I’m always looking for better ways of accessing, searching, and reading the scriptures. They are truly the words of eternal life. Whenever I hear of a new way of encountering the scriptures, I check it out. DearScriptures.com is an online version of the scriptures that now allows you to text message (SMS) or instant message (IM) scripture references to it, or search for scriptures, and it will reply with the references and/or text of the scripture(s). It includes other great features as well, such as searching hymns and retrieving hymn lyrics. And it’s all free! [Read more…]
Anyone who has been following this blog for some time knows that I love new technologies, and most particularly how those new technologies might be used to benefit the Church and the work of the kingdom of God on the earth. Last week I received a nomination to the “preview” of the new Google Wave service from a friend on Twitter (thank you!). Last night I finally received my invitation to join the service and test it out. I quickly hopped on board and began exploring.
I’ve only used the tool for a few hours, and its only available in a very limited preview release at the moment, but I’m already wondering how this cool new technology could be used in the Church to help the work roll on. For those who are not familiar with the service, it is being touted as the ultimate collaboration tool, an amalgam of email, instant messaging, wikis, social networking, document collaboration, picture/video sharing, and much more. Many are still not sure what exactly its potential is, or if it will even catch on. But from my limited encounter so far, it does seem like a powerful tool for working on things together, and I think it will be of use to many.
So the question that’s been rolling around in my head then is, how can we use Google Wave in the Church? How could it facilitate those things we already do in the Church to make them better? How can we harness its power to help the threefold mission of the Church accomplish its ends in a quicker, easier, or simpler way? [Read more…]
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.
So, 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…]
The Church released new details yesterday about the five new temples that will be built, including locations. I’ve linked the approximate locations to Google Maps below. Please let me know if any of the linked maps are incorrect:
The Philadelphia temple will be built in downtown Philadelphia, at North Broad Street between Hamilton Street and Noble Street. Several other temples occupy urban sites, including those in Manhattan and Hong Kong. No designs have been completed for this temple or the others announced on Saturday.
For the temple serving the greater Kansas City area, the site will be in Clay County, Missouri, on residential land within the Kansas City limits that is already being developed by the Church. The development is known as Shoal Creek. [As the crow flies, this is about 11.5 miles from the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, and only 2-4 miles from Liberty Jail.]
In Rome, the temple will occupy part of a 15-acre Church-owned site near the ring road skirting the northeast section of Rome. [As the crow flies, this is about 6.5 miles from the Vatican.]
So, 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