RootsTech, a three-day global family history event, is scheduled for March 5-7. The gathering will reach a worldwide audience online while also featuring an in-person experience in Salt Lake City.
This year’s theme is “Together,” and organizers hope to empower attendees to uncover their family history and make new, meaningful connections. The lineup for 2026 includes Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as other keynote speakers, hundreds of classes and new technologies.
In this episode, Jonathan Wing, director of events for FamilySearch International, joins Church News editor Ryan Jensen to preview RootsTech 2026 and discuss how family history can help individuals and families draw closer to the Savior Jesus Christ.
Listen to this episode of the Church News podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon, Spotify, bookshelf PLUS, YouTube or wherever you get podcasts.
Transcript:
Jonathan Wing: It was shortly after RootsTech last year that my wife and I suffered a miscarriage. And that was a very gut-wrenching, difficult experience. And the only thing that the two of us knew to do at that time, at that moment of grief, was to go to the house of the Lord to seek solace there. And so we went, and we performed sealings and had the most exquisite, beautiful, spiritual experience and confirmation of the reality of eternal families.
0:43
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News. Welcome to the Church News podcast. Today, we are taking you on a journey of connection as we discuss news and events of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Each year, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints puts on the world’s biggest family history event, RootsTech.
And this year, RootsTech 2026 is expected to be bigger than ever. And we are excited today to welcome Jonathan Wing, who is the organizer of RootsTech 2026, to talk about what to expect this year at the event and how you can participate and feel the spirit of Elijah increase in your lives.
And, Jonathan, we’re excited to have you join us again this year.
Jonathan Wing: It’s so good to be back. Thank you.
1:25
Jon Ryan Jensen: I feel like a broken record saying that RootsTech was bigger than it had ever been last year, but it was another record-breaking year.
How do you continue to build on the momentum of RootsTech year after year to help people be engaged in family history work?
Jonathan Wing: You know, I think that the momentum is already there. It’s the awareness. And when more people know what’s taking place, it just continues to grow.
But we, as organizers of RootsTech, our most important role is to open our ears and open our hearts, because as our audience has gotten bigger, as we really understand that, with our audience being in over 230 countries and territories around the world, we’ve got to make some changes to make sure that our content and that our experiences are resonating with audiences around the world.
And so, we go through a long process of listening, of serving our audience and understanding what they need: What do they need to make meaningful discoveries in their family history? What type of content do they need locally to feel like they can be inspired and empowered to make those discoveries?
And as we listen, and as we change, and as we decide what the experiences are going to be and what content we’re going to serve up, we’re getting better at meeting the needs of our ever-growing audience. And I think that the result of that is that you’re able to touch more hearts and minds.
3:04
Jon Ryan Jensen: I love that because I know that we’ve talked in the past about this being a global event, and when you mention that number of countries, it means there’s also a huge number of languages spoken in those countries. Global emcees is one of the things that has emerged as a big win for you in recent years.
Will you explain a little bit about what you’ve learned by having individuals come in who act as language hosts for RootsTech?
3:28
Jonathan Wing: Yeah, so we’re just coming off of an Olympic year, an Olympic event in Italy. And when we watch it, there are always these reporters who are contextualizing what’s happening for a local audience. And that’s really what we’ve created at RootsTech.
We have what we call these global emcees, who represent various languages from around the world. And they come to the Salt Palace, and they contextualize the experience for those who are watching online.
The majority of our audience is online. With millions joining, they are able to say, “OK, here we are at the Salt Palace. You can see thousands of people behind me, heading to classes to learn how to make discoveries in their family history, and you can too. Here are the classes you should watch to get started in your Korean family history or your Japanese family history or your French family history.”
So their job really is to help the audience understand what’s taking place, to highlight the energy and the excitement that’s there at the Salt Palace, but also to make the experience more relevant to the audiences that are around the world.
4:47
Jon Ryan Jensen: Last year, there was a family that participated in one of the keynotes who’s from Colombia, which is where I served my mission. And it was so much fun to see them discover so much of their family history and to see where they came from and to see the emotion that they had on their faces. It brought back a lot of the feelings that I had after the temple in Bogotá had been dedicated and watching families learn about the sealing power for the first time.
And so, when you look at RootsTech and see how many of those people are participating, a large number of them are not Latter-day Saints.
Are you seeing a difference in them, as well, as they participate? Do you see a melding of beliefs that come to the table as part of this family history effort as well?
5:34
Jonathan Wing: That’s a beautiful question. When I read the scriptures that talk about the hearts of the children turning to their fathers, and the hearts of the fathers turning to their children (Malachi 4:5-6), I don’t think that that was exclusive. It can’t be exclusive to members of the Church, because of what we’re experiencing, what we’re seeing. Over 90% of our attendees are not members of the Church. And there is an innate desire, worldwide, universally, for people to connect with those who came before, to understand more about their story, more about their identity, more about who they are and why they are the way that they are.
And so, to see individuals come together and connect over the subject of family and family history is a fulfillment of the scripture. But it is also something that’s so universal that it doesn’t matter where you’re from; where your culture, heritage and traditions tie back to; or what your religious beliefs may be, because everybody has a family, and everybody has a family history that intrigues them, that pulls on them, and they desire to know more about it. So I think that is a universal feeling that we see amongst our attendees.
7:04
Jon Ryan Jensen: When you look at this year and what’s going to happen with RootsTech — first off, we probably should touch on the dates. I didn’t mention them in the beginning. March 5th through 7th.
Jonathan Wing: March 5th through the 7th. We’re so excited that it’s here and it’s happening. And if you need to know more, it’s all on rootstech.org. Some of the content has already been released on rootstech.org, so if individuals want to see any new classes, they’re already starting to trickle out.
7:33
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, what I was going to say is that on that website, you can see it’s not just the classes. It is the classes, because it is learning how to find individuals, learning how to connect with ancestors, “Where did I come from? Why did I sunburn the way I do?” Maybe that’s a personal question. That’s all right.
But as I look, I also see the keynote addresses. And there are — it’s not just the people, but it’s the stories that those individuals have to tell.
Is there a keynote or are there a couple of keynotes that you are most excited for this year?
8:07
Jonathan Wing: Oh, I’m excited for all of them. Really, when we think as organizers about our keynotes, the main goal is to offer inspiration. The classes are all about empowering. It’s all about learning. But the keynotes and the main stage is about inspiring the audience to feel the desire to make their own discoveries.
We always get asked the question, “Why do you pick the keynotes that you pick? What’s the criteria?” And this is so fun for us, because every person has a story to tell. So the pool is large that we can pick from of individuals to take the RootsTech main stage.
But every year, I’ve been amazed, and I’ve been in awe at how the right people always end up on the RootsTech stage. And of course, of course they would, with the Lord in charge of this work.
This next year, we have a mix of keynotes who will be taking the stage live, all three days of the conference. And what we have called our virtual keynotes, which are prerecorded pieces that we record on the road to be representative of our growing audience globally.
One of our keynotes, her name is Jessica Soho, and she’s from the Philippines. And obviously I, with my mom from the Philippines, I have an affinity towards the country. But Jessica is an incredible individual. She’s been working as a journalist and a reporter for over 40 years.
She’s a television host of the No. 1 television show on the No. 1 network in the Philippines, with a following of over 40 million individuals across her social media platforms. And she was willing to be a part of RootsTech.
And when we met her, she was the most — she is the most — down-to-earth individual, so warm. She fed us twice. She was so incredible. But when she sat down and she started to share her story, there were so many similarities from her experience to the stories I grew up hearing from my mom and her experience in the Philippines and her experience with her family.
And so, for me personally, that was a very beautiful moment to hear those stories and to know that her address is going to touch not only those who follow her across her platform but those within the Philippines and others around the world who can hear her beautiful story about family and sacrifice and the beauty of storytelling. And she is a reporter, being in the front seat of history for 40 years. So many great stories that she has in her keynote.
But every keynote’s going to be amazing. We have Marlee Matlin joining us on the first day of RootsTech, Oscar award-winning deaf actress, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer more to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. And she has a fantastic message as well.
Tara Roberts — I don’t know if many people are familiar with her.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Or they might be, but might not know.
Jonathan Wing: Or they might not know, yeah. But she is the first African American National Geographic Explorer to grace the cover of the magazine. And a lot of her work involves bringing divers to explore sunken slave ships in the Caribbean, and she has incredible stories that she’ll be sharing with the audience on Friday.
And of course, Steve Young is joining us on Saturday. I don’t know that he needs any introduction, but we’re thrilled to have him there as well and to share his message.
We have a few surprises as well that I can actually share today.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Exclusive.
12:20
Jonathan Wing: Exclusive. But the Gardiner Brothers are social media content creators who exploded during, their content exploded, during the pandemic. They started creating Irish dancing videos but mixing it with modern songs, and then they grew to over 9 million followers across their platforms, both very talented Irish dancers.
We did a prerecorded documentary keynote with them, but they will be joining us in person on Saturday. So, if you’ve heard it here, then you need to come on Saturday, because their number will be out of this world.
Jon Ryan Jensen: And to see something like that live.
Jonathan Wing: Oh, incredible.
Jon Ryan Jensen: It’s a lot different than seeing it on your phone. You’ve got to go see that live.
Jonathan Wing: Oh, definitely. You’ve got to see it. It’s going to be remarkable.
13:12
Jon Ryan Jensen: I imagine, though, someone else giving a keynote, José Hernández, you probably can’t send a spaceship up from Salt Lake. But still, the stories of him as an astronaut and how those relate, I’m looking really forward to hearing his story.
Jonathan Wing: Yeah, his story is incredible. He’s the descendent of migrant farmers and had this dream of going to space, and that dream was eventually realized. After much hardship and opposition, mind you, but he explains that in his keynote.
And I remember when we were planning that keynote, the team came to me, and they said, “Here are some of the questions we want to ask.” And I was going through, and they were all wonderful questions. But I remember sitting there thinking, “I want to know what it feels like. I want him to describe what it feels like to be in space, to be in a rocket ship and fly out of the earth’s atmosphere.” I’m like, “Can we ask that question?” And they said, “Of course we can.” So they added it in. But the very beginning of his keynote, he described what it’s like to go into space for the first time, and very few people can actually speak to that experience. And so, excited for individuals to hear his messages.
Jon Ryan Jensen: So, a big variety of messages, and individuals and backgrounds, and all of this tying into ultimately, like you said, the inspiration to be engaged in family history storytelling.
Jonathan Wing: Yeah. We have Zico. We have the World Cup happening this year. And Zico’s Brazilian.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Here in North America.
Jonathan Wing: Yes. Zico, Brazilian soccer legend, also has a keynote address that will be delivered in Portuguese. But all of them, as you said, aiming to inspire individuals to make discoveries in their family history.
14:53
Jon Ryan Jensen: We’ve seen the evolution of themes over the last few years.
Can you talk about this year’s theme and why it was perhaps chosen this year and maybe what it could mean to people, to help them prepare as they come?
Jonathan Wing: Yeah. The theme for RootsTech 2026 is “Together.” Now, when we choose a theme, there are a lot of factors that go into it. We want to pick a theme that, of course, can resonate with our global audience. We want to pick a theme that can inspire the industry, but also a theme that ties to our subject matter. And I can’t think of a greater theme than “Together.”
Individuals come together to experience RootsTech, whether they’re online or in person. The industry comes together at RootsTech to share the newest innovations that are available to individuals. The empowerment that happens through the learning allows individuals to create and build the family tree and bring family members together as they piece together the family tree of humankind.
The message of “together” is so powerful because of our ability to really tap into this understanding that we’re a lot more connected than we realize, and especially in a time where we feel so divided or we’re told that we’re divided, this idea that we are a part of something bigger and that we’re much more connected is a beautiful message to be sharing. And all of the messages within our keynotes are tying to this idea of togetherness and unity.
16:48
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s great, and I agree with you. The topic couldn’t be more timely. We were talking before we started the interview about that energy of togetherness when people were on the floor. Because yeah, you can feel part of that when you’re watching online. But to be there in the Salt Palace, there really is something unique about the spirit that’s there with people.
And I don’t mean — this is not a quiet reverence kind of event. I love it’s loud, it’s happy. The people are excited to be there with each other and to learn things together.
Would you share maybe a little bit of what’s gone into this year to helping people feel, again, that same energy while they’re together?
17:30
Jonathan Wing: You know, it’s funny you just describe it that way, because I’m reminded of one of my coworkers who said, “It’s so odd being at the Salt Palace and seeing cheers and applause, but feeling the spirit of Elijah at the same time.” And it really is something that you have to come and experience.
There are a lot of experiences that we create for those who come. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, we have general sessions. That’s where our keynotes speak, where we and where companies and industry friends take the stage and share their newest innovations.
It’s very exciting. It’s like a show, a live show that’s meant to pump everybody up and get them excited. And then everyone goes to all of these various sessions where they learn about how to sharpen their skills, or they learn specific regional advice on how to make discoveries in their family history.
But there’s also the expo hall. The expo hall is where companies come to showcase their innovations but also their products and how people can connect to their family. Last year, we had 128 exhibitors in our expo hall, and we call it the heartbeat of the conference, because there’s so much energy and excitement there. This next year, we have over 200.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Wow.
Jonathan Wing: Over 200. We’ve exceeded the amount of participants that we had previous to the pandemic. And I think that just goes to show that the industry is thriving, the industry has meaningful products and experiences to provide audiences that come.
And the expo hall is totally free. So anyone can come Thursday, Friday and Saturday and experience the expo hall without needing to purchase a ticket. And what we love about Saturday, we call Saturday our “Family Discovery Day.” We create experiences for families.
So, I’m a father of five young kids, and my kids love coming to RootsTech. There are activities for them. We have this area that we’ve internally called the Epcot, but there’s going to be an area that celebrates culture and heritage from around the world that individuals can come and experience. There’s going to be a football field, there’s going to be activities and sports. And all of that is on top of all of the fantastic exhibitors and sponsors who are in the expo hall, and there are loads of activities.
We have a giant ball pit. And I have to say — I know, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking of fast food in the ’90s, finding a cheeseburger in that ball pit.
Jon Ryan Jensen: The nightmares.
20:40
Jonathan Wing: No nightmares at this ball pit. This ball pit was a concept that actually ties to our kickoff videos. When we were talking about the theme “Together,” when we were filming our keynotes around the world, we actually built a ball pit in each of these cities, and we had the theme “Together” plastered up in whatever language we needed, in whatever city we were.
And we had complete strangers come sit in this ball pit together. And on the balls, there were written these questions about their family history, and they asked each other questions about their family history, and it was incredible to see what happened. Complete strangers coming together, and then connecting in a deep way as they talked about their family history and what was most important to them.
I can’t wait for people to see that kickoff video, because it’s a testament of how we can deeply connect to one another when we take the time, and complete strangers can form a connection when we focus on what’s most important. And so, this giant ball pit in the expo hall will have those questions, and we’re hoping people will sit down in the ball pit, ask each other these questions and connect in a deeper way.
21:59
Jon Ryan Jensen: I’m excited for that. I didn’t know that was coming, but that sounds like a lot of fun.
Jonathan Wing: Oh, it was.
Jon Ryan Jensen: This is going to be the last RootsTech before my oldest son goes on his mission.
Jonathan Wing: Oh wow.
Jon Ryan Jensen: And so I’m excited for him to get to come and soak in all of this innovation that you’re talking about as well. Again, I remember in my own mission experience, people asking lots of questions that I felt unprepared for about family history work. And so I think that this can be a great opportunity for, on that Saturday, to take the family and let them start to let that be part of their personal growth as teenagers, as children, because the more they understand it, the better they’re going to be in a position to do their family history work and help others moving into the future.
Do you see that happening with families when they come and participate?
22:47
Jonathan Wing: Yeah, absolutely, because there’s something for everyone. So, there are classes that are free on Family Discovery Day, and some of them are catered to youth. Some of them are catered to those who have callings in temple and family history. And then there are sessions as well that they can attend.
And so, Elder and Sister Rasband will be taking the stage in the Family Discovery Day session, and their session is going to be like nothing else we’ve ever had on the RootsTech stage.
Jon Ryan Jensen: Which is saying something. Last year, you had Elder Andersen feeding goats, I believe it was, on video.
Jonathan Wing: That’s right, that’s right.
Jon Ryan Jensen: It was with President Holland. And so something new every year.
23:25
Jonathan Wing: Something new every year. And Sister Rasband, her family history ties back to George Q. Cannon and the Cannon family. And a lot of that story in history is captured in the British Pageant. And recently, the two of them were in Nauvoo, and they saw portions of the British Pageant. And it was Elder Rasband’s idea, but he wanted portions of that pageant to take place on our stage.
And so, we’ve never done that before. We’ve partnered with other departments to make it happen, and we’re so excited to have excerpts from the British Pageant performed live on the RootsTech stage. There will be music and entertainment, but, of course, an incredible message from Elder and Sister Rasband about the importance of family history and how family history really does expand beyond just looking into the past. It’s really about the past, the present and the future.
24:28
Jon Ryan Jensen: That’s exciting. I think there may be a lot of people listening to this who didn’t know that the Church has a British Pageant.
Jonathan Wing: Yeah.
Jon Ryan Jensen: And it is something that, for a lot of members in Europe, that is a very tender place for them, because so much of the Church’s originating history started right there in Great Britain.
Jonathan Wing: And it’ll be delivered in RootsTech style. That we can promise.
24:50
Jon Ryan Jensen: Exciting, exciting. Well, I’m looking forward to that, too.
In coordination with RootsTech, the Church always has a temple and family history instruction as well.
Can you share perhaps a little bit of what leaders and members who participate in that will see?
25:06
Jonathan Wing: Yes. So, leadership instruction is prerecorded, but it’s released the very first day of RootsTech. So at 8 a.m. on March 5 — Thursday, March 5 — the Temple and Family History Leadership Instruction will be made available.
It’s presided by Elder Patrick Kearon this year and Elder Mark A. Bragg, who is the new executive director of the Family History Department. The two of them will share a message with leaders and those who have responsibilities in temple and family history.
That message is focused on three very simple principles. No. 1, always focus first on the Savior. When we talk about temple and family history, oftentimes we can get distracted by the other elements that go into it.
Jon Ryan Jensen: The tree and how many generations.
Jonathan Wing: The tree, yeah, make sure that you can jump into the record and have all these validated details — all of which are important. But the principle is to focus first on the Savior. This is a spiritual work.
No. 2, using Ordinances Ready. Ordinances Ready is a powerful tool that allows members around the world to have 100% success in finding family names, but also, if not family names, names from those in your unit or in your stake or around the world of global names from the Church.
And No. 3, add what you know. “Add what you know” is a phrase that we heard at Family Discovery Day last year. President Holland talked about adding what you know. That’s all you need to do, is what he said. But it’s such a beautiful, simple phrase that has so much behind it.
For the genealogist, that’s add the skills that you know as a genealogist for somebody who doesn’t feel as confident as a genealogist. It’s add the photos, add the memories, add the names that you know. For a new convert, that could just be, “Who do you want to take? Whose name in your family do you want to take to the temple?”
“Add what you know” is a universal message that can mean different things to different members of the Church, but it’s an invitation to engage in the work of temple and family history.
27:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: That is beautiful. And I remember feeling something when that was said last year, the “add what you know.” I tend to be the shutterbug in my family, and so I have lots and lots of photos, but they really just reside within my personal devices and don’t get put someplace where they can be beneficial to create those memories, to mark down “Who is who?” and “Where was this?” and those things that can really help create that sense of togetherness across generations. And so, I’m looking forward to seeing more about that this year. Thanks, Jonathan.
Jonathan Wing: Thank you.
28:13
Jon Ryan Jensen: As you look back on the preparation for this year’s RootsTech, I’ll give you the question that we ask each of our guests on the Church News podcast: What is it that you know now, having prepared for this year’s event?
Jonathan Wing: I think I’ve said the same thing for the past two years, because it was just a further confirmation of the Lord being in charge and the Lord truly being the one who is accelerating and directing His work. If I were to adjust that slightly, not adjust it, but if I were to add to that, I would say that the Lord is in the details of this work. And I know that now in a very poignant way.
As I was driving in today, my wife and I were thinking of a very tender moment, actually. It was shortly after RootsTech last year that my wife and I suffered a miscarriage. And that was a very gut-wrenching, difficult experience. And the only thing that the two of us knew to do at that time, at that moment of grief, was to go to the house of the Lord to seek solace there.
And so we went, and we performed sealings and had the most exquisite, beautiful, spiritual experience and confirmation of the reality of eternal families. And it brought joy in a time of exquisite pain.
And for me, as we’ve continued to plan for RootsTech and the events that followed that experience, that’s always been in the back of my mind as a more powerful clarion call to the “why” we do what we do. Our Father in Heaven wants to bless all of His children. And He does that — and the way He would love to do that — is through families and eternal families. And that promise of us being united together for all eternity is one of the greatest motivators that I have.
And I’ve seen how the Lord is hastening this work so that more people can have access to that blessing. I’ve seen how He has directed me, how He has directed those on my team, how He has directed those who I report to, and leaders of the Church, who all have the same desire to bless the children of God here on earth.
And knowing that He’s a Lord who understands our experience, the pain, the suffering, as we read in Alma 7:11, all of those details of how to succor us in those moments, I’ve seen Him be in those same details as we have created an experience that we hope, that I hope, is pleasing unto Him, for those who will come to RootsTech this next year — this next week, actually.
And I could not be more humbled and more honored to be a part of the Lord’s work at this time. It is a thrilling opportunity to see the Lord work His miracles in these last days. And I cannot wait to see how RootsTech touches the hearts and minds of attendees from around the world.
32:37
Jon Ryan Jensen: Thank you for listening to the Church News podcast. I’m your host, Church News editor Jon Ryan Jensen. I hope you learned something today about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had your faith in the Savior increase by looking through the Church News window as a living record of the Restoration. Please subscribe, rate and review this podcast so it can be accessible to more people. And if you enjoyed the messages we shared today, please share the podcast with others. Thanks to our guests; to my producer, KellieAnn Halvorsen; and to others who make this podcast possible. Join us every week for a new episode. Find us on your favorite podcasting channels or with other news and updates about the Church on TheChurchNews.com or on the Church News app.
