MLS Temple Data Integration

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
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edller
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Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 12:12 am

MLS Temple Data Integration

#1

Post by edller »

I just would like to suggest to integrate some temple data in MLS.
In big wards, or even stakes, it´s time consuming and difficult to keep track of what is going on with temple work after Family Search online.
Althought members are doing the temple work it´s hard to keep track of it.
Sometimes we would like to focus on those members that are not fulfiling their duties for some reason to give them trainning or any help needed. Sometimes we just wanted to know if we are doing good to meet the stake goals for example. But it takes so long to unite all info that is sometimes frustrating.
I would like to suggest to create a set of reports showing importante info on all temple work realized so that anyone could easily check his ward status.
The information on the temples can be linked to ward registers by member number so it would be really easy to know how many ordinances where made by that individual/family or how many names do we brought to the temple in the last "n" months.
I think the integration is not that hard to accomplish and would save us a lot of time.
russellhltn
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#2

Post by russellhltn »

Personally, I think the bigger question is if the church is even interested in having units track that information.

I would be uncomfortable being held to a goal of x number of names submitted. The results can vary widely depending on individual circumstances. The church already has a major problem with duplicate work and members submitting names they have not received permission to do. Setting goals could make that worse.

There was a time when the temple provided endowment statistics to the stakes, but when that system was scrapped, the reports stopped. I image there was a reason they did that. With the new barcoded recommends, it would be easy to start that again, but they haven't.

At any rate, that's something that has to be done on the "backend". The church will do it if they think it's a good idea and when it receives it's turn against competing priorities.

In the meantime, if it's taking an inordinate amount of time to compile that statistic, then I would suggest making the leaders aware of that when they go to set new goals for the coming year.
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mlh78
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Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:03 pm
Location: Texas, USA

#3

Post by mlh78 »

edller wrote: The information on the temples can be linked to ward registers by member number so it would be really easy to know how many ordinances where made by that individual/family or how many names do we brought to the temple in the last "n" months.
I am fairly certain (though I cannot give you a CHI page #), that the church's policy is to not track members' temple attendance or to set goals for members' temple attendance.
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johnshaw
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Location: Syracuse, UT

#4

Post by johnshaw »

mlh78 - I've looked into this specifically also, and can confirm, though I can't speak to a specific policy either.
eblood66
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Location: Cumming, GA, USA

#5

Post by eblood66 »

mlh78 wrote:I am fairly certain (though I cannot give you a CHI page #), that the church's policy is to not track members' temple attendance or to set goals for members' temple attendance.

Handbook 1 Section 3.2.3 indicates that leaders shouldn't set up reporting systems for temple attendance (or make quotas for temple attendance). That would seem to preclude getting reports on ordinations done by members.
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gregwanderson
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Location: Huntsville, UT, USA

#6

Post by gregwanderson »

Is this another case where an old habit or policy has not been stopped? It sounds like there's quite an elaborate reporting system in place in "edller's" stake and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that, over time, it has only evolved into something much bigger and more detailed than it was when it started. But it also sounds like nobody received "the memo" to stop it.

I will grow tired of hearing myself say that old habits die hard.
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johnshaw
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Location: Syracuse, UT

#7

Post by johnshaw »

Much like PEC!!!
scgallafent
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Location: Riverton, Utah

#8

Post by scgallafent »

mlh78 wrote:I am fairly certain (though I cannot give you a CHI page #), that the church's policy is to not track members' temple attendance or to set goals for members' temple attendance.
This is addressed in Handbook 2, section 5.4. There should be no quotas or reporting systems for temple attendance and members decide individually what level of activity is appropriate.

It doesn't say anything about family history work, but I don't think it's an unreasonable stretch to apply the same rule. If the concern is that some members aren't meeting a goal or standard, it sounds like the goal or standard may be the problem.

The idea of trying to identify members who are struggling with some part of the process and help them is probably worthwhile and would be a useful discussion for a high priest group leadership meeting followed by a discussion in ward council meeting. The rest of section 5.4 provides some guidelines for the discussions.
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