As the product manager of one of the Mormon Church’s websites (mormon.org), it’s wonderful to have someone as talented as Avinash recognize the Church’s work and SEO efforts.

The site was designed to fulfill very specific business requirements derived from national research and focus group testing with people who are not Mormon. The focus group testing proved that initial concepts were on point and that this new version of the website would help provide a face to Mormonism that allowed Mormons the chance to share their beliefs and feelings about being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints online, sponsored by the Church. It’s a historical moment in Church’s missionary efforts.

This version of Mormon.org provides Church members space to create a personal profile page. This profile page was designed to be a place where Mormons can explain why they are Mormon, and to share their thoughts about God our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the prophet Joseph Smith, and other aspects of the Church. Church members are also encouraged to answer frequently asked questions about Mormonism. Questions like:

• Do Mormons worship Joseph Smith? (No, of course we don’t.)
• Are Mormons Christian? (Of course we are. His name is in our church’s name – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
• Do Mormons still practice polygamy? (No. Polygamy was only practiced by a small number of Mormons in the mid-to-late 19th century and the Church officially ended the practice in the 1890’s because of direct revelation from the Lord. Anyone who lives polygamy today is absolutely NOT Mormon.)
• Are Mormons racist? (Of course not. Anyone with the desire can be Mormon, regardless of race or ethnicity. Any worthy male can hold the priesthood in Jesus Christ’s church.)

Wonder what a profile is like? You can visit my profile here.

It has been an amazing experience to be involved in this project. At times the work seemed too great and too important. At times it has been exhausting. At times it has been discouraging. But all the time, it felt right. It has always felt like this is the will of Jesus Christ.

A member of our team wrote a very nice case study about the Mormon.org 4.0 project on the Mormon Church’s tech site. You can read it here.

I wish to add my personal, public thanks to this amazing team. Each of you have been wonderful to work with. You have all added unique perspective and talents that make this site what it is: A miraculous tool to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mormons come from diverse backgrounds and experiences who all share a deep commitment to Jesus Christ and to each other. The new Mormon.org is designed for visitors to learn more about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each profile is a collection of stories and testimonies from Mormons. Participation is optional, but you must be a member of the Church to create a profile. The profiles will be made public this summer when the new site will launch. English-only profiles will be available this year; other languages will follow thereafter.

The New Mormon.org is Coming!