The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced a new update to its Member Tools app: mobile temple recommends will now include built-in location tracking to “help members make better choices” and “give local leaders real-time insights into spiritual risk factors.”
According to Church spokesperson Brother Kyle Jensen, the system is designed to alert users when they approach “spiritually hazardous zones,” such as casinos, vape shops, tattoo parlors, Calvin Klein outlets, and Costco on a Sunday.
“If your mobile recommend is active and you drift too close to temptation,” said Jensen, “the app will gently prompt you to ponder, pray, and redirect.”
The app also sends alerts to leadership if a member spends extended time inside locations flagged by Church algorithms. “Our data shows a sharp drop in self-mastery after 18 minutes in Target,” Jensen added. “Especially near the home décor section. We’re just trying to prevent avoidable backsliding.”
When asked about privacy concerns, Church officials responded, “The Lord already knows where you are. We’re just catching up.”
The update is expected to roll out next week under the name “Covenant Pathfinder 2.0.”
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