If you missed this year’s conference we missed out on seeing how you are related to us and the founding of our restoration faiths. It was so fun to connect to each other. Check out the list to see that we had 5 direct grandchildren, some first cousins and many 3rd and greater. The biggest surprise was Walter Reade was first cousins to William Marks and didn’t know it.
Perhaps you have spent years studying the history of a restoration movement including prominent individuals such as Emma Smith, Willam Marks or Joseph Smith III. Have you ever wondered how you are related to them? There is an easy way to find out! We have created a group on a website called www.relativefinder.org. On this site you can see how you are related to those historical figures. You also will be able to see how you are related to other participating members of the John Whitmer Historical Association. This will be available from now on.
Last year at the annual conference of the Association meet and greet, many of us got on the FamilySearch App under Relatives Around Me where we saw how we were related. But, looking at how we are related through FamilySearch only works in the moment with the people around you and you cannot go back and see it again. www.relativefinder.org works even if we are not in the same room and you can continue to use it after the fact.
So what do you need to do? It is easy. If you have a FamilySearch account go to www.relativefinder.org. On www.relativefinder.org, login to FamilySearch, then find the group name—John Whitmer Historical Association 2026, that’s where the magic happens. You will see how you are related to Taunalyn Ford, to Richard Whittemore and to Joseph Smith the thirds wife! If you don’t have a FamilySearch account, create one, it’s free. Follow the directions and you will likely connect to a broader tree relatively quickly. Then go to www.relativefinder.org to join the group: John Whitmer Historical Association 2026. If you have any questions or difficulty please reach out to me, Deanna Warden, at domarcus@mac.com. Also if there is a restoration figure you want to add to the list we can add them, just send them to me.
It is exciting to see how we are all related to each other and to the restoration figures. So far Charles A. Hall and James Strang are my closest relatives! Who are yours?
Checkout my relationship to Strang and the closest relatives so far on our list. See who’s related. This was self reported so there are many many more.
