The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a database of genealogical records, compiled from a variety of different sources, and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Genealogy is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ...

Originally created in 1969, the index was intended to help track the performance of temple ordinances for the deceased. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ...

The IGI contains information submitted for vicarious ordinances by Mormon researchers, records obtained from contributors who are not members of the church or data taken from various birth or marriage records that Church members have microfilmed. The IGI contains hundreds of millions of records of individuals who lived between 1500 and 1900, primarily in the United States, Canada and Europe. By making so many resources available, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has helped contribute to the increasing interest in genealogy over the last couple of decades. Information is available free or at a nominal cost through the internet, through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and worldwide at Family History Centers near local congregations.

The IGI contains many duplicate names, so any data retrieved from it must be checked carefully. This is facilitated by the fact that every record contains information on who submitted it and when.

External links

• The IGI can be searched from: www.familysearch.org
• "What is the IGI?", by Helen Schatvet Ullmann