RootsTech 2017 Live Streaming Schedule

The following is from RootsTech.

RootsTech Live Streaming Schedule

Not able to attend in person? Several sessions at RootsTech 2017, including the general keynote sessions, will be streamed live on the home page of RootsTech.org. After the conference, recordings of these sessions will be posted on the website for a limited time.

See the streaming schedule below for times, session titles, and presenter names.

Wednesday, 8 Feb 2017

• 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | Innovator Summit General Session
  Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Liz Wiseman
   
• 10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m. | Industry Trends and Outlook
  Speakers: Craig Bott and Guest Panel
   
• 11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Innovation—Best Practices and Applications
  Speaker: Cydni Tetro

Thursday, 9 Feb 2017

• 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
  Speakers: Steve Rockwood, Jonathan and Drew Scott
   
• 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Getting Started in Genealogy
  Speaker: Kelli Bergheimer
   
• 12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. | DNA: The Glue That Holds Families Together
  Speaker: Diahan Southard
   
• 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | DNA Matching on MyHeritage
  Speaker: Dana Drutman
   
• 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Jewish Genealogy: Where to Look and What’s Available
  Speaker: Lara Diamond
   
• 4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Family History Is Anything but Boring
  Speakers: Crystal Farish and Rhonna Farrer

Friday, 10 Feb 2017

• 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
  Speakers: Levar Burton, Special Guest Panel
   
• 10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. | RootsTech Innovator Showdown Finals
   
• 12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m. | Mothers, Daughters, Wives: tracing Female Lines
  Speaker: Judy Russell
   
• 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Censational Census Strategies
  Speaker: Mary Kircher Roddy
   
• 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Big 4: Comparing Ancestry, findmypast, FamilySearch, and MyHeritage. Speaker: Sunny Morton
   
• 4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. | Cross the Atlantic with Religious Records
  Speaker: Jen Baldwin

Saturday, 11 Feb 2017

• 8:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m. | RootsTech General Session
  Speakers: Cece Moore, Buddy Valastro
   
• 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Journaling Principles That Work
  Speaker: Steve Reed
   
• 1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. | Don’t Just Be a Searcher, Be a Researcher
  Speaker: Crista Cowan
   
• 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. | Creating Google Alerts for Your Genealogy
  Speaker: Katherine R. Wilson

Family Discovery Day Live Streaming listed here.

RootsTech 2017 Family Discovery Day & Live Streaming

The following is from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

RootsTech 2017 Family Discovery Day

February 11, 2017 - Salt Lake City, Utah and Online

Are you passionate about family stories? Do you have an interest in learning how to discover your roots? If so, Family Discovery Day 2017 is for you and you can attend or watch live from anywhere in the world.

RootsTech Family Discovery Day is a 1-day free event designed to help LDS individuals and families discover and celebrate their family heritage—past, present, and future. Family Discovery Day, which originates at the RootsTech family history conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, will be streamed online in English, Spanish, and Portuguese so that members of the Church around the world can participate.

Here’s what you can expect this year:

General Authority speakers

President Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Sister Wendy Watson Nelson, will be the featured speakers at Family Discovery Day.

President and Sister Nelson will share family stories and experiences that highlight the importance of family and offer unique perspectives for raising children and grandchildren in faith.

President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy Watson Nelson

The Family Discovery Day general session with President and Sister Nelson will begin at 1:00 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) on February 11, 2017, and will be streamed live on the home page of LDS.org and through Mormon Channel’s YouTube channel, streaming platforms, and mobile apps.

Other special guests

Family Discovery Day will also feature popular LDS speakers including former National Football League player and current television personality Vai Sikahema; Brigham Young University head football coach Kalani Sitake; and BYU professor of religion and popular public speaker, Hank Smith; and Deseret Book CEO Sheri Dew.

These sessions will be streamed live through the Mormon Channel and the Family History topics page. 

Family Discovery Day streaming schedule (English, Spanish, and Portuguese)

TIME	SESSION AND SPEAKERS
1:00 p.m. (60 minutes)	FAMILY DISCOVERY DAY GENERAL SESSION President Russell M. Nelson and Sister Wendy Watson Nelson
2:15 PM (60 minutes)	ONE WORK: TEMPLE AND FAMILY HISTORY BLESSINGS Vai Sikahema, Kalani Sitake, Sheri L. Dew
3:30 p.m. (60 minutes)	HOME WITH HANK Hank Smith

Available on-demand

If you can’t watch live on February 11 starting at 1:00 p.m. (MST), videos of the messages from Family Discovery Day will also be archived at lds.org/discoverfamily for later viewing in the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Sign up for One-on-One Experiences at RootsTech 2017

The following is from RootsTech.

Sign Up for the Coaches’ Corner at RootsTech 2017 Are you hitting roadblocks in your family history? As a RootsTech attendee, we invite you to drop by the new Coaches’ Corner at the RootsTech Expo Hall and sign up for one-on-one mentoring from an expert genealogist. Space is limited, so don’t wait. Reserve your spot HERE.

Live DNA Q&A on Legacy Tree Facebook Page

The following is from Legacy Tree Genealogists.

Join Us for a LIVE DNA Q&A On Our Facebook Page! You Have Questions...  We Have Answers! Saturday, Feb. 11th 4:00 p.m. MDT Have questions about genetic genealogy, and how to use DNA analysis  to find your ancestors?  Our Senior Genetic Genealogist, Paul Woodbury, will be live on our Facebook page with answers to YOUR DNA questions! Submit your question at https://www.legacytree.com/live, then visit our Facebook page on Saturday, Feb. 11th at 4:00 p.m. MDT to watch the LIVE broadcast!  For more information on finding your ancestors using DNA visit: https://www.legacytree.com/genetic-genealogy-dna    Paul Woodbury is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where he studied genetics and family history.  He specializes in genetic genealogy (DNA research), French, Spanish, Swedish and Norwegian  genealogy research.  Fun Fact: Paul can name any country  and its capitol on a map. Enter to Win a FREE DNA Analysis! Have you taken a DNA test, but don't know how to interpret the results? Or maybe you would like to see how DNA testing can help you find your ancestors, but not sure which test to take? You could win a FREE DNA Analysis (valued at $350) to help you interpret your DNA test results or create a DNA testing plan to aid in your genealogy research. Winner will be announced during the LIVE DNA Q&A on the Legacy Tree Genealogists Facebook page on Saturday, Feb.11th at 4:00 p.m. MDT.

Enter Now >

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free February Seminar

The following is from FamilySearch.

Riverton FamilySearch Library Free February Seminar

Riverton, Utah (25 January2017), The Riverton FamilySearch Library is announcing its free seminar series on Saturday, February 18, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Gail S. Halvorsen, The Candy Bomber, who flew on the famed Berlin Christmas Drop in 1948 to natives of seven Micronesian Islands and food resupply drops to Bosnia. No registration is required.

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. – Keynote by Gail S. Halvorsen: “Giving Hope to Starving Children and Others”

10:10–11:10 a.m. Class options:

“In Hot Pursuit of Your Ancestors, Pt. l” by David Landrey

“My Family Has Been LDS for Generations. What Can I Do?” by Michael Grimshaw

“Finding Your Way through Penn’s Woods” by Tim Bingaman

“The Family History Guide: Basics from A to Z” by Bob Ives and Bob Taylor

11:20 a.m.–12:20 p.m. Class options:

“In Hot Pursuit of Your Ancestors, Pt. 2” by David Landrey

“Writing Family Histories” by Michael Grimshaw

“Finding ALL of Them: Descendancy Research” by Tim Bingaman

“The Family History Guide” for consultants to help patrons by Bob Ives and Bob Taylor.

Any last minute class changes can be found on the Riverton FamilySearch Library webpage.

The Riverton FamilySearch Library is located in the LDS Riverton Office Building at 3740 West Market Center Drive (13175 South), Riverton, Utah; 801-240-9601.

About FamilySearch

FamilySearch International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through over 4,921 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

LDS News

The following is from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Because He Gave His Life, You Can Change Yours   The gospel of Jesus Christ is the ultimate self-improvement plan. As you strive to make positive changes in your life this year, keep these gospel principles in mind as a reminder that, yes, lives can change—yours included.

Take Part in a Free RootsTech Event That's All about Family Come be inspired to discover, celebrate, and cherish your family relationships—past, present, and future—featuring messages from President and Sister Nelson. Learn how to participate in-person or online.

Sunday Journaling: A New Tradition for the New Year Taking a moment on the Sabbath day to reflect on our lives brings us greater perspective, fills us with gratitude, and brings us closer to the Savior.   Give the Sunday journal a try.

Try the New LDS Media Library Mobile App This new app combines Church video, image, and music content with editing and casting capabilities. Sunday lessons and family home evening just got easier.   See how it works.

DID YOU KNOW?

You Can Access Additional Family History Records for Free   FamilySearch has partnered with commercial family history websites to provide access to billions of records—free of charge to Latter-day Saints. It's never been easier to find your family.   See what you can find.

RootsTech to Celebrate African Heritage Day

The following is from RootsTech.

RootsTech to Celebrate 

African Heritage Day

RootsTech, the world’s largest family history conference, sponsored by FamilySearch International, will celebrate Black History Month on Friday, February 10, 2017, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the first ever African Heritage Day celebration. This celebration will feature LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and other well-known African American historians and research specialists. To register or to find out more about RootsTech, visit RootsTech.org.

African Heritage Day is a celebration of culture, unity, and history of individuals of African descent from all over the world. With the help of modern technology and the completion of initiatives like the Freedmen’s Bureau Project in 2016, those of African descent have many tools at their disposal to enable them to connect with their ancestors.

A full day of celebration with events is planned from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., starting with a morning keynote session by LeVar Burton. For more than three decades, Levar Burton has been an inspiring actor, author, and entrepreneur known for his role as Kunta Kinte in the original series Roots, his passion for literature with Reading Rainbow, and for his role as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Burton will be sharing some of his own journey of family and storytelling, and the influence of African culture on his American experience.

In addition to Burton, RootsTech is also pleased to welcome nationally recognized speakers Kenyatta Berry, host of Genealogy Roadshow, Sherri Camp, president of the Afro-American Historical Genealogical Society, and Melvin Collier, author of Mississippi to Africa: A Journey of Discovery. In a combined session, these three will speak about their connection to their African roots and experiences that have kept them close to their ancestors.

African Heritage Day attendees will enjoy a variety of genealogy classes, an expo hall with over 250 vendors, and an evening cultural celebration featuring the Jambo Africa/Heartbeat Burundi Drummers, an all-male drumline cultural group formed in 2009 with the goal of spreading awareness of peace from traditional African drum music. Following the morning keynote session, attendees will be treated to the joyful noise and inspirational sounds of the Calvary Baptist Church choir of Salt Lake City.

World-renowned experts in African American genealogy and family history will teach how to unlock the door to your family’s past and make connections with your African heritage. Additional topics related to African family history research will include: how to get started as a novice, tech resources available to help with research, overcoming genealogical challenges, to understanding DNA analysis.

The massive RootsTech expo hall is free to registered attendees and is the place to discover helpful solutions, watch demonstrations, and interact with innovative family history technology. Attendees can see what hundreds of exhibitors from around the globe have to share, including event sponsors like Ancestry, FamilySearch, Findmypast and MyHeritage.

African Heritage Day is an unprecedented event with something for everyone. For more details about classes, prices, and how to register, visit RootsTech.org.