and continues to change today as Church leaders determine the best way to convey information about local units. This article examines a new tool developed by the Church History Department that units can use to submit histories, the reasons for its implementation, and ways that local unit records can help historians reconstruct the past.

Recommended Citation

Crosby, Wayne and Thorpe, W. Tyson (2024) "Preserving History: The Progression of Recordkeeping in the Church," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 63: Iss. 3, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol63/iss3/6