Maps and boundaries
Clerks are often asked to obtain or create maps of the unit, and are heavily involved in any proposed ward or stake division or boundary changes.
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Maps
Where to find maps
Church Headquarters
You can obtain maps from CHQ. The simplest way to do this is to contact Local Unit Support. They have the ability to e-mail PDF maps of ward and stake boundaries or to mail printed copies. Note that the PDF maps are formatted to fit on a single sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper in landscape orientation, so they may not contain fine detail of the area (including road names or names of natural features). The printed maps can be large wall-sized maps.
Stake and district leaders with CDOL access can view stake and district maps from within CDOL. From the stake or district page select Unit Boundary Maps. You can view/download letter and poster size maps in PDF format, as well as stake and ward boundaries in KMZ (Google) format.
Ward and branch maps are also available in the LDS Maps application. See the LDS Maps wiki page for more information.
Third party software
- ESRI's ArcGIS Explorer Desktop
- Microsoft Streets and Trips
- DeLorme
- Yahoo Maps
- Google Maps
- Google Earth
- WardMap
- HPaulsen's WardMap
- Quantum GIS
- Manifold GIS
- MapWindow GIS Open Source Software
- Spatialite (GIS extension to SQLite database)
- Visio
- AutoCAD
Uses of maps
- Analyzing boundary realignments
- Locating lost members
- Matching active members with members who need rides
- Creating home and visiting teaching routes
- Drafting a ward emergency plan
- Identifying households who, by authorized exception or by mistake, are outside unit boundaries
- Planning collection routes for fast offerings
- Supporting ward mission and full-time missionaries
For more information read these threads on the LDSTech Forum:
- Boundary change info in MLS
- Another mapping program
- GEO Codes and Boundary Realignment
- Tools for Making Ward Directories and Maps
- GoogleEarth and Membership Data
- Using Web Tools to Map the Members
- Ward Maps
- WardMap file updated
- Fast offering routes in MLS
Online maps
The LDS Maps application, available at http://maps.lds.org shows meetinghouses that are closest to a specified address. It also shows all assigned wards for that address, which includes not only the normal ward, but also singles wards, student wards, and foreign language wards.
Boundaries
Ward boundaries can be adjusted by ward or stake divisions. The process of boundary adjustment can greatly be facilitated by using the boundary realignment features of MLS. The first step in this process is to assign geo codes to each household.
Resources
Online training lesson: [1] .