BYU's Incredible Record Linking Lab

 

I would like to introduce you to an incredible website that is committed to accomplishing great things related to family history. Bookmark this site as it is sure to become your new favorite:

https://record-linking-lab.byu.edu/

The mission of the Record Linking Lab at BYU is to make family history work more doable for everyone by creating inventive technological tools and to add more people to the FamilySearch family tree. I believe wholeheartedly in their mission! Their site is now linked directly on the FamilySearch website under Opportunities. The director of the lab is Dr. Joe Price who is an outstanding teacher. His background is economics which he uses effectively to advance the work of family history. You will be impressed by his short, easy-to-follow videos here:

https://record-linking-lab.byu.edu/videos

He does talk quickly so, if necessary, make the video playback speed slower or watch the videos repeatedly. They are well worth your time! I learn a new genealogy trick every video!

Also, if you would like to volunteer for the cause of the Record Linking Lab, they have EASY opportunities to get involved. I would recommend volunteering here as much as I would recommend indexing on the FamilySearch site. They work together to accomplish God’s mission. Go to:

https://record-linking-lab.byu.edu/volunteer

On this page you will find multiple opportunities to participate in family history work. Take 15 minutes a day or whenever you’re waiting in line somewhere or whenever and whatever works for you and do these simple volunteer activities to help build the global family tree on FamilySearch. It is satisfying and significant work! My favorite is the “GeoHints” activity because you can search by last name and find simple projects all over the globe. Don’t bother searching for Musser, I’ve already done all of them! 😊

The BYU Record Linking Lab is working on so many projects, you will find one that interests you! They have current projects in Italy, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay. There are projects for World War I Heroes, Former Slaves, and Teamsters. There are projects to convert yellow temples to green temples and make the family tree more connected. There are so many significant family history projects!

I love being involved in the work of growing the family tree. It brings a focus into my life away from temporary concerns and onto matters of eternal significance. Let me know which activity and project becomes your new favorite.

Annual Book Review

 

In 2024 I read 75 books. For me, this is a lower final count than the past couple of years but 2024 has been busy with advanced family history courses at BYU-Idaho and weekly service in the temple. Plus, 75 books a year averages 1.4 books a week which is still a lot of reading!

I finished a series that I’ve been enjoying for a year and a half: the Hamish MacBeth series by M. C. Beaton. The final couple of books have been authored by another person (R. W. Green) but he has done a great job with the beloved main character. The audiobooks are a joy to listen to with the reader’s Scottish accent. Hamish is funny, loyal, reckless, and a fool in the area of romance.

My favorite nonfiction books of the year (there are too many to pick only one) include “The ONE Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan which was truly inspiring. I love the invitation to dream big; I’ve made some big ones for myself! My favorite books to read are true crime novels that are solved with genealogy and this year I read three excellent ones: “The Forever Witness” by Edward Humes, “The Seven Daughters of Eve” by Bryan Sykes, and “I Know Who You Are” by Barbara Rae-Venter. I just can’t get enough of the subject. It is so fascinating! If I really wanted to, I could become a forensic investigative genealogist. It’s a possibility…

My favorite fiction books include “Ordinary Grace” by William Kent Krueger and his follow up “This Tender Land.” These are excellent books full of interesting people, a little mystery, and a lot of drama. I read several of William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series this year which are also very good. “Genesis” by Robin Cook is one of a medical thriller series which I enjoyed very much. I listened to “The Secret of the Old Clock” by Carolyn Keene on audiobook with Maggie and we both loved it. How have I never read Nancy Drew books before?! After watching “The Hunt for Red October” with Matt and Klaus, I read “Patriot Games” by Tom Clancy and thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to read more Jack Reacher books in 2025. A children’s classic that will make you laugh out loud is “Tales of a 4^th Grade Nothing” by Judy Blume. One of my favorites from 2024 was "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. This book will move through you; you won't be able to forget it when you're finished. It's gritty and rough, sad and difficult. These are adjectives that usually describe books I don't like but this book was different. I couldn't stop listening as I had to find out what happened to the main character.

Another noteworthy and inspiring nonfiction from this year was “Ultra Processed People” by Chris Van Tulleken. Even my dad was inspired by this author to make changes to his diet. I actually plan to read it again in 2025. Oh, and here’s another good nonfiction: “Furious Hours” by Casey Cep which is about Harper Lee’s interest in writing a true crime novel about mysterious murders in Alabama that she never ended up writing. Oh, and here’s one more! “The Stranger Beside Me” by Ann Rule; it would be unbelievable if it wasn’t true!

Books I didn’t enjoy: “Nellie Bly, Ten Days in a Madhouse,” (boring) “The Irish Inheritance” by M. J. Lee (uninteresting), and “The Frog Princess” by E. D. Baker (too fluffy).

I read a biography of Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson which taught me a lot about the man who is now a celebrity. There was a lot of swearing but I was able to overlook that, and I learned a lot about the principles Elon Musk is committed to.

What were your favorite books of 2024? I've already started some good ones in 2025!