LDS Tech Conference Builds Church with Technology
Contributed By By Ryan Morgenegg, Church News staff writer
“Something I’ve realized while I’ve been attending the conference here for the first time is the Spirit of Christ that is present. This is not my work. I am helping my Heavenly Father do His work.” —Andre Sanchez, LDS Tech Conference attendee from Kearns, Utah
When you think of volunteer work in the Church, images of members feeding the homeless, cleaning up yards, sewing quilts or serving at a Church welfare facility come to mind. In contrast, the image of volunteers sitting in the comfort of their own homes or offices working on service projects might seem foreign, but it is the vineyard of the present and future.
Building the kingdom of God on earth is more than putting together brick and mortar. With advancements in technology, volunteers from around the world can work together on projects that further the goals of the Church. Bringing together volunteers and Church technology employees is not an easy task, but the Church has created a number of innovative ways to coordinate the work. On March 29 and 30 the Church held its third annual LDS Tech conference in Riverton, Utah, to bring together Church technology specialists and volunteers.
Hundreds of people from around the world spent their own money and sacrificed their own time to attend the conference in order to serve. Blaine R. Maxfield, chief information officer for the Church said, “The volunteers and employees who are here this week bring with them a variety of skills and backgrounds, and this conference is a unique opportunity for [Information and Communications System] employees and community volunteers to work together.”
Seth Ogoe Ayim is a member of the Accra Ghana McCarthy Hill Stake in Africa. He is an IT manager by profession and also serves as an LDS Tech chapter president. He came to the conference to gain more skills, network with other IT professionals, and feel the spirit of the volunteer work. Brother Ogoe Ayim said, “I am trying to help people in my home country and around the world who want to read the scriptures but do not have a smart phone. The scriptures and the gospel should not be limited to those that have the latest technology. I am working on a project that will get the scriptures into the hands of more people.”
William and Lana Proctor are retirees from a small town in Southern Alberta Canada. They served a two-year mission in Palmyra, New York, USA, just four years after they were baptized. They often receive e-mails from the LDS Tech website and decided to drive all the way to Utah to attend the conference. Sister Proctor said, “My husband and I don’t have a lot of technical skills, but we have a desire to serve. We’ve learned a lot by attending.”
The LDS Tech conference kicked off each morning with a keynote speaker who highlighted completed and ongoing technology projects and inspired volunteers in their work. Each hour thereafter break-out classes were led by project leaders seeking volunteers to assist them on individual projects. Church projects include a number of opportunities ranging from writing software applications for mobile phones to designing a website for the Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple.
Andre Sanchez, a technology specialist from Kearns, Utah, USA, summed up the conference best. He said, “Something I’ve realized while I’ve been attending the conference here for the first time is the Spirit of Christ that is present. This is not my work. I am helping my Heavenly Father do His work.”
