On the Web

Updates to LDS.org Calendar Improve Usability

A major update to the calendar under “Tools” on LDS.org will give ward and stake clerks, building schedulers, and general members a more effective way to keep track of and coordinate ward and stake events.

Launched in October 2011, Calendar 2.0 includes both interface and functionality improvements and is available in 11 languages. To access the calendar, go to Tools > Calendar on LDS.org and log in with your LDS Account.

The calendar will continue to undergo improvements. Users can read a detailed explanation of the calendar and watch short instructional videos online.

BillionGraves Genealogy Webinar Highlights New Technology

A new mobile device app called BillionGraves, which combines GPS location data with the pictures users take of gravestones, was highlighted by FamilySearch presenter Tim Cross at the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) November webinar.

The app, which is available free of charge on Google Android and Apple iOS devices, enables volunteers to upload photos of headstones they take with their phones to an online database, where they are mapped, transcribed, and linked to FamilySearch. The photographing and transcribing effort has already generated 250,000 headstone transcriptions in six months, Brother Cross said.

The recording of the webinar is available on the UGA website at infouga.org; UGA membership is required for access.

Gospel Art and Photos Available in the Image Library

LDS Media Library is now offering a new feature: an image compendium designed to simplify locating, downloading, and sharing gospel-related graphics.

Located at lds.org/media-library/images, the Image Library offers image options for use on mobile devices or tablets, as computer wallpapers, or for print production.

Some of the visuals found on the website will be familiar because they also appear in the Gospel Art Kit. Other images, however, are appearing on LDS.org for the first time and come from vineyard.lds.org, where members can donate photos for use in Church media.

Upon release, the library contained 2,400 images in 43 searchable categories; more images are being added each month. They are available free of charge for noncommercial use.

LDS Accounts Give Access to Church Resources Online

LDS Accounts, which provide members with a single user name and password to interact with Church resources online, are making the browsing experience more personal. They open up a wealth of features on many Church websites, such as access to online ward or branch membership directories, temple ordinance records on the new FamilySearch, and study tools for scriptures and other Church materials.

Currently, more than a dozen Church websites use LDS Account. For descriptions of some of the most popular ones, visit news.lds.org and search using keywords “LDS Accounts.”

The LDS Media Library on LDS.org now offers gospel-related images for downloading or sharing.