CUBA-L Archives

From: Ed Elizondo <>
Subject: Spanish Records at LDS
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 20:06:09 -0500

Ruth,
I believe that what you are experiencing are due to restrictions placed by
the Spanish local church authorities on the microfiliming of their records
which have to be honored by the Mormons. I have heard of this situation
before, although I never encountered with the records from Navarra. Here
are some things you can do:

1. Write the LDS Family History Center in SLC asking for permission to view
the records outside of SLC because of your geographic distance. I think
sometimes they are able to grant this, depending on the restrictions in
their agreement.

2. Write the local parish in Spain for permission to view the Mormon
records at your location because of your geographic distance from Salt Lake
City

3. If you know what you are looking for, find someone in Salt Lake City to
look for it. I have used the services of Mayra Sanchez-Johnson (who used
to run the Cuban Genealogical Society) for such tasks. She looked up for me
and found a marriage record that unlocked the key to finding three branches
of my family in Spain. She lives in Salt Lake City and her address is in
my web page under "Commercial Resources" at
<http://www.cubagenweb.org/sources.htm>;. She will charge by the hour plus
some small copying charge per page, but her rates are very reasonable and
she knows what she is doing so she doesn't waste your time.

4. Also you may want to post a message similar to what you sent me to the
SPAIN-L mailing list and someone there may have better information. The
information on how to subscribe to this list is also on my web site at
<http://www.cubagenweb.org/lists.htm>;. If you speak Spanish you may want
to do the same in the FORO GENEALOGICO mailing list.

Don't feel too bad. In Spain the situation is much worse since in some
regions (including Navarra) the Mormon LDS centers cannot make available
these records to non Mormons because of similar restrictions. I understand
the situation is slowly changing and varies from region to region, but last
time in Spain I met a genealogist who expressed extreme frustration at the
situation.

Of course, you can always travel to Salt Lake City.....

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Ed

P.S. I live in Washington, DC and have never been to Salt Lake City.
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This thread:

• Spanish Records at LDS by <>

  • Spanish Records at LDS by Ed Elizondo <>

  • Re: Spanish Records at LDS by "mayra johnson" <>