In the USA, e-books made up nearly a quarter (22.55%) of trade publishers’ book sales in 2012. That’s up from 17% in 2011 and only 3% in 2009.

The Church began publishing e-books back in 2011. Many people enjoy having books on a mobile device so they can carry them easily and always have them available to read anywhere, anytime. Learn more about e-books.

The Media Library on LDS.org (lds.org/media-library) now has a page for PDFs and E-Books where you can discover and download digital versions of most Church publications, including scriptures, general conference, and lesson manuals in various formats in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Below is a description of the various formats:

PDF Files

Files in the .pdf format can be viewed on most mobile devices. These files show the full graphic layout of the publication, but they may not always be as comfortable to read as .epub or .mobi files because you can’t re-size the text.

Almost every Church publication is available in PDF format. When you are on the table of contents page for a publication, notice the far right column labeled “Download.” Click the download icon for the entire publication on the first row or click the icon on any other row for an individual chapter or article. In the pop-up window, choose “Text” and it will open the PDF which you can view on screen or save to read later.

EPUB

Books in .epub format can be read on Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, and Adobe Digital Editions.

Kindle MOBI

Books in the Kindle .mobi format can be read on Amazon Kindle devices and Kindle apps.

Amazon Kindle Store: You can find Church materials in the Kindle .mobi format at the Amazon Kindle store. Some of them are free and others are available for Amazon’s minimum price.

LDS.org: All items are available for free from LDS.org Media Library.

Other sites: A member has also converted many Church materials into the .mobi format and makes them available free at MobiPocket EBooks.

Gospel Library app

Rather than manage individual files on your mobile device, you can also get Church publications within the Gospel Library mobile app. The mobile app lets you study the scriptures, general conference, magazines, manuals, and other publications. You can highlight, link, take notes, and add your own subject tags, and all this syncs regardless of the device you use.

Side Loading

If you download the files above from a site other than the store available on your device, you may have additional steps to get the files available on your device. This process is known as “side loading.”

• Here is an article from Smashwords.com with instructions on how to get EPUB files onto your mobile device.
• If you download from LDS.org, you will need to transfer the items to your Kindle device. Here is an article from Smashwords.com with instructions on how to get MOBI files onto your mobile device.
• An option for side loading e-books on to a device is using a free application called Calibre, which converts epub-formatted books and transfer them to Kindle devices. Calibre also can act as a library— similar to how the iTunes desktop application works— and transfers e-book files to most devices. It’s a great way to manage and your e-book library and transfer books to e-readers.

For additional information on upcoming test projects or other e-books that are being released, visit the LDS Tech Wiki page Interactive Books and Magazines.