The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) have launched a new iteration of a 5-year old prominent website: LDS.org.  The new site is viewable at new.lds.org, and will be replacing the current site over the next few weeks as changes are made during the beta release.

The LDS.org makeover (new.lds.org) was catalyzed by desires to bring more of the best member resources within virtual reach of a global membership; to increase content searchability; to highlight vital apostolic messages for our day (Mormons believe in an existing Quorum of Twelve Apostles just as in Jesus’ day);  and to provide tools to make the gospel more easily shareable with friends of all faiths.

Elder Christensen, a Mormon leader, stated the following in regards to the enabling of members to share their faith online through interactive media and share tools provided on LDS.org:

Content on the new site is media rich, using video, audio, photography, gospel art, and other graphics to communicate the gospel message. But the content isn’t only there to benefit members of the Church. It, like the gospel, is to be shared. Most of the site’s content is integrated with popular social networking sites and e-mail so users can easily share content and direct their friends to learn more about the gospel.

‘We’ve made it very easy to share text, video, and commentary. We want to make it so it’s transparent. It’s already there for the world to see. But we want people to do a better job of sharing it with others and having conversations about the words of the prophets,’ Elder Christensen said.

LDS.org will provide an opportunity for Church members to share the gospel, helping them to do their part in missionary work. ‘There’s not only an opportunity, but perhaps a call to action that they should be doing more that way. Elder [M. Russell] Ballard [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] said to join the conversation. We’re trying to enable that,’ Brother Gibbons said.

The new LDS.org has videos of those who have come to know Jesus Christ and His gospel (see “The Missing Piece” segment on the homepage) as well as resources for studying the gospel online, tools for wards and stakes (maps, directories, etc.) and a personal study guide for online use.

We invite all to participate on the site, render feedback, and join the launch of the new LDS.org on Facebook, on September 15th at noon.