“Church Has Internet Home Page,” Ensign, May 1997, 112
Church Has Internet Home Page
In early December 1996, the Church quietly activated an official home page on the Internet (http://www.lds.org). The electronic site features information about family history, the Book of Mormon, and the missionary program; statistics about the Church; and statements of the Church’s basic principles and beliefs. On 9 April, conference addresses were available for the April 1997 general conference.
“We are not breathlessly smitten by the Internet, nor are we in any way underestimating its possibilities,” said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “We are just moving steadily, and we think wisely, to consider it along with every other way we know to communicate with each other, teach the gospel, and further the work of the Lord.”
Since the December activation, the home page has had an average of 1,600 Internet visitors a day. The first thing visitors see is a full-color painting of Christ, along with multiple options of things to read and learn regarding the Church.
Elder Holland explained that initially the motivation for providing the home page was to supply information about the Church to the media. However, other visitors can use the information too.
He also counseled those accessing the Internet to use it righteously: “Anything that has the potential for good almost always has the potential for damage and danger as well.”