Version 2.1 of the LDS.org calendar has been released on the calendar beta site: https://lds.org/calendarws. This release provides a simpler interface, includes a Churchwide calendar, offers private bishopric calendars on setup, and more.

See the 2.1 Community Beta Release Notes for a full list of the new features.

You are invited to test out the calendar and report any bugs, issues, or other feedback. Please submit your feedback in the LDSTech Beta Calendar forum here.

Version 2.1 is expected to be in beta for a couple of weeks before it’s released to production. When it is released to production, you will access it as usual from the Tools menu on LDS.org.

Stay Notified about Testing Opportunities

To stay notified about opportunities to test LDS.org applications, join the Local Unit Application Beta Testing project on LDSTech. To join the project, sign in to LDSTech, then click Projects on the top navigation bar. If you haven't already completed your profile, click Profile on the submenu and complete the required fields. Make sure you sign the contributor's license agreement.

Once your profile is complete, click Projects on the submenu, click the Local Unit Application Beta Testing project, and scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Join.

You don't have to be a member of the Local Unit Application Beta Testing project to submit feedback about the calendar. Anyone can post to the LDSTech Forums. However, by joining the project, we will keep you updated about testing opportunities not only for calendar but other LDS.org applications too.

Elder Bangerter (left) and Elder Rogers (right) are two LDSTech Church service missionaries serving in the Church's Information and Communication Services (ICS) department.

Elder Joshua Bangerter, like many LDS young men, always knew he wanted to serve a mission. And, like many LDS young men with a medical condition, he still had the desire to serve – no matter what.

“Once I was released from full-time service, I met with my bishop the second day home to see what options were available for Church Service missionaries,” he said. “He suggested I go to work in the temple, which I did, and then I was directed to Alan Smoot, who suggested I come serve within the ICS Department.”

During the seven months he has served in the Riverton Office Building as a quality assurance assistant, Elder Bangerter has found working for the ICS Department has brought many blessings into his life. For example, with a desire to become an electrical engineer, serving a mission within the ICS Department is helping him prepare for his career.

Mormon.org has announced a new tool for bloggers and website owners to help them easily share the gospel online. The Mormon.org web widget was created to provide a simple way to engage others in learning about the Church and highlight some of the unique members of the Church. It also includes a function that allows those learning about our faith to chat online with the full-time missionaries. You can embed this widget on your blog or personal website. For more information and to get the embed code, visit the Mormon.org Widget page.

The Church has recently created new local versions of LDS.org called country websites. These new websites contain much of the regular content currently available on the global LDS.org version, but with additional local information, including messages from the Area Presidency and local news.

The Brazil country website was introduced this week, adding to the current list, which includes Canada (English and French), Caribbean Area, Mexico, Africa Southeast Area, South America Northwest Area, Armenia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Please join us for the next LDSTech Broadcast on Friday, June 1, from 1:30 - 2:30pm MDT. Product manager Brian Fromm will be presenting on the topic of clerk computers. Stake technology specialists, stake clerks, ward clerks, and anyone else interested in clerk computers will benefit from attending this broadcast.

In the broadcast, Brian will cover the following:

• The clerk computer lifecycle (acquisition, setup, maintenance, and disposal)
• MLS download site
  • New computer management software
  • New computer setup instructions
  • Disposal policy
  • Recommended applications
• Software compliance
• Remote access
• Direct e-mail communication with stake and district technology specialists
• Clerk content migration from the LDSTech wiki to LDS.org

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Clark Gilbert, president and CEO of the Deseret News Publishing Company and Deseret Digital Media, delivered the opening keynote address at the 2012 LDSTech Conference in Riverton, Utah, on March 28, 2012. Commending the pioneering efforts of LDSTech volunteers, Gilbert focused on parallel pioneering efforts of the Church, and specifically of Deseret News.

Gilbert said that as the saints were heading west in wagons, Brigham Young sent Willard Richards back to get a printing press, which he then brought out on a wagon. This was the real start of Deseret News, which is now over 150 years old. From that point to now, the Deseret News has been a pioneer in media efforts.

Citing the recently revised mission of Deseret Media Corporation, Gilbert emphasized the efforts of Deseret News to stand as “trusted voices of light and knowledge reaching hundreds of millions of people worldwide.” This mission has been the guiding light for Deseret News in their efforts to enter the digital media frontier.

The Meetinghouse Technology Team has initiated a project to move related content from the Meetinghouse Technology section of the LDSTech wiki (pictured below) to LDS.org.

The following are several reasons for the change:

• Make it easy to provide content in ten languages (99% coverage): English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian.
• Provide clear delineation from authoritative content and community-contributed content.
• Secure sensitive content with role-based authentication.
• Reduce the number of locations where content is published.
• Integrate content with LDS.org personalization effort (displaying information related to your Church calling on the home page).
• Change page layouts (design) without having to write code.

Lesson Schedules is a new LDS.org tool that allows you to schedule lessons for priesthood and auxiliary organizations – for example, to schedule your Sunday School, Relief Society, and Elders Quorum classes. Lesson Schedules is now officially released and available on the LDS.org Tools menu. You can start announcing and using Lesson Schedules in your wards.

Lesson Schedules is now available by going to Tools > Lesson Schedules.

Viewing Lesson Schedules

To view Lesson Schedules, go to Tools > Lesson Schedules on LDS.org. When prompted, log in with your LDS Account.

LDS Tools version 2.0 for iOS was recently released. Features in this release include reports and additional membership information for priesthood leaders, directory photo uploads for heads of household and ward or branch administrators, and other improvements. Each feature is described below.

Membership data and reports for priesthood leaders

If you are serving in a stake presidency, district presidency, bishopric, or branch presidency, or if you are an executive secretary or clerk, you can now view reports and membership data for your units.

When you log in you will be prompted to set up a passcode. This new passcode requirement helps prevent unauthorized access to membership data. After a 60-minute timeout period for each session, you will be prompted to re-enter your passcode.

Once signed in, you will see a new button at the bottom of the app called Reports. Two reports are now available: the Action and Interview List and the Birthday List. Both are shown below.

Action and Interview list (iPad view)

The iPad Ensign prototype app has been updated, adding the magazine to the Newsstand and including two additional issues of the magazine, October 2011 and May 2012. The tablet-friendly app is available for iOS and Android devices. A Liahona app, with the English, Spanish and Portuguese versions of the October 2011, November 2011 and May 2012 issues will be available in the following weeks.