Purpose
Learn more about family history—and help others perform family history research—by visiting a cemetery, taking photographs, and sharing the information you find.
Activity Suggestion
Before the activity, explain to the youth that your group will be photographing headstones to record the biographical information they contain. Ensure that all youth have a way to take photographs; a smartphone with access to FamilySearch.org is preferred.
At the activity, take your group to a cemetery. Assign the youth to different parts of the cemetery, and then invite them to take a picture of each headstone (and other important markers, as needed) in their area.
After everyone has taken their photographs, regroup. Show the youth how to upload their photos to FamilySearch, either using the FamilySearch app or the FamilySearch.org website. Following the instructions on the app, transcribe the information from the headstones, as necessary.
Tips:
- Clear off any debris from headstones before taking a photograph. (You may want to bring gloves, brushes, or brooms to help you.)
- Hold still to avoid blurry photos.
- Make sure your hands or feet aren’t in the photograph.
- It’s best to review your images before you leave the cemetery in case you need to retake a few.
Adaptation Ideas
If your group does not have access to smartphones or digital cameras, you can take photos on film. After the photos have been developed, you can find someone with the equipment to help you scan them and upload them to FamilySearch.org.
- Before the activity, invite the youth to use FamilySearch.org (or another website that records where people are buried) to see if they have any ancestors buried in the cemetery you will visit. If they do, invite them to photograph their ancestors’ graves.
- If your group does not have access to smartphones or the FamilySearch app, you can take photos with a digital camera, download the photos to a computer, and then upload the photos to FamilySearch.org.
Discussion
Encourage youth to talk about how what they are learning can help them and others grow closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Discussions can take place before, during, or after the activity and should last just a few minutes. You could ask questions like the following:
- Why is it important to do family history research?
- What should we find out when we research our family history?
- How can we submit names to the temple for ordinances to be performed?