DPlife.info: Interactive Timeline of True Mother’s life

Two exciting outreach tools are now available at dplife.info: Timelines of True Father and True Mother’s lives and accomplishments. We introduced True Father’s timeline on the website last year, and now True Mother’s timeline is also live and available for viewing. Jonathan Gullery, who was responsible for building the timelines, said, “I love doing this kind of historical work, and it’s a privilege to do it.”

We have developed a rich interactive experience. The standard 2D view lets you scroll along the timeline by dragging the time bar on the bottom, or clicking on any title to open and read the content.

A “3D” button on the bottom left-hand corner, switches the view to a vertical perspective, allowing the viewer to see history literally unfold in front of them as they scroll through the events and stories. The Tiki-toki software used to create the timelines allows for this dynamic viewing experience.

True Father’s timeline incorporates his own words, mostly taken from his autobiography, and a contemporaneous explanation of church history from a number of sources, including existing print and online archives. Similarly, True Mother’s timeline was developed using available print, True Father’s words, testimonies and comments from members, and online public record.

Jonathan noted, “There’s a bit of sleuthing involved. Sometimes it’s starting with key events, finding appropriate text or writing it, then looking for the right photo; sometimes it’s finding a great photo and working the other way. You might think that all available material is right there just waiting to be accessed, but that’s not always the case. There’s always new material coming to light. Someone finds a box of programs, or a pile of old negatives from bygone days. Someone writes a new testimony. History is really a living thing.”

While the timelines are intended for online viewing, they’ve been offered in presentation mode as well. At this year’s Foundation Day celebration at East Garden, NY, the West Rock Family Church decided to present the timeline “live.” As the stories scrolled across the screen, the titles were read to the congregation, and about 15 of the 54 were narrated in entirety. The live narration and background music made it a rich and moving experience, as most of the congregation had not yet seen the material.

The timelines are a wonderful resource for church communities and individuals alike. Visit dplife.info to explore the timelines for yourself and share them with your friends.

True Father’s timeline True Mother’s timeline