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New Lesson Schedules Application Now in Beta Print E-mail
Written by Tom Johnson   
Thursday, 02 February 2012

Lesson Schedules, an LDS.org application that allows you to schedule lessons for priesthood and auxiliary organizations, is now in beta. Lesson Schedules replaces the old lesson scheduling features that were available on the Classic.lds.org site. Members are invited to test out the beta Lesson Schedules application and provide feedback.

Lesson Schedules 

You can visit the beta site for Lesson Schedules by going to https://lds.org/lesson. Log in with your LDS Account. Note that any data you enter into this beta site will be erased when the site goes live.

Lesson Schedules requires some initial setup. Once set up, when you visit Lesson Schedules, you can select the check boxes next to the classes you want to see. The scheduled lesson for that class appears, with direct links to the lesson material.

Lesson Schedules not only helps members know what lessons are planned each week, it helps leaders organize and coordinate lesson topics and teachers.

Administrative rights

Lesson Schedules is available at the ward level only. As such, bishoprics, clerks, and secretaries are administrators by default. Organization leaders (including their counselors and secretaries) have administrative rights to create classes and lesson schedules for their organization.

Submitting feedback

To submit feedback about Lesson Schedules, go to the LDSTech Forum. Under Current and Future Technologies, in the LDS.org Web Site section, click the Beta Testing sub-forum. Then click the Lesson Schedules sub-forum there.

Joining the Local Unit Beta Testing Project

For more information about beta testing opportunities, join the Local Unit Beta Testing Project in LDSTech. Joining this group allows technology leaders at Church headquarters to communicate with you through e-mail about testing efforts for local unit apps.

To join the Local Unit Beta Testing project, sign into LDSTech. Click Projects in the top navigation bar. Then click the Projects subtab, scroll down, click the Local Unit Beta Testing link, and then click Join.  If this is your first time signing in, you will need to complete the Skills and Profile subtabs.

The beta period for Lesson Schedules is expected to run several weeks before the application goes live. For more information about Lesson Schedules, see the Lesson Schedules Help. If you have questions, comments, or other feedback about Lesson Schedules, please post it in the LDSTech forum. 

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Comments  

 
# John Leroy Carroll 2012-02-03 10:14
i just want to get into the wards membership directory?
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# Tom Johnson 2012-02-04 09:20
You can access the directory by going to LDS.org and selecting Tools > Directory. If you don't have an LDS Account, you'll be prompted for that. You can sign up for an LDS Account at ldsaccount.lds.org.

Tom
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# Tevya Washburn 2012-02-04 09:47
So if we're just a lowly Sunday school teacher we can't test this out, unless a clerk or somebody makes us an admin, first?
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# Tom Johnson 2012-02-04 10:15
If you're a leader in the Sunday School presidency, you should have rights to create and add a class. Or if an admin designates you as a teacher for a class, you should have admin rights. But if you're just a teacher, you won't have rights yet, as far as I know.
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# David Totten 2012-02-04 17:39
I can't tell from what I am able to see in the app, but it needs to integrate with the calendar app. I was just released as the sunday school president, and I manually entered in each lesson into our calendar for gospel doctrine. It would be great if this app automatically could do that. I love the idea of it, because it was a real pain if I found out that our ward was not meeting for normal sunday school one week, and it threw the rest of the calendar off.
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# Michael Richter 2012-02-05 04:05
David, instead of *postponing* lessons, consider *foregoing* them, for instances when deviations from the original schedule are needed.

Alternatively, you could otherwise *combine* lessons, though that can be tough to do. Either way, such a change in policy should be made clear to all teachers and students. Otherwise, you are left playing catch-up, and nobody is on the same page.

Consider not only when special one week only classes pop up (for instance, we sometimes would have a "recap" of Gen. Conf., the Sunday after), but also when weather necessitates changes, such as cancellation of services due to snow, etc.

So, for instance, say we are scheduled to have lesson 5 this Sunday. If church is cancelled (snowstorm, let's say), then, for next week, we could either have lesson 6, or combine lessons 5 and 6. As you can imagine, combining lessons does not usually allow for much discussion, though.
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# Bob Jackman 2012-02-04 18:26
It would be nice to have a share on Facebook feature as well, so you can share this weeks lesson on Facebook.
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# Amber Largent 2012-02-04 20:07
Since I'm just a teacher, and not an admin, I cannot get into this too deeply. But that begs the question... aren't the teachers the one's who really need access to this site? Or at least to their class? Seems like a lot of the burden is then put onto leadership to update things that teachers can be doing.
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# Jay Zabriskie 2012-02-04 21:13
Our Stake puts this schedule together for the whole stake, calendaring around General, Stake, and Ward Conferences. I was under the impression that it was actually calendared at a higher level than Stakes, but this app suggests that it can be calendared at a ward level, does that mean for our stake to continue they would need to send a list to the ward level to have it put on the schedule? Also, why doesn't this integrate with the calendar?
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# Jay Bingham 2012-02-04 21:46
The stake should be able to set the general lesson schedule for the second and third Sundays at the stake level for Priesthood and Relief Society rather than having each ward load that information then all wards in the stake would be mostly on the same page. The first, fourth and fifth Sundays are generally controlled at the ward level and the ward or class should be able to add the lessons for those. It seems to me that having one person per stake enter the bulk of the lesson schedule for the entire stake is more efficient than having each ward enter the same information. In our stake if it must be done at the ward level then 14 people must spend time doing the same thing that could be done mostly by one person.
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# Jonathan Perry 2012-02-05 02:41
Would be good to have seminary added to the list as here in the UK we have daily early morning seminary and it would help teachers, parents and students be organised
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# Walter James Smith 2012-05-20 22:04
As a past seminary teacher (for 3 years) having to post lesson schedules in addition to the many hours DAILY of preparation and teaching is an additional burden that I would not want - there's only so much time in the day and having to post lesson schedules may actually be time taken from prep.
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# Walt Smith 2012-05-23 23:06
I recently ran accross the following quote from President Packer, April, 2012:
"Too often someone comes to me and says, “President Packer, wouldn’t it be nice if … ?”
I usually stop them and say no, because I suspect that what follows will be a new activity or program that is going to add a burden of time and financial means on the family."
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# James Carroll 2012-02-05 06:27
Here is the link to the "Local Unit Application Beta Testing," (called "Local Unit Beta Testing Project" in this article):

tech.lds.org/.../

Cheers,
Brother Carroll
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# Lars 2012-02-05 07:38
One thing to consider, the scheduling of priesthood us under the direction of the stake presidency (this is the presidency of the Melch priesthood). Let's make sure the scheduling follows the doctrines of the church. priesthood keys and lines of authority must be supported by our software. They should be the ones setting this lesson schedule. Wards take care of the Sunday school lessons (bishopric)
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# Ted Boren 2012-02-06 10:00
Lars, our stake presidency has instructed the wards to create their own schedules. This also allows the flexibility required for ward conferences, for example, where the stake may want to take over instruction for one week. Also, the Relief Society and Priesthood classes within the same ward should have the same schedule, per Handbook. So the way I see this coming together is that if the stake has specific lessons they want taught, they communicate that to the wards, and the wards set it up according to stake direction. But if the stake presidency leaves that decision to the wards, then the tool supports that too. I don't see an inherent conflict.
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# Walter James Smith 2012-05-20 21:55
Not all stake presidents have delegated lesson schedules to the wards - ours has not. So when the stake wants to set the lesson schedule is there a tool for them to do this or does the most available tool push them in a certain direction? communicating to the wards is not always effective - as a practical issue, there are always breaks or slips in the chain. Does the software make it easier or harder?
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# Lars Nielson 2012-05-29 16:47
The same lesson is being taught throughout the stake each Sunday. Again - under the direction of the stake presidency. They determine the lessons and the schedule. They choose which general conference talk is to be given based on the needs of the entire stake.

As far as lessons that fall on a ward conference Sunday, The Brethren have been quite clear on the handling of that lesson.

Again - let's have our website follow the fundamentals of priesthood keys.
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# Kevin A 2012-02-05 20:48
Is there a way that I can add more teachers to one class? I have two teachers that alternate Gospel Doctrine.
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# Vard 2012-02-06 10:25
Unfortunately not yet. Feature coming later. For now one main instructor per course and one per lesson are permitted.
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# Gardner 2012-02-07 05:47
We schedule certain lessons at the Stake Level - teaching for our times, for instance.

Will stake level scheduling be possible in the full version?
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# Rob Tonkinson 2012-02-08 10:47
I agree with that lesson schedules at the stake level are essential. Not only do we have a set lesson schedule for priesthood and relief society, but also for Gospel Doctrine, so that all the units in the stake are doing the same lessons each week. Clearly, based on other comments, the approach in the lesson app needs to be flexible to allow for local approaches since in some stakes it is all left to the units and in some it is all at the stake level and in others it is a blend.

I also agree that having the app work for early morning seminary would be beneficial.

Finally, it would be beneficial if they lesson schedule could appear on the calendar (ward or stake) rather than in a separate application. The application could post and modify the items on the calendar.
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# Bobbie Hollis 2012-05-04 14:20
The present arrangement on the classic stake and ward websites was/is that the Stake, only, post Priesthood and Relief Society Lessons. Wards and branches can post the Sunday School schedule. What is helpful there is knowing when lessons may not be presented on Sundays when Ward Conferences are scheduled, etc. I am one of the Ward Website Admins.
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# Michael Evans 2012-05-22 06:28
I just stumbled on this. I'm happy to see it and that it allows others besides Pstd/RS/SS to plan lesson schedules.

It would have been nice if there was an initial data load from the classic schedules so we don't have to set it up again.

I am happy that as Sunday School president that I can set the schedules rather than having to get a ward admin to do so. That's great.

I wonder why I have radio buttons to choose the class (such as 12-13, 14-17, Adult)? I'd prefer check boxes. I like to have one Gospel Doctrine schedule for all Gospel Doctrine classes so that the parents and youth get the same lesson on a given week.

How is the information from these radio buttons used? I don't see much use for it unless there are plans to put it on the calendar as some people have suggested. Then the youth could see their lesson schedules. Maybe that's the thought? Otherwise, I'm not sure why the age categories exist.
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# Michael Evans 2012-05-22 06:33
Something else I noticed: for classes that have a class member study guide, that doesn't show. Will there be plans to have the class member study guide available?

One problem I currently have with the Book of Mormon class study guide is that it omits some very important information: the actual reading assignment for the week. If I go to the paper guide, I can see it. I'd greatly appreciate it if the reading assignment would appear.
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# Eric 2013-01-02 20:37
Quoting Michael Evans:
Something else I noticed: for classes that have a class member study guide, that doesn't show. Will there be plans to have the class member study guide available?

One problem I currently have with the Book of Mormon class study guide is that it omits some very important information: the actual reading assignment for the week. If I go to the paper guide, I can see it. I'd greatly appreciate it if the reading assignment would appear.


I was just looking to see if others had reported the reading assignment problem. This is the only post that seems to mention it. I use the online study guide and scriptures to study the gospel doctrine lessons each week. I can use my mobile device to see the reading assignment, but I'm really curious as to why the reading assignment didn't make the website version/content. Any chance this will change?
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# Jeff 2012-05-23 20:28
I don't see the schedule listed for "The Presidents of the Church" manual listed to get the schedule. There are near enough manuals listed to cover all of the different classes.
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# Lars 2012-05-24 07:34
This is some very nice programming.

What was truly needed was to take the program from the old website and port it to the new website.

Melchizedek priesthood lessons should be under the direction of the person who holds those keys – The Stake President. With this release, the priesthood leaders have no input or control. Some stake presidents may delegate this to the wards, but that would be his choice, not those who are doing the programming.

MP quorums and RS should always be on the same lesson – to foster discussions with the family.

I must say the way each organization can choose lessons is very nice.

Have the Stake be responsible for posting Elders, HP and RS lessons – A much needed change.
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# Robert William Hamilton 2012-05-31 08:08
It would be nice if when I add an event like Stake or General Conference, the lesson for that week is not missed, but goes to the week following. This is common practice and means you don't have December with no lessons. Thanks - this will be handy.
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# Michael Evans 2012-05-31 19:20
Quoting Robert William Hamilton:
It would be nice if when I add an event like Stake or General Conference, the lesson for that week is not missed, but goes to the week following. This is common practice and means you don't have December with no lessons. Thanks - this will be handy.


It does work this way if you first create the events and then add the lesson schedule. See the forum for better discussions about this.
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# Jeremiah Todd Burns 2012-07-15 07:54
Is it possible to create the schedule once and then be able to copy it in other classes instead of having to do it all over? And can we send a ward wide email that reminds them or includes a link to the lesson schedule?
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