Those who use the Church's free Gospel Library app for mobile devices are in for some exciting changes. A significant upgrade has been released that contains a host of improvements and new features.
Available since 2009, the Gospel Library app has attracted more than 1.5 million active users. It's a tool that can help people study, search, mark and share gospel content. While the Gospel Library app is available for iOS, Android and other devices, the current 3.0 upgrade is for iOS6+ compatible devices. (For older iOS devices, version 2.5 is still available.) The new version is available in Apple's app store.
Elder Christoffel Golden, Jr. of the Seventy explained the importance of the new upgrade: "The Church has dedicated significant effort to improve this app in order to support Church members as they seek to increase their gospel learning and inspiration using mobile devices. We encourage members to use it to enhance their study and draw near to the Lord and His holy prophets."
When a user downloads the upgrade and runs it for the first time, the new user guide will display, detailing the major changes. The new version includes a simplified interface, better content layout and improved study features.
The first noticeable change is the interface. As a whole, the app is more intuitive and easier to use. Swipe from the left on a device and open up the "library drawer." In it are photo thumbnails of Church magazines, scriptures, general conferences and much more. Swipe from the right and open a "related content drawer." Use it to see personal notes, footnotes, links, related audio and video recordings and other scriptures and references related to what is being studied.
Another change is the design. There is better typography, more images, imbedded videos and improved layout. For example, go to the library and open the new "Come Follow Me" youth curriculum. Gone are the numerous pages of black and white text and in their place are videos, color, well-designed text and organized topics. "Preach My Gospel" and "Daughters in My Kingdom" are other examples of the redesign. These digital books look and feel like their printed counterparts. The app also includes new content, including Personal Progress, and written and audio versions of Jesus the Christ.
"This new version [of the Gospel Library] will help members improve their study by inclusion of additional materials, images and videos to the content as well as improved personal study and sharing tools," said Elder Golden.
There are two ways to view video content: stream it or download it right to a device so it can be viewed later. For example, the videos section of the library is expanded for teaching and personal use. If there is a video that would be helpful for teaching a lesson on Sunday, it can be downloaded at home and played at Church later without an Internet connection. Another change is the faster download speeds within the app.
The upgrade also allows users to highlight or underline in multiple colors, create notes, link related passages and tag verses. The new bookmarks allow users to easily remember their place in a book not just by chapter but also by exact verse. A new notebooks section allows users to record thoughts and feelings or review tagged content.
Sharing content is now easier through emailing, texting, Twitter or posting discoveries to Facebook. As users sign in with their LDS account, all previous annotations are transferred to the new version. New issues of the Ensign will appear automatically in a user's library through subscription to select content.
The best way to describe the new version of the Gospel Library app is to say that the technical aspects of the app get out of the way so the content and function can be enjoyed. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve said, "Who could have imagined not very many years ago that the full standard works and years of general conference messages would fit into your pocket? Just having them in your pocket will not protect you, but studying, pondering and listening to them during quiet moments of each day will enhance communication through the Spirit" (April 2013 general conference).
