Thummim Reader

Please note: This software will currently not download content from LDS.org due to changes at that site.

I've been lucky enough to have the LDS scripture set (KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine And Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) on my handheld device for years. I've had it since I used an old Handspring, and upgraded my application to the PocketPC version when I got my Dell Axim, and continued to use it on my iPaq.

Now, I'm using a Nokia n800 Internet Tablet which is Linux based, and there was no LDS scripture set for it. I looked at all the applications out there that offered the Book of Mormon, but they were all in a proprietary file format, and looked rather impossible to convert. "Sword" is the standard for scripture reading, but they have been rather anti-LDS, and refuse to release any of the LDS works in their "Sword modules" and their module format is proprietary as well.

So I decided to develop my own.

NOTE

LDS.ORG has changed their format. This has broken both the internal downloading and the ldsripper application. I haven't had a chance yet to investigate it due to other projects. Drop me a line at tony@maro.net with a subject of "ldsripper" for more info.

Features:

  • Simple, open file format
  • Reads any text file
  • Highlight sections of text in any color
  • Create notes with linked references
  • Add multiple bookmarks
  • Copy text to the clipobard
  • Small memory footprint
  • Supports full-screen mode
  • Directly downloads most LDS manuals (no separate program needed)
  • Companion application for downloading the King James Bible and other works from lds.org
  • It's all released under the GPL v 2, which means it is FREE with source!

Downloads:

Download page for Thummim Reader

Download LDS Scripture Ripper for your Desktop PC

The LDS Scripture "Ripper" requires Python be installed on your desktop. It will download the official LDS Scriptures (including the King James Bible, Book of Mormon, etc) and save them to your hard drive. You can then copy these files over to your Internet Tablet for use with Thummim Reader. It's stored in a Tar+GZip, so if you're in Windows you'll need something to extract it.

If you are interested in making your own "books" for Thummim, be sure to grab the Scripture Ripper and examine the ".idx" files it generates. It's very easy to decipher.

Requirements:
You will need Python installed on your handheld device. Download it from here with your device
LDSRipper will need both Python and GTK installed, which is common for most Linux desktops and do-able in Windows. Soon I hope to integrate this functionality into Thummim directly, so you could download the documents directly on your handheld.

Windows Users:
To run ldsripper, you'll need Python with GTK bindings installed, and GTK for Windows.
Here's a nice all-in-one installer I stumbled across. I didn't package it, and you aren't downloading it from my site, so "buyer beware" would be appropriate I guess, but I installed it in a virtual machine and it worked like a charm.

Known Issues:

  • Does NOT automatically download from LDS.org since their latest changes. Stay tuned!
  • Still needs help files
  • Needs ability to exports notes for backup
  • Ability to download church magazines desired in the future