Gospel Library for Windows 8.1 is closer to becoming a universal app that will work the same across all Windows devices. Your LDS Account keeps annotations in sync on all your devices and platforms.

As a Windows 8.1 user, the new releases for Windows mobile and desktops have added refinements that support peripherals, accessories and traditional file management tools. Links to social media and email make sharing easy throughout.

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to integrate into your own personal use of the Gospel Library for Windows 8.1 and are well worth your attention:

  • GLW makes talk or lesson preparation very easy, and very portable on a tablet or phone. Open GLW and dock on one side to split your screen, and then open OneNote or another document manager and dock next to it. Browse library content, and copy and paste from content in GLW to your destination document and a source link will come with and connect the two. Dragging and dropping are not yet supported, but Windows keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste are quick ways to assemble a lesson outline or talking points. The result will have impact and be easy to follow and transition through. For additional help read Jim Byer’s, "How to Use GLW to Prepare a Lesson or Talk" on the LDSTech Forum.
  • Unlike other mobile platforms, content does not download automatically when you install GLW. This is because now fully a fourth of all GLW users are from outside the U.S. where Windows predominates, and other languages besides English are preferred. Developers are sensitive to a worldwide audience, recognizing that some devices are memory bound or users have to pay to download. They are close to adding support for search capabilities beyond what is downloaded to the device where Gospel Library is installed.
  • Annotations in the form of notes, bookmarks, and highlights sync with your LDS Account at LDS.org. In “Settings” from the navigation bar, sign in with your LDS Account and use the sync tool. To see your annotations online, log in at LDS.org and pick “Notes” from the drop down menu under your account sign-in in the upper right. All the highlights, bookmarks, and notes you have created for your gospel study become a personal topical guide.
  • GLW search has three levels. With content open on the right, use the “Search” tool and enter a topic and every instance will be high-lighted in the passage you are currently reading. For other items that populate under the search box, expand a selection and “peek” inside a reference without navigating away from your reading location. To switch to a new location, pick the right arrow next to the preview item in the search list. Bookmarks and “History” will help you navigate, cross reference, and relate content across multiple sources.
  • Shortcuts in search fields reduce typing to a minimum and intuitively refine your search to a small subset of possibilities. Start typing a number and the search function guesses you mean a hymn. “Ma 8” brings up Matthew 8 and Mark 8 for you to choose either one. Type “1 n 8” for 1 Nephi 8 and so forth. Selected search results are reachable with a one-thumb operation from the fly-out menu on the left.

The Gospel Library for Windows effort is an LDSTech Community project that has made great strides in bringing releases to the public. At present, it is ready for your daily use for enrichment and added support for your gospel study. As you use GLW, the development team would welcome feedback and suggestions.

See also Tony Spencer’s demo of Gospel Library for Windows 8.1 at the LDSTech Broadcast April 17.


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