FamilySearch frustrations with members reserving ordinances on families still in research.

William Lloyd Peterson

I'm pretty frustrated with the FamilySearch program (and members) right now for the following reasons. Three complex questions below.

1. I've been researching a family from the 1670's in England. Correct records are hard to come by and some have been indexed incorrectly. So my research is ongoing to ensure I have the best family life events as possible, so I can personally do the temple ordinances for my ancestors. I log into FamilySearch (FS) tonight (6 Feb) and I see someone (4th cousin 2x's removed) reserved ordinances yesterday. I'm sure they got it from Ordinance Ready. But if they had taken the time to look up the family records in FS they would have seen I'm have been the only one searching out this family for months (and there has been no time lag in my FS documentation). And possibly they might have had 2nd thoughts about reserving ordinances when they would have seen ACTIVE investigation is on going. They don't know the conflicting family information I'm finding out on this family and children. Now ordinances have been reserved by this 4th cousin when life event data is unsure. How do we stop this from happening? Do I reserve ordinances when I don't know the information is correct? Do I keep only a "paper record" and then input data when I'm sure as I possibly can be the data is correct? What is the fix?
2. Here is another example of FamilySearch programming that might be improved upon if possible. I'm very diligent when creating individual records and I look at finding the best possible sources I can to prove what I'm recording is correct, and I also review "Possible Duplicates and Find Similar People" options before I finalized any record. Can FS programmers add steps to the program to prompt "Possible Duplicates and Find Similar People" search possibilities before individual records are finalized and when members request ordinances (can prompts be programmed much like the validation policy requirement for the 110 year rule). I think that would significantly reduce members creating duplicate records for ancestors who have already had their ordinances completed many years ago or who are in the system. And doing previously completed ordinance time and again, Just a question.
3. An adult who was doing Ordinance Ready printed out a temple ordinance card for and individual from the year 1082 who had only their endowment ordinance completed. Baptism, Confirmation etc, had no information recorded. What is the best information I can give this individual. Do the ordinances?

Thank you for your time to answer me.

William Peterson

Gordon Collett

I'm just another user but will say:

1) Yes, this is frustrating. I don't have any good thought about preventing it, though.

2) The flagging for possible duplicates is an automatic process that occurs quite quickly when additions or changes are made on a person. Ordinances cannot be reserved if there are any possible duplicate.

3) Since endowments have never been able to be completed without B/C/I being completed first, finding an person with just the endowment completed almost certainly means there is a duplicate of the person hiding in Family Tree that the possible duplicates routine has not been able to find for some reason. I would advise the individual that found this to diligently search in Family Tree for that person. Depending on the date of the endowment, the best place to start is the IGI since that will have preserved the information on the person which was there at the time the endowment was done which will make it easier to find the duplicate in the IGI. Then the information in the IGI can be used to find the person in Family Tree. If the date of the endowment is between 1942 and 1969, a good place to look is the Family Group Records collection.

Amy Archibald

My suggestion for you on your #1 is to immediate reserve the ordinances to your own "My Reservation" list as you are starting the research process. Then no one else can take them as you continue your research.