SALT LAKE CITY — Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will soon have an option to move one more card from their wallet to their phones as the church rolls out mobile temple recommends.
“With this additional recommend option, the church hopes it will improve and simplify the experience for all who attend the temple,” a statement from church representatives said Thursday.
The church said an electronic recommend will be available on the Member Tools app on phones and tablets for members who have been issued one. The mobile recommend can be scanned at any of the church’s temples worldwide.
The option will become available in different geographical areas on different dates — for Utah, Europe and the eastern United States that is May 29.
Much of South America and other western areas of the U.S. will have access to mobile temple recommends beginning Thursday, and areas in Africa and Asia will be added two weeks later.
On Thursday, the church updated some web pages associated with the mobile recommends, which link to guides for members, bishops and branch presidents, and stake and mission presidents.
The member guide specifies that members issued recommends can have either an electronic recommend or a paper recommend, but not both.
Those who have a temple recommend issued by their current priesthood leaders can request to change the format of their current recommend, but members whose leaders have changed will need to begin a renewal process to receive a mobile recommend, the guides say.
Accessing the temple recommend in the app will not require internet access, but the set up process will. Screenshots of the recommend will not be accepted at temples, according to the guide for members.
The guide says members will need a profile picture approved by their bishop or branch president on the Member Tools App to be eligible for the mobile recommend, along with a device running at least iOS 16 or Android 8 and an updated version of the app.
In a conference address in October 2019, church President Russell M. Nelson said the blessings of the temple are available to anyone who prepares themselves and qualifies.
“The Lord wants all his children to partake of the eternal blessings available in his temple. He has directed what each person must do to qualify to enter his holy house,” he said.
Church members who are striving to live the Lord’s standards are interviewed by local church leaders, who can then issue a temple recommend, the church website says.
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