The July 2008 issue of the Ensign is now online. (Remember, you can view the full magazine layout in PDF format by clicking “View” on the format bar.)
Find out how to join the online conversation about the Church by reading Elder M. Russell Ballard’s advice on “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet.”
After reading the article, you may want to consider the following ways to share the gospel online:
- Blog what you’ve learned and how you know. Start a blog, then write what you learn in Church or in your scripture study, or explain how living the Gospel has blessed your life.
- Post your testimony online. Write your testimony or conversion story then post it on a personal blog, Web site, or one of the many LDS-oriented sites. Then do it again in your mission language.
- Comment on existing blogs. Well-known blogs on religious topics, such as the On Faith blog at newsweek.washingtonpost.com are great places to share your beliefs because people of many faiths participate there.
- Post a video on a video sharing Web site. Join the ranks of thousands who have shared their testimonies and stories by video. Perhaps you could video tape your parents or grandparents and capture their stories too. While there, rate and comment on other good videos you find.
- Post mission and wedding photos on photo sharing sites. Why not share photos from your mission, your wedding, or your family home evening at the park? Be sure to comment about them as well.
- Edit entries in online encyclopedias. After signing up for a free account, you can edit or create articles immediately. Be sure that entries on gospel topics are accurate and positive. If you speak a foreign language, even better to do it in that language!
- Link to good Web sites. If you have a Web site or blog, create a link to other good Web sites. You can also link to Church sites. For example, link to your favorite talk at LDS.org or your favorite video at videos.lds.org. Link to the Gospel Topics section in the Gospel Library that has great answers to common questions, or to other key sites, such as JesusChrist.lds.org or the Church’s site on Joseph Smith.
- Volunteer with a community group of members. Volunteer your talents in graphic design, programming, writing, translation, or videography.
“…the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified…” (Alma 10:12)
I have found that writing about gospel topics that come to my mind, posting talks I have given, or simply posting a statement or scripture is a very easy way to blog and share the message of the gospel.
I just wanted to mention that as a frequent Wikipedia editor, accuracy is important, but being “positive” is best left for blog comments. This is a real cultural stumbling-block for many first-time editors who aren’t aware that “positive” is very subjective, and the goal of a site such as Wikipedia is to host information written from a neutral point of view. There are other websites that would be better hosts of “positive” information.
I have noticed that many LDS blogs are congregating, becoming on-line wards. I hope we don’t become cliquish in our Internet presence, speaking a Mormon language which excludes others.
I think we have such an opportunity to let readers from many walks of life interact or merely observe our daily lives, and how our knowledge of the gospel affects us for good. Let’s not blog just for each other, and isolate ourselves into private groups in this very public medium.
Having an influence for good because of our perspective, hope for the future and service to God and others, will depend on how accessible we are. It seems counterproductive to go on a mission and hang out with the members the whole time. And it seems rude to barge in with a blazing testimony, when a “Nice to meet you, what are you like?” might come across as friendlier.
What device is pictured on the back cover?
I recently taught an elders quorum lesson on sharing the gospel using the internet. I created a handout containing a lot of valuable resources and helpful tips for those interested in using the internet to help spread the gospel. I’m making it available at the link below in the hope that others might find it useful.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/11531831/Sharing-the-Gospel-Using-the-Internet
Thanks so much Richard for your link to your handout for sharing the gospel using the internet, we are having a joint R?S and Priestood meeting this Sunday and as one of our Ward Missionaries i have to talk about this very subject. So can now share with them this infomation you have shared with all of us. thanks again Julie