stake and ward websites at lds.org
John S. Colton
Is this a recent development? The church website now has a link for
"stake and ward websites", on the left hand side of www.lds.org. I
hadn't noticed the link before.
As many of you know, the church shut down the individual ward & stake
sites a couple of years ago. I predicted that the best solution would
be to incorporate them into the church's own website, but never
figured it would take this long.
Anyway, just thought I would point it out in case some of you hadn't
noticed yet.
John
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John Taber
> Is this a recent development? The church website now has a link for
> "stake and ward websites", on the left hand side of www.lds.org. I
> hadn't noticed the link before.
It's new. I hadn't noticed it before either.
> As many of you know, the church shut down the individual ward & stake
> sites a couple of years ago. I predicted that the best solution would
> be to incorporate them into the church's own website, but never
> figured it would take this long.
A little over a year ago, the Church did a pilot program in selected
stakes. Each stake and the component wards posted a calendar, meeting
schedule, ward list (including individual members' email addresses)
etc. To access it (through www.lds.org/units) you got your individual
ordinance summary (along with a special sticker) from your ward clerk,
then signed in using your record number, confirmation date, and the
sticker number and established a user ID and password.
Raleigh North Carolina Stake was one of the stakes in the pilot
program - that's how I know this much. I have yet to see my current
stake participate, but I expect that to happen soon.
Hal Lillywhite
Thanks, I'm sure my stake will want to participate. I'll be certain
the stake leadership is aware of this (though I would guess they have
already received a letter to that effect).
The church website also has a little blurb confirming what I already
suspected: Ron Dittemore, who has been the prime NASA spoksman on the
space shuttle explosion, is a member of the church. In the first news
conference he mentioned getting a phone call from his son in Provo,
Utah which made me suspect the son was at BYU and Dittemore likely a
member.
Bruce Walton
>Is this a recent development? The church website now has a link for
>"stake and ward websites", on the left hand side of www.lds.org. I
>hadn't noticed the link before.
Yes, this is a new development. My Bishop read a letter about the unit Web
sites in PEC two weeks ago. The way it works is Stake Presidents need to
request to have their stake participate. Then the wards/branches can then
create their site. All pages will be hosted through LDS.Org. There are
significant restrictions about what can be included on the unit Web sites
which were listed in the letter (I can't remember the details, sorry).
Access to the unit Web sites require registration to LDS.org and you need
your membership number and confirmation date (which are also used for
registration on ProvidentLiving.Org and on FamilySearch.Org).
>From the looks of it, you will be restricted to your ward and stake's
sites. This is a guess since I jumped the gun and registered myself. Now
whenever I login I get the message, "Your stake is not participating in
this program". Anyone member of a stake that is currently a participant
and can tell us what is available?
>As many of you know, the church shut down the individual ward & stake
>sites a couple of years ago. I predicted that the best solution would
>be to incorporate them into the church's own website, but never
>figured it would take this long.
I made the same prediction. I think it took this long to set up the system
since the Church needed to establish a Web site maintenance infrastructure,
authentication procedures, acceptable use policies, and more. The
authentication process might have been one of the biggest hurdles.
Interesting that within a couple months of first starting the
authentication system on FamilySearch.Org the Church is now using it on two
other Web sites.
Bruce Walton walt...@yahoo.com
http://www.bagheraonline.net/bruce