In addition to lds.org, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can find news and other valuable resources online from privately operated sites.

Scot and Maurine Proctor, publisher and editor-in-chief of Meridian Magazine, said they created the online magazine to answer the call of President Gordon B. Hinckley when he asked members of the LDS Church to speak on behalf of their civilization.

"We are writers and have always been very interested at looking at the world through a Latter-day lens," Maurine Proctor said. "This way we can reach people all over the world, and there is no [other] way we could reach them in the same dynamic way."

Kieth Merrill, Academy-award winning director and film editor for Meridian said, "An online forum where LDS writers and readers can meet, one that is not officially sponsored by the church but tuned into LDS culture is very valuable. It is a powerful, articulate way to integrate the LDS culture with the world."

Meridian has over 400,000 readers in over 188 countries. With six staff members based out of Washington D.C., Proctor said the magazine is at the heart of the news.

"The challenge for all of us in the communication arena - be it entertainment, news media, or Meridian Magazine, which is a

combination of both - is to present ourselves in a bold, creative and aggressive way without apology," Merrill said.

Another popular site created by members of the LDS Church is mormonchic.com.

Lori Garcia, creator and editor-in-chief, said the idea started at a baby shower when a couple women expressed the desire for a place to share recipes. Their inspiration has grown into a wide selection of articles for women of all ages in more areas than just cooking. They offer e-cards, modest fashion choices, and "Baby 101."

"I think there are millions of women in the church and across the world now that would like a support network," Garcia said.

The goal of the site is to fulfill a need they did not see being met, she said.

One creative example of LDS online culture is ldsmusicworld.com. Jeff Fairbanks, owner and music editor of the Web site, provides access to music from new and well-known LDS musicians.

The Web site features free downloads, allowing users to sample LDS artists' music from pop to a cappella and from folk to R&B.

Fairbanks said the Web site began in 1999 when MP3.com was popular.

"I started it by putting up a bunch of music by some friends of mine when we were in the studio at BYU," Fairbanks said. "The goal is to list anybody ... it's really a large variety."

Like mormonchic.com and Meridian Magazine, the creators of the site finance ldsmusicworld.com.

All of the sites are staffed by volunteers. Garcia said they work for free because they feel it is meaningful to the LDS community.

Meridian offers links to other resources including LDSSingles.com, LDSGetaway.com and LDSPro.com.

LDSPro.com is a networking tool that provides users with the ability to find members of the LDS Church in their profession all over the world.

"We want to be a measure of the world," Proctor said.

While many useful sites like these are available, take caution to avoid mistaking a phony LDS site with a valid one. One way to discern their validity is to notice links to other accredited sites such as lds.org and to research the creator or review disclaimers.



Copyright Brigham Young University 30 Nov 2004