Multiple Email Address / Cell Phone Fields in MLS

[aebrown]

It looks like we are able to put in individual email addresses for each member in our ward now. However, this information does not sync with the ward web site. I feel that the syncing the email addresses to the ward web site is important so that the emails will go out to those members specified in news and events even if they are not registered on the church web site.

The issue is not necessarily one of synchronizing with the ward web site, but that the ward web site does not display individual contact information of any kind. The current programming of the site only lists household contact information.

So you'll have to wait for the next revision of the directory portion of the website. Fortunately, that revision does support individual contact information, and is already in beta, as you can see here.

[deggertsen-p40]

Fortunately, that revision does support individual contact information, and is already in beta, as you can see here.

Oh wow! I love it! I can't wait for the public release! It looks like it's almost done and it has synchronized with all the individual data I have entered into MLS. Is this coming soon? Where can I track progress?

Thanks!

[rexgj]

This issue has been quite well defined, but there is another issue. More and more people are not getting a land line to their home, but using only cell phones (I'm 63 years old, and my wife I fit this category). Allowing only a single number creates numerous problems in our stake. My wife is the stake music chairman, I am a stake clerk, so people are always needed to call each of us, but the website only populates one phone number.

I know the church doesn't move real fast on technical issues, but this needs to be corrected. Hopefully, we'll see it soon.

[thesmith7-p40]

Any update on being able to add multiple phone numbers?

[aebrown]

Any update on being able to add multiple phone numbers?

Just to be clear about the context in which you are posing your question: MLS has supported separate individual phone numbers for quite a while. There is one phone number for the household, and one for each individual; the same is true for email addresses.

So I'm guessing you are asking about the current ward and stake websites. I'm pretty sure that the answer is that the current ward and stake websites will never support individual phone numbers. But that's not a problem.

The new Directory feature of new.lds.org already supports individual phone numbers. I don't know if you were aware of this new site, or if you've had a chance to look at it. But I think you'll find that it contains the contact information for ward members that you are hoping for. Take a look at it.

It should go live sometime this year (no specific date has been announced yet).

[russellhltn]

Just to be clear about the context in which you are posing your question: MLS has supported separate individual phone numbers for quite a while. There is one phone number for the household, and one for each individual; the same is true for email addresses.

What's the status on the various MLS reports and printouts? Have they transitioned to support that, or not yet?

[aebrown]

What's the status on the various MLS reports and printouts? Have they transitioned to support that, or not yet?

In MLS, most reports that I can find that deal with individuals will show what is called on custom reports the "Contact E-mail" and "Contact Phone Number", meaning that the individual phone/email is shown, unless it is blank, in which case the household phone/email is shown. So this would include organization lists, home/visiting teaching (contact info for the teacher -- not the teachee), etc. That part seems to be implemented pretty well throughout MLS.

Lists that are clearly household lists, such as the telephone directory, just list household numbers. That's to be expected, although we occasionally run into situations where there is no household number because a family only uses individual numbers. In these cases, the phone number is blank, which is a bit understandable if the report only has allocated space for one phone number, but it seems like this will become more and more common.

But disappointingly, those reports that include both households and individuals in the household (Directory of Members and Household Report) still only show household contact info. Those reports really need to be updated to include individual contact info for each member of the household so that you can see the contact info all in one place.

[rontilby]

But disappointingly, those reports that include both households and individuals in the household (Directory of Members and Household Report) still only show household contact info. Those reports really need to be updated to include individual contact info for each member of the household so that you can see the contact info all in one place.

In my ward, I populate both the Individual Phone for adults and the Household phone. On the Directory of Members that I printed on 11-Aug, two different phone numbers are showing for families where the adults have two different numbers in MLS.

[aebrown]

In my ward, I populate both the Individual Phone for adults and the Household phone. On the Directory of Members that I printed on 11-Aug, two different phone numbers are showing for families where the adults have two different numbers in MLS.

Are you sure that you are seeing the individual phone numbers? If you are, they would have to show up on the report by each individual. But this thread describes a situation where the old "secondary phone number" shows up on reports. You can verify if that is the case by changing an individual number that is appearing and see if it changes on the Directory of Members report. If it doesn't change, then you must be seeing those old phantom secondary numbers. Read that whole thread for more details on the prognosis for that problem.