Step 2. Gather written records

We can gather the family history information others in our family have already prepared by: • Asking our family members if they have any written information about the family, including ancestral maps (hohoko), whakapapa books, letters, stories, family group records, pedigree charts, school records, certificates, pictures, and artifacts such as wood carvings, tapa designs, etc. • Ask if we may have a copy of what they have. • If it is a carving or design, ask what it means and how it relates to our family. • Make copies of them, photograph them, or write a description of them and where they are kept if we can’t keep the original. • Return the original to the owner. • Write where we got them on the back of the copy. • Keep the papers we write and photos we take in a safe place.

Note: If we have a family member with a large collection of well-organized information, we do not need to copy all of it. Once we find out exactly what they have, and find out if the temple work has been done yet, we can make a note of the person’s name, where they live, and what they have so we can keep in contact with them.

We may have the opportunity to cooperate and collaborate with other family members. See Step 12 more information on sharing with others. After talking with this person, we may decide to turn our attention to a different family line so we will not be duplicating work that has already been done. We should be prayerful in our decision.