Meet Elder Mark A. Bragg

Elder Mark A. Bragg is the executive director of the Church Family History Department.   Below is an interesting interview of Elder Bragg by Scripture Central's Easton Hartzell.

Here are some highlights:

• The Capacity for Temple Names: Addressing whether the Church will run out of names for temple ordinances, Elder Bragg clarifies that this will not happen because the work is guided by the Lord, and new technology continues to reveal records (1:31-3:12).
• Advice for Youth and Young Adults: Elder Bragg encourages us to approach family history with joy rather than guilt. He suggests that learning about ancestors—including their obstacles—can provide strength and personal connection (3:13-4:34).
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence: Technology, particularly AI, is described as a "glorious" tool for the future. It allows the Church to digitize massive collections of records, extract data, and populate family trees at an unprecedented speed (5:57-7:13).
• Spiritual Blessings: Beyond the work itself, Elder Bragg emphasizes that members can feel the Lord’s pleasure and experience a deep sense of connection to their ancestors, who he notes are active participants—praying and cheering for their descendants on the other side of the veil (7:14-9:39).
• Testimony and Culture: He explains that the ultimate goal of family history is to facilitate temple ordinances for ancestors. He shares how his own testimony has grown by witnessing the Lord's hand in providing resources, such as new archives, to meet the increasing demand as more temples are built worldwide (9:40-13:22).