dons-churchappsandprograms.html

CHURCH APPS AND PROGRAMS

FOR MOBILES AND COMPUTERS

©2019 Donald R. Snow
 This page was last updated 2019-03-17. 
Return to the  Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page  or  Don Snow's Class Listings Page .
ABSTRACT:  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced several websites, programs, and apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers. These include the website ChurchOfJesusChrist.org (formerly lds.org), LDS Tools, Gospel Library, and others, as well as FamilySearch.org . These contain the scriptures, books, magazines, manuals, videos, and much more. There are also ward and stake directories with names, addresses, phones, photos, email addresses, etc., and these can be downloaded and/or printed. The Gospel Library and ChurchOfJesusChrist.org website are available to everyone, whether members of the Church or not, but a Church log in opens additional things and the LDS Tools app requires a Church log in. This class will discuss these websites, programs, and apps on both mobile devices and computers. We will demonstrate how to use them to download ward and stake directories and how to help with your study of the gospel. The notes for this class and related articles, all with active internet links, are posted on my website https://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-classes.html .

    WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION

  1. Instructor is Donald R. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu ) of Provo and St. George, Utah. 
  2. The notes for this class and related articles, all with active internet links, are posted on my website  https://uvtagg.org/classes/dons/dons-classes.html .  There are alos Freeware Corner articles on my website that are related.
  3. Tips:  (1)  To put an icon on your desktop for the URL for these notes, or any webpage, just drag the icon that is in front of the address in your browser to your desktop.  (2)  To open a link while keeping your place in the original page, hold down the Control key while clicking the link, so the link opens in a new tab. 
  4. The problem for today:  How to use the websites and apps that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has developed for study and other helps on mobile devices and computers.  
  5. NOTE: These notes are very detailed, so don't be overwhelmed; just start small and catch the vision. 

    6. DEVICES, DEFINITIONS, AND COMMENTS

  6. Smartphones -- cell phones that connect to telephone networks and internet via wireless networks; can send and receive voice, texts, and emails
  7. Tablets -- like smartphones, but with larger screens, so easier to read  
  8. Computers -- connect to the internet via wired or wireless networks 
  9. Mobiles -- smartphones and tablets  
  10. Texts -- messages and pictures sent via telephone networks   
  11. Emails -- messages and pictures sent via internet networks, usually from a computer, but also from smartphones and tablets  
  12. Operating system (OS) -- the basic program that runs all the other programs and apps on your device -- iOS (Apple computers, iPad, iPhone), Android (by Google for other brands of mobiles, e.g. Samsung), Windows (Microsoft OS for computers) 
  13. Browsers -- free programs that let you see internet websites on computer s or mobiles; examples are Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari  
  14. Apps -- short for applications, programs for smartphones or computers; many are free, such as all those from the Church     
  15. Sync -- short for synchronize, so your devices all keep same bookmarks, highlighting, notes, etc; they usually update themselves, but you may have to re-sync periodically, e.g. every few weeks    
  16. When a disaster occurs, texting will be the last communication method available, so many leaders have suggested we get and learn to use a smartphone.
  17. Church internet networks all use same password in all chapels in North America, so password entered once lets you connect automatically in all others      
  18. Church members can get a (free) Church account by using their membership number, birth date, and email address - same account as for FamilySearch 

    19. CHURCH APPS AND WEBSITES (All are Free)

  19. LDS Tools -- app for mobile devices with membership info
  20. Gospel Library -- app for mobile devices and computers; contains scriptures, manuals, handbooks, magazines, General Conferences, hymn book, notes, and much more 
  21. ChurchOfJesusChrist.org (was  lds.org) -- website for computers and mobile devices, contains LDS Tools, Gospel Library, as well as Church announcements, news, and much much more  
  22. LDS Music -- app for mobiles     
  23. FamilySearch -- website and app for family history -- discussed in other classes  
  24. LDS View -- BYU/Church app for computers; contains scriptures; they are working on mobile versions 
  25. WordCruncher -- BYU/Church app for computers; contains scriptures and books; working on mobile versions 

    26. LDS TOOLS (Church Mobile App)

  26. Install by going to the app store for your type phone: for Android use Google Play Store; for iPhone use Apple Store 
  27. After installation, log in with your LDS account user name and password -- ame account as for FamilySearch 
  28. Contains ward/stake directories, ward/stake positions and lists, calendar, meetinghouses, temples, temple recommend reminder, etc.  
  29. Same Church membership data is in  https://churchofjesuschrist.org  website (see below) 
  30. Both you and the ward clerk can edit your info, address, phone, email address, photo, etc.  
  31. Can make phone calls from your ward/stake directory, but many people don't use their cell phone for local calls, since it's a different number
  32. Settings has options to show Caller ID and several other things. 

    33. CHURCHOFJESUSCHRIST.ORG (Was lds.org - Church Website)

  33. Church website with many parts - scriptures, news, press releases, First Presidency letters, magazines, General Conferences, manuals, videos, Gospel Library, membership info and addresses, temples, chapels, maps, and much more 
  34. Church is changing website name from  https://lds.org  to  https://churchofjesuschrist.org , but  https://lds.org  will probably always work and is easier to remember and type
  35. Most of website is available to everyone, but Church members logged in with their Church account see more, e.g. memberswhip info and ward and stake directories 
  36. Ward and stake directories - same data as on LDS Tools  
    1. Members only see membership and leadership info for their current ward and stake, so before you move, download the directories, if you want to keep a copy     
    2. To download to computer click Print to bring up Print Menu - put checks in the boxes for the type of data you want, e.g. address, email address, photos, callings, etc.; set number of columns you want per page (default is 4, but 3 columns works better) 
    3. Click Save to PDF - may take a few minutes to gather the data
    4. Give it the name and tell it where to save the pdf on your computer; can later print the it to hard copy, if desired 
    5. Downloaded pdfs have both the graphic and text layers, so they are every word-searchable  
  37. For Gospel Library installation from website to your computer, see next section 

    38. GOSPEL LIBRARY (Church Mobile App and Computer Program)

  38. Gospel Library is app on smartphones and tablets and a program to download on computers 
  39. Installing Gospel Library on mobile devices
    1. Go to app store and download and install it -- for Android use Google Play Store; for iPhone use Apple Store 
    2. Installation puts icon on your device which you can move later 
  40. Installing Gospel Library on computers
    1. Go to ChurchOfJesusChrist.org > Scriptures and Study > Helpful Resources - Study Tools > Gospel Library App > Get It From Microsoft Store > Get (Free)
    2. After installation, click Launch and you see an icon on Taskbar at bottom of desktop; click Pin To Taskbar to have an icon there 
    3. Basic installation includes the most popular databases, e.g. scriptures, Come Follow, Me manual, current magazines and General Conferences, and more 
    4. To download everything, magazines, conference reports, etc., click on the three-horizontal-dot Menu icon (upper right corner) and select Download All -- has more than 2600 items so it may take up to an hour to download, but when they are on your computer, you can use them without being connected to internet 
  41. After installation click Sync (synchronize) and use your LDS account and password, so all your bookmarks, notes, underlinings, etc., are on that device 
  42. Contains scriptures, study aids, manuals, lessons, handbooks, recent Conference Reports, magazines, videos, and helps, in many languages; can downlaod any that you want and have space for
  43. Gospel Library is updated at least monthly with new Church magazines and general conferences, and sometimes new features 
  44. YouTube video tutorials for Gospel Library -- https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gospel+library+lds -- by Church members; first is by the author of the mobile app; YouTube videos are blocked in chapels, but available to you at home
  45. Gospel Library Mobile app 
    1. Mobile app has Tips menu at end of list of items
    2. Setting options -- fewer options on mobile devices than on computers
    3. Important option on mobile app is changing text size and brightness to make it easier to read 
  46. Gospel Library Computer app  
    1. Helps (at bottom of screen) -- much more extensive than on mobile app; really worthwhile to go through each part; much also pertains to mobile app 
    2. Tabs across top are Home, Annotate, Media, and View, each with menus  
    3. Your Notebooks with comments, questions, highlighted scriptures, etc., are under the Annotations icon (left sidebar, 6th icon down, icon with 2 dots in it) 
  47. Both apps have audio to read the text to you; also videos of general conference talks and other Church videos  
  48. Come, Follow Me manual has each week's lessons with links to references, so easy to study from  
  49. All scriptures, manuals, handbooks, etc., have reference links -- click the footnote or reference to get to it, if it's available on your device; to get back to where you were, click anywhere on the original or click the Back button 
  50. Bookmarks and Screens ("Screenmarks") -- these make it easy to get to where you want -- set theme by clicking Bookmarks icon (top right with overlapping rectangles), then oselect Bookmarks or Screens and click + ; Bookmark History shows everything you have done day-by-day 
  51. Highlight, underline, or make notes about any words or phrases in scriptures or manuals; will be sync'd on all your devices 
  52. Highlights, etc. don't show up on links from manuals, etc. until you click on the chapter or book title at top of reference to see the full page 
  53. Notebooks -- click on Notebooks and set up as many as you want; e.g. one notebook for New Testament, another for My Notes and Questions, etc.
  54. Writing notes and questions -- highlight the text and select Note and enter what you want, thoughts, questions, etc.; will be saved in Notebooks and you can organize them into the notebook you want 

    LDS VIEW (BYU and Church Computer App)

  55. Written by BYU Computer Science profs for Church many years ago; Church recently asked them to update it and make it available online; now copyrighted by the Church
  56. Available for free from   http://ldsview.wordcruncher.com/LDSDnWindows.html  
  57. Contains all Church scriptures and sSudy Helps with LDS footnotes and many features 
  58. See links at bottom left for The Scriptures, Study Helps, Getting Started Tutorial, and Search Results
  59. Helpful program  

    60. WORKCRUNCHER (BYU and Church Computer App)

  60. Written by BYU Computer Science profs for Church many years ago; now copyrighted by the Church
  61. Available for free from   http://ldsview.wordcruncher.com/LDSDnWindows.html  
  62. Available for free from --  http://wordcruncher.com/  
  63. Includes books and databases, many from LDS publications 
  64. Helpful program  

    65. CONNECTING DEVICES TO SMART TVS

  65. For a computer use an HDMI cable to connect from computer HDMI port to TV HDMI port
  66. For mobile device use HDMI or icable, if there is one; can use wireless device for any mobile device  
  67. Wireless devices to connect include Roku, XBox, Chromecast, and Actiontec ($49 at Best Buy)
  68. For wireless connectors such as Actiontec
    1. Plug Actiontec device into HDMI port on TV and power for it into USB on TV or into wall plug charger 
    2. Turn on TV and set input to come from that HDMI port 
    3. Turn on smartphone or tablet and set to Screen Mirroring which means showing your smartphone screen on both devices 
    4. Screen Mirroring setting may be in Settings or it could be in an app on your smartphone   
    5. When connected, your TV will show the same thing as your mobile screen 
  69. When connected to TV and playing sound or video on smartphone sends it through TV so you get good picture and soound 

    70. CONCLUSIONS

  70. Church of Jesus Christ has produced very useful apps to help us with study and Church work -- these notes just scratch the surface.
  71. Electronic devices make it much easier to get around in all the texts and manuals.
  72. Remeber:  Start small in learning to use these devices, websites, and apps, and don't feel that you need to learn everything at once.
Return to the  Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page  or  Don Snow's Class Listings Page . body>Highlights, etc.,