How does the Mormom genealogy thing work? They have places all over the USA? The

Question:I was told that Mormon churches in most cities will let you do your genealogy.
Do they charge anything?
Do they have the name of everyone who was born in the USA? How do I go about such research for my family?
My mother maiden name is Smith. Are there too many Smiths?
How can I find out where the nearest place to me is?
And if I do go, will they try to "convert" me?
Thank you.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I was told that Mormon churches in most cities will let you do your genealogy.
Do they charge anything?
Do they have the name of everyone who was born in the USA? How do I go about such research for my family?
My mother maiden name is Smith. Are there too many Smiths?
How can I find out where the nearest place to me is?
And if I do go, will they try to "convert" me?
Thank you.

Yes, there are LDS family history centers (libraries) all over. NO, they do not have the names of everybody, like most reputable genealogy organizations, they respect the right to privacy of living persons. And, they don't try to convert anyone. I am not LDS.. but I did volunteer for a while at the local center. There was a bit of good natured teasing about my coffee..and I respected their belief enough to not smoke until I was well out of the parking lot.
To me.. the CORE of what they have is microfilmed original records from all over the world, as much as local entities allowed them to film. These are historical and ORIGINAL records, ie court records that you would otherwise be forced to travel to see. These films are NOT all available (or stored) at the local branch.. they are sent on loan as you order them, with a small handling fee. Any films that they use a lot, are on long term loan, and you can look at those for free, if they hit your area of interest. I got to know other patrons... it was always nice if we had ancestors in the same area, and share films (they order one/ you order another, both get to use it).
Another file is the IGI (International genealogical index) which contains both transcribed facts from original sources, as well as SUBMITTED facts from church members, relating to their ancestors. You can access much of this online. These files are not perfect.. but few online sources are perfect either.
In terms of mom being a Smith... FOCUS that you are not looking for any Smith in the world.. your mother's birth certificate should include the names of her father/mother. If grandpa Smith is Ralph, and you find from other records that his birth was in 1925 in Atlanta, Georgia.. you will be looking for his parents in Atlanta. AS LONG AS YOU FOLLOW regular steps (work from you backwards, use solid documents), you should never be out there, looking randomly for "any Smith, that MIGHT be related".
The LDS (they prefer this) collection is the largest in the world.. it is far from the only one in the world. It is just one of the better known. My belief is that the more sources you know and use, the better your luck is.
http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/
Here is one tutorial that can get you going. I also strongly suggest a visit to www.cyndislist.com to get an idea of the wide amount of resources out there.

Here in the UK they don't charge anything, they do not try to convert you, and they offer an amazing service at their library's ? they are just brilliant.

Thank you for asking this question. I learned from your other answerers.

If you spend enough time working with Mormons on Genealogy you'll probably get an invitation somewhere along the line to come to church or an activity. You can attend, or politely refuse and continue to utilize their genealogical resources.

Yes....they'll let you have access to their computers and records in most cases. Many churches have people who volunteer their time to help others with genealogy. The often have genealogy centers and weekly sessions to help people.

They don't necessarily have the name of everyone who has ever been in the USA, however, they have access to all kinds of databases as well as their own that will help you in your search.

Contact the local ward and find out who the ward or stake "genealogical experts" are. They might be called genealogy missionaries, or volunteers. Give the ward a call or stop by. You can talk to the Bishop or executive secretary and he could point you in the right direction.

http://www.lds.org/basicbeliefs/meetingh...

They use more than just last names. They try to created family trees. Use the information that you have to start with and go from there.

The link above is for a meeting house locator. Find one near you and contact them with your questions. They'll be glad to help you out.

Also, if they indicate that they don't have anyone like that in the "ward" ask for the "stake" contact information. There are about 5 wards (congregations) per stake. If the ward doesn't have someone, another ward or the stake probably will.