LDS Church Materials Can Be Purchased and Accessed in Many Ways

Mormons Can Shop Online, at a Distribution Center or at Deseret Book

Book of Mormon

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The curriculum in the Church is standardized. What this means is that every Mormon everywhere uses essentially the same materials in worship and gospel study. What is more, they are made available directly from the Church.

As Mormons, we are told to not use outside materials. The Church provides all the materials we need, regardless of where in the world they are used and in what language.

Where to Find Church Produced Media and Materials

Church materials can be found in four main locations:

  1. Online at LDS.org
  2. The Church's Online Store
  3. LDS Distribution Centers around the world
  4. Deseret Book

Nearly everything the Church provides can be found free online in readable format on its official website. This includes either accessing or downloading resources, often in multiple formats.

The Church's online store can be accessed from the official website. Printed or hard copy materials can be bought online and shipped directly to you.

The Church has what is called Distribution Service Centers. They are located all over the world, often in conjunction with Global Service Centers. Anyone can visit them and purchase materials. Contact one ahead of time to make certain they currently have what you wish to buy.

One of the for-profit operations the Church has is Deseret Book. This is a bookstore devoted to LDS materials. In 2009, Distribution Centers merged with some Deseret Book retail locations. As a result of this, official church materials are more readily available at Deseret Book locations and on the Deseret Book website.

The Church tries to make it as convenient as possible to obtain the materials you need.

Check Online Before You Buy

The Church has asked its members to access church materials online. The Church saves money when members use online services because it saves on printing costs.

If you need printed materials, they can be downloaded and printed in many ways, including html, PDF and ePub formats. Video, audio and image resources, and media crafted especially for social media sharing are also available.

Before you buy, check to see if what you need is already available online. You can review materials in their entirety, to decide if you truly need a hard copy of anything.

If something can be purchased online, there will be a link to the online store, along with the other formats the item is available such as PDF, iTunes, Google Play, Kobi, Daisy and more. Review all of these options before you make a decision.

What You Need to Know About the Online Store

Buying from the Church's online store is easy, once you know how it operates. There are three shopping categories:

  1. Individual shopping
  2. Shopping for temple related materials
  3. Shopping for Unit Materials

Anyone is welcome to shop for materials available through the online store. Available resources include bound scriptures, manuals, art, video, and music among other things. Items are generally sold at cost. Shipping, taxes, and handling are usually minimal. You will probably be surprised at how affordable everything is!

Only LDS members with a current temple recommend may purchase temple related items, such as garments and ceremonial clothing. You gain access to this restricted shopping site with your LDS Account.

Some available materials are simply administrative resources that local church leaders need for internal church operations and educational programs like Seminary and Institute. For example, Units must order things like tithing slips and equipment for meetinghouse libraries. Only members in certain callings have access to this shopping site, through their LDS Account.

Is There Anywhere Else I Can Shop?

Sometimes materials can be purchased at other church locations, like visitors' centers and temples. Also, the bookstore at any of the Church-owned schools will have official church materials as well.

  • LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
  • BYU-Hawaii in Laie, Hawaii, USA.
  • BYU-Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho, USA.
  • BYU in Provo, Utah, USA.

Keep in mind that as the world gets more digital, church materials will get more digital. In the future, the Church is likely to print less and less.

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Your Citation
Cook, Krista. "LDS Church Materials Can Be Purchased and Accessed in Many Ways." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/getting-lds-church-materials-2159377. Cook, Krista. (2023, April 5). LDS Church Materials Can Be Purchased and Accessed in Many Ways. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/getting-lds-church-materials-2159377 Cook, Krista. "LDS Church Materials Can Be Purchased and Accessed in Many Ways." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/getting-lds-church-materials-2159377 (accessed March 19, 2024).