Frequently Asked Questions

If you do anything with texts, then WordCruncher is for you. There’s an array of tools for searching, studying, and analyzing eBooks or corpora. You can read eBooks like a Kindle reader while getting the benefits of highlighting by topic, adding notes, and more. You can also easily search through the text, which will find more results than other search engines. Whether you’re writing a speech, collecting data for a paper, or simply looking for new meaning in texts, the analysis reports clearly lay out the data to gain new insights.

While our team works hard to add new books to the bookstore, you can add any of your own digital texts in WordCruncher by converting your files with the Publishing Toolkit.

The toolkit is also a free set of software. You can apply for it by filling out the form here.

Yes. We have fulltime and student employees who prepare new eBooks or collections to support BYU research and teaching. Email suggestions to wordcruncher@byu.edu.

Yes. After installing WordCruncher, run the WordCruncher Data Location Manager. This is a separate program that is installed with the WordCruncher Viewer. We do not recommend storing data on network or cloud drives because WordCruncher will slow down significantly.

On the Help menu, select Contents. Click on the + by Tutorials and then click on Notes. Click on the link for Technical Details.

This isn't available, but you can move your notes file to a cloud storage like OneDrive. To find where your notes are currently located, see Book Options.

WordCruncher works on Windows computers with touchscreens. However, it only recognizes touch actions or gestures that work with a mouse (e.g., click, drag) and have tablet equivalents built into the Windows operating system. Currently there is no support for other gestures (e.g., swipes to scroll or change windows).

WordCruncher does not work on eReaders (e.g., Kindle, Nook, iBooks), or on Android, BlackBerry, webOS, and Windows Phone devices. Currently there are no plans to make an Android version.

About every two weeks, WordCruncher will notify you if any software or eBook updates are available. You can also select “Check for Updates…” from the Help menu.

LDS View is a version of WordCruncher designed solely for studying the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 30+ languages. With WordCruncher, you can download the same scriptures plus other Gospel Library materials (e.g., conference, manuals), and books published by BYU and other publishers.

When installing LDS View, there are two editions of the software: Resource and Standard. LDS View Resource Edition has the same features as WordCruncher, and it is almost identical to WordCruncher. LDS View Standard Edition has fewer options and tools, but it can be a good fit for those that are only interested in basic searches.

LDS View runs only on computers that can run Windows software. WordCruncher runs on the same computers and on iOS devices (e.g., iPhone, iPad).

WordCruncher menus, windows, and helps are available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. The LDS scriptures are available in 30+ languages.

During the installation, you can see and agree to the license agreement. You can also see it here. Email any questions to wordcruncher@byu.edu.

In the early years of personal computers, James Rosenvall and Monte Shelley dreamed of developing a program that would act as a personal research assistant to help anyone search and study the scriptures.

In 1983, they got a digital copy of the scriptures from the Humanities Research Center and began developing BYU Concordance. They demonstrated it at a Modern Language Association Conference held at BYU in July 1984 and it was on sale by 1986.

In 1988, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a version of the program (LDSView) with the English scriptures. About 12 years later, a Church committee asked our team to create WordCruncher versions of the scriptures in 30+ languages.

Since the 1980s, our team has worked with BYU faculty and staff in Humanities, Religion, FARMS, Maxwell Institute, and Family, Home, and Social Sciences to create digital WordCruncher eBooks that were important for their research, teaching, and mission.

In 2003 our team was transferred to the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. In 2017, we were transferred to the Office of Digital Humanities.