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"The Granite Mountain Records Vault (also known simply as The Vault) is a large archive and vault owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints excavated 600 feet into the north side of Little Cottonwood Canyon. The Granite Mountain facilities feature a dry, environment-controlled facility used for long-term record storage, as well as administrative offices, shipping and receiving docks, a processing facility and restoration laboratory for microfilm.
Genealogy, or family history is research to identify ancestors. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a three-fold mission—to perfect the Saints, to proclaim the gospel, and to redeem the dead. That third part of the Church's mission is the reason for Latter-day Saints' keen interest in family history work. When people die, their spirits go to the "Spirit World" to await resurrection and judgment. In the spirit world, people retain their personalities and free will. In the spirit world, the restored gospel is preached to those who died without receiving it in mortality. Many of those in the spirit world accept the gospel, but without a body they cannot receive the ordinances necessary for salvation. The primary purpose of family history work is to obtain names and other genealogical information so that temple ordinances can be performed in behalf of deceased ancestors. Work for the dead in temples does more than offer them the opportunity to be baptized (by proxy) if they choose to accept the gospel. On April 3, 1836, the prophet Elijah came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple. He conferred upon them the sealing power of the priesthood, making it possible for families to be sealed throughout the generations. (See Doctrine and Covenants, section 110:13, 14) This sealing together of families is another reason Latter-day Saints search for their ancestors. As they do genealogy work, they feel an upwelling of affection for their deceased ancestors and a desire to be bound to them in a family unit throughout eternity.