comment

TempleStudy.com Now on iPhone, iPod Touch, Android & Blackberry Devices

7 Comments
TempleStudy.com on the iPhone

TempleStudy.com on the iPhone

In honor of my purchase of an iPhone a few days ago, I decided it was time to make TempleStudy.com more mobile.  Now you can access and read TempleStudy.com in a much more reader-friendly way just by visiting the website in your browser on your mobile device.  The website will automatically detect the type of device, and will reformat the design of the site to load much faster, and look much nicer, on the small screen.

Hopefully this will make TempleStudy a much better experience for you folks who live on-the-go.  Of course, you can always fetch the RSS feed too, but that doesn’t offer as much functionality.  With the website on your mobile you can browse categories, tag clouds, do searches, leave comments on posts, subscribe to posts, and more.  Be sure to check out the menus on the navigation bar.

On a side note, I love now being able to stream General Conference talks to my car on the way to and from work.  I truly believe these emerging technologies are helping the work of the Lord roll forth in remarkable ways.

Sneak Preview of General Conference Liveblog

1 Comment
General Conference live Twitter feed

General Conference live Twitter feed

As I noted a couple days ago, I will be liveblogging General Conference.  This year I’m going full out and changing the design of the blog just for this occasion.  I’m dimming the lights, so to speak, to make a more comfortable Conference viewing experience.  I’m including the video broadcast from the Church, a liveblog commentary, and a slick live auto-updating Twitter feed that will be following the hashtag #ldsconf, all in one place.

I hope you will join me in listening in to Conference this weekend, and adding your own thoughts and comments as we listen to the prophets of God speak to us.

And no, this is not an April Fool’s joke.  You can get a sneak preview of what the liveblog will look like at this page.  (Note that the liveblog page will become the homepage beginning Friday night.)

Don’t forget, I will also be liveblogging the Mormon Studies Conference at UVU starting Thursday morning.  Hope to see you here for that great event too.

Mormon Thoughts on the Temple – Round #2

7 Comments

A few days ago I posted a request for thoughts on the temple.  I’ve received a few messages from some readers, but not as many as I would like.  We’d really like to hear from more of you.  I think this could be a very powerful missionary tool for all of us.

What does the temple mean to you?  Why do you go to the temple?  Do you have a short experience you’d like to share?  Do you have a testimony of the temple you think others could benefit hearing?  Does the temple have an important place in your life?  What have you learned about the temple that you’d like to teach others about?  Is the temple a blessing to you?  How has the temple changed your life?  What is it that makes the temple different from the rest of ordinary life?  Have you been privileged to do temple work for your ancestors?  What was it like?  Are you grateful for the temple?  Why?  Has the temple brought you closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ?

Here is an excellent example from a convert who has been a member of the Church for 11 years, and who has a genuinely powerful testimony of the temple.  Press the play button below:

Thank you, brother, for sharing with us your witness and testimony of the temple and the Holy Ghost.  You’ve blessed my life today.

What could you share with us about the temple?

The method is the same.  Just click the “Call Me” button below, enter in your name (or “anonymous”), your phone number, select “keep number private,” and then click “Connect.”  You will receive a phone call and be connected straight to the TempleStudy.com voicemail where you can share with us your message (3 minute limit). In a few days I’ll select some to share with everyone.

Feel free to be a missionary today and share what the temple means to you.  It’s easy and you could make a positive difference in someone’s life by something you share.

Mormon Thoughts About the Temple Using Google Voice

1 Comment

google-voiceSo, we’re going to try something a little different and creative, something that I haven’t seen done anywhere else on the internet, and certainly not in the Bloggernacle, so we’re setting a new precedent here.  You get to hear so much from me, but we don’t often get to hear from you, the readers, except very briefly in the comments or sometimes in private emails with me.  I’d like to hear more of your thoughts, insights, stories, feelings, testimonies, things you’ve learned, good books you’ve found, and experiences about the temple.  What does the temple mean to you?  I want to hear your voices!  You all have so many rich things to share that could add to our understanding of the temple, and I want to tap into that treasure-trove of faith and cumulative voice.  [Read more…]

Opening up Comments at TempleStudy.com

7 Comments

When I first started TempleStudy.com I wanted to be absolutely sure that this blog would not turn into a place of defamation and profanation. I take my temple covenants very seriously, and did not want detractors from posting comments that would destroy the Spirit, the Gospel message, or the insightful discussions that would take place here. Consequently, initially I turned on comment moderation for all comments, so that all comments would have to be approved by me before appearing on the blog.

After having the site for several months now, and having more experience with other blogs that hold comments for moderation, I have found that it seems to be a significant deterrent from not only commenting, but perhaps even returning to the website after an initial visit. I want TempleStudy.com to be a place where we can talk about these fascinating subjects, and where people can add their own insights. I want people to want to return to the site. I want it to be a resource for people to learn more about the temple, in an appropriate and respectful setting, within the bounds the Lord has set.

Therefore, I have turned off comment moderation, so that any comments posted will appear immediately on the site. This will allow more real-time interaction with my readers, and between readers, on the site. To be sure, I will still be moderating comments, and I still hold the right of complete editorial control over what is said and how, but it will be after the fact. If there are inappropriate comments, they will be swiftly deleted. Comments may also be edited for content from time to time.

I hope this adjustment will help TempleStudy.com grow and be a place where we can learn how to appropriately discuss, study, and share the incredible insights that modern LDS scholarship has provided us on the holy temple. And there is still much yet to discover.