Jim, I am one of the non-church members on the list, and I wanted to tell you that you were a little too harsh on yourself. I've only been doing my family research for about 5 months, but the LDS library in Utah has a lot of great info. on how to start. I have a Family History Center near me, but have also taken gen. classes at the college here. The first and MOST important thing I learned was to write down my sources, rather I found something or not. Always keep track of where and what you've researched. The main library in our city has loads of information, just for your researching. I started out wanting to know enough about my ancestors, so that they were real people to me instead of just names and dates. I try to find out their occupations, and what community organizations they belonged to, so it helps me know what some of their intrest were. Its not easy, but it is more satisfying when you sit down and read it, its more like a family history than just a text book with names and dates. Good Luck to you. And I want you to know that some of the volunteers at our FHC are the nicest people I've ever met, and always willing to help. There's always a few that are just putting in their time, but overall I think their a God send. Sandi