Ask MLH: Get Your LDS Tech & Life-Hacking Questions Answered

I’ve been getting a lot of questions sent via MLH’s contact us form. That’s great, I love to hear from all of you. However, many of the questions were outside my body of knowledge. For example after our recent post on putting scriptures and other LDS apps on your Kindle Fire, I got several questions related to the Kindle Fire. I don’t own a Kindle Fire, and just posted instructions provided by +Ben Anderson on Google+ (with his support). I consider myself an expert in a few things, but certainly not the range required to answer all the questions that have come via Mormon Life Hacker.

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Ask MLH is Born

I had the idea to start a Google+ circle or Facebook group, where I could gather some trusted “experts” to pass on your questions as they came in. Then I realized: “why not just let them ask the experts directly?” That’s how Ask MLH was born. I gathered some people I knew to be helpful, good, Latter-Day Saints on Google+ and asked them if they’d be willing to help with answering questions. Most eagerly agreed, so I built a site. Just visit ask.mormonlifhacker.com to see the results.

How to Use Ask MLH

It’s dead-simple. Just login using the buttons on the right at the top of the sidebar. A little window will pop-up and you can select the specific service you want to use to login (Facebook, Google, etc). You’ll then be taken to a page/window for that respective service, and will need to approve Ask MLH to login via your account. This way there’s no new username or password to keep track of, but we avoid the spam that comes from opening it up to anyone.

Once you’re logged in, you’ll see the spot to ask your question, right at the top next to your picture (if our site was able to import it from your account), and under the wording “Hi, [your name]. What’s your question?” Just write up your question and click the “Post It” button. Our panel of experts will be notified of your question and will comment if they have any ideas, suggestions, or at least something to point you in the right direction.

So go ahead, go over to Ask.MormonLifeHacker.com and ask us your questions! Or just login so you can vote on the name of our group of experts, in the poll in the right sidebar. For now we’re calling them the Guru Panel, but we’d like to hear from you if you like that name, or prefer something else we’ve thought of.

The Ask MLH Guru Panel

The name’s not final, and we’re still excited to find new experts to add to our panel, but I’d like to introduce you to the awesome people who are currently on our panel. The description I provide reflects my knowledge of their abilities, coolness, etc. Though I think they’re all amazing people, I don’t know them all super well, and they’re probably all way more awesome than I know or describe here. Here they are in no particular order (click their name to view their Google+ profile):

• Thom Allen: WordPress expert, developer, cloud and mobile tech expert, husband, father, teacher.
• Janell Vasquez: genealogy expert, social media, Mormons on Google+ page creator, wife, mother, Sunbeam teacher, Cub Scout Committee Chair.
• Curtis Ross: developer, creator of LDS Plan web app, husband, father, Elder’s Quorum Teacher, Stake Tech Specialist.
• Michael Jensen: developer, creator of LDS Scriptures mobile apps, PhD, husband, father, Seminary Teacher.
• Kurt Francom: teacher, presenter, leadership expert, creator of LeadingLDS, MLH author, husband, Bishop.
• Travis Washburn: writer, designer, college English teacher, grad student, MLH author, 2nd Counselor in the Sunday School Pres.
• Sheila DuBois: social media enthusiast, blogger, contributor at DailyWOW, wife, mother.
• Oliver Acevedo: technology & mobile enthusiast, general contractor, husband, father, Ward Mission Leader.
• Jill Holmes: genealogist, MLH author, wife, mother, YW Secretary, Ward Website Admin, Stake Fam Hist Training Coordinator.
• Kellen Petersen: mathematician, PhD student, tech enthusiast, photographer, 2nd Counselor in Sunday School Pres.
• Jonathan Max Wilson: web developer, puppeteer, LDS Blogger, Nothing Wavering creator, husband, father.
• Jeff VanDrimmelen: WordPress Multisite expert, tech author, MLH Contributor, husband, father, Bishop.

If you’re interested in helping out, anyone can answer questions, but only the Guru Panel will be notified each time a new question is posted. If you’d like to join the panel, just shoot me an email at tevya@mormonlifehacker.com.

As the subtitle suggests the purpose of Ask MLH is designed so we can all “get answers about LDS life, work, genealogy, callings, tech, family & more.” I hope you’ll use it for that and find it helpful. If you find any issues or feedback on Ask MLH, please let us know in the comments on this post.

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About the author

Tevya Washburn

Designer & creator of the new 'Mormon Life Hacker'. Tevya keeps a personal blog, & another called Sacred Symbolic, about learning through symbolism.

Connect: Twitter, Google+, Mormon.org
Job: Partner at FiddlerStudios web services, instructor at Start WordPress
Calling: Sunday School Teacher 14-15yr olds