For as long as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has existed, even from the days of Jesus Christ, Himself, we have been called to preach His gospel to the world.
In the Bible Dictionary we find the description of the Abrahamic Covenant and our sacred calling as descendants of Abraham:
Being an heir to the Abrahamic covenant does not make one a “chosen person” per se, but does signify that such are chosen to responsibly carry the gospel to all the peoples of the earth. Abraham’s seed have carried out the missionary activity in all the nations since Abraham’s day. (Matt. 3: 9; Abr. 2: 9-11). (Bible Dictionary, Covenant of Abraham)
What a wonderful calling we have been given, what a phenomenal privilege. To be those called to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ across the world, through every medium available to mankind.
Although it is a great privilege there are many, if not most, who hesitate to share their testimonies of the Gospel, of Jesus Christ and all the principles, practices and precepts of His Gospel. And yet, with the advent of the internet a unique opportunity has been presented to Mormons all over the world.
On December 15, 2007 Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sent the call out to Mormons:
“The emergence of New Media is facilitating a world-wide conversation on almost every subject including religion, and nearly everyone can participate. …
“Conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. …
“The challenge is that there are too many people participating in conversation about the Church for our Church personnel to converse with and respond to individually. We cannot answer every question, satisfy every inquiry, and respond to every inaccuracy that exists. …some who seek answers want them to come directly from a member of the Church, like each one of you. …
“May I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet, particularly the New Media, to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration. Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including Newsroom at LDS.org, and send them to your friends. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church, and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports. …
“Others have recorded and posted their testimonies of the Restoration, the teachings of the Book of Mormon, and other gospel subjects on popular video-sharing sites. You, too, can tell your story to nonmembers in this way. …
“Use stories and words that they will understand.” (Elder M. Russell Ballard, Devotional Talk at BYU-Hawaii, 15 December, 2007)
This is a simple way in which you can begin to share the Gospel. It has been said that the missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spend 90% of their time correcting misperceptions about the Church and it’s members and 10% of their time actually teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is where we, as Member Missionaries, can step in and help our full-time missionaries. We can begin blogging to share the Gospel and give the world an accurate view of Mormons and our every day lives. You would be startled to know the misconceptions, myths and outright fairy tales that still exist in this day of easy access information.
This blog will be dedicated to helping Mormons worldwide learn many varied and effective ways to share the our Lord and Savior’s Gospel. We believe in the Jesus Christ of the New Testament. The one who is Jehovah of the Old Testament and the Messiah of the New. Let us spread His word to every corner of the world. There are those in every country seeking Him, join our full-time missionaries and let’s share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Check back often for new ideas on how to spread the Gospel.
Online Missionary Tool: Begin your own blog by going to www.blogger.com or www.wordpress.com, just to name two options. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. If you run into trouble, simply drop back by this blog and I’ll be happy to answer any questions or walk you through the process. In doing this you will be combatting the host of anti-Mormon rhetoric which proliferates across the internet. Be a part of the Lord’s online army and raise that standard to the world, standing for truth and righteousness in all ways and in all things.
Some useful sites to begin building your religious knowledge are:
http://momonfaq.com (Answers to hard questions)
Just to name a few.