The Freedmen’s Bureau Project was announced today by the Church as a national effort to help African Americans find their Civil War era ancestors.

The website explains, “To help bring thousands of records to light, the Freedmen’s Bureau Project was created as a set of partnerships between FamilySearch International and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Afro­-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS), and the California African American Museum.

Tens of thousands of volunteers are needed to make these records searchable online. No specific time commitment is required, and anyone may participate. Volunteers simply log on, pull up as many scanned documents as they like, and enter the names and dates into the fields provided. Once published, information for millions of African Americans will be accessible, allowing families to build their family trees and connect with their ancestors.”

Watch the press conference with Elder Christofferson HERE.

This is an exciting opportunity to further spread the Spirit of Elijah and get people involved in their family histories.