Tech Forum

My Stake is interested in proposing the addition of a new feature in MLS we call "YSA Home Ward Tethering". Our Stake struggles to keep track of YSAs when they leave the Stake, yet feel a responsibility to track, support, and influence them from the time they leave on a mission, return home, go off to college, and ultimately get married... At least until they are 30 years old.

The missionary application tracking system supports this feature today in tethering a missionary application to both a Home Ward and a YSA Ward.

According to Elder Bednar in the latest Sabbath Day training, the time between leaving the home and marriage is the most volatile and "lossy" times for our YSA members. Adding an ability to report on the location and ward of YSAs "tethered" to the Home Ward MLS will enable the Bishopric and Ward Counsel to develop programs to support them.

Tell your stake president to take up the matter with the Area Authority. Features like this are not up to the developers. It has to come from the Priesthood department and vetted by the legal department for privacy concerns. While we occasionally get some attention by the developers, I don't think we've ever been visited by a decision-maker.

But honestly, in my opinion, the kind of tracking you describe are called "parents". I'm not sure what kind of influence the "home" ward might have in this situation. If none, then I don't see the point. But if you do think there's an influence, then I'd suggest working with the parents though the HT/VT.