October 188th SemiAnnual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

Click on the photo below for a clearer view for when to best view General Conference in American Sign Language. 

The 2016 LDS Deaf Symposium Now Open For Registration

The LDS Deaf Symposium is a great way for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members of the LDS Church to gather together to be spiritually strengthened and to form connections with one another. Those who know American Sign Language are also invited to come. The dates for the 2016 LDS Deaf Symposium have been announced and online payment is now available.  More information is available in the flyer below.

April 186th Annual General Conference Broadcast Schedule For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

General Conference is coming upon us again soon! As always, I am providing the broadcast schedule for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who wish to watch Conference in an accessible format. See below for information on how to enjoy General Conference. 

If you have trouble viewing the infographic below, click on it and download it for better viewing. 

October 185th SemiAnnual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

UPDATE: This has been updated to include more information about how to view General Conference in ASL.

UPDATE #2: We received word from many members trying to view the ASL interpretation for the General Women’s Session this past weekend that it was difficult to find the ASL interpretation on lds.org. We’ve done some research and it seems ASL and all other languages available through the language drop down menu have been removed from the main English broadcast page. All languages will now be shown on their individual language pages. This means that you need to go to lds.org/asl to find the ASL interpretation of General Conference. It will appear between “American Sign Language” and “Scriptures” on the page captured below. Sorry for this confusion. Please help us spread the word.

Can Deaf People Serve LDS Missions?

Recently, I received a Facebook message from an LDS Bishop serving somewhere in Europe. He contacted me asking me if a Deaf member in his ward can serve a mission.

People with a hearing loss of any kind CAN serve a mission. I am hard of hearing and I served as an American Sign Language (ASL) missionary in the New York Rochester mission. 

However, just because someone has a hearing loss doesn't mean that they will serve as a Sign Language missionary. There are many Deaf and Hard of Hearing missionaries who have served in other countries and have learned to speak other languages. 

Sometimes, an individual with a hearing loss will be called to serve in their own country but will serve a foreign speaking mission. For example, I know of one Deaf missionary who has been called to serve in the United States and to preach among those who speak Mandarin. A lot of us were surprised when she was called to a Mandarin speaking mission because we all expected her to serve as a Sign Language missionary.

Given that there isn't a whole lot of information for branch presidents, bishops and stake presidents located outside (and inside) of the United States to review, I've decided to compile information to help people understand that any worthy young adult who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing can serve an LDS mission.

Can A Deaf Young Adult Serve On A LDS Mission?

Yes.

Any Deaf individual who wishes to serve a mission can serve a mission just like any other young adult who desires to serve. A Deaf person must go through the same process of going on a mission by first meeting with their bishop or branch president. The ecclesiastical leader such as a will give the young Deaf man or woman access to the Missionary Online Recommendation system. 

 How Does a Deaf Individual Prepare To Serve A Mission? 

A Deaf or Hard of Hearing individual must prepare for a mission just like any other young man or woman will. They must prepare spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally and financially. 

Spiritual Preparation

Spiritual preparation means that they should be studying the scriptures and from Preach My Gospel prior to serving a mission. They should be engaged in serving others. They should be attending all of their classes at Church and actively participating in those classes. Be aware that The Church does have materials and resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people in American Sign Language but they do not have resources and materials for sign languages in other countries. Perhaps someday in the future, there will be materials created for people who speak sign languages in other countries. 

If possible, have the Deaf or Hard of Hearing youth work with the Sign Language missionaries in your area. If there are no Sign Language missionaries in the area, reach out to the Mission President and ask him to prayerfully select two missionaries who are willing to work with the individual in sharing the gospel.

If you know of a member in your branch, ward or stake who knows sign language, they can work with the youth in learning the gospel. Most Deaf individuals need extra preparation in learning the gospel because they are often not taught the gospel in their first language which is Sign Language.  Deaf people can also watch Church videos that are captioned in their native language of their country. 

Finally, be aware that some Deaf people will receive extra doctrinal preparation in the MTC from those who have already served Sign Language missions and are fluent in Sign Language. 

Personal Worthiness

They should be able to meet the personal worthiness standards requirements to serve a full time  mission because in order to share the gospel, they must  have the Holy Spirit with them. (see D&C 42:14). If there are any unresolved issues that they need to inform their ecclesiastical leader about, they should be encouraged and supported in meeting with their local Church leaders.  

Physical Preparation 

A missionary can be physically prepared for a mission by exercising everyday. Most missionaries walk or ride bikes every day for long periods of time. A missionary must be able to walk an average of six miles (10 km) per day and ride a bicycle 12 miles (19 km) per day. The best way to prepare is to walk or ride a bike everyday. They can also go to a gym and work out. 

However, most ASL missionaries in the United States are assigned cars because Deaf people do not live in close proximity to each other. Thus, they will spend a many hours driving around the city or country side. Yet, being physically in shape is essential when serving as a sign language missionary. 

Emotional Preparation 

It is hard to be emotionally and mentally prepared to serve a mission. Most missionaries work long hours everyday without financial compensation. A typical missionary day begins by waking at 6:30 a.m. for personal study. The day is spent proselytizing by following up on appointments, visiting homes or meeting people in the street or other public places. Missionaries end their day by 10:30 p.m. In addition to working long hours, they must deal with stress, rejection, living in a new area and meeting strangers and working with another missionary. 

Missionaries will have to learn to how to deal with limited contact with friends and family. They are limited to letters and emails and occasional phone calls to family at special times. They must cope with having their social life drastically reduced since they will spend most of their time teaching the gospel or serving others. They cannot use social media or play on computer games during their time on a mission. They are also expected to know that a mission is not a time to date other people or develop romantic relationships. They are expected to work for Heavenly Father. 

There are specific and unique hardships that ASL missionaries will face. They will have to deal with other missionaries and Mission Presidents who do not understand how to properly proselyte among the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Mission Presidents are not prepared in the MTC of how to lead Sign Language missionaries or how Sign Language missionaries proselyte. 

They will have to confront missionaries who might be unkind or rude towards missionaries with a hearing loss. I have experienced this many times on my mission. I know that other Deaf missionaries have experienced this as well.

Sometimes missionaries will get angry that the ASL missionaries are in their area teaching Deaf people. They insist that THEY should be teaching Deaf investigators because they live in THEIR area. I have to make it clear to many missionaries on many occasions on my mission that my companion and I are called to preach to the Deaf and our coverage area is not limited to any area within the mission. 

Those who will be serving a Sign Language mission will have to prepare to preach the gospel to people who are Deaf and Blind or have other disabilities other than a hearing loss. Sometimes, missionaries don't have the resources and materials they need to share the gospel and will have to be creative in how they teach investigators. Many Deaf people have other unique challenges such as poor education or difficulty reading because English (or the native language of that country) is not their first language. 

Since Deaf people rely heavily on technology such as email, Facebook, Videophone, and TTYs to communicate with one another, Sign Language missionaries must rely on communication technology to connect with Deaf members and investigators. During my mission, it was really frustrating that we could not use these technologies as part of our missionary work. 

Financial Preparation

Like any other young individual, Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals should also prepare financially for a mission by finding a way to earn and save money for their mission. They can also prepare by paying tithing.

What If a Deaf Person is Not Eligible to Serve a LDS Mission?

A Deaf or Hearing who desires to serve a mission but cannot serve a full time mission can still serve as a Young Church-Service Missionary. If you feel that it would be better for them to serve as a youth service missionary, they must meet the following requirements:

Be worthy to hold a temple recommend.
Meet the standard mission age requirements (18-25 for young men, 19-25 for young women).
Be honorably excused from a full-time proselyting mission (applies to young men only).
Be physically, mentally, and emotionally able to fulfill the specific call and its related duties.
Provide their own transportation.
Be responsible for their own financial support, including living expenses and insurance.
Be responsible for their own medical and dental needs, including eye care and prescription drug expenses.
Be endorsed by bishop and stake president.

If you have questions about Church Service Missions, you can contact the Church Service Mission Office.

ASL Translation of the Book of Mormon Now Available on the Gospel Library App

The LDS Church has made the Gospel Library a lot more awesome by putting up the ASL translation of the Book of Mormon in the App. Here's how you access the ASL translation:

1. Open the Gospel Library app on your mobile devise
(or download it if you don’t already have it)
2. Go to “settings”
3. Under “content,” select “American Sign Language”
4. Click on “scriptures”
5. Download “Book of Mormon”
6. Enjoy!

Additionally, the LDS Church has also made available ASL translations of other Church resources such as the Ezra Taft Benson manual on the App. For example if you wanted to see the Ezra Taft Benson manual in ASL, then after completing steps 1-3 above, click on “Teachings of the Presidents” and download “Ezra Taft Benson.”

You can switch back and forth between your ASL materials and your English materials any time you want by going to "settings" and switching the language.

You can also view the General Conference videos in ASL on your smart phone, tablet or other device.

NOTE: Several users have been reporting difficulties in accessing ASL translated materials on Android. The LDS Church has already recieved feedback on this problem and are currently reviewing the issue to fix it.

April 185th Annual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

2015 ASL Calendar For LDS Church Events

The entire calendar for ASL interpreted events for the LDS Church is now available. Click on the photo for a larger view of the calendar.

October 184th Semiannual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

Tonight's CES Fireside Devotional Is Available In ASL

How Deaf Viewers Can Watch April 2014 General Conference

Elder Tad R. Callister's CES Broadcast Available In ASL Or Closed Captioned Tonight

Elder Tad R. Calister, who is in the Presidency of the Seventy, will be giving the first CES devotional of the year. The CES devotional will be broadcasted tonight from the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Within three weeks of the devotional, this broadcast will be archived online at cesdevotionals.lds.org and can be watched in ASL or with Closed Captioning. 

Below is instructions on how Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals may be able to watch the programing in real time tonight either with Closed Captions or in American Sign Language. See the chart below:

ASL Interpreted LDS Church Broadcasts Now Available For 2014

A calendar for the entire year ASL interpreted LDS Church broadcasts is now available. Check out the scheduled below:

Broadcast Schedule To See The First Presidency 2013 Christmas Devotional In American Sign Language Available For Deaf and Hard of Hearing Viewers

Below is the schedule to view the satellite broadcast of the annual First Presidency Christmas Devotional in American Sign Language:

October 183rd Semiannual General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

The LDS Church has released the schedules to view General Conference with American Sign Language Interpretation on multiple television and online formats. Look at the schedule below. If you know someone who is Deaf and is a member of the LDS Church, please refer them to this schedule. This is also a great missionary opportunity to invite those who are non-LDS Deaf to learn more about our Church.  

LDS Sign Language Missionaries Benefit The Most From The LDS Church's New Missionary Program

Today, the LDS Church held a historic broadcast to announce some bold new changes in its missionary program. The best part is the announcement that missionaries would be spending time on social media networks in an effort to improve missionary work.

Elder (L. Tom) Perry also announced changes Sunday in how missionaries will spend their time finding people to teach. Because many people prefer to connect online, missionaries will use the Internet and digital devices in their ministry, Elder Perry said. He noted that missionaries will use “mormon.org, Facebook, blogs, email, … text messages” and other platforms to reach out to people. “The Church must adapt to a changing world,” Elder Perry said.

Speaking earlier in the day to new mission presidents, Church leaders said that missionary use of the Internet and digital devices such as iPads will begin in phases and only in designated missions for the rest of this year. The Church anticipates these tools will be available to missionaries throughout the world sometime next year.

For me, this announcement should have been made a long time ago. I served as a Sign Language Missionary in the New York Rochester Mission from 2000-2002. The reason why this policy would have been helpful to me as a ASL missionary is because Deaf people communicate using different social media sites and other electronic communications devices. Most Deaf people I knew in Rochester communicated via text messages, e-mail, or used a number of social media sites to communicate. They also used videophones to contact one another. But we couldn't use any of these methods of communication which made it difficult to set appointments or get referrals or talk to them about Church related issues.

While many people are excited about this policy, I believe that American Sign Language missionaries will benefit the most from this program. When I got back from my mission, I continued to do missionary work with the ASL missionaries in San Diego and Anaheim. I frequently met with the Mission Presidents to advise them on how to improve the missionary work for Deaf missionaries. I also met with Church leaders in Salt Lake City to discuss way to improve the missionary work nation wide. One of the recommendations that I consistently suggested was allowing ASL missionaries to have access to the Internet and to be allowed to do missionary work online. 

I believe that ASL missionaries are the most creative and innovative missionaries the Church has. We are constantly looking for new ways to share the gospel and for new ways to improve our lessons so that the Deaf people who investigate our religion will truly understand what they are learning. We constantly think out of the box. However, in my experience as an ASL missionary and in working with other ASL missionaries after my mission, other missionaries and Mission Presidents had difficulty in accepting the unique ways we tried to share the gospelrc. Now, with this new policy, I think it will be much easier for ASL missionaries to proselyte among the Deaf and to really let our creativity and passion for the work explode. 

In addition to the new policy in allowing missionaries to use the Internet, the LDS Church is making a renewed efforts to get everyone in on doing missionary work and doing in on a united front. The LDS Church has been working hard to get members involved in the work. The Church has encourage members to join in on the missionary work online and unvieled new pass along cards for members to use that has a QR code that will link them to a website if the person scans the code on their smart phone or tablet. 

I would like members invovled in the missionary work among the Deaf. We need your help. It is just as easy as doing regular missionary work online and you help out with the work internationally. I would like to recommend a few ways you can be invovled in helping share the gospel with Deaf people online. The LDS Church has great websites. Also, many members have already jumped in creating online material that you can suggest the Deaf people you meet to lean about the gospel. Below are some great sites: 

•  A website developed by a member of the LDS Church dedicated to helping Deaf people find their local LDS Church: http://www.deaflds.org/
•  A facebook group for open for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, CODAs or people who communicate in some form of Sign Langague: LDS & ASL!!
• The LDS Church has made it so that Deaf people can attend institute online: https://studentview.ldschurch.org/Home.aspx/Home/64357 

Although there are not too many websites dedicated to sharing the gospel to Deaf people, I think that with the new policy of allowing missionaries to use the Internet, more people will be involved in creating websites and social media sites to reach out to the Deaf. 

Music And The Spoken Word In ASL For April 2013 General Conference

The LDS Church has a weekly 30-minute radio and television program of inspiring messages and music produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called Music and the Spoken Word. The music is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It is longest-running network program in America which has been running since 1929.

Twice a year, prior to the Sunday morning sessions of General Conference, this program is interpreted into American Sign Language and broadcast over the Internet. You can watch it on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 9:30AM (MST). The music signer will be Minnie Mae Wilding-Diaz and the interpreter will be Brad Holt. You can watch Music and the Spoken Word in American Sign Language on the Internet HERE.
 

How Deaf Members Of The LDS Church Enjoy General Conference In The Conference Center

When A Deaf person comes to Salt Lake City to watch a live session of General Conference, the LDS Church goes through great lengths to make sure that the Deaf person can enjoy General Conference in American Sign Language. 

Located inside the General Conference Center and hidden from public view is a room entirely dedicated to interpreting each of the sessions of General Conference in real time as it occurs. Among the many languages that Church provides translation for during General Conference is American Sign Language. Take a look at the impressive roster of languages that is interpreted during General Conference: 

Below is myself in the one of the rooms where the translations take place during General Conference.

In one of the rooms is where American Sign Language Interpreters sit in front of the camera and interpret the talks as they unfold. Either the Choir sings or when the audience the hymns, a Deaf person will interpret the music in front of the camera. What is being done in that room will be broadcasted to  Deaf members who are either in the audience at General Conference as well as those who are at home watching it on television or the Internet. The recording is seen in the Church's broadcasting room as seen below: 

For Deaf members who have come to the Conference Center,  the Church has set up two television screens for the Deaf members to watch. The reason why there is two television screens will be explained more in detail in a little bit.

Throughout General Conference, Deaf members will either be able to see the the talks translated into American Sign Language on the left screen or watch the conference just with closed captions on the right screen.

The reason why there are two screens is that not all Deaf people understand American Sign Language. There are many reasons for this. Some Deaf people were not taught ASL as a child but learned how to speak. Others learned different types of Sign Languages such as Signed Exact English (SEE), Pidgin Sign Language, the Rochester Method, and Cued Speech. Some deaf individuals have become Deaf later in life and never had the opportunity to learn ASL. There might be other Deaf individuals who know ASL but prefer to watch it with closed captions. As a result, watching General Conference with closed captions or in ASL gives Deaf members the freedom to choose to watch either screen to help them enjoy General Conference.

The LDS Church is aware of that not all Deaf people communicate in the same way. I appreciate the Church's sensitivity and efforts to make General Conference easily understood for all Deaf members in the Church here in America. Perhaps, some day in the future, the LDS Church will provide this opportunity for all Deaf people around the world in their nation's sign language. 

April 2013 183rd General Conference Broadcast Scheduale For Deaf Members of The LDS Church

The LDS Church has released the schedules to view General Conference with American Sign Language Interpretation on multiple television and online formats. Look at the scheduale below. If you know someone who is Deaf and is a member of the LDS Church, please refer them to this scheduale. This is also a great missionary opportunity to invite those who are non-LDS Deaf to learn more about our Church. 

1.  Internet ASL Schedule

2013 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, March 30, 2013

March 30 6pm LIVE

1) Type conference.lds.org
2) Click on “Live Conference”
3) Click on “Watch Live”
4) Click on “Select Another Language”
5) Choice “American Sign Language ASL”

April 6-7th General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
April 6 & 7, 2013

 April 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

1) Type conference.lds.org
2) Click on “Live Conference”
3) Click on “Watch Live”
4) Click on “Select Another Language”
5) Choice “American Sign Language ASL”

April 2013 General Conference
Priesthood Session
April 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

2.      KSL, Comcast, and BYU TV ASL Schedule

2013 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, March 30th, 2013
KSL Television 5.3

March 30 at 6pm             LIVE                 (English)
March 30 at 8pm             Rebroadcast      (ASL)

October 2013 General Conference
Saturday Morning Session
April 6, 2013

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
April 6 at 10am  LIVE (English)

KSL Television 5.3
April 6 at noon Rebroadcast (ASL)

Comcast 105
April 6 at noon Rebroadcast (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
April. 14 at 10 am Rebroadcast (English and ASL)

April 2013 General Conference
Saturday Afternoon Session
April 6, 2013

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
April 6 at 2pm  LIVE (English)

KSL Television 5.3
April 6 at 4pm Rebroadcast (ASL)

Comcast 105
April 6 at 4pm Rebroadcast (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
April 14 at 1pm Rebroadcast (English and ASL)

October 2012 General Conference
Priesthood Session
October 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

April 2013 General Conference
Sunday Morning Session
April 7, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
April 7 at 10am LIVE (English)

KSL Television 5.3
April  7 at noon Rebroadcast (ASL)

Comcast 105
April 7 at noon Rebroadcast (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
April 21 at 10am Rebroadcast (English and ASL)

April 2013 General Conference
Sunday Afternoon Session
October 7, 2012

KSL Television Channel 5 and 5.1
April 7 at 2pm LIVE (English)

KSL Television 5.3
April 7 at 4pm Rebroadcast (ASL)

Comcast 105
April 7 at 4pm Rebroadcast (ASL)

BYUtv & Global
April. 21 at 1pm Rebroadcast (English and ASL)

3.      Closed Caption (CC) Schedule

2013 General Relief Society Meeting
Saturday, March 30, 2013
March 30 6pm LIVE

Provided live in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

Rebroadcast at 8pm:
18 BYUTV (Southern UT)
21 BYUTV (Northern UT)

April 2013 General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
April 6 & 7, 2013
April. 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

5 KSL
5.1 KSL - Digital
18 BYUTV (Southern UT)
21 BYUTV (Northern UT)
143 SiriusXM
374 Direct TV
9403 Dish Network

April 2013 General Conference
Priesthood Session
April 6, 2013

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

4. Roku ASL Schedule

April 2013 General Conference
Saturday and Sunday Sessions
April 6 & 7, 2013

April 6 and 7 at 10am and 2pm LIVE

To stream general conference through a Roku player, download the Mormon Channel app from the Roku Channel Store.

Live video broadcast: Mormon Channel > Broadcasts and Events > Live Broadcasts

Languages: American Sign Language, English

Archived video broadcast: Mormon Channel > Broadcasts and Events > Conference

April 2013 General Conference
Priesthood Session
April 6, 2012

Provided in the Conference Center or in your local meetinghouse only.

5. Local Meethouse ASL Schedule

Please check with your local leaders as to when ASL interpretation will be provided in your area buildings.

New ASL Branch Created In Mesa Arizona

Last Sunday, on March 17th, 2013, exciting changes occurred for Deaf and Hard of Hearing members of the LDS Church in Arizona. Due to the growth of Deaf members of the LDS Church, the Phoenix 34th Branch grew so big that it had to be divided which created a new Deaf branch in Mesa, Arizona.

The Phoenix 34th Branch will now be known as the Phoenix Branch.  The new branch will be called the Mesa, Arizona branch. They will also be known informally as the ASL Phoenix Branch and the ASL Mesa Arizona Branch. The LDS Church no longer calls these congregations "Deaf" wards or branches and prefer to call them ASL wards and branches because people who know ASL or are CODAs can also be members of that congregation. 

See below for more details about this exciting news for Deaf members of the LDS Church: