The foundation for the Nauvoo project was laid in 2011, and the website launched in 2012. The Center for For Family History and Genealogy is working in conjunction with Church Historic Sites to identify the residents of the Nauvoo area from 1839 to 1846, follow them over time, and document their later lives. There are still significant historical questions about Nauvoo that have never been answered. Our data will provide a much more accurate determination of the population of Nauvoo, and because we will be following the people over time, we will learn about the apostasy rate at the time of the martyrdom and at the time of the exodus to Utah. This project will help determine mortality rates among the pioneers as well as how many crossed the plains or remained behind.

In addition to answering historical questions, the Nauvoo project will produce quality genealogical documentation for the lives of early LDS Church members who lived in Nauvoo. The Center's project is being entered into a searchable database, where research is available online to genealogists and historians. Links are being created to online images of censuses, death certificates, photos of grave markers, the Overland Pioneer Trail database, and more. The database contains links to many primary source documents, providing accurate information to all site visitors.