George W. Scott, a new FamilySearch instructor, has written a 66 page manual, How to Use New FamilySearch Correctly, that is free to download and print from his site.

Over the past 2 1/2 years George has spent nearly 2,000 hours using New FamilySearch- beta-testing, teaching it at his family history center, helping patrons, and cleaning up his family tree. After several other family history consultants asked him to write a manual for teaching New FamilySearch in their own wards he put together this excellent manual.

The manual provides tips and Do's and Dont's while chapter 3, "Working In Logical Order In New FamilySearch," identifies the most efficient order of tasks to clean your family tree- so you won't be so overwhelmed. The manual also reviews New FamilySearch's future plans and evaluates the third-party software programs.

I especially like chapter 2, "Collaboration is the Key to Successful Family History Research," which teaches how to deal with the anger we feel when someone has messed up our family tree. Brother Scott writes:
"Thus, if for no other reason than the desire to accomplish the task the Lord has given you, you must purge your heart of unkind feelings toward those who have made mistakes in your New FamilySearch family tree. They may have erred negligently or simply lacked adequate time or resources to perform the high quality of research you demand of yourself, but certainly they did not commit the mistakes purposefully. If we cannot forgive unpurposeful errors, where do we stand before the Lord?" (pg 7-8).
This manual is a wonderful tool to help us use, and teach, the new FamilySearch. Thank you George for sharing your manual with us! Find other great resources in the Family Search category.
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