This document discusses how Church leaders encourage members to use social media to spread the gospel message and connect with others. It provides guidance about maintaining virtue online and sharing beliefs respectfully. Examples are given of how Church leaders and members actively share gospel messages on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and through hashtag campaigns. The overall purpose is to help members understand how they can use modern technology and social media to further the work of the Lord.
The Church and Social Media - BYU Education Week 2014
1. LIKE, TWEET, +1
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO CONNECT WITH
OTHERS AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL
2. CHANGING WORLD
“Technology, when understood and used for righteous
purposes, need not be a threat but rather an
enhancement to spiritual communication.”
Elder Richard G. Scott
General Conference, April 2013
3. GUARDIAN OF VIRTUE
“Being a guardian of virtue means you
will always be modest not only in your
dress but also in your speech, your
actions, and your use of social media.”
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
CES Devotional, March 2011
4. SHARE YOUR BELIEFS
“At all times of the day across the entire world, the Church and its
teachings are being discussed on the Internet, on blogs and social
networks, by people who have never written for a newspaper or a
magazine.
“We encourage people, young and old, to use the Internet and the
social media to reach out and share their religious beliefs.”
Elder L. Tom Perry
General Conference, October 2011
5. INVENTIONS
“Now in this day of the Internet, there are new and
exciting ways you can do missionary work. You can
invite friends and neighbors to visit the new
mormon.org Web site. If you have blogs and online
social networks, you could link your sites to
mormon.org. And there you can create your own
personal profile. Each profile includes an expression
of belief, an experience, and a testimony.”
Elder Russell M. Nelson
General Conference, October 2010
6.
7. FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOOGLE+
PINTEREST
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
OTHER
CHANNELS
Today’s
Discussion
CHURCH
CAMPAIGNS
8. Percentage of adult internet users in the
US who use social networking sites, by
age
113%
90%
68%
45%
23%
%
May 2008 May 2010 May 2013
9. FACEBOOK
1.28 Billion monthly
active users
72% of online
adults visit at least
monthly
3 Million messages
every 20 minutes
28. GUARDIAN OF VIRTUE
“The Lord is hastening His work, and it is no
coincidence that these powerful communication
innovations and inventions are occurring in the
dispensation of the fulness of times. Social media
channels are global tools that can personally and
positively impact large numbers of individuals and
families.”
Elder David A. Bednar
Education Week, August 2014
29. SHARE YOUR BELIEFS
“Beginning at this place on this day, I exhort you to sweep the earth
with messages filled with righteousness and truth—messages that
are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to sweep the
earth as with a flood.”
Elder David A. Bednar
Education Week, August 2014