I have been researching my family’s history for over ten years, and while I have friends and mentors that have attended RootsTech every year since it began, I always balked at the idea of attending myself. I had several reasons. First, I am a self-teacher. With the help of the internet, I can learn how to do many things on my own. Using this strategy along with being able to phone a friend and ask questions, I felt like I was getting along just fine. I am also an introvert. I didn’t relish the thought of spending four days among throngs of people, having to interact with strangers and feeling lost in a crowd. Finally, my life is busy. Many sessions are live-streamed/archived for later viewing. I rationalized that I could watch those and reap the benefits of the conference on my own schedule and from the comfort of my own home.
When Rhonna Farrer began advertising her Lightkeepers workshop to be held at RootsTech 2018, I was intrigued. For the first time, I was tempted to attend. After mulling it over for a few weeks, I finally decided to just go for it. I registered not only for the workshop but for the entire conference. Shortly after registering, I was invited to serve as a Stake Temple and Family History Consultant, which meant I would be training consultants in 10 different congregations in my area on how to help people discover their family’s history. This gave me a new motivation for my attendance at RootsTech and I determined to take all the consultant classes I could, as well as other classes that I thought might help me increase my knowledge as a genealogist.
Lightkeepers was amazing! I already loved family history, and I left feeling even more inspired about the promised blessings of participating in family history. I also felt a newfound conviction of the power of stories—both our own and those of our ancestors.
RootsTech 2018
I was not surprised by the things I gained from attending Lightkeepers. I knew enough about each of the presenters to know it would be fabulous, and I was not disappointed. What did surprise me was how much I gained from attending the entire conference:
Inspiration
The keynotes each day helped me get excited about the power of family history in people’s lives. Listening to the stories of those who spoke helped me see and understand that we all have something in common – families! Everyone has a story and we all have a desire to connect and belong. Family history and genealogy work help us discover and strengthen those connections.
RootsTech 2018
Insight
Since I was attending with my new calling as a stake temple and family history consultant in the forefront of my mind, I went to as many consultant classes as I could. It was amazing to learn from those at FamilySearch who are creating new tools for consultants and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Even though I had served as a ward consultant for years prior to this calling, I learned so many new things about available tools and the vision behind them that these sessions alone made the conference worth it for me.
Rootstech 2019
Association
There is something magical about spending time with people who share your interests. I attended many sessions alone but found it easy to talk to those I was sitting next to, as we all had something in common—a passion for family history. It was good to see and meet so many like-minded people, and also connect to others I hadn’t seen in years. I gained a new appreciation for the genealogy community.
RootsTech 2019
In addition, with the introduction of “Relatives at RootsTech,” I was able to connect with known family members and discover family relationships with people I already knew.
Information
Sometimes you don’t know what you are missing until you find it. I was doing ok with teaching myself genealogy, but as I attended sessions on record types and research strategies, I learned so many things that helped my expertise as a genealogist grow by leaps and bounds. I gained a deep respect for the expert presenters and have been able to find additional websites/webinars/and articles they have created that are now valuable resources for my genealogical education. The second year I attended, I focused on learning as much about different types of records as I could and again I came away with knowledge that has vastly improved my abilities. I am looking forward to learning more about DNA research and additional record types at RootsTech 2020.
RootsTech 2019
You’ll Be Glad You Went
The benefits I have reaped from attending RootsTech the last two years have negated all my initial hesitation. If you would like to be inspired, learn new skills that will help you become a better genealogist, and associate with amazing people who share your interests, come experience the energy and excitement of attending the largest genealogical conference in the world. Registration for RootsTech 2020 is now open! It’s the 10-year anniversary of the conference and it will be extra-special this year. I have confidence that whether you are a first-timer or a veteran attendee, you will be glad you went!
See what RootsTech has to offer: Watch highlights from RootsTech 2019 here.
