The maps feature on LDS.org is getting a facelift for a more friendly experience when looking for a meetinghouse or viewing your own branch, ward, or stake. The update introduces two new applications—Meetinghouse Locator and Ward Map.

While both applications will be simpler to use and mobile friendly, each version will also offer its own features.

The new Meetinghouse Locator will:

• Improve search functionality.
• Provide targeted options for finding a meetinghouse by location, time, language, and ward type.

The new Ward Map experience will:

• Simplify map icons, symbols, and colors.
• Provide a Google street view, information on household members, and callings.
• Improve search functionality, including searching for a household by partial address, household name, Church calling, or a combination of the three.

Bruce Hall, product manager for LDS Maps, explained, “One of the most exciting improvements with this new release is that people who are searching for a ward or meetinghouse now have a lot more options to help them easily and quickly find what they are looking for. Users have reported that the complexity of the current LDS Maps caused confusion. This release is an attempt to help simplify the most used functionality.”

For those who still rely on the increased functionality like locating a bishops’ storehouse and many other facilities, Brother Hall stated that the original version of LDS Maps would continue to be available until a more user-friendly option is developed.

Hall emphasized that as the product team continues to prioritize feedback and improve the experience for maps users, they hope to better integrate map features with the LDS Tools app for mobile devices.

If you are interested in using the new maps experience, you can try the beta versions for Meetinghouse Locator and Ward Map.

We welcome your feedback as you explore the new applications.