LDS Tools Permissions Stake Clerk vs lowly bishopric member

Hi all,
A counselor in our bishopric was comparing his LDS Tools app to that of the stake clerk. The stake clerk could do more tricks than an organ grinder's monkey, upload pics, change data, etc. The bishopric counselor could do none of that. I would think bishopric counselors would have elevated permissions in LDS Tools. Is there a definitive list somewhere of positions and related permissions in LDS Tools?

in the leader.lds.org website under the Other section there is an Access Table - this table will show by calling the detailed access.

If I had to speculate, and that is all there is in regard here, the Clerks have been given responsiblity for Technology in the Stakes (particularly the Stake Clerk and the Stake Asst. Clerk - Technology Specialist). A Bishopric member has different responsibilities that a clerk can't perform.

hansg wrote:Hi all,
A counselor in our bishopric was comparing his LDS Tools app to that of the stake clerk. The stake clerk could do more tricks than an organ grinder's monkey, upload pics, change data, etc. The bishopric counselor could do none of that. I would think bishopric counselors would have elevated permissions in LDS Tools. Is there a definitive list somewhere of positions and related permissions in LDS Tools?

Note that the feature set for the iPhone version and Android version of LDS Tools is currently different. The iPhone version has more features than the released Android version. If the counselor was using Android and the Stake Clerk was using iPhone it could explain some of the differences.

Note that the feature set for the iPhone version and Android version of LDS Tools is currently different. The iPhone version has more features than the released Android version. If the counselor was using Android and the Stake Clerk was using iPhone it could explain some of the differences.

I did not realize that. I think that's it. The counselor is using a Motorola phone and I'm pretty sure the clerk is using an iphone. That seems bizzare to me that the android version would have reduced functionality. Does anyone known the reason why?

hansg wrote:That seems bizzare to me that the android version would have reduced functionality. Does anyone known the reason why?

They are developed by two different volunteer groups, and the iOS folks got started first. There is a concerted effort underway among the volunteers to match up the capabilities of the various mobile platforms. It is nothing intentional. Just a matter of time and resources to get there.

hansg wrote:I did not realize that. I think that's it. The counselor is using a Motorola phone and I'm pretty sure the clerk is using an iphone. That seems bizzare to me that the android version would have reduced functionality. Does anyone known the reason why?

Development on the iPhone version started before the Android version and is further along. I think that eventually they will be equivalent. The most recent development snapshot of the Android version has many of the leader-specific features but it hasn't been released yet.

Not unusual for a clerk to have more capabilities in administration than a bishopric member. Each calling has different responsibilities the bishopric members is not one of administration as much as a clerks is. As an assistant ward clerk I have more capabilities in MLS than the bishopric members.

How do we get bishopric councilors the same information in LDS tools that the membership clerk has?

It is not iPhone vs. Android, as the councilor has tried it on Android, iPhone and iPad. Membership clerk has an iPhone. The councilor has completely erased and reinstalled LDS Tools.

The councilor can see Birthday, phone number, MRN, and address. That's all.

The Clerk can see a section called "Leader Information" that includes ordinances, marriage, mission, prior unit and birthplace. The clerk can also see ordinance dates.

Nothing seems amiss in MLS with permissions (does that have anything to do with it?), and councilor shows up properly as a councilor in LDS tools.

Can anyone give me some help on this matter?

ranholt wrote:How do we get bishopric councilors the same information in LDS tools that the membership clerk has?

I'm not sure you can. On the Leader and Clerk Resources portion of lds.org, bishopric councilors do not have access to membership records or to the IOS. I'm not sure how that translates to permissions in LDS tools but given the restrictions in Leader resources it wouldn't be surprising if councilors couldn't access some of that information.

ranholt wrote:It is not iPhone vs. Android, as the councilor has tried it on Android, iPhone and iPad. Membership clerk has an iPhone. The councilor has completely erased and reinstalled LDS Tools.

The councilor can see Birthday, phone number, MRN, and address. That's all.

If he has access to the birth date and MRN then he has more information than a non-leader which indicates his position is correctly recorded and is recognized by LDS Tools.

ranholt wrote:The Clerk can see a section called "Leader Information" that includes ordinances, marriage, mission, prior unit and birthplace. The clerk can also see ordinance dates.

Nothing seems amiss in MLS with permissions (does that have anything to do with it?), and councilor shows up properly as a councilor in LDS tools.

MLS permissions don't affect permissions for LDS Tools or lds.org. Those permissions are determined by callings as recorded in MLS (or strictly speaking CDOL) and can't be changed individually.

ranholt wrote: Can anyone give me some help on this matter?

Although I suspect there is nothing that can be done, I don't know for certain what councilors should be able to see. Hopefully someone else can chime in on whether other bishopric councilors can see any more information.

According to Handbook 1, the only people authorized to view membership records is the Bishop and Clerk. So as a Bishopric member you are seeing everything in LDS tools or Leader and Clerk Resources you are authorized to see. What you see in LDS tools or Leader and Clerk Resources maybe different than what you can see in MLS. You maybe able to see more in MLS. If this is the case its only because you have been given the incorrect access rights in MLS.

We noticed as we were training our stake high council, that their access rights are not listed in the access table. It seems that there was not consistency in what they were able to see. Is there anywhere where we can see their access?

rchiles wrote:We noticed as we were training our stake high council, that their access rights are not listed in the access table. It seems that there was not consistency in what they were able to see. Is there anywhere where we can see their access?

As far as I know, high council members are not granted any special rights for any online systems or in LDS Tools. In certain applications (like the Calendar) rights could be granted to them by calling but the same is true of any standard calling.

So, rather than start a new thread, my question falls along these lines.

Our Relief Society president asked me why she doesn't have more in-depth access on LDS Tools. She has to go to MLS for most of what she needs. If I look at who is running our wards, it's the Bishop and the RS president . It seems reasonable that she would have elevated access. While not clergy, she is certainly in an ecclesiastical role.

Anyone know if that has been talked about?

dotson98 wrote:So, rather than start a new thread, my question falls along these lines.

Our Relief Society president asked me why she doesn't have more in-depth access on LDS Tools. She has to go to MLS for most of what she needs. If I look at who is running our wards, it's the Bishop and the RS president . It seems reasonable that she would have elevated access. While not clergy, she is certainly in an ecclesiastical role.

Anyone know if that has been talked about?

Decisions on who has access to what information is made by the general authorities in the Priesthood Department in consultation with the legal department (to comply with privacy laws). I doubt anyone on these forums really knows what they have considered.

Just looking at the results it looks like higher access is restricted to those who have responsibility for maintaining the records of the church, e.g. primarily clerks and the bishop at the ward level. Bishopric councilors do have additional access but not as much as clerks or the bishop. Their expanded access may possibly be attributed to their authority to issue temple recommends, another record, or their responsibility for handling donations. This is just speculation on my part though.

dotson98 wrote:So, rather than start a new thread, my question falls along these lines.

Our Relief Society president asked me why she doesn't have more in-depth access on LDS Tools. She has to go to MLS for most of what she needs. If I look at who is running our wards, it's the Bishop and the RS president . It seems reasonable that she would have elevated access. While not clergy, she is certainly in an ecclesiastical role.

Anyone know if that has been talked about?

With the exception of looking up someone in a directory or printing out a class roll there is nothing in clerk resources that an RS President could use.

I to am interested in this topic.

I currently server in the following area's

Stake Assistant Clerk as the Stake Technology Specialist.

3 weeks ago I was called as the HP group leader in my local unit.

When I was first called as the stake tech i seem to have better privileges than I do now. Well really all I could seem to to was view all the ward lists in all the units which was about all i need. A while ago that changed to only being able to see those members that seem to have opted in to online directory. even for those who have said yes some have no published there phone numbers etc.

Even now that I am listed as the HP group leader i still can't see the full ward list on lds.org via tools or the lds tools app.

Surely as the HP group they should be able to give me the full ward list as i can access this directly on the MLS PC but that means going to the chapel. Also l=things like temple age members. I used to have this via LDS.org when i was a ward clerk.

I checked the leader.lds.org page but i can't seem the access table i guess i don't have permission.

Any info on what i should be able to get to and see would be great.


Thanks for the help

sphester wrote:3 weeks ago I was called as the HP group leader in my local unit.

There are no special privileges for organization leaders yet in any online applications or in LDS Tools. Only stake leaders (presidency, exec sec, clerks) and ward leaders (presidency, exec sec, clerks) have extended permissions.

sphester wrote:A while ago that changed to only being able to see those members that seem to have opted in to online directory.

This is normal. The change in calling from an assistant stake clerk with special permissions to a HPGL with no special permissions became effective. In most European countries members must opt in for the general membership to view their profiles. Only the select leadership mentioned above can view all member profile information for members who have not opted in.

sphester wrote:Even now that I am listed as the HP group leader i still can't see the full ward list on lds.org via tools or the lds tools app.

This is as programmed and in line with country privacy laws. The HPGL has no special permissions.

sphester wrote:Surely as the HP group they should be able to give me the full ward list as i can access this directly on the MLS PC but that means going to the chapel.

Access in MLS is controlled locally by the bishop. Access online and in LDS Tools is controlled by headquarters. We have been told that online access in Leader and Clerk Resources is coming to unit organization leaders. Just when, and what levels and to what information this will entail, is not known.

Would my stake assistant clerk calling not give me the same access rights as a stake clerk. Or do they now have an official calling for stake techs that omits these privledges.

I can live with out just want to check it's right. The only other useful side is so I can help with technical training which is hard when you only have the limited view.

sphester wrote:When I was first called as the stake tech i seem to have better privileges than I do now.

That is true of all STS. There was a time when the directory gave us higher permissions. That included seeing MRN, seeing youth in other wards, and I think some edit ability. But then came the big crackdown and it went away. Probably because someone decided too many people had access to MRNs and it was easier to remove privileges than to reprogram that specific feature.

I'm not sure about being able to see people who have elected to switch their profile to "leadership only", but it's possible that was also lost.

At this point, I don't know as a STS has any extra privileges over the directory that regular members do not.

sphester wrote:Would my stake assistant clerk calling not give me the same access rights as a stake clerk.

I don't know whether the stake clerk and assistant stake clerks have the same rights. But if they are similar to the ward clerk and assistant ward clerk there are more rights for the clerk than for the assistant clerks. Those additional rights in are small, but there are differences.

sphester wrote:Or do they now have an official calling for stake techs that omits these privledges.

For the Leader and Clerk Resources the stake assistant clerk - technology specialist is not even listed as having rights there. So unless the STS is also listed in MLS as an Stake Assistant Clerk he would not have membership rights. I know from other threads on the topic of access for an STS that they have no access to Clerk Resources but they do have access to Leader Resources. But I do not know what they can access on Leader Resources.

Perhaps someone with the STS calling who is familiar with their access rights online and in LDS Tools can provide some confirmation or clarification about the rights they have or do not have.

jdlessley wrote:Perhaps someone with the STS calling who is familiar with their access rights online and in LDS Tools can provide some confirmation or clarification about the rights they have or do not have.

Off the top of my head:

• Directory - Nothing special that I can see.
• LDS Tools - Nothing special that I can see.
• On-line: Access to CDOL, Facility Issue Reporting, Leader resources, tm.lds.org and Clerksupport.lds.org.
• Calendar: Stake Admin privileges.
• Newsletter: Stake Admin privileges.
• Lessons Schedule: Admin privileges to his ward newsletter (for training).