Legacy Family Tree
Diving in Deeper Water
Instructor: Sharlene Gardner 801-226-1443
Using Legacy FamilySearch
Introduction: What is Legacy? (A genealogical management software program that organizes
your personal records). What is Family Search? (The LDS website that manages genealogical
data collected from many sources about people from all over the world.)
So then, what is Legacy FamilySearch? (The program created to integrate Legacy and
FamilySearch.)
What are the 4 tasks members should seek to accomplish when using Legacy FamilySearch?
1. Find out if each individual in their personal program is also in FamilySearch. Is there a
match? Is so, this is called a “link”.
2. Determine whether any of your people in Legacy have duplicates in Family Search, and if
so, combine them.
3. Compare data for each individual found in both programs and share data, if desired,
including ordinance dates. Once done this is called being in “sync”.
4. If all ordinances are not completed for each individual, if appropriate, reserve and then
process the name for temple work to be done.
How to open Legacy FamilySearch? In Legacy, click on the tree on the toolbar. Three options
are given:
1. Go to Temple Ordinance Reservation and Tracking Center
2. Open Legacy FamilySearch
3. Open Legacy FamilySearch to the current person
In order to accomplish the 4 tasks listed above, most often you will probably want to choose
the second option. If you choose the third option, you will be in “single mode” and will not
be able to look up information about anyone else, without first closing Legacy FamilySearch,
going back into Legacy and starting all over again.
Using the program
(Watch video found in Legacy FamilySearch by clicking on icon at top right of screen. It takes
9 minutes. As you proceed with this lesson you will note that there are now several changes
since this video was made, including major additions such as the functionality of the “Share
Data” tab and the “Ordinance Status” tab.
Other minor changes
1. To the left of the screen are shown all the people in Legacy, using the current filter. By
clicking on the edit button, you can choose other filtering options.
2. Names can be sorted by RIN, by surname or by given name. To help you search the name
list, click on the button so named. There are also options to “auto match” and to “manage
the matches”.
3. If you prefer, you can check a box to suppress all living people.
4. Now, only one green bar indicates your collective progress as you work through the tasks
for all individuals.
5. In the bottom left corner, are now 4 tabs. The first tab displays the four tasks previously
discussed and indicates, by way of green check marks, which tasks are already accomplished
and which tasks remain to be done. The three other tabs are “Pedigree”, “Details” and
“Legend”. The legend is helpful in understanding the meaning of all the various symbols
and colors used in the program.
Synchronizing individuals
1. The “Share Data” tab allows you to compare data and decide what and if you want to exchange any
information. To view better, you may want to first hide the left panel by clicking on the blue arrow
in upper right corner.
2. To the far right of each field of information is an icon with the letter “I” which allows you to see who
submitted the information. This may be useful in deciding whether you trust the source.
3. By clicking on the black arrows, you move information from one program to another, but must first
select the action to be taken. Be careful when doing this step. If you change your mind, there is no
“edit” or “oops” button. If you want to retract the information added to Legacy, you will need to go
in to Legacy to delete or edit.
4. Be sure to scroll down to see all of the relationships for the individual. If the parents or spouse in
FamilySearch are already linked to individuals in your file, they will be blue and have the same ID. If
they are not already linked, that step can be accomplished from this screen. For instance, by clicking
on the arrow by the father’s name, you can link this individual to the father in your file. You can do
the same with the mother. This is another way to link your people to Family Search. Notice the PID
now added to the parents’ name and to the spouse’s name and how their names will turn blue.
5.
If you see that the FamilySearch individual shows multiple parents or duplicate identical spouses,
you can only resolve these issues by clicking on the link at the top of the FamilySearch individual
which then takes you directly into FamilySearch. Once you have resolved the problems in
FamilySearch, then it is necessary to “reload the individual” in Legacy FamilySearch, to reflect the
changes you have just made.
6. When you move information from your file to Family Search, it is always added as another opinion.
It never replaces it. But if you want your information to be what is displayed in Family Search, click
on the “Edit Summary” button.
7. When you scroll to the bottom of the screen, you can see ordinance information. Sometimes you
will see the words “unofficial ordinance” by some of the dates. These dates were acquired by some
means other than temple records, the IGI, or from church membership records. It doesn’t mean that
the dates are invalid, only that they have not been verified.
From this screen, you can transfer ordinance information to your file, one ordinance at a time, or
you can click on the “Ordinance Status” tab and transfer all the ordinance dates all at once.
8. While still on the “Share Data” screen, when you are done sharing information you should click on
the button “I’m finished sharing data” found in the bottom left corner. Having done so, your person
is now “In Sync.” Notice that the arrows by the name are now both green. (There is a built in tool
that will alert you if someone makes a change subsequent to your synchronizing the two records
which will cause arrows to turn red.)
The “Ordinance Status” tab.
On this screen you can view temple cards with dates for all ordinances that are completed. Although
you only see one card at a time, there may be additional cards. They can be viewed by clicking on the
lines beneath the card. There is also a link in the bottom right corner of the screen which will transfer all
of the ordinance dates to your program at once. If you use this link, then any dates you have will be
over-written. The computer selects the earliest, official dates, but it doesn’t generally take into account
that a child died young or was born in the covenant.
Notice that from the information below the card, you may see that there are still duplicates here that
need to be resolved. And so, even though it may show that an ordinance is “ready”, it may already be
done. If it is not a duplicate, then you can check the empty box and then click on the button below to
reserve the ordinance. (By clicking on the box furthest to the right, all ordinances preceding it, will also
be checked.)
Viewing Changes made in Legacy FamilySearch
Viewing changes made in Legacy FamilySearch should automatically be reflected in Legacy by viewing
the green and red arrows and temple icon by the person’s name. Sometimes the screen needs to be
refreshed in order to show these changes. I find the easiest way to accomplish this is to temporarily
move the person to a different position.