Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books vs RE Scriptures
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books
Access a vast library of uplifting eBooks, audiobooks, and podcasts focused on Latter-day Saint content. Enjoy a free starter collection and explore thousands more titles through a subscription service, with features for personalized reading and listening experiences.
- Vast library of eBooks, audiobooks, and podcasts
- Free starter collection of 8 titles
- Customizable reading experience
- Advanced audiobook player controls
- Offline listening and reading
- Cross-device syncing
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Deseret Bookshelf – Deseret Book’s Library in Your Pocket Search, study, read, and listen to uplifting, family-friendly content—all in one powerful app. The new Deseret Bookshelf is the most comprehensive source for wholesome eBooks, audiobooks, and podcasts for individuals and families alike. Start with 8 free Latter-day Saint eBooks and unlock access to hundreds more—all at no cost. Your Library keeps all your Deseret Book purchases in one convenient place. Subscribe to Deseret Bookshelf+ for unlimited access to a wide-ranging collection of gospel, fiction, and nonfiction titles—including romance, suspense, inspirational voices, Church history, and more. That’s over 4,000 eBooks and the full audiobook catalog in one app. Key Features Wholesome Content - Discover uplifting content that inspires faith, joy, and purpose. - Curated for all ages—perfect for personal study and family time. - Listen to audiobooks and talks from trusted Latter-day Saint voices. - Enjoy clean stories with meaningful, family-centered themes. Discover & Search - Browse thousands of inspiring eBooks and audiobooks by genre or theme. - Explore rich categories like gospel study, romance, fantasy, and suspense. - Stream gospel-focused podcasts with insights from Church members and leaders. - Find content quickly with smart filters and universal search. - Follow beloved authors and access their most popular works. eBook Reader & Study Tools - Customize fonts, spacing, and light/dark modes to suit your reading style. - Choose between scroll or page-flip mode. - Highlight passages, bookmark favorites, and add personal notes. - Tap scripture references to view linked verses instantly in context. - Sync your markups and progress across all your devices. Audiobook Player - Listen to over 2,500 professionally narrated audiobooks and talks. - Use chapter skip, 30-second rewind/forward, playback speed control, and sleep timer. - Enjoy full background listening and cross-device syncing. - New mini player keeps audio controls accessible while you browse. Podcasts - Subscribe to uplifting Latter-day Saint podcasts. - Manage episodes with auto-playback and library organization. - Download for offline listening or stream anywhere. - Control playback speed to listen at your preferred pace. Inspiration & Sharing - Start your day with a new, uplifting quote. - Share highlights or passages with friends via text, email, or social media. - Let others know what books and authors are inspiring your journey. Free Starter Library Create an account and instantly receive 8 classic Latter-day Saint titles: 1. All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience – Neal A. Maxwell 2. The Power of Everyday Missionaries – Clayton M. Christensen 3. The Beginning of Better Days – Sheri Dew & Virginia Pearce 4. Be Your Best Self – Thomas S. Monson 5. Jesus the Christ – James E. Talmage 6. Lectures on Faith – Joseph Smith 7. The Joseph Smith Papers – Joseph Smith 8. Gospel Doctrine – Joseph F. Smith You’ll also get access to the Standard Works, Church manuals, General Conference talks, and official Church publications—all included at no cost. Deseret Bookshelf+ Subscription Unlock unlimited access to: - The full Deseret Book audiobook collection - Thousands of premium and exclusive eBooks - The subscriber-only “Sunday on Monday” podcast - New titles added regularly Whether you’re commuting, studying, or winding down at night, Deseret Bookshelf helps you stay spiritually nourished with uplifting content—anytime, anywhere. Download now and experience the joy of wholesome reading and listening.
RE Scriptures
Access and study the complete Restoration Edition scriptures offline. Customize your reading experience with adjustable fonts, text sizes, and color schemes. Quickly navigate content by volume, book, and chapter.
- Offline scripture reading
- Customizable text and appearance
- Easy navigation by volume, book, chapter
- Includes Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price
- Restoration Edition text
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Read and study the complete text of the Restoration Edition of the scriptures in this new app. The app makes it easy to quickly locate scripture content by volume, book and chapter. The reading experience is fully customizable, allowing the user to select fonts and text sizes, choose margin width and line spacing, and select from several color schemes. The full text of the scriptures is included in the app for offline reading. Contains the following volumes of Restoration scriptures: * Old Testament * New Testament * Book of Mormon * Doctrine and Covenants * Pearls of Great Price The Restoration Edition text represents thousands of hours of careful work by a committee of volunteers. Their purpose is to compile the most accurate and complete set of scriptures based on the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ that began in the early 1800’s through Joseph Smith, Jr. The Restoration Edition, the committee responsible for its compilation, and the developer of this app are not affiliated in any way with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or any other church or organization. This effort serves a loose association of fellowships of believers in the Doctrine of Christ. This version of the app contains the March 2017 version of the text. Many changes have been made since that date, and the editing work continues at this time. When the final print edition has been finalized by the scriptures committee, a new version of this app will be released containing the updated text.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RE Scriptures at none against Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books's 1. RE Scriptures also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 18.0). Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 16 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RE Scriptures asks for nothing beyond the download.
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books has 11K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books's written reviews are positive against 67% of RE Scriptures's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books ships an update fortnightly, RE Scriptures every 16 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books | RE Scriptures |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (11K ratings) — better | 4.5 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.7% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11K — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 16 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 10.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Deseret Book Company | Lorien Creative |
Customer experience
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books
RE Scriptures
Bugs and requests
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books
Reported bugs
6 issues- Chapters not downloading properly
- Audiobooks randomly pausing or skipping
- Ebooks displaying blank pages
- App crashing on launch or during use
- Inconsistent behavior when locking screen
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- Unreliable offline access to downloaded content
Requested features
6 requests- Bookmark and note-taking sync across devices
- Improved audiobook controls (e.g., 15-second skip)
- Genre-based browsing and filtering options
- Personalized recommendations and reading history
- Dark mode and customizable reading experience
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- Better integration with other LDS apps and services
RE Scriptures
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books
- Bookshelf Plus Meme Pack$0.99
RE Scriptures
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books free?
Is RE Scriptures free?
Which has better reviews, Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books or RE Scriptures?
Do Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books or RE Scriptures have ads?
Which is updated more often, Deseret Bookshelf LDS Books or RE Scriptures?
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