Are you familiar with the Liahona magazine? In languages other than English, it is the Church magazine for adults, youth, and children. In English, there are three separate magazines for these age groups: the Ensign, New Era, and The Friend. However, the Liahona is also published in English and you can subscribe to it from any country in the world or read it online at the Liahona Magazine Web site  (liahona.lds.org).

The Liahona Web site contains access to current and future issues of the Liahona magazine in text and PDF formats. Since the Liahona is created for a broad audience of adults, youth, and children in a variety of cultures, pretty much everyone will find something on the site of interest to them. The Liahona is published in English and 50 more languages, most of which are available online. (See note below on how to access them.)

• The site has links to interesting material in the current issue and previews the next issue. The site is refreshed monthly, a day or two before each new month begins.
• The archive of current and previous issues makes the site useful for researching talks and lessons and questions about doctrine and history. The material you find is available in text and PDF formats (so you can see and print the full graphic layout of the magazine).
• The language editions enable you to read international Church news.
• The site allows you to listen to and download music published in the Liahona since 2008.
• Home teachers, visiting teachers, and Primary workers will find helpful links to the current and past month’s First Presidency Message, Visiting Teaching Message, and Sharing Time ideas. In fact, the Liahona contains additional ideas for Sharing Time beyond those in the Friend magazine.
• For would-be authors, the site suggests several topics the magazine is always interested in. It tells readers how to prepare a manuscript for submission to the Liahona, and then how to submit it. Authors can even submit their manuscripts to the Liahona directly from the site.
• Youth will enjoy the archive of past posters and Mormonads.
• Children can get quick access to pages where they can color online, solve puzzles, find hidden pictures, and view slideshows. From the site, teachers and parents can print coloring pages for use at home or at church.
• Also on the site, readers can find links to an online subscription form, subscribe to the Deseret News’ Church News, and order other Church materials.

If you would like to receive updates about the Liahona, you can sign up as a friend on the Liahona magazine’s page on Facebook (facebook.com/liahona.magazine). Plans are to use the page to explore ideas and get feedback about the magazine from readers.

For example, while on the Facebook page, you can read the discussion post about the new design and configuration for the Liahona magazine. You’ll also see an e-mail address to request an electronic prototype to review. In January 2010, the Liahona will have a new look and organization, with material accessible and useful for a broader worldwide audience. This new magazine contains some engaging new innovations, and the prototype gives those who review it an idea of what the new magazine will be like.

In some ways, the Liahona is unique in the world of magazine publishing. In an attempt to compete in a crowded marketplace, most magazine publishers are focusing on narrower and narrower audiences in an attempt to make themselves the only magazine for a given narrow audience.  However, the Liahona magazine is actually broadening its focus. The entire world is its audience—all ages, all cultures, married or single. The common interest for all these readers is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the organization on earth the Savior has established to spread His gospel. 

The Liahona’s main purpose is to help people draw closer to Jesus Christ and receive direction from living prophets, who act and speak on the Savior’s behalf as He directs them through current revelation. Supplementing that prophetic counsel are stories of faith, endurance, and courage shared by members of the Church all over the world. The magazine provides a way for people to have life-changing and soul-enhancing experiences with the Lord’s Spirit. It lifts, enlightens, comforts,  and encourages its readers to develop spiritually. It teaches gospel principles, explains Church doctrine and policy, expounds on the scriptures, explores the history of the Church, and reminds us all of our common spiritual heritage as sons and daughters of God. It builds faith, instills hope, and enables readers to better develop in their lives the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ. Like its namesake in the Book of Mormon, the Liahona is a director pointing the way to the promised land of eternal life in the glorified presence of our Father in Heaven.

How to access language issues of the Liahona:

Until the navigation of LDS.org is available in more languages, you can access the language issues of the Liahona in the following two ways:

1. In the upper right corner of the page, click Languages, and select the language you want to read. You’ll then be given a list of online materials in that language, including the Liahona.

2. Navigate in English to the issue of the Liahona you want to read, then click the Languages selector within the article to view the article in another language. Note that only issues up through 2007 are available online today. A system upgrade later this year will allow all the issues of the Liahona to be viewed.

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