Millions join together virtually and in Salt Lake City to learn about family history at RootsTech

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• RootsTech, an annual family history conference run by FamilySearch, is happening this week.
• Elder Mark A. Bragg, general authority seventy, encouraged members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to add something on FamilySearch.
• RootsTech will be adding 500 new courses to its library in 2026 to help with researching families around the world.

SALT LAKE CITY — Tara Roberts calls herself a "free spirit." She said she moves frequently and doesn't have a partner or children. But, through learning about her family history, she said she "rooted myself in a way that I wasn't rooted before."

"One of the questions that I asked myself as I started this work is .. how does knowing the past help give me a way to feel a sense of belonging?" she said.

Roberts, who is speaking Friday in a keynote for RootsTech, said after diving and learning about slave ships for work, she decided to learn about her own family.

"What I've found, since I've leaned into this, is that there are stories that are about more than just the pain and trauma. Stories of creativity, resilience, of resistance. … There's so many stories to be told, and those stories are things to be proud of," she said.

She said looking into family history helps people feel stronger in who they are.

The annual RootsTech conference is run by FamilySearch, the family history website operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it continues to grow each year.

Spirit of family history

Elder Mark A. Bragg, executive director of the family history department and general authority seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said RootsTech is growing with almost 100 more exhibitors than the year before. He said he hopes church members can learn through RootsTech that there are opportunities to help them find their family tree but that they do not need to be overwhelmed.

"I would challenge you to find a niche that's not represented … you can find your family history in one of these booths, I can guarantee it," he said.

Elder Bragg said family history is not complicated. He encouraged members to get on FamilySearch and add something — a photo, story, name or approximate birth date.

"This is where generative AI is going to take us to levels that we hadn't imagined in the past, and we're going to be able to make connections. So just add what you know, and you'll be amazed at the community that will help you grow your family tree," he said.

He said the spirit of family history, or the Holy Ghost, touches peoples' hearts around the world as they think about family.

Elder Bragg said he speaks openly with archivists at RootsTech who are not members of the church about why the church is so interested in family history — its goal to provide saving ordinances for family members. He said they are supportive.

"We seek out our ancestors so that we can perform ordinances on their behalf so that we can be united as families for eternity," he said.

Together

Steve Rockwood, CEO of FamilySearch, took the stage Thursday for the opening keynote with his cousin and BYU women's soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood.

She talked about a key game a few years ago against University of North Carolina in the elite eight. She said they were down 3-0 at halftime, and she wrote the number of goals they had scored that season on the board, saying it is more than any other team, and told them there was no reason to think they could not win. And they did, bringing the team into the final four for the first time.

She said the motto for the BYU women's athletic department is "better together" — mirroring the theme of RootsTech this year, which is "together."

"Teams that come together with love and respect can accomplish so much more than if we were individuals," she said.

Steve Rockwood said soccer and family history are both global activities that build connections and joy across cultures. He thanked those at RootsTech for working together and building a culture of respect.

Learning doesn't end at RootsTech

Jonathan Wing, director of events at FamilySearch, said the conference has evolved so much over the last several years and is continuing to grow, with more classes and exhibits. He said tens of thousands of people attend in person at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, but millions attend online.

"It's mind-blowing," Wing said.

He said they are building content that's helpful for people around the world.

"To do family history on the other side of the world is very different. … We have learned so much by reaching out to experts locally to understand what are the nuances of doing family history in this region of the world," he said.

Wing said some of the new courses available will help fill some of the gaps the learning library has had. Although the event will end on Saturday, he said it's a launchpad to "a year of discovery with brand new content that can help people break through their brick walls and make new discoveries."

Ahead of the conference, there were about 3,200 courses online geared toward beginners through experts. This year's RootsTech will add 500 more, many with new specialities.

"It's all aimed to empower our audiences wherever they may be. Meet them where they are, and help them in their journeys of discovery," he said.

RootsTech runs from Thursday through Saturday. On Saturday, three-time Super Bowl champion Steve Young will give a keynote, and Elder Ronald A. Rasband will share a message along with his wife for Family Discovery Day.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Related topics

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsReligionUtahSalt Lake County

Emily Ashcraft

• 
• 

Emily Ashcraft is a reporter for KSL. She covers issues in state courts, health and religion. In her spare time, Emily enjoys crafting, cycling and raising chickens.