members without LDS accounts

Is it possible to generate a report to find out which members (specifically elders) don't have LDS accounts?

Thanks,
Travis

No. That information is not available. The only way you could possibly get that information would be to ask each member individually if they have an account.

That's kind of what I figured. It would be a nice feature for clerks etc.


Thanks for your quick response

Travis

marbletravis wrote:That's kind of what I figured. It would be a nice feature for clerks etc.

Why would it be a nice feature? Having an LDS account is a personal decision, no one has a need to know who has an account and who doesn't have an account.

Gary_Miller wrote:Why would it be a nice feature? Having an LDS account is a personal decision, no one has a need to know who has an account and who doesn't have an account.

I can think of lots of reasons. Here's just one example: someone is called as a Primary president, and the calling of Primary president is connected to editing rights on the Calendar and to publishing rights on the Newsletter. If a clerk knows that she doesn't have an LDS Account, he could offer to help her set up an account, or ask her who else in her presidency she'd like to designate to perform those functions.

Because the LDS Account is tied to permissions that are tied to callings, and thus affect the way in which certain duties can be performed, it isn't entirely a personal decision. Of course no one is obligated to obtain an LDS Account, but that decision for leaders will affect others.

It's one thing to encourage people to get an account and tell them about the great advantages of using it. But checking on them (without their knowledge) to see if they have an account seems kind of "nosey." So I would simply say you need to be bold enough to ask the Elders in their quorum meeting who has an account. A fifth Sunday seems like a great time to give a presentation to all of the adults about all of the great things you can do with an LDS Account. (I did such a presentation two years ago focused mainly on the new LDS.org website... and I'd say we should do it again because much has changed in two years.)

aebrown wrote:Because the LDS Account is tied to permissions that are tied to callings, and thus affect the way in which certain duties can be performed, it isn't entirely a personal decision.

Not only is it personal its also a private decision no one has a right to know if someone has and account or not.

aebrown wrote:Of course no one is obligated to obtain an LDS Account, but that decision for leaders will affect others.

While not having an LDS Account may limit a leader in fulfillment of their calling. There is no need for anyone to have the capabilities to see who does or does not have an account.

Its much more important to provide people with training so they can see whats available for their use, then let them decide.

It sort of falls along the lines of teaching correct principles and then letting one govern themselves.

Gary_Miller wrote:

aebrown wrote:Because the LDS Account is tied to permissions that are tied to callings, and thus affect the way in which certain duties can be performed, it isn't entirely a personal decision.

Not only is it personal its also a private decision no one has a right to know if someone has and account or not.

Although you are welcome to hold this particular opinion of yours, please note that it is only an opinion. I very much doubt that you can find any official documentation that says this.

The fact is that there are many people who know or can look up whether you have an LDS Account. Certainly anyone on the LDS Account support team, and their managers, and a variety of Church employees. Is there any fundamental reason the knowledge of a person's LDS Account status is more private than seeing, for example, annotations on a membership record, which the bishop and clerks in a person's ward, as well as the stake president and clerks in a person's stake, can all see? In my opinion, the answer to that question is obvious.

I very much doubt that you and I will come to agreement on this particular issue. But hopefully we can agree that this specific point is indeed a matter of opinion; I'm certainly willing to admit that I cannot find documentation that says that leaders should be able to know if one of their members has an LDS Account, and I imagine you're willing to admit that you can't find documentation that says the opposite.

Perhaps the real issue isn't about having a "sneaky" way to find out who has an LDS Account. It's "What are you going to do with that information?" If you try to pressure people into setting up their account when they're really not interested then that's not going to do any good. Like: "Okay, I brought my computer to class today so that all you Elders without an LDS Account can set one up right now while we're all here together." Seems like an awkward situation that might offend one person just as much as it might be a genuine service to the next guy. Some people are proud to be "computer illiterate." Others aren't.

You'll need to "make them want it." I've seen situations where someone who wasn't very interested (or wasn't interested in computers) had an account set up for them by some well-meaning individual but then, of course, they didn't use it, they forgot their password, etc., etc.. Maybe someone will eventually want/need it to use FamilySearch.org... so let them wait until they want it before compelling them to have it. Be a better salesman.

aebrown wrote:I very much doubt that you and I will come to agreement on this particular issue.

And that's OK I don't expect total agreement in all things.

aebrown wrote:But hopefully we can agree that this specific point is indeed a matter of opinion;

While it is indeed my opinion, that opinion is based on the true principle of self governance and the freedom to choose for ones self.

I'm much more interested in getting anonymous, unique user statistics on the various LDS.org sites for my ward than in knowing who has an account. That would help me help the members more than in knowing who has an LDS Account.

The main reason I would be interested in knowing if someone has an lds account is because it would give me an idea of who is subscribed to calendar notifications and who had access to the digital ward directory. It's not a big deal, but I personally don't think it's any more nosey to know that they have an lds account than it is to know their record number or whether or not they have a temple recommend.

Deggertsen wrote:The main reason I would be interested in knowing if someone has an lds account is because it would give me an idea of who is subscribed to calendar notifications and who had access to the digital ward directory. It's not a big deal, but I personally don't think it's any more nosey to know that they have an lds account than it is to know their record number or whether or not they have a temple recommend.

There's a big difference in knowledge of a person's recommend and record number. The only way I know of to determine if a person has an LDS account is to pose the question in a Priesthood meeting or pass a list around and ask after explaining why you need it.