When logged in, members can access a drop-down menu that provides links to ward and stake calendars and directories, maps and directions to local meetinghouses, and the ability to request a copy of a patriarchal blessing. Other important features include the newsletter (news for organizations, monthly newsletter, sacrament meeting program) and lesson schedules. Recently added for our area is the ability to set up donations online.

Members may access online materials specific to his or her calling, such as manuals, handbooks, and many of the features that were previously used in MLS at the Leader and Clerk Resources page.

LDS Account

To create an account, you need your membership record number (MRN), which can be found on your temple recommend, on an individual ordinance summary, or through a ward clerk or other Church leaders. Can also register as a “friend” if you are not a church member.

Calendar (lds.org/church-calendar)

Members have long been able to sign in to their ward or branch website to access calendars and meeting schedules. LDS Account, however, adds a greater degree of customization when users access local Church calendars. Users can “subscribe” to local Church auxiliary calendars as color-coded “layers,” which filter youth activities, stake activities, or Relief Society meetings, for example. Users can also set up one-way synchronization to Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, or an iCal-compatible calendar.

Directory (lds.org/directory)

Online directory of members. You can see members in your stake. Can add family and individual photos, set privacy/sharing options.

Mormon.org

One of the most visible features of LDS Account is the ability to create and share a Mormon.org profile. These profiles present members with an opportunity to get involved with missionary work online. While Mormon.org is not a social media site, creating a profile does allow members to upload a personal photo, share a testimony, and publicly answer questions about the Church. Profiles can then be searched by first name and keywords by site visitors or shared on social media sites such as Facebook.

Multimedia Library

Includes various church resources including images, videos, etc. Can think of it like an online “church library”. These are useful for lessons at home, church, etc. Can also create and share your own photos, videos, and other resources.

Specifically for material in the Media Library, you may post material from this site to another website or on a computer network for personal, church-related, noncommercial use unless otherwise indicated.

FamilySearch

FamilySearch provides members access to temple and family history records online, and is accessible only through an LDS Account (member or friend accounts can be used).

In the past, ordinance records could be submitted to temples only by taking in a computer disk or by visiting a family history center in person. Now members can make ordinance requests for their ancestors by using their LDS Account.

LDS Jobs (ldsjobs.org)

This is job search site operated by LDS Employment Resource Services. When users have an LDS Account they can create profiles that potential employers can search. They can upload résumés, identify career goals, and sign up for career-related e-mails and announcements. Members can also search local job listings submitted by stake or district members.

LDSTech (tech.lds.org)

LDSTech is the hub for all Church technology tools, such as member clerk tools, meetinghouse technologies, or the Gospel Library for mobile devices. Using an LDS Account, members may join the discussion forums to discuss technical issues or join the ranks by contributing talents to a tech project, such as helping to test a new Church website feature.

Online Store (store.lds.org)

While anyone can buy distribution items from the Online Store, LDS Account users have access to a consistent shopping cart across browsing sessions. Members can also order other official products and materials related to their callings, such as manuals. Also, since the LDS Account is tied to membership record numbers, the Online Store automatically allows endowed members to purchase sacred clothing.

Study Notebook (lds.org/study-tools)

Members and nonmembers alike can use the new My Study Notebook feature on the scriptures website to highlight verses and write journal entries that are stored on the web and can be synchronized across computers.

Users can organize online resources to prepare for talks or lessons and make notes in general conference talks or Church manuals. Users who have the Gospel Library mobile app can synchronize their digital notes with their phone and their LDS Account online.

JustServe.org

JustServe matches faith, nonprofit, community and governmental organizations that need volunteers with volunteers willing to help. JustServe.org links you to service opportunities in your community so you can make a difference wherever you are and however you want to serve. You can add service opportunities or sign up for them. (Uses a separate login, not LDS Account)

Mormon Channel

Live radio channel (also in Spanish), podcasts, etc. Can be accessed through the web, smartphone, Roku, etc.

Joseph Smith Papers

The Joseph Smith Papers Project is not a “documentary history” project comprising all important documents relating to Joseph Smith. Instead, it is a “papers” project that will publish, according to accepted documentary editing standards, documents created by Joseph Smith or by staff whose work he directed, including journals, revelations and translations, contemporary reports of discourses, minutes, business and legal records, editorials, and notices. The project also includes papers received and “owned” by his office, such as incoming correspondence.

Gospel Topics Essays

Short one to two pages essays on important topics about the church. Some topics include “Are Mormons Christian?”, “First Vision Accounts”, “Race and the Priesthood”, etc.

Home & Visiting Message

First Presidency Messages (Home Teaching) and Visting Teaching messages are available in the Engisn or directly on the site.

Church Training

Each year, stake auxiliary presidencies consider the needs of the auxiliaries in the wards and branches in the stake, and provide annual leadership training. (See Handbook 2: Administering the Church, 18.3.11).

Updated training topics and resources have been posted in the Callings section on LDS.org for the Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, Aaronic Priesthood, and Sunday School. These resources can be found at annualtraining.lds.org.

Resources in Other Languages

Scriptures, General Conference, etc.

Non-Church Resources

• LDS Media Talk: On the LDS Media Talk blog, Larry Richman shares ideas with LDS parents and youth about how to use materials published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormons”) and others. The blog also shares ideas on using technology to strengthen families and share the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Citations:

https://www.lds.org/church/news/what-can-i-do-with-my-lds-account?lang=eng

http://tech.lds.org/wiki/Church_Websites

http://ldsmediatalk.com

He says “Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming.”

So it looks a little something like this:

Desires -> Priorities -> Choices -> Actions

Is there a disconnect in our supposed desires (our goals) and the things we actually end up doing? If so, it’s time to fix that disconnect.

In my office is a beautiful painting of a wheat field. The painting is a vast collection of individual brushstrokes—none of which in isolation is very interesting or impressive. In fact, if you stand close to the canvas, all you can see is a mass of seemingly unrelated and unattractive streaks of yellow and gold and brown paint. However, as you gradually move away from the canvas, all of the individual brushstrokes combine together and produce a magnificent landscape of a wheat field. Many ordinary, individual brushstrokes work together to create a captivating and beautiful painting.

Each family prayer, each episode of family scripture study, and each family home evening is a brushstroke on the canvas of our souls. No one event may appear to be very impressive or memorable. But just as the yellow and gold and brown strokes of paint complement each other and produce an impressive masterpiece, so our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33). Consistency is a key principle as we lay the foundation of a great work in our individual lives and as we become more diligent and concerned in our own homes.

“More Diligent and Concerned at Home“, Elder David A. Bednar, October 2009 General Conference

So many things we do in our lives are like brushstrokes on our souls. As we go about our day there are hundreds of opportunities for brushstrokes. Do we pick up the brush or are we making ourselves too busy for even one brushstroke?

The goal: 30 pounds in 30 weeks. I already know a few things that work for me: measurement and accountability. It’s often said “where performance is measured, performance improves”. That’s why the blog. I also like using a “weighted average” seen in The Hacker’s Diet and at physicsdiet.com. The weighted average helps me see through the daily ups and downs on the scale. I’ve done physicsdiet.com before. I’m adding something new this time: more measurement and more accountability. I’m going to say what I eat and how much of it I eat and my extra accountability is to you. I want to set my goal weight at 230, because that’s a much prettier-sounding goal. I’ll give myself 33 weeks, which is July 1st, 2011, another nice round number. That gives me time to look good for the pictures. Once I get to 230, I don’t want my weighted average to go above 230 again.

Today’s weight: 262.4
Weeks to go: 33
Pounds to go: 32.4
Goal Date: Friday July 1, 2011

Posted via email from 30in30’s posterous

A week or so later I started my own list. It’s not up to 100 items yet, but it’s getting there. Many of the items have to do with being recommitted, and it’s a perfect time to post these given that this weekend is General Conference. It seems that Latter-day Saints have lots of opportunities to recommit themselves: New Year’s, General Conference, and even each Sunday as we take the Sacrament we recommit ourselves to following Jesus Christ. Here are a few of the goals I’m thinking about right now, each of which probably deserves its own blog post:

• Scripture reading
• Keeping up with my Spanish skills
• Fitness goals

There’s a lot more on my goals list, but these are the ones that are important to me right now. I don’t want to do too much while I’m just getting started, because it’s going to take a marathon effort to cross everything off my goals list!

Eventually I realized that we’re not ready for a house yet, and we don’t really need one. What we need for all of our stuff is a home. For some of our stuff that home is not our home. With too much stuff around, things tend to get in the way and make the whole house seem smaller. We plan on storing some of our things and getting rid of lots more. We’re learning that “guilt is not a reason to keep something“.

Although it’s still underway, we’ve made lots of good progress. Our food storage area is much more manageable, and now everything that had been there is in its proper home. We’re looking forward to making more progress on this in the coming weeks.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.

Ether 12:27-28

These scriptures both share the message of humility. Joshua 1:9 is something of a “go and do” scripture, but it has a little more meaning to me, and I even chose it for my missionary plaque. Ether 12 is a chapter that helped me a lot as a missionary, and it has helped me a lot since then as well. In my mind, returning to the Lord and displaying humility is one of the most important lessons that we can learn (and re-learn!) in our lives, because it brings other things along with it. Together, these scriptures both show us that as we trust in the Lord and lean on Him, he will lift us up and strengthen us. This didn’t just apply to Joshua or Moroni, either – this promise has been repeated to us as well.

If you haven’t already shared a favorite scripture or scriptures, feel free to do it in the comments here, in your own blog, or over on Beth’s post.