Thousands of family historians and genealogy enthusiasts recently came to Salt Lake City, Utah, and millions more joined online for RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world.
The three-day global event took place in-person at the Salt Palace Convention Center and free online from Thursday, Feb. 29, to Saturday, March 2.
“Come and be ready to laugh, to cry, to meet your cousins,” said Jen Allen, the director of RootsTech.
Added Jonathan Wing, creative manager for RootsTech: “Stay hydrated and wear comfortable shoes.”
RootsTech is organized by FamilySearch, an international family history website sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Allen, Wing and Brandon Beckstead, a logistics manager, offered a preview of RootsTech in a video posted on social media on Feb. 20.
The Church News provided coverage from RootsTech. See below for links to articles.
RootsTech preview
- RootsTech launches video and social media campaign to promote 2024 theme ‘Remember’
- Episode 174: RootsTech 2024 theme ‘Remember’ reaches across nationalities, religions and generations
- RootsTech 2024: Organizers offer sneak peek of what to expect at world’s largest family history celebration
- Video: A behind-the-scenes look at the late President Ballard recording experiences for 2024 Family Discovery Day
- RootsTech introduces new session scheduler, mobile app features to enhance user experience
Thursday, Feb. 29
- 2024 Temple and Family History focuses on helping those attending the temple for the 1st time
- Family history is building a family story ‘one brick at a time,’ says CEO of FamilySearch
- Ever wanted to collaborate with relatives on a FamilySearch tree? Now you can
- Ahead of RootsTech keynote, Dred Scott descendant talks unity, reconciliation and family history
- Why family comes first for comedian Henry Cho
- From Argentina to DR Congo, see the newest FamilySearch records collections in 2024
- How to get your family excited about family history
Friday, March 1
- RootsTech 2024 Impact Forum: 3 ways family history is going beyond the genealogy community
- At young adult RootsTech event, Sister Yee and Elder Hamilton share the ‘powerful’ blessings of family history
- Dred Scott descendant Lynne M. Jackson tells RootsTech audience about her journey of reconciliation
- How documenting her family story helped photographer Nancy Borowick find healing
Saturday, March 2
- RootsTech 2024 keynote speaker Kristin Chenoweth on music, family and how she wants to be remembered
- Family Discovery Day: RootsTech video features the late President Ballard’s visit to ‘sacred ground’ and family reflections
- Former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette and his wife show ease of preserving memories on FamilySearch with stories at RootsTech
- The priceless family history gift FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood received at RootsTech
- Sports, food, and family: Making memories and sharing traditions at RootsTech
RootsTech 2024 theme
The theme for RootsTech 2024 was “Remember.”
Localized emcees return
Last year for the first time, RootsTech added bilingual “emcees” to provide a more customized experience for people following the conference in different areas of the world, much like a sideline reporter at a sporting event.
The 2024 localized emcees are all Latter-day Saints:
- Nicole Luz, of Brazil, helped those watching in Portuguese.
- Denise Sottili, of Italy, speaks Italian.
- Jan Hadzik, of German, speaks German.
- Nagyeom Jung, of Korea, speaks Korean.
- Hiromi Ogata, of Japan, speaks Japanese.
- Arielle Pletain, born in the United States but grew up in France, speaks French.
- Matthew Kho, who grew up in Hong Kong, speaks Cantonese.
- Chloe Zheng Thomas, who lives in Colorado, speaks Mandarin.
- Irene Caso, a native of Spain, speaks Spanish.
- Kirby Heyborne, of Utah, speaks English.
Leadership instruction
Each year at RootsTech, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provide instruction for members who serve in leadership and callings related to temple and family history work, although all Latter-day Saints are invited to watch on the Gospel Library app or on RootsTech.org.
Participating in the leadership instruction was:
- Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
- Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve.
- Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.
- President Susan H. Porter, Primary general president.
- Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, a General Authority Seventy, chairman of the board for FamilySearch International and executive director of the Family History Department.
- Elder Kevin R. Duncan, a General Authority Seventy and executive director of the Temple Department.
This year’s leadership instruction featured discussions and counsel for how to help first-time temple attendees have a positive and spiritual experience in the temple as well as find strength in the temple. It also demonstrated a council discussion and introduced a new tool to help leaders find a temple name for a new member to take to the temple, among other things.
RootsTech keynote speakers and forums
The following were keynote speakers:
- Thursday, Feb. 29 — FamilySearch CEO Steve Rockwood and comedian Henry Cho.
- Friday, March 1 — Lynne Jackson, descendant of Dred and Harriet Scott; and photographer Nancy Borowick.
- Saturday, March 2 — Kristin Chenoweth, an award-winning actress and singer.
- Online only — Katie James, Colombian singer and songwriter.
This year’s event featured four main-stage sessions called RootsTech Forums:
- Thursday, Feb. 29 — FamilySearch Tech forum, where the newest innovations on FamilySearch were shared.
- Thursday, Feb. 29 — Innovation and tech forum, where the industry highlighted the new artificial intelligence innovations within the industry. Jared Spataro, a vice president from Microsoft, shared a message about how Microsoft has adapted to AI.
- Friday, March 1 — The impact forum was hosted by Robyn Fivush, who worked with Marshall Duke to research how knowing one’s family history leads to better behavior, lower anxiety and better family relations. Their research was highlighted in the New York Times a decade ago.
- Saturday, March 2 — The FamilySearch global forum focused on FamilySearch’s innovation plans to localize family discovery experiences in cultures worldwide.
Young adult after-party
For the second year in a row, RootsTech hosted an after-party for young adults, ages 18-30, at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Friday, March 1, from 7-11:30 p.m. The event included a devotional with Elder Hamilton and Sister Yee, food vendors, family history activities, live music and dancing.
Family Discovery Day
The final day of RootsTech — Saturday, March 2 — is referred to as Family Discovery Day and designed specifically for Latter-day Saints.
This year’s Family Discovery Day featured a never-before-seen video of the late President M. Russell Ballard, who served as acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
President Ballard, who died on Nov. 12, 2023, volunteered for the assignment. He traveled to sites connected to the Church’s history in Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois, and Kirtland, Ohio, in June 2023, to film his family story. The video also featured a special musical number performance, “Out of Time,” with Ellie Barry, Nicole Luz and Katia Romero.
Another highlight of Family Discovery Day was the appearance of former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette. He and his wife, Whitney, taught a class on preserving your story using FamilySearch. Kids ages 8-14 also participated in a basketball shootout with Jimmer Fredette in the expo hall.
Other Family Discovery Day activities included:
- How to preserve your family food story with Si Foster from “A Bountiful Kitchen.”
- Pickleball pro Callie Jo Smith talked about how sports play a role in family heritage. Following her remarks, attendees watched a pickleball exhibition tournament in the expo hall.
- Attendees learned to create Japanese origami and how their ancestors recorded memories on vintage typewriters.
- A “Family Game Zone” with activities such as cornhole, Gaga ball, giant building blocks and more.
Hundreds of classes and digital support
The online event was free and offered hundreds of on-demand classes, sessions and webinars available in multiple languages.
“Whether you are in person or online, there is learning all over the place and in your own language,” Allen said.
There was also chat support and online research consultations, connections with cousins using Relatives at RootsTech and messaging, as well as a virtual expo hall, to help attendees discover more about their family heritage.
