Creating Limited Use Recommends Online

[davesudweeks]

I thought the Finance was past beta and was in full distribution at this point. I received a message on our computer in the clerks office notifying us that it was available. I don't believe it said anything about that being in Beta. And I should add, I love being able to access this information from home now.

We don't have access to finance online in our Stake in Oklahoma. I am the Assistant Clerk-Finance so I should be able to see it if we have access at this point.

[sbradshaw]

Thinking through the process, it might be handy (though not always feasible) to have a printer in the bishop's office. Otherwise the bishop has to run over to the clerk's office in the middle of the interview to print.

As far as a printer in the bishop's office, I don't see a point in that unless you're putting a computer in there too. I see this being able to print a limited use recommend more as a convenience for if I Interview someone someplace besides the church where I don't have access to the recommend books. I can't help but wonder if the ability to print full use recommends isn't far behind, although the fact that they require additional signature and entry into the computer by the stake presidency may be a hurdle that has to be overcome. But who knows.

The great thing about these recommends is that they are automatically activated when they're printed. So the bishop may be able to "sign" it digitally in the system, and pass it on to the stake president – like the missionary system – and the stake president could print and sign it.

[lajackson]

The great thing about these recommends is that they are automatically activated when they're printed. So the bishop may be able to "sign" it digitally in the system, and pass it on to the stake president – like the missionary system – and the stake president could print and sign it.

In most cases, the bishop is the only one who signs a limited use recommend. The stake president is not involved if the recommend is for baptisms and confirmations for the dead.

That the recommend will be "automatically activated" is interesting to me. Until now, limited use recommends were not serial numbered or activated at all. Perhaps with the new computer technology, the bishop will be able now to automatically track limited use recommend expiration dates as has been suggested.

[bballrob]

I just received a new book today of limited use recommends. They have serial numbers on them, but no bar codes.

[michaelcox]

Thinking through the process, it might be handy (though not always feasible) to have a printer in the bishop's office. Otherwise the bishop has to run over to the clerk's office in the middle of the interview to print.

The printer in our Clerks office is connected to the Church network and is AirPrint compatible so our Bishop is able to print from his Windows laptop as well as from his iPhone. Seems like this would be better in most circumstances.

[markcollier]

I just received a new book today of limited use recommends. They have serial numbers on them, but no bar codes.

Limited use recommends (the current version that you order) do not have bar codes. They are viewed by the person at the recommend desk to check for dates and signatures but are not scanned as are regular use recommends.

[sbradshaw]

There's a March 29th letter from the First Presidency that talks about the limited-use recommends. One thing mentioned in the letter that I think will make the process easier is this paragraph:

"Bishoprics, branch presidents, clerks, and executive secretaries will be able to print the recommends from any computer with Internet access. The new recommends will be activated when they are printed, but they will not be valid until they are properly signed. The temple recommend interview may happen before or after the recommend is printed."

So, an executive can print all of the recommends needed based on the bishop's interview schedule for the evening, and then pass the printed, unsigned recommends to the bishop to have with him in the office as he does the interviews.

[drepouille]

"Bishoprics, branch presidents, clerks, and executive secretaries will be able to print the recommends from any computer with Internet access."

Any computer? Even a laptop that has no printer?
<Snort>
I am just imagining a gathering at the temple, where someone has brought a laptop, but has no printer.

[araehl]

We have really liked the ability to print limited use recommends and record who has one. VERY HANDY. However, kids being kids, and learning to take care of their recommends, it isn't completely uncommon for them to lose their recommend. The bishopric likes the ability to reprint the recommends, but in order to do so, you have to select "cancel" or "lost/stolen", then re-issue the recommend. When using "lost/stolen" as the reason for re-issuing, the re-issue is now updated for a full year. If a youth had their recommend for 6 months and then loses it, the reissued recommend is now good for another full year rather than only for the remaining 6 months. Was it done this way on purpose? Is it expected they should have another interview to get their recommend reissued? It makes sense to re-interview for a canceled recommend, but not necessarily for a lost/stolen recommend.

[sbradshaw]

Handbook 1, 3.3.6, talks about canceling lost recommends, but it doesn't say anything about the process of issuing a new one. I don't know what the policy is, but my inclination would be to go through the interview process again and issue a new recommend. My view is that anyone benefits from meeting with their leaders more frequently. Temple recommend interviews are short. And, it helps teach the importance of keeping track of your temple recommend.