Improved search experience in the Gospel Library app

Feedback from Gospel Library app users has led to a new update that makes searching for resources easier than ever. 

“Our app team has been working hard this year to deliver an improved search experience,” said product manager Rob Jex. “We invite you to try this new experience to help you find what you’re looking for more easily.”  

Improvements

Here are some of the improvements the Church has made to the search function: 

Searches all content: The Gospel Library app previously searched only downloaded content, but now it searches all Gospel Library content. This means that older general conference talks, magazine articles and videos will be included in search results. 

Includes better filters: Search results can be narrowed by speaker, topic, date, content collection and other useful filters.

Provides better search suggestions: In the Gospel Library search bar, quickly navigate to a verse by typing abbreviated scripture references. For example, typing “ne37” provides a shortcut to 1 Nephi 3:7. 

Shortcuts to entries are also found in Gospel Topics and Guide to the Scriptures. 

Uses improved sorting options: Search results can now be rearranged more easily using the “Sort by” feature. Instead of only being sorted by relevance, results can now be viewed using the “Sort by Most Recent” option to find the most recent content. The “Sort by Book” option can be used to find scriptures arranged in the order they appear in the Standard Works. 

Provides faster results: Search results will now appear much faster than in previous versions.

Why these improvements matter

These improvements can help app users find resources much more quickly and effectively than in past versions of the app, whether they’re using it for personal study, sharing a resource with a friend or preparing to give a talk or lesson.  

“These continuing improvements to the Gospel Library app search experience will help users find more quickly and precisely the content they seek,” said Elder Randy D. Funk, General Authority Seventy. “With such an abundance of inspired and inspiring resources in the Gospel Library, our desire is that users are able to easily access it to learn, teach and share with others.” 

What’s next

According to Jex, more search improvements are in the works. Future versions of the app will include support for misspellings and related words, suggestions based on search trends and more visual results for videos and images. Other updates will improve search results based on relevant scriptures that may not contain the keywords but match the intent behind the search.

A customizable home screen is also being planned where a user will be able to see the sacrament meeting hymns and general conference messages to be sung or discussed during the current week in wards. How-to video tutorials and notifications options for featured content in the Home section will also be added soon. 

“We welcome members’ feedback about these improvements and future ideas for improving search and other aspects of the app,” said Jex. “Recognizing that members study in many different ways, we ultimately want Gospel Library to enable members to have inspiring and revelatory experiences with the word of God.”

Feedback can be submitted through the “Help” section in the app. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the app, select “Help,” then click “Send Feedback.”  

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