Ten Things You Can Do with an LDS Account
Contributed By By Ryan Morgenegg, Church News staff writer
The Vineyard is a site full of service opportunities for members of the Church.
Article Highlights
- With an LDS account you can request a copy of your patriarchal blessing or an ancestor’s blessing.
- You can access thousands of job search databases.
- You can submit media, writing, and artwork for use in the Media Library.
“Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results.” —Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve
Related Links
The Church is heavily invested in proclaiming the gospel in the digital community. Official Church content appears on more than 150 websites. To access many of the Church websites and resources online, only one thing stands in the way: an LDS account.
Although the Church offers numerous pages of free content, registering for an LDS account allows users to customize their experience and gain access to additional resources. Several sites cannot be accessed without an LDS account.
So what kinds of things are available to someone who has an LDS account? One LDSTech user, Samuel Bradshaw, made a list of 57 things. The inspiration for this article came from his posting on the LDSTech website.
Drawing from Brother Bradshaw's list of possible activities, the 10 most interesting things a person can do with an account are listed here in greater detail:
Patriarchal blessings: The Church keeps a record of patriarchal blessings. Through the natural events of life, a blessing might get lost or be destroyed. Members can request a copy of their own blessing or even a copy of a deceased ancestor’s blessing.
Food storage: Finding time to get to the Church cannery to get some needed help with food storage can be difficult. With an LDS account, a person can order food storage productsonline and have them shipped right to their door. Find out how at store.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Family history: It is hoped that most people have a visual copy of their family tree, but how many people have seen their ancestors displayed in a beautiful, full-color fan chart? The family tree fan chart is a new feature on the Church’s family history site. Adding a million records almost every day, FamilySearch.org is the place to find out about ancestors even if Aunt Mary told everyone the work has already been done.
Get a job: For the unemployed, underemployed, or unhappily employed, ldsjobs.org is a place to visit. Not only is it a website that allows people to search thousands of job postings, it also helps employers find employees. The site allows someone to develop a comprehensive career plan. Go to ldsjobs.org to start. If you are interested in employment with the Church, go to ChurchofJesusChrist.org/emp.
Church subscriptions: Keep up to date and informed about all of the gospel-themed Mormon Messages from Church leaders, new or updated websites, and opportunities to beta test or develop Church software. You can sign up for email subscriptions on your LDS account profile manager. Go to ldsaccount.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and log in. Look for a screen that lists personal account information. In the left-hand column is a link labeled “Subscriptions.” Click on it. Click the green “Continue” button. There should now be a page with more personal information with a tab called “Profile” at the top. Next to that tab is a tab labeled “Subscriptions.” Click it, and then on the page that appears, click the boxes of the items you would like to be notified about.
Create and share: Share photos, video clips, short videos, and musical arrangements for others to enjoy. Upload creative works for review and possible inclusion in the Church’s online library. If accepted, items could be used in Church magazines, brochures, posters, blogs, videos, and websites and in members' blogs, lessons, websites, videos, and other media. Find out more at create.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Volunteer: Learn about opportunities to help build the kingdom of God by visiting vineyard.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Helping in the vineyard is an exercise in service. Regardless of a person's location in the world, participants can find service activities that take as little as a few minutes to perform. With the generous help of volunteers, the Church is able to publish and share more resources worldwide.
Magnify callings: Receiving a call to serve in the Church can be an exciting opportunity. Often members need training about how to serve in a specific calling. With how-to videos from members around the world, the leadership training library shows practical instruction to help strengthen and guide those who have been called to serve. Videos cover all organizations in a ward.
Create a profile: Members across the world have been featured in member profiles and videos called the “I'm a Mormon” campaign. Every member is part of a community that is over 15 million strong. Members are encouraged to create a profile on mormon.org and share their feelings about the gospel. The website is a missionary tool and is intended to provide information about the LDS faith.
Write an article for a Church magazine: Church magazines accept submissions from members of the Church. The Ensign, Friend, Liahona, and New Era would not be able to fulfill their purpose without the help of contributors. Members can submit articles and photos to be considered for publication.
Getting an LDS account involves a little bit of work, but it is open to members and nonmembers alike. Members will need to register by entering their membership record number. To find this number, members should talk to their ward or branch clerk. Nonmembers will need to answer a few questions to create an account.
“Ordinary people who faithfully, diligently, and consistently do simple things that are right before God will bring forth extraordinary results” (David A. Bednar, “By Small and Simple Things Are Great Things Brought to Pass,” BYU Women’s Conference, Apr. 2011).
