Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, will speak during RootsTech 2026 Family Discovery Day on Saturday, March 7.
Additionally, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will speak during the Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction.
The announcements came Thursday, Jan. 8, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
RootsTech, a global family history conference, is scheduled for March 5-7. The event will be in person in Salt Lake City and available online in multiple languages at RootsTech.org.
RootsTech is hosted annually by FamilySearch, an international genealogy organization and popular website sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Family Discovery Day is a one-day event during RootsTech designed to help members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discover and celebrate their family heritage. Family Discovery Day is a free event at the Salt Palace Convention Center featuring live music and family history activities for all ages.
The Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction is a 30-minute recorded training for Latter-day Saints in stake and ward councils and others with callings supporting temple and family history efforts. It will be available on demand on Thursday, March 5, at 8 a.m. MST for streaming on Gospel Library.
Family Discovery Day 2026
Elder and Sister Rasband will speak at 1:30 p.m. MST on March 7 about coming unto Christ by uniting families for eternity, the announcement states.
The free Family Discovery Day event will also feature games and family history activities for all ages. Video will be available for on-demand viewing in Gospel Library and broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Additional activities for all ages — including cultural performances, storytelling, live music, classes and family history experiences — will take place at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST. Streaming and registration are available at RootsTech.org.
Previous Family Discovery Day speakers
Church leaders who have previously spoken at Family Discovery Day include:
- 2025 — Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Kathy Andersen. They were joined by the late President Jeffrey R. Holland, then the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who made a surprise appearance.
- 2024 — The late President M. Russell Ballard, previously the acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in a film that was recorded months before his death on Nov. 12, 2023.
- 2023 — Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Susan Gong.
- 2022 — Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Rosana Soares.
- 2021 — The late President Jeffrey R. Holland, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, the late Sister Patricia Holland.
RootsTech 2026 keynote speakers
RootsTech 2026 recently announced seven keynote speakers — three to speak at the in-person event and four to speak virtually.
In-person keynote speakers
- Steve Young, National Football League Hall of Famer and Super Bowl MVP, on Saturday, March 7.
- Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actress and author.
- Tara Roberts, National Geographic explorer in residence, author and historian.
Virtual keynote speakers
- Jessica Soho, award-winning Filipina broadcast journalist.
- José Hernández, Mexican-American engineer and NASA astronaut.
- The Gardiner Brothers, award-winning Irish dancers.
- Zico, Brazilian football legend.
The virtual keynote addresses will be available on demand starting Feb. 13. Additionally, the full class schedule for RootsTech will be available starting Jan. 8.
