LDS Game Suite



The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a.k.a the Mormons or the LDS, have on their official website (1) a group of games designed for kids to play and reinforce their knowledge of Biblical and Mormon doctrine and history. The games consist are interactive and entirely web-based, consisting of puzzles, hidden picture games, mazes, matching games, and "spot the differences" games.

The games included on the LDS website are very shallow and basic. Most only consist of a few arrow keys or the clicking of a mouse. They are not intensely interactive such as other Mormon game sites, i.e. BoMToons.com (2). The games page is actually a branch off of a larger home page, the online magazine publication entitled, "The Friend," from LDS.org. The Friend includes links for kids to hear stories, play games, watch slide shows and videos, read scripture stories, and more (3).

This game suite seems very basic. It's definitely no front-page story and not something to highlight in advertising the LDS website, but it does seem like something that they would advertise in an email newsletter or an in-service promotion to point parents towards some time-consuming games that reinforce Mormon beliefs and knowledge in their children. Mazes include "get the pilgrims home," and "get the missionaries to their house." Matching games consist of modern-day Mormon prophets. Puzzles are discombobulated pictures of Mormon temples. I guess my point is that these are all the kinds of games that you would find on the back of a kid's menu if the Mormons owned a restaurant.

(1) http://www.lds.org/

(2) http://www.bomtoons.com/

(3) http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=ae20e975d2a2b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD