Mormon Explorer is a website that connects travelers with people willing to show them around their country. The service is free.
According to the website, “Mormon Explorer seeks to build this network through meaningful connections and friendships. Many of our members travel to distant countries to revisit old mission areas, or to simply visit the beautiful countries around the world.
“Next time you travel to Paris, why not stay a couple nights and share a few meals with a member family who would love to host an American LDS family? Next time an LDS family from Brazil comes to Utah to watch General Conference, why not make their trip more memorable by welcoming them into your home?”
“It’s like Mormon couch surfing,” said Seeley Dopp, a junior from Idaho majoring in intercultural studies. Dopp would set up these sort of experiences on her own when she attended Especially For Youth in different states. Before she left, she would call the bishop in the area she would be visiting, go a week early, and play around with the family before going to EFY.
When asked if she would ever host someone in her home from this site, Valorie Lafaele, a junior from Idaho majoring in interdisciplinary studies said, “Everyone is welcome into my home. Just know that I have a gun.”
Based off the website, explorers make a profile telling others about their interests, languages they speak, and anything else that might be important. Explorers let other explorers know how they are willing to help by hosting other travelers in their home, sharing a meal, taking them on a tour of the city, attending church with them, or participating in some other sort of activity with them.
Sydney Peirce, a junior studying graphic design from California mentioned, “It would be cool to see students again if I ever traveled somewhere.”
BYU–Hawaii is an international school with more than 70 countries represented, according to BYUH quick facts of 2014-2015.
Trevor McCord, a senior studying psychology from California, said, “Chances are, you know someone wherever it is you are going.” Last year he and some friends took a trip to Kauai and they stayed in a house for 2 days for free thanks to a connection they had.
He continued, “Because you are friends, you naturally want to help each other out. That's what happened when one of my friends from the mainland came to stay in Hawaii for the summer. I gave him a place to stay until he got his feet grounded.”
According to Mormon Explorer’s website, there are 2851 members. “Using Mormon Explorer was just a small part of planning the trip,” said Brandon C.W. Johnson, a BYU–Hawaii graduate, who just returned from his trip in Europe.
“I used many different social media platforms and online networking methods, but we did use the Mormon Explorer. It is not the best website it needs a lot of work, but it does work to an extent.”
According to information on their webpage, their website is built and maintained by volunteers and donations by the founders, sponsors and members of the community, and those who run the website have opportunities for others to help.