Guest Post: A "Memories Book" App Based on the FamilySearch Family Tree

I was contacted by Jake Lindsay, the developer of this "Memories Book" app, recently and I  offered to publish a guest post about it.  

Note that this "Memories Book" feature uses the FamilySearch Family Tree Details and Memories pages to build a printable family history book. Here is the guest post:

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FamilySearch Memories to a Printed Family History Book in Minutes

By Jake Lindsay, creator of Memories Book

When my kids were younger, my wife and I would spend a lot of time building photo books of daily life and special occasions. Our kids would sit and read those books for hours. One day I had the thought that maybe I could build a book using photos and stories from my ancestors in FamilySearch to help my kids better appreciate their heritage.

As a programmer, I began to wonder if I could build a software tool to automate the process of tediously copying and pasting photos from FamilySearch into my family history book. I started working on a prototype and after several months of collaborating with the FamilySearch partner team, I received approval to connect Memories Book with FamilySearch.

It has been really satisfying to see all the ways people have used Memories Book. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Discover hidden gems: 

Most people who have had limited experience with FamilySearch have no idea how many incredible photos and inspiring stories they have hiding in their tree. In just a few clicks and a few minutes, Memories Book gathers up all this information into a single book you can read online for free. This can be a great experience for an introductory family history class or youth activity.

2. Bring your photos off the screen: 

Our kids are still young, and we try to limit their screen time. My wife and I love that they have easy access to pull the printed copy of their Memories Book off the shelf and read the stories of their ancestors.

3. Gifts for the holidays: 

Each year around December, my wife and I look for meaningful gifts for our parents. Memories Book is a quick and affordable way to give a personalized Christmas gift to friends and family. It only takes a few minutes on the website to generate the book and then it can be shipped straight to their home.


4. Build your own editable book: 

You may already be working on your own custom family history book. In addition to Memories Book’s PDF export option, you can export your book to a Word document file that allows you to edit the content. This gives you a great starting point with the flexibility to change and augment the information.

5. Download all the source files: 

One more export option on the Memories Book website is a ZIP package containing the original photos, stories, and documents from the ancestors in your FamilySearch tree. It organizes the original photos, stories, and documents into folders for each person. It also includes an XLSX inventory and available fan charts and timeline maps. You can store this collection offline for safekeeping, share photos on social media, or insert specific photos into your own family history book.

6. FamilySearch tree auditing: 

It can sometimes be hard to compare memories across ancestors. Memories Book helps you quickly identify missing memories, biographical details, and other inconsistencies. Each new book reads the current information available through your FamilySearch account. If you add or attach another memory, it can appear the next time you generate the book, though completed books do not update automatically. The finished book reflects the memories attached to the people you select, so sections with limited FamilySearch content may be shorter.

7. Learn about your ancestors through games: 

When I was a teenager, I remember listening to my dad and grandpa talk about their ancestors. To me, it was a collection of disconnected names and dates representing people I had never met. However, I’m grateful I now have a tool to put all those names and faces together. One bonus feature of the Memories Book website is that you can play personalized family history quiz games based on your own ancestor photos, biographical details, and even life sketches. As you play and answer questions correctly, you earn points (miles) toward your journey to cross the plains from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley.



We are regularly adding more features to the Memories Book website. We love hearing feedback from people who use the tool about ways we can make it better. If you try it, I would appreciate hearing what worked, what did not, and what you would improve. You can reach me at jake@codeprostudios.com.

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NOTE:  This is a FREE-to-use app that uses the FamilySearch Family Tree to create a "Memories Book."  For more information, read this article on the LDS365 web page. 

A user needs to have profiles of themself and their ancestors in the FamlySearch Family Tree. It helps if there are stories, photographs or record images of each ancestor included in the Book.

Thank you to Jake Lindsay for introducing this "Memories Book"  feature to me.  I have tried it and it works very well, and it will likely be improved over time.  I will show my own "Memories Book" and my thoughts about it in a future post.

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Disclosure: I have received no remuneration to publish this blog post or to use and describe this product.  

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