donmilam wrote:So, you are saying, LDS.org has the ability to check callings before it displays data.
Yes. We're talking about the Directory on LDS.org, which is only visible when you are signed in to LDS.org with your LDS Account. Your LDS Account is connected to your membership record number, which is connected to your callings.
donmilam wrote:(what if ward callings aren't kept up-to-date in a timely matter?) that seems like a design flaw to me.
That's not a design flaw -- ward clerks have a responsibility to keep callings up to date. Callings appear in the leadership directory, and they also control access to a variety of Church websites. If clerks don't stay on top of this part of their calling, they will cause a variety of problems.
donmilam wrote:LDS.org is basically a "public" site, since theoretically 3500 stake members would be able to have access.
That's certainly not "public" -- 3500 is a lot less than 7 billion. And the Directory has even more visibility settings than that -- members can choose to have their profiles visible only to leaders, or just to their ward, or to the whole stake. But households are never visible outside the stake, so it's far from public.
donmilam wrote:i've seen members data on LDS Tools that has a marker stating member doesn't want contact. Remember, we're talking about LDS.org, not the MLS system. My understanding is that MLS feeds LDS.org. So if the member is in the ward MLS data base, it should display on LDS.org--true?
Not exactly. Although much of what appears on the Directory on LDS.org comes from MLS, that's not the whole story. Privacy settings are not stored in MLS, and photos are also not stored in MLS. If a member is in MLS, they will appear in the Directory on LDS.org, but not all members will necessarily see them -- that's controlled by the member's privacy settings, and by the callings and ward membership of the person viewing the Directory.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.