Stakes, districts, wards, and branches worldwide* have access to the four tools listed below to make it easier to schedule meetings and events, provide directories, schedule lessons, and provide an electronic newsletter to members.
These great tools on LDS.org are available in 10 languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Access these tools under the Sign In/Tools menu at the top of any page on LDS.org:
- Calendar (lds.org/church-calendar) shows events, meetings, and other activities. Specific calendars can be set up for each organization in the ward or stake. The calendar can also be used to reserve rooms in meetinghouses. The calendar is only viewable by members residing within the ward, branch, stake, or district. Watch video tutorials on how to use the Calendar.
- Directory (lds.org/directory) shows addresses and contact information for members and leaders in your ward and stake. The information comes directly from the Member and Leader Services (MLS) software. Members and leaders both have access to update their phone numbers, e-mail addresses, photos, and data privacy settings. The directory is only viewable by Church members residing within the ward, branch, stake, or district. Learn about using the Directory. Learn how to add photos to the Directory.
- Lesson Schedules (lds.org/lesson) allows wards and branches to schedule priesthood and auxiliary lessons so members know which lesson will be taught each Sunday. Learn more about Lesson Schedules. (Update 22 Nov 2016: The Lesson Schedules tool has been discontinued. Learn why.)
- Newsletter (lds.org/member-news) is a blog-like site for ward and stake leaders to provide news and messages to members. This is an online alternative to paper or e-mail newsletters. Learn more about the Newsletter. See the Newsletter How-to Guide.
In addition to accessing these tools on LDS.org, you can also view the Calendar and Directory from the LDS Tools mobile application (see mobile.lds.org).
* Some of these tools are turned off in a few countries because of privacy laws.
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Although lds.org offers some great tools, our Priesthood Leadership never makes use of it, mentions it or cares to post anything on there.
LDS Tools, Mobile APP is so full of corruptions, errors and outright crashes that no one in our Ward, or Stake bothers to use it anymore. The developers are completely insulated from any feedback that doesn’t paint a perfect picture of its functions. It is hopelessly corrupted for IOS Platforms, though its abbreviated format in Android Platforms is impeccable. I wish they really cared and would fix this disaster.
Just as a note of feedback I have not experienced many problems with LDS>org or LDS tools App. Occasionally one of them will lock up and I will have to restart it but not very often. I have found a few quirks that I would like to see fixed but for the most part everything funtions well.
Being in a Bishopric, having LDS Tools has made a huge difference for us. We are in a very transient ward and being able to have the most up to date directory is a huge advantage. I can not think of a meeting we have been in yet that we have not utilized the app for helping us make decisions or get needed information. Thanks for the work that has been put into this. it
I wish general feedback with the LDS apps such as LDS Tools was better. The funding is minimal so they don’t have any employees or volunteers devoted entirely to feedback. The best way to give feedback is currently to join the development project at tech.lds.org/projects (even if you’re not a developer). From there you can post suggestions, etc. to the discussion group, where other members and also the developers will read and respond to problems you have. I watch the iOS projects very closely and I can tell you that many bug reports and suggestions come in and are fixed. There will be a completely redesigned version of the app coming out in the next month or two. LDSTech is also (as of recently) in the process of ramping up with better training resources and helps for projects.
My ward is going to have a “Bring Your Computer to Church” day sometime in September – it will be during the second and third hours of church. As a student YSA ward, my ward has a lot of turnover; September will be the beginning of a new semester. We’ll teach about LDS Accounts, Directory, and Calendar, and (if we have time) Newsletter and Lesson Schedules). We will (hopefully) have a renewed effort to update the tools, as a ward council. The clerks will be there to make sure everyone’s records are in and we’ll have each member log in and correct their own contact information on the directory.
Samuel,
This sounds like a great idea. After you have the event, please come back and leave a comment about how it went. This could be a great solution for other wards.
Larry
Jerry,
I use the LDS tools mobile app on iOS all the time and it has never crashed for me. I love it. If you have any suggestions for improvements, send them to me and I’ll be sure the developers get them.
Larry
Note: I work for ICS at the ROB, as a Sr. DBA there. Not the world’s best techie, but I’m no slouch and can usually workaround or deal with a few bugs in a website.
I used Calendar for about 2 weeks a year ago. It was so buggy and I had such an awful user experience, I gave up in disgust. Perhaps I should give it another shot.
Just started using Directory yesterday from my high-powered laptop, connected to the LAN within the ROB. After I clicked a household or member of a household it would put up a little spinner but would never return. This is within Chrome. Tried a number of different things, all with the same results. Again gave up and didn’t bother to provide feedback. If this happens to me within the walls of the ROB, can only imagine what it’s like for folks on older computers, over slow internet or dialup.
Bill,
Thanks for posting your comment. I use the Calendar and Directory all the time and haven’t experienced the problems you mention below. The Calendar has been improved a lot over the past year, so I suggest you give it a try again. You may want to check out the video tutorials at http://LDS365.com/2012/11/07/lds-org-calendar-video-tutorials/
I’ll pass your comments along to the product manager of the Calendar and Directory.
Larry
Iam in farmington nm stake, 7th ward. Iam looking for 3 passes for conference and a pass for general priesthood meeting, you can email anytime, night or day, Thank you
Robert,
Sorry, I don’t have access to conference passes, but your stake should have received some.
Larry
I use LDS.org tools a lot, and while I wish my ward would update the lessons and have an online newsletter, I still get a great deal from the website and check it at least weekly. I love the fresh, new updates each week. I also love LDS Tools. It is a great blessing to an ordinary member, like me, using an Android Tablet or phone. But my greatest online blessing is Gospel Library! I can’t wait for the upgrades I’ve seen online and for Apple to come over to Android! Thanks so very, very much for all you great brothers and sisters do, consistently behind the scenes to make these blessings work for the non-techie members f the Church, like me. I just can’t thank you enough!
Linda Marie Allington