Keeping track of a large list of members within ward boundaries can feel a bit overwhelming. Maintaining the accuracy of our ward records can be particularly challenging, as some less active members often do not respond to our outreach efforts. However difficult, we do try and maintain as much accuracy as possible with our records. The ward clerks are tasked with maintaining the accuracy of the records, but they will need help from all of the members in this difficult assignment. To help us in this goal, the church offers some resources.
The Church has a website that details tools to employ to search for lost sheep – Church Wiki.
In reviewing the Church Wiki, I’ve found the most success with the following options:
Website and Social Media Searches
- Look up the individual on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media as you may find clues to changes in circumstances (marriage, move, children, etc.)
- The Church highly recommends searching public voter records for states that present this information. North Carolina is one of a few states that provides this information to the public and can be found at this link: North Carolina Voter Records
- If you register with your email (which provides 1,000 free searches per email address), you can use the Lookup / Personator search function at Melissa Data to put in a person’s name and address and see if they have a forwarding mail address at this link: Melissa Data Personator
- Unfortunately, another option is to search obituaries at Legacy.com
- The wiki also provides a series of paid services (the church does not endorse any specific option) that often offer preliminary results for free, often including full address records
Traditional Methods
- Talk to the family of less active members
- Ensure open communication with the missionaries, ministering brothers, and ministering sisters to find out about bad records and, most importantly, ensure that this information is reflected on the church system by providing the information to Ward Clerks
- Mail a letter with “Return Service Requested” on the envelope, as you may receive forwarding information (you may want to try the Melissa Data option above first)
- If after taking all appropriate steps the member cannot be found, the Ward Clerk should consider sending the record to “address unknown” – the church has additional resources that they use to find these members
