International Genealogical Index

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The International Genealogical Index (IGI) is a database of genealogical records, compiled from a variety of different sources, and maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Originally created in 1969, the index was intended to help track the performance of temple ordinances for the deceased. The index is often used as a membership-boosting tool by LDS officials to help track down wayward members who have become disassociated with the church.

The IGI contains information submitted for vicarious ordinances by Mormon researchers, records obtained from contributors who are not members of the church, and data taken from various birth or marriage records that Church members have microfilmed. The index contains hundreds of millions of records of individuals who lived between 1500 and 1900, primarily in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

The IGI can be searched online at FamilySearch, the LDS genealogy website. By making so many resources available, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has helped contribute to the increasing interest in genealogy over the last couple of decades.

The IGI contains many duplicate names, accumulated over time from many sources. So all data retrieved from the index should be checked carefully, and compared with similar entries. Cross-checking is facilitated by the fact that every record contains information on who submitted it and when.