I just read that the church is making an official scripture application. No word on when it’s coming out, but it sounds like a great project.
https://tech.lds.org/wiki/index.php/IPhone_Scriptures_Application
A list of all currently available iPhone applications:
| Scriptures by ReadScriptures.com |
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Cost: $14.99 Pros:Lots of content, quick menu system, reliable application Cons:High Price (14.99) Bottomline: Buy only if you need the content |
| The Scriptures by Lee Falin |
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Cost: FREE Pros: Simple menu, good search functionality, low cost (free) Cons: Not as much content as other applications Bottomline: Get this app! |
| LDS Books by Standard Works LLC | |
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Cost: $14.99 Pros: Fast, highlighting and scripture master features are a plus Cons: Price is a bit higher than other applications, no LDS references (not legal yet) Bottomline: I haven’t reviewed this app (due to the cost), but if you’re want the best, the reviews look good.
For more information, check out the authors blog at http://www.standardworksapp.com |
| Scriptures by TwoDesk Software Company |
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Cost: $9.99 Pros: Includes basic content Cons: Offers same content as free application, no search functionality Bottomline: Steer clear until an update comes out |
UPDATE (August 28, 2008): It looks like our good friend Lee Falin has released a free version of the scriptures. It’s up on the iTunes app store and is currently version 1.0.3.
UPDATE (August 11, 2008): Thanks for all your responses regarding the poll. There is a new LDS application coming out soon offered by scriptureapp.com. I’m part of the beta team combing through the bugs. It will be cheaper and add a lot more functionality then the current applcation available on iTunes.
I’ve also received some questions as to why I would want to charge for the scriptures. Shouldn’t they be free? I’d love it if I could spend 60-100 hours developing an application and have it be free to everyone, however, I just can’t afford that amount of time. I’ve decided not to offer a free or low cost version of the scriptures due to the fact that people believe I would be making a profit (see comment at the end of this post) and there already is two alternatives out there. I’ll keep this post updated when the other LDS application is released.
UPDATE (August 1, 2008): The LDS Scriptures application went live today on iTunes. We’ll see how well this application is received from users for a little while. I may consider making a lite version of the scriptures soon if time permits.
UPDATE (July 27, 2008): Looks like the app store is live. Our friends at ReadScriptures.com are releasing a new application as soon as Apple approves their application for $15. I’ve been asked by many people to write an application or provide means to get the scriptures on the iPhone and iPod touch relatively cheaply (or free).
Please make your vote count by taking this poll below. If there are enough people that want an alternate application I’ll seriously consider beginning development. Please note that many people don’t realize the work it takes to create a “free” application. It costs a minimum of $99 just to register the application with Apple. Then there is the cost of the computer (Leopard required), and obviously the time of the developer(s). I would estimate the time to develop an LDS scriptures application to be around 60-80 hours. Lastly, I have no idea about copyright since the scriptures is not my work. Besides creating a new scriptures application though, here are some alternate options that are possible in the mean time.
- Use the application bookshelf in the app store ($5), I can put up the scriptures as downloadable ebooks
- If your iPod Touch or iPhone is jailbroken, I can put up a repository on Cyndia similar to the repository created for the installer program
Also, I’m considering creating a program similar to “ward tools” where church leaders can have quick access to membership records on either the iPhone or iPod touch. Please leave a comment on this post or leave me a note through my contact form.
Loading ...For older versions of iPhone and iPod Touch users:
I’ve created a repository to allow any user to quickly add the standard works to their iPhone or iPod touch quickly and easily without the need to have Edge or Wifi access. They are in the form of eBooks and use the “Books” application.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Jailbreak your iPhone or iPod touch so you have access to the “Installer” application.
2. Make sure you have the “Books” application installed.
3. Within the installer, add “http://www.devincollier.com/ebooks” as a
new repository/source. Tutorial can be found here.
4. I’ve put the standard works in the “eBooks – LDS” category. Install each one
and enjoy.
UPDATE: I have tested “plucker” files from the lds.org website and have found them to cause the books application to really slow down. Also, some characters look really weird and it’s hard to navigate through the text.
UPDATE 2: It appears that the latest version of the “books” application in combination with 1.1.4 firmware breaks the location of the ebooks. Since application will be coming out within a month, I’m going to wait before I fix these issues. These ebooks will be still be up, but may not work with your iphone.
