Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 47 minutes ago

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These Untold Stories Explain Why Millions Are Turning to FamilySearch, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, E48

Every day, millions of people around the world are turning to FamilySearch, not because of marketing or trends, but because of something much deeper happening beneath the surface: a global movement of identity, belonging, and human connection.

In this conversation with Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, former Executive Director of the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we explore why 98 percent of the people who use FamilySearch are not Latter-day Saints, yet are contributing to one of the most ambitious projects in human history: building the family tree of humanity.

This is not just a story about genealogy. It is a story about roots, memory, resilience, and what unfolds when technology, spirituality, and human longing intersect.
Inside this episode, you will learn:

• Why hundreds of millions use FamilySearch every year
• How global archives, AI tools, and more than 130 years of record gathering fuel the world’s largest family history database
• The emotional science behind family narratives and resilience
• How wars, disasters, and endangered archives have created urgent preservation efforts
• Why nonreligious users are powering a movement with profound spiritual implications
• What “gathering Israel” looks like in the digital age
• How African oral genealogies, Ukrainian archives, and worldwide records are reshaping family identity

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered:
“Where do I come from?”
“Who do I belong to?”
“And why does family history matter now more than ever?”

Whether you are religious or not, whether you have used FamilySearch or are hearing about it for the first time, this conversation looks at what it means to be human and why the world is suddenly flocking to discover its story.

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0:00 Induction
1:15 Elder Kevin S. Hamilton and Family Search
4:34 Global reach of RootsTech and Family Search
9:55 Youth and Family History
15:40 Genealogy work in Africa
22:08 Miracles softening the hearts of gatekeepers
26:47 Family history miracles in Ukraine
31:20 Family: The universal message
35:17 What’s at stake?
37:21 Family history impact on Elder Hamilton
40:47 The future of family history
44:19 How to get involved
47:23 Privacy and security
50:35 Elder Hamilton’s message to the world