Tech Forum

So this seems redundant given that the scriptures are readily available via LDS.org. However, I was curious if there has been any discussion around the subject, and if anyone else sees the need?

In terms of lesson preparation it would be nice to have the scriptures in digital format with the added feature of note taking, annotations, highlighting, and synchronization with a mobile device. Those items you highlight, mark, or make note of on the mobile device should also be available to the local client via OTA sync.

If feel our mobile devices can be leverage beyond simple scripture reading, and allow us to document promptings and inspiration wherever we may be. We may not have a paper or pen on us, but most of us always have our phones.

If a local client is a bit much... it would be nice to be able to synchronize with "My Study Notebook" on LDS.org.

Any thoughts?

I would love a PC Desktop Client!

I have been thinking of getting a netbook as a replacement to my iPod touch. I was thinking that it would be great to have the same gospel library on a netbook. It would be great for when I do not have Wi-Fi access. I would like a windows based desktop gospel library app.

I am a Seminary teacher and I have been looking at every different desktop reader software which also has a version for mobile devices and I cannot find any that work with both platforms which allows notes AND highlighting together.

My dream machine(s) would be a desktop LDS Gospel Library which allows me to add notes and highlight at the word level. It would also allow me to add notes to hyperlinks such as those links to the Topical Guide -- because there are great word definitions in the Seminary Student Study Guides that I have not found elsewhere. With some software I cannot choose the hyperlinked word in order to highlight or attach a note to it.

I want desktop software because it is impossible to make extensive notes using a stylus (I would much prefer using fingers to type and my eyes are literally cross-eyed after writing notes with a stylus). The church manuals are .PDF format which allows me to cut and paste information without re-typing.

After "marking" up my desktop scriptures I want to be able to sync them to the same software on a mobile device.

Surely, there is a great market for such a program. I wonder who will develop it first?

I've felt like this would be a natural direction for Gospel Library to go since Apple introduced the Mac App store. Clearly there is demand for a Windows version as well. It would be like a Gospel Evernote.

A more modest request / hope would be - just a standalone vanilla version of the Gospel Library with good navigation and the ability to view the footnotes. The Internet version is great, but with my netbook, there are many times I do not have internet access. Is anybody aware of something like this? Or, has any more tech-savvy user tried to use wget to convert the Internet version to a standalone desktop version? Thanks.

In reading a different thread in this forum, I discovered a free program which, I believe, will meet many of the needs expressed by other participants in this thread: http://ldsview.byu.edu. It was once available in the LDS online store under the name "LDS Scriptures: CD-Rom Edition". However, this has some additional updates and (of course) does not require a CD-ROM device, which should help the batteries of netbook and notebook users. Also available for Windows Mobile handheld devices.

This works for me!!!


Happy Seminary Teacher

This is great. I had no idea this even existed. Many thanks!

I've wanted to digitize all my notes and all my personal cross references within the Mobile Gospel Library apps, but it seems to be such a daunting task on a mobile device. My main reasoning for wanting to use the apps is that the information is synced bewteen devices.

A desktop version would be an amazing aid to many users that want universal access to their studies and notes. Is there any update as to if there will ever be a desktop version of Gospel Library as we know it currently on most mobile platforms?