Editing FamilySearch (section)

===Genealogical Society of Utah===
[[File:Genealogical Society of Utah logo.svg|250px|thumb|right|Logo of the Genealogical Society of Utah]]

GSU, the predecessor of FamilySearch, was founded on 1 November 1894. Its purpose was to create a genealogical library to be used both by its members and other people, to share educational information about [[genealogy]], and to gather genealogical records in order to perform [[Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|religious ordinances]] for the dead. It was founded under the direction of Church leaders, when the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] appointed [[Franklin D. Richards (Mormon apostle)|Franklin D. Richards]] as the first president.<ref name=pres />

The society published the ''Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine'' from 1910 to 1940.<ref>{{cite book|page = [https://archive.org/details/printedsourcesgu00meye/page/710 710]|url = https://archive.org/details/printedsourcesgu00meye|url-access = registration|title = Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records|first = Kory Leland|last = Meyerink|year = 1998|publisher = Ancestry, Inc.|isbn = 9780916489700|place = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]]}}</ref>
 
The GSU began microfilming records of genealogical importance in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pugmire |first1=Genelle |title=LDS Church celebrates 120th anniversary of Genealogical Society, now FamilySearch |url=https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/lds-church-celebrates-th-anniversary-of-genealogical-society-now-familysearch/article_fd4b36fd-794f-5eb0-8f9d-c4794be5ea0f.html |website=Daily Herald |access-date=August 3, 2019 |archive-date=August 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803223228/https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/lds-church-celebrates-th-anniversary-of-genealogical-society-now-familysearch/article_fd4b36fd-794f-5eb0-8f9d-c4794be5ea0f.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1963, the microfilm collection was moved to the newly completed [[Granite Mountain Records Vault]] for long-term preservation.{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}

In 1975, the GSU became the Church's Genealogical Department, which later became the FHD. At that time, its head officer was renamed president from executive director, starting during [[Theodore M. Burton]]'s term.<ref name=pres>{{Citation
| last1 = Allen
| first1 = James B.
| author-link1 = James B. Allen (historian)
| last2 = Embry
| first2 = Jessie L.
| last3 = Mehr
| first3 = Kahlile B.
| title=Hearts Turned to the Fathers: A History of the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1894-1994
| publisher=[[BYU Studies]], [[Brigham Young University]]
| year=1995
| location=Provo, Utah
| url=http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/u?/byustudies,2282
}}</ref> However, the title "President of the Genealogical Society of Utah" and other GSU titles were still used and bestowed upon department officers.

In 2000, the Church consolidated its Family History and Historical departments into the Family and Church History Department, and [[Richard E. Turley Jr.]] became managing director of the new department and president of the GSU. Later this decision was reversed and the Family History Department was separated from the [[Church History Department]], becoming its own department.<ref>{{cite web|last1=T |first1=Justin |title=Breaking News: Changes in Family and Church History Department Organization |url=http://davidgolding.com/ji-test/breaking-news-changes-in-church-history-department-organization/|website=Juvenile Instructor Blog |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151006153215/http://davidgolding.com/ji-test/breaking-news-changes-in-church-history-department-organization/ |archive-date=2015-10-06 }}</ref>

In 2008, the [[Holy See|Vatican]] issued a statement calling the practice known as [[baptism for the dead]] "erroneous" and directing [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] dioceses to keep parish records from Latter-day Saints performing [[Genealogy|genealogical research]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Muth |first=Chad |date=2008-05-02 |title=Vatican letter directs bishops to keep parish records from Mormons |url=http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802443.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080513195437/http%3A//www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802443.htm |archive-date=2008-05-13 |access-date=2008-05-05 |work=Catholic News Service |publisher=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops}}</ref>

====Presidents of the Genealogical Society of Utah====

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Term !! Notes
|-
| [[Franklin D. Richards (Mormon apostle)|Franklin D. Richards]] || 1894–99 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Anthon H. Lund]] || 1900–21 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Charles W. Penrose]] || 1921–25 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Anthony W. Ivins]] || 1925–34 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Joseph Fielding Smith]] || 1934–61 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| Junius Jackson || 1961–62 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[N. Eldon Tanner]] || 1963 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Howard W. Hunter]] || 1964–72 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Theodore M. Burton]] || 1972–78 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[J. Thomas Fyans]] || 1978 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Royden G. Derrick]] || 1979–84 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Richard G. Scott]] || 1984–88 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[J. Richard Clarke]] || 1988–93 || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| Monte J. Brough || 1993–2000? || <ref name=pres/>
|-
| [[Richard E. Turley Jr.]] || 2000?–08 || <ref>{{Citation | title=Biography - Richard E. Turley Jr. | date=March 12, 2008 | work=Church Newsroom | publisher=[[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] | url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/biography-richard-e-turley-jr | access-date=2008-11-20}}</ref>
|}