Why Do I Need an LDS Account?

by LARRY RICHMAN on OCTOBER 14, 2011 in LDS Media Talk

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a lot of online information and services, much of which is personalized to your identity and Church calling.

For example, on LDS.org you can sign in and view your ward directory and calendar. You can access resources specific to your calling. You can view Church buildings and sites near your location. There’s even a Study Notebook where you can highlight passages and create journal entries. In fact, there are dozens of new Church websites offering similar personalized experiences. To access these and other resources, you need an LDS Account.

What Is LDS Account?

Your LDS Account provides you with a single user name and password to access all Church websites. One of the benefits of having an LDS Account is that it uses your membership record number to access information about your calling, location, ward, and family. Church websites draw upon this data to personalize the information shown to you and to expand the resources you can access.

What Sites Are Using LDS Account?

Most Church sites have a sign in link that accepts your LDS Account. The following are the most popular sites using LDS Account:

• FamilySearch.org
• New.FamilySearch.org
• LDS.org
• Directory (lds.org/directory)
• Calendar (lds.org/church-calendar)
• Leader and Clerk Resources (lds.org/leader)
• Study Notebook (notebook.lds.org)
• It’s About Love (itsaboutlove.org)
• LDS Jobs (jobs.lds.org)
• LDSTech (tech.lds.org)
• LDS Maps (maps.lds.org)
• Mormon.org
• Online Store (store.lds.org)
• YW Personal Progress (personalprogress.lds.org)
• Duty to God (dutytogod.lds.org)
• LDS Youth (youth.lds.org)

Your LDS Account gives you access to all of these resources and more. Without an LDS Account, you’re missing a huge part of the online Church experience. You may be able to see some website information without signing in, but often more personalized information appears after you sign in. (See a list of all the LDS websites.)

For example, after executive secretaries and clerks sign in to LDS.org, a new option Clerk Resources appears on the Tools menu. Clerk Resources is a portal with training, tools, and information specific to clerk callings. A similar portal appears for stake presidents, bishops, Relief Society presidents, stake technology specialists, and others.

For Young Men and Young Women leaders, after signing in to the Personal Progress or Duty to God sites, they can track the progress of the young men or women they are called to serve.

How Do I Sign Up for an LDS Account?

• Go to https://ldsaccount.lds.org.
• Click Register for an LDS Account.
• Complete the required fields. One of the required fields asks for your membership record number (MRN). You can find this on your temple recommend or on your Individual Ordinance Summary. If you don’t have either of these, ask your clerk for your MRN number. Figuring out this number may be inconvenient for some, but it ensures that only the right people have access to Church information, such as the ward directory and calendar. You can sign up without your MRN, but your access will be limited on some sites.
• Click the link in the confirmation e-mail sent to you.

Anyone who is 8 or older may sign up for an LDS Account. However, children under 12 need their parent’s permission.

Selecting Your Interests

When you sign up for an LDS Account, you can select your interests using the Subscription tab. The Subscriptions tab presents several check boxes you can select, such as keeping updated about new Church websites, meetinghouse technologies, beta software, or Mormon Messages. Selecting your interests allows leaders at Church headquarters to provide you relevant information.

Adapted from the LDS Tech article “Why Do I Need an LDS Account?” by Tom Johnson.