Linking Spouse's Ancestors on FamilyTree

For many people, it may seem frustrating that FamilyTree doesn't automatically update your spouse's genealogy to your account.  Unfortunately, because of the privacy of living people, they do not do so.  

After chatting online with the FamilySearch Get Help Live Chat, I figured out how to do it.  

Every record on FamilySearch has a special Personal Identifier Number (made up of letters and numbers).  To locate these, it's as easy as clicking on the person in the Family Tree view and finding the number under their name: 

Or opening the Person's page view and looking at the top under their name:

If you try to add the Personal Identifier Numbers for a living person, it will state that the name is unknown and the gender is unknown and won't allow you to add them.

Therefore, for living parents and grandparents, you will have to create a new person and make sure to mark them as living.  Then, as soon as you come to an ancestor who has passed away, you will be able to use the Personal Identifier Number to link them and the rest of the ancestral line to your Family Tree.

Although creating a new person for your spouse's parents and grandparents may seem to lead to duplicate files, when they finally pass away, you will be able to go in and add the correct Personal Identifier Number record for them and then delete your duplicate record.

Have any questions or difficulties, don't be afraid to click on "Get Help" on the top of FamilySearch and try any of their options - including Live Chat.