List of Official Church Websites

Is there a list of the official Church websites? If so, where would I go to find it? I have so far compiled the following list:

[font=&quot]www.lds.org [/font]
[font=&quot]www.providentliving.org [/font]
[font=&quot]www.mormon.org [/font]
[font=&quot]jesuschrist.lds.org[/font]
[font=&quot]josephsmith.net [/font]
[font=&quot]www.ldscatalog.org [/font]
[font=&quot]www.familysearch.org[/font]
[font=&quot]www.ldsces.org [/font]
[font=&quot]tech.lds.org[/font]
[font=&quot]maps.lds.org

And, of course, all the local unit websites. Besides being personally interested, I believe that these are the only websites that may be linked in the 'Additional Web Resources' section for local unit websites.

Thanks,
Dennis
[/font]

dmaynes wrote:Is there a list of the official Church websites? If so, where would I go to find it? I have so far compiled the following list:
...

[font=&quot]And, of course, all the local unit websites. Besides being personally interested, I believe that these are the only websites that may be linked in the 'Additional Web Resources' section for local unit websites.[/font]

I don't know of any official list. There are a whole bunch of sites that are subdomains of lds.org, some of which are public (such as newsroom.lds.org, scriptures.lds.org, ldsaccount.lds.org, and several you have listed), and others are administrative (mls.lds.org, apps.lds.org) and generally require a password. Depending on how you define "site", you could easily say that stake and ward web sites are not really individual sites, since they are just secured areas on https://secure.lds.org, but they are definitely official sites.

There are also sites for President Hinckley and President Monson:

www.gordonbhinckley.org
www.thomassmonson.org

Regarding your question about authorized sites that you can put on the "Additional Web Resources" section of a unit web site, most of the above will work. There are also other sites that work, but it requires trial and error. For example, www.byu.edu will work, but www.byui.edu is rejected as is www.byubroadcasting.org. I'm guessing you can put any subdomain of lds.org there, but of course sites like mls.lds.org really won't be useful to the general membership.

I had the same question awhile ago, and couldn't find anything, so I started one. Of course this still isn't an official list, but hopefully it will be helpful.
http://mormonopia.com/official-web-site ... ay-saints/

gawing wrote:I had the same question awhile ago, and couldn't find anything, so I started one. Of course this still isn't an official list, but hopefully it will be helpful.
http://mormonopia.com/official-web-site ... ay-saints/

It's a nice list. Here's a website to add to your list:

http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/

The brings up another question. What is the difference between an official website of the Church and one that is not. If the website displays the Church logo: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" as is seen on the above website, does that mean it is an official website?

dmaynes wrote:What is the difference between an official website of the Church and one that is not. If the website displays the Church logo: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" as is seen on the above website, does that mean it is an official website?

Unfortunately the Church logo is not a hard and fast way to tell. The "official" sites will always display the logo, but some unofficial sites wrongfully do as well.

Mikerowaved wrote:Unfortunately the Church logo is not a hard and fast way to tell. The "official" sites will always display the logo, but some unofficial sites wrongfully do as well.

It's just a little confusing. For example, www.byu.edu does not display the Church logo. Your statement agrees with my assumption: the BYU website is not an official website of the Church. And, it doesn't say that it is. And, www.mormontabernaclechoir.org does not display the Church logo. So, by the same logic the Mormon Tabernacle website is not an official website of the Church. And, it doesn't say that it is an official website of the Church.

What is the definition of an official Church website?

Wouldn't the Church want an incorrectly displayed logo removed from any unofficial website?

dmaynes wrote:It's just a little confusing. For example, www.byu.edu does not display the Church logo. Your statement agrees with my assumption: the BYU website is not an official website of the Church. And, it doesn't say that it is. And, www.mormontabernaclechoir.org does not display the Church logo. So, by the same logic the Mormon Tabernacle website is not an official website of the Church. And, it doesn't say that it is an official website of the Church.

What is the definition of an official Church website?

Wouldn't the Church want an incorrectly displayed logo removed from any unofficial website?

I imagine that if it's got "Copyright (C) 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" at the bottom of the page, then it must be an official site. If it doesn't have it, chances are that it isn't an official site (although you can probably argue a few cases).

dmaynes wrote:What is the definition of an official Church website?

First we have to ask what is an official Church Organization. Is BYU? While it may be owned and controlled by the church, it's a separate entity.

dmaynes wrote:Wouldn't the Church want an incorrectly displayed logo removed from any unofficial website?

Probably - if they knew about it. I think they are also interested in typosquatters and the like. I know I reported one. I think it was deseretbookclub.com.

mkmurray wrote:I imagine that if it's got "Copyright (C) 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" at the bottom of the page, then it must be an official site. If it doesn't have it, chances are that it isn't an official site (although you can probably argue a few cases).

Well, lds.org has "© 2008 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved." :p I think my test would be who is the owner of the URL. If it's Intellectual Reserve, then it's a church site. Using that test, lds.org is. So is http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/. (Although mormontabernaclechoir.org has "powered by DeseretBook.com" at the bottom, but DeseretBook.com is registered to Deseret Book.)

I've updated the list with a couple of the suggested sites. Thanks for the input. There are now 40 domains, sub-domains and other affiliated sites listed.

I imagine that if it's got "Copyright (C) 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" at the bottom of the page, then it must be an official site. If it doesn't have it, chances are that it isn't an official site (although you can probably argue a few cases).

I would not use copyright as the definition of being an "official website." Any page from the Ensign or other Church source can have a copyright on it and be reproduced on a website without it conferring "official website" status.

RussellHltn wrote:First we have to ask what is an official Church Organization. Is BYU? While it may be owned and controlled by the church, it's a separate entity.

I agree with this. I think it is instructive to ask why a ward website is official but BYU's website is not.

Here is my best approximation for determining if a website is an official Church site:
1- It is an authorized website
2- It displays the logo
3- It states that it is "an official Church website"
4- The website-produced and publicly viewable pages speak for the Church and represent the Church, with authority
5- The website-produced and publicly viewable pages have been approved by one having authority (i.e., a priesthood leader)

I think these last points are critical. They mean that the website's content represents the Church and has been approved by a priesthood leader. I think this is the reason why the proliferation of ward websites was problematic. There were priesthood leaders authorizing web pages that had the potential of introducing confusion with the Church doctrine and message.

I think that's what official means. It means that it is a voice of authority that represents the Church. While BYU undoubtedly represents the Church, it does so in a academic, scholastic and public relations manner. But, BYU does not speak for the Church. On the other hand, the bishop of a local ward speaks for the Church in that ward and perhaps even in the community at large, depending upon circumstances.

But, all of the above is my own opinion. I would appreciate any further clarification on the issue.

Alan_Brown wrote: There are also sites for President Hinckley and President Monson:

www.gordonbhinckley.org
www.thomassmonson.org

There are also sites that mimic the above two sites:

http://gordonhinckley.com/
http://thomasmonson.com/

These sites are operated by the MoreGoodFoundation: http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/, and they appear to be reputable sites. There is only one problem. The existence of these sites creates confusion. The casual Internet browser is not likely to differentiate between the official site and a site that is operated by a non-profit such as the MoreGoodFoundation.

Besides making the observation, I can't really say much about these sites.

dmaynes wrote:Here is my best approximation for determining if a website is an official Church site:
1- It is an authorized website
2- It displays the logo
3- It states that it is "an official Church website"
4- The website-produced and publicly viewable pages speak for the Church and represent the Church, with authority
5- The website-produced and publicly viewable pages have been approved by one having authority (i.e., a priesthood leader)

I think you need to sharpen those definitions a bit, because right now it would be easy for me to say that something authorized by a Bishop or Stake President could satisfy all those points.

I fear this thread is losing its focus. It does little good to quibble over the precise definition of "official web site," as that question is too subjective and has little practical meaning. The one question that is definitely valid for this forum is the one that began this thread, namely:

What is the list of sites that can be selected for the LUWS "Additional Web Resources"?

I believe this question has essentially been answered: There is no official list of sites, but in this thread, there is information that will let LUWS administrators know the bulk of the sites that are available.

And I suppose there is a corollary to that question:

Are there any sites that should be selectable as "Additional Web Resources" but cannot currently be added?

For this latter question, there have been a few sites along the way that were not selectable (the sites for President Hinckley and President Monson come to mind), but these were reported to LUWS Support and have since been added. If there is any site in this category, it's certainly appropriate to discuss it on this forum and also to report it to LUWS Support.

Beyond that, let's make sure we are not straining at gnats.

I realize that this site is a sub-site of ldsorg, but it often goes un-noticed, and yet is a good resource for clerks.
"Clerk.lds.org"
Additionally there is "Disabilities.lds.org", and "Interpreter.lds.org" (not fully built out yet, but started nonetheless.)
One more..."ItsAboutLove.org" which is getting a huge face-lift here shortly.

dmaynes wrote:Is there a list of the official Church websites? If so, where would I go to find it? I have so far compiled the following list

Additions to the list:

http://www.newera.lds.org
http://www.youtube.com/MormonMessages
http://www.friend.lds.org
http://abrandnewyear.lds.org/

Those interested in Family History might also be interested in:
https://new.familysearch.org
http://labs.familysearch.org
https://wiki.familysearch.org
https://lds.netdimensions.com
http://familysearchsupport.org
https://devnet.familysearch.org

I don't know how official this is, but it appears to be an official Church site.
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org

GarysTurn wrote:I don't know how official this is, but it appears to be an official Church site.
http://www.josephsmithpapers.org

I know that teams within the Church worked on that as a project so I assume it is official.

Tom

Domain Name:JOSEPHSMITHPAPERS.ORG
Created On:30-Aug-2004 17:52:22 UTC
Last Updated On:04-Dec-2007 19:22:16 UTC
Expiration Date:30-Aug-2009 17:52:22 UTC
...
Registrant Name:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Registrant Organization:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Admin Name:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Admin Organization:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Tech Name:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Tech Organization:Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

Looks official to me

LDS Account Application Web sites tested Sun 05Apr2009:

Stake and Ward Web Sites (LUWS)
www.lds.org/units

Church Directory of Organizations and Leaders (newer format)
https://apps.lds.org/cdol
note: older site at https://col.ldschurch.org/ allows you to use your older account password

International Art Competition
https://apps.lds.org/artcomp

-----------------------------------------------
LDS Account Application Web sites NOT tested:

Temple Entry System
https://apps.lds.org/tes

Temple Square Events
https://apps.lds.org/ticketing

Travel Document Acquisition and Renewal
https://apps.lds.org/gvm

-----------------------------------------------
Sites that have NOT migrated to LDS Account and still use NetID, thanks to Alan_Brown

Missionary Online Recommendation System
https://apps.lds.org/mss

Official Communication Library
https://apps.lds.org/letters

-----------------------------------------------
Reference
Login Credentials on LDS Tech Wiki
https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Login_Credentials

Church Directory of Organizations and Leaders (CDOL. newer format)
https://apps.lds.org/cdol

CDOL User Guide PDF download
https://apps.lds.org/cdol/servlet/uploa ... let?type=3

pete_arnett wrote:LDS Account Application Web sites NOT tested:

Missionary Online Recommendation System
https://apps.lds.org/mss

Official Communication Library
https://apps.lds.org/letters

I'm not sure where you got your list of sites that purportedly use LDS Account, but the two sites above do not use LDS Account at this point. The Missionary system use the NetID (the same login formerly used with stake and ward websites), and the Official Communication Libary uses the login used for ldsmail.net.

www.besmart.com/

gospelart.lds.org

Someone want to create a wiki article with all of these sites on it? That would be very helpful!

Tom

tomw wrote:Someone want to create a wiki article with all of these sites on it? That would be very helpful!

A first draft is now on the wiki at https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Church_Websites

Alan_Brown wrote:A first draft is now on the wiki at https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Church_Websites

Alan - great job

Alan_Brown wrote:A first draft is now on the wiki at https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/Church_Websites

That is exactly the kind of list I have been looking for. Now all I need is more than 10 slots for Additional Web Resources. Can't wait for the new and improved LUWS!

zaneclark wrote:Now all I need is more than 10 slots for Additional Web Resources.

Just use one slot to point to that page.

RussellHltn wrote:Just use one slot to point to that page.

Oh sure, point out the obvious and embarrass the old man.... Just another reason I love this site.... When my feeble mind can't figure it out, someone else comes the the rescue.......THANK YOU!

RussellHltn wrote:Just use one slot to point to that page.

I have added the url to both my ward and stake web sites and sent out a broadcast to the stake with the same information. I have already received some positive feedback. I realize that this was noted as a first draft, so if there any changes later, I will send another email. It's nice to have good things to share to help increase the usage of the LUWS..

zaneclark wrote: I realize that this was noted as a first draft, so if there any changes later, I will send another email. It's nice to have good things to share to help increase the usage of the LUWS.

There have been several changes since I first posted the notice about the first draft being available. I have made several changes, and some additions have also been made by others.

It's a wiki, so it will never be done. It's a pretty good list at this point, but someone with broader knowledge may come along and add a few more good sites. At this point it seems that the initial set of contributions has stabilized.

Should we add the following Deseret Book supported web sites to the LDS Tech “Church Websites” wiki or should we have a totally separate grouping in the wiki for all of the Deseret Book web sites?

Deseret Book
http://deseretbook.com/

GospeLink.com - Search the Deseret Book Online LDS Library (fee based)
http://gospelink.com/

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/

Time Out for Women
http://deseretbook.com/time-out/

LDSLiving
http://www.ldsliving.com/

The Genesis Group should be added to the LDS Tech Church Websites wiki

http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/

"The Genesis Group was established in October 1971 by the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a dependent branch to serve the needs of African-American Latter-day Saints." ... http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/whatis.htm

pete_arnett wrote:Should we add the following Deseret Book supported web sites to the LDS Tech “Church Websites” wiki or should we have a totally separate grouping in the wiki for all of the Deseret Book web sites?

Personally, I don't think they belong in the wiki at all. Deseret Book is a commercial venture (yes, I know that it is owned by the Church, but it is a for-profit entity). The reason we created the list of sites was initially to give suggestions as to what sites could be included in the LUWS Additional Web Resources collection of links. None of these sites are allowed there.

If we leave the realm of official Church sites, I don't know where to draw the line. The wiki should not turn into a place for links to just any LDS-related site, but rather is to be a resource for clerks and LUWS administrators.

Alan_Brown wrote:If we leave the realm of official Church sites, I don't know where to draw the line. The wiki should not turn into a place for links to just any LDS-related site, but rather is to be a resource for clerks and LUWS administrators.

How about church owned sites?

http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org passes. Deseret Book passes or fails depending on if you want to consider subsidiaries.

RussellHltn wrote:How about church owned sites?

www.mormontabernaclechoir.org passes. Deseret Book passes or fails depending on if you want to consider subsidiaries.

I would have no problem with www.mormontabernaclechoir.org, since the site is owned by the Church and the organization is not for profit (but that site isn't allowed on LUWS, either).

I still would vote against Deseret Book, Bonneville Communications, Beneficial Life, etc., for the reasons I mentioned above. Being overly inclusive will dilute the value of the effort.

I just found three more, all for the Mormon Channel. They all redirect to http://radio.lds.org/

1. mormonchannel.com
2. mormonchannel.net
3. mormonchannel.org

Number 1 was found typing number 3 in by mistake and typing in .com instead of .org, number 3 was in some press papers associated with the launch announcement. So I tried number 2, and that came up as active and redirecting to radio.lds.org also.

Number 2's domain name looks similar to another page for some AvantGo users but the other group calls their site 'themormonchannel.net', it's not official, neither is their site, so it should not be confused with any of the above.

Recently I found some small sites I understand are "official sites" but aren't on the links:

http://www.ldsprinting.net/ - A "beta" site for the Salt Lake Printing Center?
http://www.ldsavd.org/ - The Audiovisual Department Intranet - If you put the domain at Google you will find the videos MTC Newsletter sent in December 2008 to prepare for Christmas.
http://histfam.familysearch.org/ - An interesting new feature of FamilySearch.
https://films.familysearch.org/ - A microfilm request administration program.
http://www.gensocietyofutah.org/ - Site of GSU.
http://www.reporteschf.org/ - A site for FHC reports.
http://www.samchf.com.ar/ - Hosted at Argentina, but available in Portuguese and English too, another system to manage microfilms.

Is this interesting to stay at the official list?