Genie-ology

So my latest BYU Independent Study class is a historical research class, otherwise known as genealogy. I have to pick two southern states and conduct some research using the principles and techniques I find in my coursework to discover new things about my ancestors. Well up until I yesterday, I didn't know I had any family who lived in the south. My great-grandmother was born in Alabama and two of my great-great-grandfathers fought for the Confederacy. I can't wait to find out if they fought against my mom's Irish ancestors during the Civil War. How cool would that be? That'd make my parents Romeo and Juliet except not dead.

Aside from the parts relative to my own personal history, I'm not finding much enjoyment with this class. It teaches nothing of genies and I don't know how to use the resources they describe in the reference section. Time to consult the only person who knows as much about genealogy as God does...to be continued.