Are you looking for a software program to help you organize your family history informaton?  Start by asking yourself what it is you want the program to help you do.  For example, are you interested in just keeping track of information, or do you want to share information with others?  Do you need to be able to interface with other programs such as New Family Search for creating family ordinance requests (FOR's)?  Do you want a program that will grow and evolve?    Once you figure our what you want your program to do, you can check out what's available.  There are many excellent programs out there, and I would suggest you use their free trial offers before purchasing one.  Ask friends what they're using.  There is a list of certified affiliates on the New Family Search (NFS) website.  A few listed there are:  PAF, Roots Magic 4, Ancestral Quest, and Legacy.  I recently switched from PAF to Roots Magic 4 and have found it to be very user friendly.  It allows me to interface with NFS quickly and efficiently.  The PAF program has been the official church program for years, and will no longer be updated.  The key is to find what works for you.

Where Do I Begin?

This is usually the first question asked by those who want to start their family history.  The answer is:  Start with what you know.  Begin by writing down all the information you know about your immediate family, including birth dates and places and other important information such as blessings, baptisms, marriages, death dates and places.  It's important not to skip ahead to the next generation until you have completed the first one.  This is your foundation upon which all other generations will be built.  Trying to move ahead is like trying to get to the top of a ladder by starting on the top rung.