Teaching Next Sunday? Here’s a New Media App to Help
Contributed By Lauren Hanson, Church News staff writer
Article Highlights
- The new LDS Media Library app makes sharing media in Sunday lessons easier.
- You can trim videos, browse by topic, add presenter notes, and more.
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Have you ever taught a Sunday lesson and the Church video you selected won’t stream because the Wi-Fi connection is poor? Now there is a solution for that.
The Church’s new LDS Media Library app makes it easier for you to plan lessons, teach, and share Church media. The app includes videos, images, and music from the Church’s largest selection of media content on the LDS Media Library website. While this initial launch is a basic release with limited content, the app will eventually have all the material that is available on the LDS Media Library website.
A solution for poor internet connection
According to Marianne Jennings, LDS Media Library product manager, the app was created as a solution to members' problems with streaming Church media during lessons due to a poor or overloaded connection to Wi-Fi.
“Accessing media in Church buildings is very difficult,” she said. “There was a need for people to be able to download media and present it in offline situations.”
The LDS Media Library app allows you to automatically download your media ahead of time so that internet connection will not be a problem. It’s a simple way to use media in Sunday lessons, family home evenings, or missionary discussions, no matter where you are.
Unique features
Trim videos to show a specific clip.
Create playlists to organize your media.
Have you ever wanted to share just a portion of a general conference talk or hymn? The LDS Media Library app has a unique feature that allows members to trim videos or songs to the exact clip they would like to show.
The app allows you to browse by topic and add the media to your playlists for easy use during lessons. You can also shift the content in the playlists and even add presenter notes. This media can easily be shared through email or social media.
If you have access to Chromecast or Apple TV, you can also cast your playlist to a larger screen so the class doesn’t have to huddle around your small device.
Future plans
In the coming months, the app will include the ability to add text slides to your presentation, such as scriptures and quotes, integrated from the Gospel Library app.
Another planned feature includes adding pictures and videos from your camera roll. This gives you the opportunity to share personal experiences using your own media.
Where can I download it?
The LDS Media Library app for iOS and Android can be downloaded at the App Store or Google Play. The app is available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English, although currently only English content is available. In the next month or so, Spanish and Portuguese content will be added. Additional languages and media in different languages will be added throughout the year.
Feel free to give feedback to ldsmedalibrary@ChurchofJesusChrist.org about how the app is working for you!
“We want it to be a useful tool, so let us know what is working, what is not, and what would make it better,” said Sister Jennings. “Our job is to make it easy for members to find, use, and share Church media.”
For a step-by-step user guide for the app, visit the LDS Media Library App landing page.
