Writing a Local Unit History

Welcome to the research guide for writing a branch, ward, mission, or stake history. This guide identifies various ways you might approach writing about your local Church unit and introduces the various records and resources available at the Church History Library to help you with this type of project.

If you are a history specialist or leader looking for guidance on using the Church’s Unit History Tool, you should visit the tool’s FAQ and Quick Start Guide for guidance. Additional questions can be submitted through our Ask Us service.

Key Vocabulary

Local units: Throughout this guide, the term local units will be used to refer to branches, wards, missions, and stakes.

Local records: Throughout this guide, records produced by a local unit will be referred to as local records. In practice, local records can take the form of meeting minutes, annual reports or histories, attendance rolls, ordinance information, photographs, programs, cookbooks, newsletters, scrapbooks, or any other type of record produced by a local unit.

This guide recommends online and textual resources to assist you with your research. Online resources are digitized content that you can access from your computer by clicking on the title. Textual resources can be viewed onsite at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, or through electronic means if a request is approved. You can access the item or collection information in the online catalog and request to see the source when you visit the library.

If you need assistance during the research process, feel free to contact us through our Ask Us service. One of our consultants will be happy to help guide you through the research process.

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Listed below are several research guides that may be useful. You may also wish to check the complete list of available guides, as new guides are produced regularly.

The Local Unit Records Research Guide can help you gain a greater understanding of using local records in your project and the Church Meetinghouses Research Guide provides resources to learn about the locations and histories of meetinghouses.

The Missions and Missionaries Research Guide provides information on how to research missions (including districts and branches) and the missionaries who served there.

The Oral History Guide provides information on how to conduct oral histories. This can be an excellent method for collecting information and stories for your history when textual information is scant or nonexistent. Do not be afraid to sit down with longtime members of your ward or stake and ask them some questions.

The Photograph Collections Research Guide will help you understand what photo resources exist at the Church History Library and how to find them.

Some of the other guides, such as those for the Relief Society, Primary, Young Women, and Young Men, can be helpful in placing events and memories in context.

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Below is a list of topics and accompanying questions to help generate ideas about events and people you may want to cover in your history. This list is not comprehensive; feel free to cover as many or as few of these topics as necessary. Objective facts are important in a history (who, what, where, etc.) to give context, but remember to also gather personal stories and spiritual experiences from members of your unit.

Organization

• When was the local unit created?
• Which Church leader organized the unit?
• Was it split from another unit? If so, which unit?
• What larger unit was it in at the time of creation? Has it been in any other units since?
• What were the original unit boundaries?
• Have the unit boundaries changed? If so, what changed and when?
• Where did the unit meet when it was organized? What was the address?
• Has the unit meeting place moved since it was organized? If so, where did it move and when? Why did it move?

Baptisms

• Who has been baptized in your unit? Include children and adult converts.
• Where were they baptized—at the church building or in some other venue?
• What special experiences have been associated with baptisms in your unit?

Births and Blessings

• Who was born in your unit? Who was given a baby blessing in your unit?

Bishopric/Branch Presidency

• Who served in the local leadership? Make sure to include the executive secretaries and clerks.
• What themes, concepts, or ideas were emphasized during the tenure of each leader?
• If still living, ask each former leader to share his thoughts and reminiscences about the unit and about his time in that calling.

Callings Outside the Unit

• Who served outside the unit (such as high councilor, stake Primary president, bishop of a singles ward, etc.)?
• Did members of the unit serve in the armed forces?
• Did members of the unit serve as full-time missionaries?

Deceased Members

• Who has died in the unit? What influence did they have on the members?
• Do you have copies of their obituaries or funeral programs?
• If someone died under tragic circumstances, how did this impact the members?

Fast and Testimony Meetings

• Have there been any memorable or significant testimony meetings? If so, what was said and by whom?
• Is there a certain format for testimony meetings such as a roving microphone or always allowing children to take a few minutes at the beginning to bear their testimonies?

Families

• Every unit of the Church contains families, and you can have a section of your unit history devoted to the histories of those families in the ward.
• Remind members that this information could potentially be widely shared and that they should avoid providing information that is inappropriate or that might lead to identity theft.
• Ask individual families to provide the following, if they are comfortable doing so; make sure to get permission before including any personal information:
• When they moved into the unit (and out, if applicable)
• Who was in their family at the time they moved into the unit and how their family changed while they lived there (children born, children married, deceased spouses, etc.)
• Where they lived
• What callings they had
• Special events their family was involved with
• Spiritual experiences their family had while in the unit

Firesides

• Have you had any memorable firesides in your unit? If so, who spoke and what did they speak about? What effect did it have on the members?

Leadership

• An important part of a ward history is compiling who served in leadership positions. If possible, identify the call and release dates for the following:
• The bishopric / unit presidency (include bishop, counselors, executive secretary, clerk)
• Elders quorum presidencies
• High priests group leaders
• Relief Society presidencies
• Sunday School presidencies
• Young Men (M.I.A.) presidencies
• Young Women (M.I.A.) presidencies
• Primary presidencies
• High council members (for stakes)

General Authority Visits

• Have General Authorities of the Church visited your unit? If so, when did they come? What was the purpose of the visit? What was the message they shared? How did the visit affect the members?

Meetinghouses

• Has the unit always met in its current meetinghouse? If not, where did it meet previously?
• If there was a previous meeting place (such as a rental or someone’s home), why did the unit leave it?
• When was the current meetinghouse built and dedicated?
• Who designed and built the meetinghouse? Was it a unique or a standard plan?
• What is the address of the meetinghouse?
• Did the members raise money for the meetinghouse?
• Have there been any additions or changes to the meetinghouse?
• Are there any unique features or characteristics about the building (a special stained glass window, a podium from an older building, a pipe organ brought across the plains, etc.)?
• If the building is no longer owned by the Church, why was its use discontinued? What happened to the old building?
• Was the meetinghouse built with member or missionary labor? If so, are any of those people still around, and do they have memories of the construction?

Missionary Service

• Who are the missionaries that have served from your unit?
• Make sure to include senior missionaries and members serving in special capacities, such as in The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square or at a bishops’ storehouse.
• Where and when did they serve?
• Did you have missionaries serving in your unit?
• What mission covered your unit?
• Did you always have two sisters or two elders?
• Did they visit members’ homes for dinner?
• How did the missionaries influence your members?

Music (see also Unit Choir)

• What was the music like in the unit?
• Did you use an organ or a piano for sacrament meeting?
• Were there favorite hymns in the ward?
• Were there musically talented members who performed?
• Did you have special musical numbers that were particularly memorable?

Challenging Experiences

Unfortunately, some units do experience challenging experiences, such as the death of a child, a natural disaster, or members leaving the Church. When writing about challenging experiences, keep in mind the following:

• The trials of a ward or stake are important to the spiritual growth and history of a people.
• When writing about these sorts of events, be mindful of the privacy and sensitivities of others.
• Make sure to counsel with Church leaders and those involved about how these events are recorded and shared; remember to keep the details appropriate for a Church audience.
• How was the ward affected?
• How did members react?

Primary

• Who served in the presidency?
• Who was in charge of the nursery?
• How many children were in the ward?
• What classes were held?
• Were there favorite songs?
• What kinds of activities were planned?

Prominent Members

• Have there been any members of your ward who have served in stake, area, or Churchwide leadership callings (for example, stake president, stake patriarch, General Authority, Relief Society General President, etc.)?
• Did any members serve in a local, state, or federal government position?
• Did anyone become prominent in sports, entertainment, business, or another field? Who were they, and what did they do? Are there any stories associated with them?

Relief Society

• Who served in the leadership of the Relief Society?
• Who served as teachers and on the various committees?
• What were the responsibilities of the Relief Society?
• What types of events did the Relief Society host (for example, enrichment activities, bazaars, book clubs, funerals, etc.)?
• What kinds of spiritual experiences did the sisters have in Relief Society?

Scouting

• What was the number of the troop? Did it have another name?
• Who served as Scout leaders?
• Who were Eagle Scouts?
• Who earned the Duty to God award?
• Are there any memorable events (such as Pinewood Derbies)?
• Who oversaw the Scout camp? When and where was it held?
• Did the ward help the Scouts do their Eagle projects? If so, what did they do?
• How did the termination of the affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America affect your unit?

Service Projects

• What kinds of service projects have been done in your ward?
• Did your ward participate in annual service events?

Social and Political Events

• Was your unit affected by any notable social or political events?
• Was your unit asked to support a cause supported by the Church? How did your ward respond, and what did members do?
• Has your meetinghouse ever been used for purposes other than church services, such as a polling station or an emergency center during a disaster? If so, when and why?
• Has your unit been affected by a natural disaster, such as a flood, fire, or earthquake? How did members respond?
• Has your unit helped with cleanup after a disaster? If so, who was involved, and what did they do?
• How did your ward deal with the coronavirus pandemic of 2020?

Sunday School

• Who served in the leadership of the Sunday School?
• What classes have been offered in the ward (for example, Gospel Doctrine, Family History, Temple Preparation)?
• Have there been memorable teachers? Why?

Temple

• What is your unit’s temple district? Has it been in any other temple district?
• How do members attend the temple? Monthly ward temple night? Special temple trips?
• Was your ward involved in the planning, construction, open house, or dedication of a temple? If so, are there any stories or experiences to share?
• Have there been any special experiences, such as the sealing of a convert family or special youth baptisms?

Unit Choir

• When was it organized?
• Who was the director, and who were the accompanists?
• When did they perform?
• What music did they perform?
• Are there any stories associated with the choir, including how their music was received?

Unit Activities

• What kinds of events were held in your ward? Christmas parties? Fourth of July breakfasts? Halloween trunk-or-treat? Road shows? Gold and green balls? Talent shows?
• Where and when were they held?
• Who organized them?
• What was their purpose?
• What was their effect on members? Did they bring the members closer together?
• Are there any stories or photos of these parties?

Local Mission

• Who has served as a unit mission leader?
• What types of missionary-related events have been held in your unit?
• Who are the ward or branch missionaries?
• Who has joined the Church in your unit? What are their conversion stories?

Young Men (see also Scouting)

• Who served as advisers?
• Who served in the presidencies of each priests, teachers, and deacons quorum?
• What types of activities were held for the young men? When and where were they held?

Young Women

• Who served as advisers?
• Who served in the presidencies of the classes?
• What types of activities were held for the young women? When and where were they held?

Youth Conferences

• Has your ward participated in youth conferences?
• If so, where did they go?
• What did they do?
• Who attended?
• What spiritual experiences happened?

Youth Trek

• Did your youth participate in a youth trek?
• If so, when and where did they go?
• Who was in charge?
• Which youth participated?
• How was the experience?
• Was there a testimony meeting after?
• How were lives affected by the experience?

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Writing a local history is a significant amount of work. Once it is completed, it is natural to want to share it and preserve it for future generations. To ensure your work can easily be shared, follow best practices in publishing information drawn from other sources. Make sure to obtain and document permission for the use of photographs, stories, and other reminiscences created by other people. When citing sources from content held by the Church History Library, review our “Publication Helps” page for instructions on how to do so properly. You may also consider obtaining a copyright and participating in Creative Commons

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.

Be mindful about including others’ personal information in your history. Avoid sharing private information such as birthdates, addresses, and phone numbers. Including this private information will restrict others’ ability to share your work.

Avoid writing information about sacred experiences, such as personal experiences or temple ordinances that should not be shared outside the temple. Be careful with confidential information about Church disciplinary proceedings or information shared in nonpublic settings.

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You will undoubtedly uncover some great information and stories as you research. Please donate a copy of your final product to the Church History Library, and, if appropriate, please consider donating the original source material you have collected along the way. Visit the “Gifts and Donations Page” on our website to contact our acquisitions staff.

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Determining the Scope of Your History

It is important to decide the scope of your history. Are you compiling a two-page summary to accompany a commemorative program, or are you writing a two-volume set to celebrate a unit’s centennial? This will be important in determining how much research you need to do. Define your research goals and the end product early in the planning process. As you delve into the project, you are likely to find three constraints on your work: first, the research may take longer than you envisioned; second, there may be a lot of topics and information for potential inclusion in the history; and, third, there may be a lack of relevant records. Defining a clear scope from the start will help keep the project manageable.

Browsing Sample Local Unit Histories

From small pamphlets to lengthy books, many different varieties of unit histories have been written over the years. Our library contains many of these histories. To browse these items in our catalog, search for the terms branch history, ward history, mission history, or stake history, and use the “Narrow Your Search” sidebar on the left of the screen to filter your results. For example, if you check the box next to “Digital,” then you will only be shown the files that are available electronically. Searching these terms will provide a sampling of the types of histories that have been written. As many of these histories will have copyright restrictions, you may need to sign in to view the contents. Others may require further approval to be viewed.

The following three histories provide interesting examples:

Looking back 100 years: a commemorative history of the Pleasant View/Pleasant View First Ward of the Provo Utah Sharon East Stake by Marilyn Openshaw Chapman, et al.

This is an example of an anniversary celebration history. The volume has been digitized, but you will need to log in with your Church Account to view the content.

Strengthen Thy stakes: a history of the Salt Lake Central Stake of Zion by Blair L. Bybee

This is an example of a lengthy and exhaustive stake history. The author meticulously documented the leadership history of the stake and its wards.

One hundred years of history of the L.D.S. Logan Second Ward, 1861 to 1961 by Ada England Morrell

This brief ward history focuses on the ward’s bishops and their service while dedicating a few pages to each of the organizations in the ward. A unique feature of this book is its appendix of ward funerals compiled by combing through ward minute books to retrieve names and dates. The volume has been digitized, but you will need to log in with your Church Account to view the content.

Finding Information about Your Local Unit

When you start researching records of your ward or stake, you will need to look in several places. The most important are the local records for the unit. We have published two posts on the Church History Library blog, The Historical Record, that give more information on local records, such as how to access them and the types of information they might contain: “Local and Corporate Records of the Church” and “More on Local Records.”

The following list of sources will also assist you in your research. Be certain to check multiple sources to verify information you find.

• The Church History Catalog: If a local unit has been diligent about submitting records, you will find a wealth of information here.

Search under:

• Geographic location.
• Names of prominent members.
• The stake and/or mission to which the local unit belonged.
• The unit number (this can be obtained from the ward or stake clerk).
• The current and past names of the ward.

• The Historical Department Local Unit History File: This resource lists the names, organization dates, parent organizations, name changes, transfers, and dissolution dates of local units through 1983.
• Encyclopedic History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: This book contains concise histories, including unit boundaries and leadership, for local units in existence prior to 1930. You will need to log in with your Church account to view this source.
• The Directory of General Authorities and Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The years 1892–1970 are available online; post-1970 is available upon request. When using the online version, be certain to verify all information obtained there.
• The Journal History is a daily history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 2008. It is like a scrapbook created from newspapers, minutes, diary entries, and other sources. It contains valuable historical and biographical information, such as when a pioneer arrived in Utah, when a new bishop was called, or when a ward or stake was organized. Entries are arranged by date, and page numbers start over with each new day. See the featured collections article for the Journal History of the Church.
• MormonPlaces
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  is an interactive database and gazetteer listing important locations (including local units) in the early Church. It is a good place to start when looking for the location where an individual may have lived. This website is hosted by Brigham Young University. This is not a Church-sponsored website, and the Church does not endorse the content.
• Church periodicals: These have stories and news items on many local units that have been included in various periodicals through the years, especially in the local pages of the international magazines. There is an ongoing effort to scan periodicals, so check back for additional titles.
• The “Church News” section of the Deseret News. Access to the Church News section of the Deseret News is available in the following places:
• Index to Periodicals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1961–2004): The Church News was indexed as part of these comprehensive volumes.
• Index to the Church News (1931–1960).
• Church News website (circa 1988–present).
• 1931–present (digitized) is available on request.
• 1931–2005 (photocopies) and 2006–present (newsprint) are available in the Library’s open collection.

• The Physical Facilities Department photograph collection: This large digitized collection contains photographs of buildings built, purchased, or rented by the Church, including temples, tabernacles, stake offices, meetinghouses, Relief Society halls and granaries, recreation halls, seminaries, institute buildings, and mission homes and offices. It is organized alphabetically by the name of the unit or building.
• You can also use the Church’s online map and Geographic Information Services digital local unit maps for current and recent local unit boundary maps.

You should also check for information with the following people or locations:

• Ask ward or stake clerks for copies of annual histories.
• Ask your bishop or stake president to request a list of missionaries who have served from your ward through the Library’s “Ask Us” service.
• Search meetinghouse libraries to see if any materials have accumulated there.
• Ask current and past leaders, along with longtime members of the unit, if they have any materials.

If possible, you may also want to locate:

• Previously written histories for the ward. These are often written for important milestones, such as a building dedication or a significant anniversary.
• Old unit directories.
• Newsletters, programs, flyers, announcements, etc.
• Scrapbooks.
• Ward cookbooks.
• The local historical society or other repository.
• City and county records (especially for information on buildings).

Other Places to Look

• Local newspapers can be a valuable source. Many events connected with local Church history have appeared in local newspapers, such as the construction of a chapel or members helping out with relief efforts. To find them, consider searching these locations:

• Visit your local library.

• Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
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  at the Library of Congress contains selected newspapers published in the United States over several centuries.
• Newspapers.com
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  contains over 17,000 newspapers from the United States and selected other countries; a paid subscription is required.

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