A guide walks to the front of the hall and drops a pin. A moment later, the sound of metal against marble is loud and clear 170 feet away at the back of the room. Across from the Tabernacle is the Family History Library, the world's largest genealogical library. The collection includes about 2 billion names, including Abraham Lincoln's family tree. The library opened in 1894 to help Mormons track their roots.
Genealogy is central to the church belief that families can be united in the afterlife.
However, the library attracts people other than Mormons. Genealogy has surpassed coin and stamp collecting to become the fastest growing hobby in America, says library spokeswoman Elaine Hasleton. For genealogy enthusiasts, the Salt Lake library has become a mecca. Yvette Longstaff, a French immigrant, has traced family members as far back as 1592. Like Longstaff's family tree, Salt Lake City is getting a face lift.