“Welcome to www.lds.org,” Ensign, Apr. 2001, 54
Welcome to www.lds.org
Let’s say you need a copy of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s Sunday morning conference talk at the last general conference—in Italian. Where are you going to find that?
Or let’s say you’d like to search for your great-grandfather in the Church’s family history records, but the nearest Family History Center is miles away. Will you have to wait until another day?
Or let’s say you need a copy of that brochure To the Home Teachers of the Church to use in your quorum presidency meeting. How can you get one?
The answers are as close as your computer. You can find these things, and much more, by logging on to www.lds.org, the Church’s official Internet site. You’ll be joining some 30,000 other people who use it each day. They find everything from information about basic teachings of the Church to a conference talk in the May 1982 Ensign or this month’s Primary Sharing Time resources from the Friend. They find the latest news from Church headquarters as well as what media in areas around the world are saying about Latter-day Saints.
Visitors who log on to the Church’s Web site are greeted by a screen that offers direct links to the scriptures online, the Church magazines database, feature articles, news items, and recently broadcast programs. There is also a menu that lists:
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Basic Beliefs—a link to information about the gospel.
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The Scriptures—the four standard works.
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Gospel Library—a database that includes Church magazines since 1971 and also Church curriculum materials.
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Family Resources—materials to help in teaching and strengthening families.
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Family History—a link to the Church’s Family History Library site with all its resources and helps.
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News Media Resources—news, including releases and photos provided for journalists.
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Order Church Materials—a link for ordering Church curriculum materials on line.
Printed materials necessary for gospel study and basic administration of Church programs are still available to members who need them, regardless of whether they have a computer. But if you know your way around the World Wide Web or are willing to learn, a library of materials is now as close as your keyboard.
Feast on the word. If you click Gospel Library on the home page menu (above), you will get this screen (below) that allows you to search the scriptures, Church magazines, First Presidency and visiting teaching messages and Primary Sharing Time materials (upper right corner), past conference talks, and other gospel related resources.
Help a friend. By clicking Basic Beliefs on the home page menu (top), you can find information to help explain the basics of the gospel to a friend or loved one. Those interested in learning more can request a free copy of the Book of Mormon or a Church video.
Find a conference talk. Clicking General Conference Archive on the Gospel Library page leads to a screen that allows you to search out a particular conference talk (above). The latest talks are available in more than 30 languages (below).
Search the scriptures. Selecting The Scriptures on the Gospel Library page leads to a screen (above) that allows you to search for particular words or references. The result (below) also provides study helps.
Review a lesson. In the online Gospel Library, you can find Church curriculum materials like this Primary lesson.
Strengthen your family. Ideas for activities are only part of what is available online. Other resources include helps for strengthening marriages, strengthening parent-child relationships, and strengthening individuals.
Find an ancestor. Clicking on the home page’s Family History link leads to the FamilySearch™ page that invites you to search for a particular ancestor (below) or use other family history resources.
Order Church materials. Through the Online Distribution Center, you can order materials for ward or branch use or for your family and have them shipped to you.
Photo by John Luke