Would it be proper for me to have my genealogical research done by a professional researcher? If so, how might I go about locating a good one?

George H. Fudge, director of the Genealogical Department of the Church Every member of the Church is individually responsible to see that temple ordinance work is done for his or her direct-line ancestors. But this does not necessarily mean that a person must do all the research and temple work himself. Others can assist. And it is certainly permissible to obtain assistance from professional researchers. Employing a professional researcher provides a great opportunity for family organizations to become involved in difficult research where individual resources may not be sufficient.

To assist members of the Church who may wish to engage the services of a professional researcher, the Genealogical Department, 50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, USA, keeps a list of accredited researchers who specialize in particular areas of work. Upon request the department will send back a list of researchers accredited for those areas—for example, “Midwestern States” or “England and Wales.” By “accredited” we do not mean that the researcher is an employee of the Genealogical Department or has any official connection with it; we simply mean that the researcher has been tested and has demonstrated a knowledge of research in a specific area—as well as the ability to use it.

The next step would be for the patron to choose a researcher from the list and contact him on an individual basis. The patron should realize that the Genealogical Department is in no way responsible for the performance of accredited researchers. It is suggested that if a professional researcher is hired, the patron should maintain careful, personal control and request monthly or quarterly written reports of records searched, money spent, and results achieved. The patron should also insist that, when information is found, the researcher enter eligible names on the proper genealogical forms and send them to the patron. In this way, the patron can submit these entries himself and thus maintain personal control of the work done and progress made.