LDS Tools App


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I've never had any issues with it. But my Gospel Library app hasn't updated since they announced the new edition of the scriptures.

I removed all the scriptures then downloaded them again and then I had the updated versions. There is no update function in Gospel Library that I know of.

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I removed all the scriptures then downloaded them again and then I had the updated versions. There is no update function in Gospel Library that I know of.

So I'm guessing that means that any notes you made in your downloaded scriptures were lost. Is this correct?

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So I'm guessing that means that any notes you made in your downloaded scriptures were lost. Is this correct?

No, all my highlights, notes, etc remained in tact after removing the old scriptures, rebooting and then reinstalling all the scriptures and study guides.

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What is the issue you are having? Earlier versions had some bugs, but recent updates seem to have fixed them for me.

It goes through the almost the whole download and then says there were download issues.

I thought maybe it was because my email address on my lds account was different from the email address I use on my phone so I change that to match and still have the problem.

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My Gospel Library app on my Android, was easy to update the day the new scripture versions were announced.

Haven't had much trouble with the LDS Tools app. I just check for updates / sync it once a month to be sure it's the most current information and version.

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So I'm guessing that means that any notes you made in your downloaded scriptures were lost. Is this correct?

I know that an answer to your question was already given, I just wanted to add that I downoaded the official LDS app to my Kindle. The app can "sync" with LDS.org to update/maintain whatever I do on any device. Because what I am doing isn't really just on the device itself, but on my account at LDS.org. So removing the official LDS app from a single device will not erase what I have saved to the LDS.org site. I guess only something happening to the site itself would erase my saved "markings" and notes.

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Just an observation - you know I teach information policy, part of which includes issues of privacy and control of our own information. Until I started fooling around on the LDS site, I had no idea that the Church mapped out locations for church members.

I just bought myself another tablet the other week and downloaded the LDS Tools app. Once again, there were all my ward friends - names, addresses, callings, etc.

Part of me finds this frightening. I never gave the church permission to share my contact info with people in the ward. While we all hope that our ward members are goodly people, what if they aren't? What if someone wanted to harass, engage in identity theft, whatever - there's all that information available with out any effort.

I'm sure other churches have directories, but I can look at a map and track down everyone. For some reason that strikes me as quite different from a list of names and phone numbers.

I decided to suck it up and not say anything, but I just wonder if all this availability to other people makes folks just a bit uncomfortable, or, since it's the Church, you don't see a problem. I'm a gal who's always had unlisted, unpublished phone numbers. I don't even have caller ID because I don't want to invade someone else's privacy. : ) So, maybe I'm an outlier on this, but I am curious how people feel about this.

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Until now, I haven't really given this much thought. Here are some of my thoughts:

1) If someone wanted to harass you, there are plenty of ways to get someone's information to do so - including contact information on the ward list. But wouldn't most harassment be personal? Meaning with people you already know? I don't think a perfect stranger is going to pick up a ward list and start harassing people. (And no, home & visiting teaching doesn't count!) :)

2) For identity theft, the online apps don't directly show DOB. However, that information is easily obtained in the ward clerk's office - and I'd be more concerned about primary children's information being used and abused. Adult DOB is rarely, if ever, disclosed on applications for member use.

I would think that the Church (ward & stake level) distributes more sensitive information on a "need to know" basis. With my cub scouts, I have all their dates of birth... and it isn't encrypted on my computer either, now that I think about it. I suppose that's the problem of having age-based classes and programs. Everyone needs to know your age in order to determine where you go... at least as a youth.

I know that this probably isn't helping, but I really don't have anything that I can think of that would help... at least at this point.

Perhaps someone who has served as a ward clerk can chime in and offer additional perspective.

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I'm not saying that non-members could get access to the info (tho I guess anything can be hacked), I'm wondering what could happen if a member went rogue and decided to harass someone in the ward? People get bent out of shape about all kinds of things, now we've made it easier for them to get to their targets.

Maybe this isn't an issue, but in the back of my mind I always have the 'He was such a nice guy. Who knew he'd go out and kill 5 people?' scenario. So far, I guess no one has abused their access to this info, but there's always that first time. Also, how does the ward treat this info? If a disgruntled, dangerous, ex called around trying to locate their ex spouse, would the ward clerk give them the address? I mean, Mormons are so nice and all, unless the clerk knew the ward member was trying to hide out from the ex, they'd probably be taken in by a smooth talker and give out the info - unless they are counseled to treat it all as confidential.

I like to go down these paths, but sometimes they don't lead anywhere, they just make for interesting discussion in class. : )

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Just an observation - you know I teach information policy, part of which includes issues of privacy and control of our own information. Until I started fooling around on the LDS site, I had no idea that the Church mapped out locations for church members.

I just bought myself another tablet the other week and downloaded the LDS Tools app. Once again, there were all my ward friends - names, addresses, callings, etc.

Part of me finds this frightening. I never gave the church permission to share my contact info with people in the ward. While we all hope that our ward members are goodly people, what if they aren't? What if someone wanted to harass, engage in identity theft, whatever - there's all that information available with out any effort.

I'm sure other churches have directories, but I can look at a map and track down everyone. For some reason that strikes me as quite different from a list of names and phone numbers.

I decided to suck it up and not say anything, but I just wonder if all this availability to other people makes folks just a bit uncomfortable, or, since it's the Church, you don't see a problem. I'm a gal who's always had unlisted, unpublished phone numbers. I don't even have caller ID because I don't want to invade someone else's privacy. : ) So, maybe I'm an outlier on this, but I am curious how people feel about this.

That was my exact reaction also. So when I signed in I changed the settings for my information. What bothers me is that the information was made available without letting members know that they needed to manage the access.

I'm not going to stay quiet about it. I will bring the issue to my Bishop.

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You mean the exact same info that anyone can go to their local ward clerk and get with a simple request? All some one has to do is ask for a copy of the Ward Directory and all your info that you see online is there.

The difference is that there is a live person being asked for the information.

As I went through the privacy settings I was surprised to realize that it wasn't just my ward (info on the ward directory) but my unpublished number and a map of where I live was available on the Stake level, with the click of a button on anyone's computer or phone in any setting.

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The difference is that there is a live person being asked for the information.

As I went through the privacy settings I was surprised to realize that it wasn't just my ward (info on the ward directory) but my unpublished number and a map of where I live was available on the Stake level, with the click of a button on anyone's computer or phone in any setting.

And exactly who are you worried about getting this info? In order to see anything in the directory you have to be signed in to an account linked to your membership number. A number that most people will not know or remember and will need to ask the Clerk for... Therefore the bulk of the people can see your information will be the exact same people that can get a hard copy from the Clerk.

By the very setup of the system the only people that can see your info are the ones in your local area that could get it anyway... With just a little bit of work.

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And exactly who are you worried about getting this info? In order to see anything in the directory you have to be signed in to an account linked to your membership number. A number that most people will not know or remember and will need to ask the Clerk for... Therefore the bulk of the people can see your information will be the exact same people that can get a hard copy from the Clerk.

By the very setup of the system the only people that can see your info are the ones in your local area that could get it anyway... With just a little bit of work.

Sometimes that little bit of work will stop someone whose motives are not honest.

Most peopled in our area have their membership record, know where it is and can access the ward/stake sites. I'm protecting a grandchild from his mother and her family. We're already being harassed. Just because a person has a membership number doesn't make them above reproach.

My concern is that unpublished information was published, without permission. We share our phone number with ward members only, and beyond that its need to know.

I was surprised how much was available.

I guess unless you've been on the side of bad things happening because of supposedly good people its hard to understand my concern.

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Sometimes that little bit of work will stop someone whose motives are not honest.

Most peopled in our area have their membership record, know where it is and can access the ward/stake sites. I'm protecting a grandchild from his mother and her family. We're already being harassed. Just because a person has a membership number doesn't make them above reproach.

My concern is that unpublished information was published, without permission. We share our phone number with ward members only, and beyond that its need to know.

I was surprised how much was available.

I guess unless you've been on the side of bad things happening because of supposedly good people its hard to understand my concern.

Right lets take the case of a family issue. Lets say an abusive husband/father that knows his record number and has access to directories on LDS.org. The wife and kids need to be protected... What do they do?... Move far away if they can.. once they are out of the Stake LDS.ORG is no help to the father. If they have to stay in the same stake... well it is a limited geographical area... The husband/father could simply attend every church until he finds them with his own eyeballs.

If the mother/wife flees with her kids and starts over. Then the father is going to need some other clue as to the area and then he will need to move there (or at least have his records moved)... Once that happens then yes LDS.ORG would be helpful to him. But even if the Wife and Kids didn't show up on LDS.ORG what ever it was that led him there is what endangered them and potentially gives him access again because he is now within physically finding range again.

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Any database or record designed to aid in identifying and contacting someone can be abused. The fact that abuse is possible does not mean the record or database is bad.

If some information should not be displayed, then simply make that known to the Church, and I expect it will be taken care of. I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if I were. Does anyone have any actual experience with this not happening?

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Any database or record designed to aid in identifying and contacting someone can be abused. The fact that abuse is possible does not mean the record or database is bad.

If some information should not be displayed, then simply make that known to the Church, and I expect it will be taken care of. I may be wrong, but I would be surprised if I were. Does anyone have any actual experience with this not happening?

Right on the profile you have the option to selectively choose which information is available to viewing at various levels. Stake, Ward, Or Leadership Only. The issue seems to be that it is an opt out system... aka it defaults to Stake Level for all the information

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You mean the exact same info that anyone can go to their local ward clerk and get with a simple request? All some one has to do is ask for a copy of the Ward Directory and all your info that you see online is there.

You don't see a problem with that? I'm only partially being argumentative here.

One of the issues in info policy is the availability of public information and how/if format changes things. For example, bankruptcy, marriage, divorce, real estate transactions are available to the public. In the past, you had to go down to city hall or the court house and dig through big books to get at the info. This discouraged most people from doing fishing expeditions on their neighbors. Now, it is all online. Does having it online make a difference, when the info is public anyway? There have been lawsuits over this.

But, my the info I provide to the church is not public information. They didn't ask to put it online, they didn't tell me it would go online, nor did I indicate in some manner that they could put it online.

At the very least, the ward clerk should tell folks that 1) their contact info is going to be available to anyone with access to LDS tools, and 2) that they have a choice (if they do) to make it available or not.

I admit that I am taking an academic view since it falls into an area addressed in my grad class on info policy. Perhaps real life is different. The troubling thing is that, every so often, something that was only an academic discussion has a way of making the 6 o'clock news.

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You don't see a problem with that? I'm only partially being argumentative here.

One of the issues in info policy is the availability of public information and how/if format changes things. For example, bankruptcy, marriage, divorce, real estate transactions are available to the public. In the past, you had to go down to city hall or the court house and dig through big books to get at the info. This discouraged most people from doing fishing expeditions on their neighbors. Now, it is all online. Does having it online make a difference, when the info is public anyway? There have been lawsuits over this.

But, my the info I provide to the church is not public information. They didn't ask to put it online, they didn't tell me it would go online, nor did I indicate in some manner that they could put it online.

At the very least, the ward clerk should tell folks that 1) their contact info is going to be available to anyone with access to LDS tools, and 2) that they have a choice (if they do) to make it available or not.

I admit that I am taking an academic view since it falls into an area addressed in my grad class on info policy. Perhaps real life is different. The troubling thing is that, every so often, something that was only an academic discussion has a way of making the 6 o'clock news.

Compared to what?... From LDS.org you can get addresses, and phone numbers. But to do this you have to have a current Membership record number linked to an LDS.org account, you have to live within the geographical area, and you have to know the persons name.

With a simple google search on a name (if it is uncommon and an area if it is not) you can generally get the exact same info.

While I can understand an interest in an academic discussion... Getting on the church's case and in a bishops face for not having 'locked the barn door' when the horses are clearly already running free seems very overly reactionary.

If you want to target some organization for change in how it handles private information... Target the government because it is by far the worst offender of the lot. And you can make the most impactful social change there

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