Meaning of record numbers

luvmy8dz wrote:What do the leading zeroes mean in the record number? The format is000-####-####.Some of them however have001-####-####while still others end with an "A" as in000-####-###A.What do the "001" and the ending "A" mean?

The first three digits seem to have something to do with different area offices around the world. Many of the members of our stake who came from other countries have something besides 000- as the beginning of their membership number.

The A at the end of the number is a check digit. In most cases, it is the number 0 through 9, but it seems they needed an 11th digit to make their scheme work, thus the A. There is no other significance to the last digit.

luvmy8dz wrote:What do the leading zeroes mean in the record number? The format is000-####-####.Some of them however have001-####-####while still others end with an "A" as in000-####-###A.What do the "001" and the ending "A" mean?

From my experience, the 001 is just the younger generation. My kids have record numbers that lead with that number. I think it just signifies the growth of the Church.

Now the A is a different story. The last digit is called a check digit, and it can be 0-9 plus the character A, giving it 11 different possible values in that spot. For an explanation about what a check digit (there is a Wikipedia link) is and the thread that I got this information from, see this link:

http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1549

mkmurray wrote:From my experience, the 001 is just the younger generation. My kids have record numbers that lead with that number. I think it just signifies the growth of the Church.

Perhaps I'm wrong about the younger generation...I'm not really sure, just guessing.

mkmurray wrote:Perhaps I'm wrong about the younger generation...I'm not really sure, just guessing.

Actually, you might be right about needing more numbers, although all the 001s I have seen have come from Europe. Might just be a coincidence.

On the other hand, the 026 I ran across several months ago came from Africa, which is why I suspect the area office scenario.

Someone probably knows and is not telling.

mkmurray wrote:Perhaps I'm wrong about the younger generation...I'm not really sure, just guessing.

You'd have to include new converts in the guess. It may represent a newer record.

RussellHltn wrote:You'd have to include new converts in the guess. It may represent a newer record.

Well, I was born in Salt Lake Valley and have 000. My daughter was born down in Utah Valley and has 001. I believe it's the same for my son. So the area theory, to me, seems to have the most merit right now.

My wife was born in Georgia. I should look at her number to test the theory, I'll report back...

mkmurray wrote:Well, I was born in Salt Lake Valley and have 000. My daughter was born down in Utah Valley and has 001. I believe it's the same for my son. So the area theory, to me, seems to have the most merit right now.

My wife was born in Georgia. I should look at her number to test the theory, I'll report back...

Actually my wife's number also starts with 000...

Maybe it was all 000 until a certain year, when they started doing it by area...?

mkmurray wrote:Maybe it was all 000 until a certain year, when they started doing it by area...?

That's possible. It may have been "expansion" digits and the first to use non-zero numbers were outside the area so as to make a non-overlapping church-wide numbering system.

Depending on what area the record was created in, it may have been assigned a number or re-numbered when it entered the North America area. From what I understand, not all areas were computerized at the same time. I know I was in a frustrating situation where I was requesting a record that CHQ's computer said existed, but the area's office said they couldn't find it. But in the index in CHQ wasn't authoritative enough to create a new record.

I vote we rename this thread "Debunking the membership number".

I'd love to hear from someone at the Church that knows the past and current meaning (might be the same) of the record number format.

In Brazil, or, in my stake, all members baptized before 2000 have a 010-####-#### number. After 2000 (I can't know the date) 000 and 001 members begin to appear.

MorettiDP wrote:In Brazil, or, in my stake, all members baptized before 2000 have a 010-####-#### number. After 2000 (I can't know the date) 000 and 001 members begin to appear.

Intersting, thank you for that info; I'm beginning to develop a theory, here it goes...

Prior to MLS, the worldwide synchronization of membership records (most especially their numbering) was a difficult problem. So maybe in an effort to avoid any collisions, the Church assigned certain numbers for the first 3 digits of the record number for each Area or Country (I say perhaps by country because I was born in Salt Lake and my wife in Georgia and we both start with 000). Then after the release of MLS, synchronization became easier to coordinate, so they switched to a numbering system that was more unified worldwide?

To me, there seems to be enough evidence of some kind of a major switch in the paradigm at some determined date in the fairly recent past.

Hey, guys, a question:

Can anyone from Member and Statistical Records Division post at the forum how the Church create the membership numbers to its members?

It's a interesting "mistery" that can be good to discover, hehehehehee

So good it!

The record numbers used to represent the different databases they were created in (different areas or countries). However, this is no longer the case. The record numbers are simply created in sequence, and the beginning set of numbers, or the "A" ending the record number have no significance.

LR422 wrote:The record numbers used to represent the different databases they were created in (different areas or countries). However, this is no longer the case. The record numbers are simply created in sequence, and the beginning set of numbers, or the "A" ending the record number have no significance.

Did this change around the release of MLS?

Oh...

No more mistery...



heheheheheehe