“Sharing the Gospel through Social Media,” New Era, Sept. 2012, 36–37
Sharing the Gospel through Social Media
New technologies give us more and more ways to further the work of the Lord.
Photo illustration by Church Publishing Services
How many times have you heard how important it is to share the gospel? The prophets have taught “every member a missionary.” In the scriptures, the Lord declares that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the gospel: “For, verily, the sound must go forth from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth—the gospel must be preached unto every [person]” (D&C 58:64).
“The uttermost parts of the earth” may sound huge, but reaching every person has become easier thanks to technology such as the Internet and social media. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “We are blessed to be living in such an exciting gospel dispensation. God is inspiring the minds of great people to create inventions that further the work of the Lord in ways this world has never known.”1
The Internet and social media allow free and fast communication, but it can be easy to forget that the Lord has given us these tools to share the gospel with people we know. Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has taught, “Today’s ‘manner of conversation’ seems to involve the Internet more and more. We encourage people, young and old, to use the Internet and the social media to reach out and share their religious beliefs.”2
To help you reach out and share your religious beliefs in this way, the Church created Mormon.org, a website for those interested in learning about the Church. There, Church members 14 years old and older can create an online profile, sharing their feelings about the gospel with the world. For step-by-step instructions, visit Mormon.org/create. Once you create your profile, you can share the link on blogs and social media pages.
Mormon.org is also a place where those not of our faith can learn more about our beliefs and our people and can even chat with full-time missionaries. If your non-LDS friends ever want to learn more, you can invite them to visit Mormon.org.
A more personal way to share the gospel and invite your friends to learn more is through social media. Mormon.org has pages on Facebook (facebook.com/mormon), YouTube (youtube.com/mormon), Google+ (gplus.to/mormon), and Twitter (twitter.com/mormonorg).3 On each of these social media sites, uplifting content about the gospel is posted (like videos, pictures, posts, and status updates). If your parents have given you permission to use these social media tools, you can share this content on your personal social media page.
On Facebook, YouTube, and Google+, you can leave comments on each post with your testimony, engage in online conversation with other users from around the world, and share the content on your own page. Sharing lets all your friends see the posts and learn more about the gospel. On Twitter, you can reply to posts and “retweet” them so others learn what you believe.
Be sure to add your own testimony when you share the Mormon.org updates, videos, pictures, and posts on your personal social media pages.
The Internet and social media are tools the Lord has given us to live His commandment that the gospel be taken to the “uttermost parts of the earth.” They make sharing the gospel so easy; anyone can do it. It’s never been easier for every member to be a missionary.