Tech Forum

We have a rural branch in our stake. Satellite was considered, though ultimately rejected in favor of cellular. Neither are ideal, but they work reasonably well for limited use.

Just read the latest message from SL on this.... About the same as reported in this forum, with the date for the implementation now given as "before the end of the second quarter." No mention of stakes being able to opt in or out, so it appears that if you have the right internet connection, you are in.

My stake (Provo Utah YSA 9th) is in the "Beta Test 1" group and supposedly we'll get access to the Leader and Clerk Resources 3.0 beta on April 22nd. There's supposed to be an email going out this next week to all the beta 1 testers. I'll report back if it has any more information. I don't know how long the beta will run, but I suppose it depends on if there are any major bugs reported.

See Leader and Clerk Resources 3.0 release notes for an update.

This is exciting news. Two questions perhaps those involved in the beta can confirm:

1) Will individuals be able to view their own home/visiting teaching routes?

2) Our ward has a visiting teaching coordinator manage visiting teaching - will this be possible, or does this have to be done by the presidency now?

If neither of these are possible, I'd like to offer them as suggestions for the future

hpaulsen wrote:This is exciting news. Two questions perhaps those involved in the beta can confirm:

1) Will individuals be able to view their own home/visiting teaching routes?

I don't have access to the beta but since most members do not have access to LCR this is almost surely not available in the upcoming release. If it is ever done then I would guess it would be shown in the Directory.

However, there are some complications that would have to be addressed before that happens (if it does). I think that the preferred way to make an assignment change (at least in many quorums) is for a member of the presidency to meet with the teacher (if only briefly) and extend the assignment and possibly let them know of any special issues they need to be aware of for those families. The means the system would likely have to support hiding assignments until they have been communicated in person. This might also mean that two assignments have to be stored at once, the old that is still showing and the new one that hasn't been communicated yet.

So if it happens, I wouldn't expect it until they make an other iteration of changes in HT/VT. Given the time it has taken to get to this point, I wouldn't expect it any time soon.

hpaulsen wrote:1) Will individuals be able to view their own home/visiting teaching routes?

See this post: "Our instructions have been very specific: move the existing MLS functionality to LCR and resist the urge to add new features or expand functionality at this time."

hpaulsen wrote:1) Will individuals be able to view their own home/visiting teaching routes?

Not at this time.

hpaulsen wrote:2) Our ward has a visiting teaching coordinator manage visiting teaching - will this be possible, or does this have to be done by the presidency now?

Yes. Ward visiting teaching coordinators have access to manage visiting teaching. Ward visiting teaching district supervisors also have limited access to view companionship and assignment information and record contacts made by sisters assigned to their districts.

russellhltn wrote:See this post: "Our instructions have been very specific: move the existing MLS functionality to LCR and resist the urge to add new features or expand functionality at this time."

Sorry, I guess I've been programming too much... Since the ability to view home teaching companionships and assignments is currently in MLS, I had assumed that this was more of a permissions issue. With MLS, custom positions can be created and granted access at the local level to meet local needs. This hasn't been the case with the lds.org tools (making them rather less flexible and perhaps less useful), so I was seeking clarification of rights access rather than functionality, since obviously the basic functionality of viewing home teaching companionships and assignments would have to be included.

scgallafent wrote:Yes. Ward visiting teaching coordinators have access to manage visiting teaching. Ward visiting teaching district supervisors also have limited access to view companionship and assignment information and record contacts made by sisters assigned to their districts.

I wasn't expecting visiting teaching district supervisors to also have access - very nice! Can I assume the same is true for home teaching supervisors? Also, just to make sure, should the Elders' Quorum wish to call someone to be a "Home Teaching Coordinator", which I do not believe is a standard calling as it is in the Relief Society, there is no way to grant them the ability to perform this calling with lds.org, right?

hpaulsen wrote:Sorry, I guess I've been programming too much... Since the ability to view home teaching companionships and assignments is currently in MLS, I had assumed that this was more of a permissions issue. With MLS, custom positions can be created and granted access at the local level to meet local needs. This hasn't been the case with the lds.org tools (making them rather less flexible and perhaps less useful), so I was seeking clarification of rights access rather than functionality, since obviously the basic functionality of viewing home teaching companionships and assignments would have to be included.

The ability to view just one assignment is different than being able to view all assignments. So I would assume this would require additional functionality in order to provide finer grained rights.