Quote:
Every Member Online a Cyber Missionary
By Marcel Demas
President David O. McKay became well known for the saying: " Every member a missionary ." Had he lived in our time, he might have added: " Every member online a CYBER Missionary! "
The World Wide Web seems to be an ideal way to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world.
Recently Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Twelve has been encouraging Latter-day Saints to help respond to questions and teach basic gospel principles on the Internet. The front cover of the July, 2008 Ensign demonstrated the Brethren's recent emphasis on Cyber Missionary work, a new territory, a whole new world!
Not surprisingly, because members of the LDS Church are used to proclaiming the gospel in the real world, many faithful Saints are stepping up to the plate and taking the initiative to help encourage and facilitate LDS Cyber Missionary work. (For example, the excellent work being done by the �More Good Foundation�. http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/)
There must be many other stories better than mine, but let me tell you about my own personal Cyber Missionary experiences over the last few weeks.
On the Sean Hannity discussion board I started a topic titled �Ask a Mormon�. That thread is now retired but it received 4,470 messages and had 59,298 views!
http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=648471&page=112
That's a whole lot of cyber door-knocking, and not a single sole got worn out doing it!
I started another Ask a Mormon thread on a smaller non-LDS discussion board and it quickly became the most popular topic that board's religion forum has ever had, with more than 10,000 views.
There's a whole lot of negativity floating around in CyberSpace, but there's also a lot of interest in learning what Mormons really believe�
Encouraged by those successful cyberhappenings, I started two discussion boards. The first one http://www.LDS1.org is oriented towards LDS cyber missionary work; we have about 150 members and are looking for more. The second one http://www.CTR1.org is a nondenominational board focused on helping people of all faiths discuss ways to carry out their own unique cyber missionary work.
It may seem strange that an active Latter-day Saint would start an ecumenical board. I invite you to visit CTR1.org to find out why I did it and to join in the discussion if you like what you find there.
No doubt the senior brethren are aware of the enormous potential of hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint volunteers of all ages serving with their home computers, tithing a portion of their online time to cyber missionary work, eventually touching the lives of perhaps millions of non-members all over the world, in many different languages. My personal opinion is that LDS cyber missionaries have done their job if all they do is encourage people to visit http://www.mormon.org. There in that quiet inspired place, safe from the virtual turmoil almost everywhere else, the Holy Spirit can reach and teach those who share our precious days on earth. Should we labor all our years crying repentance all over CyberSpace and help bring only one soul unto Christ, we are promised much joy in heaven.
LDS1.org has dozens of prepared responses for inexperienced missionaries to copy and paste elsewhere until their confidence is sure that the Spirit will guide their fingertips on the keyboard if they will only keep calm in the face of sometimes vicious attacks as the war of words rages on towards its post-Millennial climax. I have found that every hostile comment is an opportunity for seasoned teachers of righteousness to calmly teach a gospel principle, and leave a hyperlink to mormon.org that may remain visible for many months. The Spirit can guide truth seekers to those links long after the poster has moved on to other fields.
Hugely encouraged by Elder Ballard, today's LDS Cyber Missionaries in my opinion are pioneers, exploring new territory, finding new places to reach and teach God's children. I sometimes think of Cyber Missionary work as crossing the bridge to some dark corner of the Spirit Prison, doing our very best there, gaining some souls, losing others, then going home for a while to rest and recreate in the Paradise Father has made for those who love Him. Then going back again time after time as we do our part to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ on our watch�
I'm retired. I feel that my entire life has been preparation for Cyber Missionary work, and now it's here. There may be tens of thousands like me, Saints who know different languages, many with skills well beyond my own. The Spirit guides me constantly. I sometimes sense angels looking over my shoulder as I type. I know this is the Lord's work�
I am confident that CyberSpace will eventually yield an abundant real world harvest; we'll get better and better at what we do. Cyberwork may be the way we'll finally teach the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, as we have been commanded to do on our watch. I encourage everyone who feels the desire to do so to take the initiative and independently join the joyful reapers. The field is white already. I know, I've been there. 59,000 views of just one �Ask a Mormon� thread in only a few weeks! What if hundreds of us did the same? Thousands?
Do you feel the desire as you read these words? Is the Spirit moving upon you? Can you hear Elder Ballard's firm voice, the voice of a Special Witness of Jesus Christ, sounding a call for help with the harvest? If so, perhaps you too are already prepared and �called' to the work.
Why wait another hour to thrust in your sickle and reap?
Every member online a Cyber Missionary!
It's a GREAT time to be alive!
http://www.lds1.org
By Marcel Demas
President David O. McKay became well known for the saying: " Every member a missionary ." Had he lived in our time, he might have added: " Every member online a CYBER Missionary! "
The World Wide Web seems to be an ideal way to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world.
Recently Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Twelve has been encouraging Latter-day Saints to help respond to questions and teach basic gospel principles on the Internet. The front cover of the July, 2008 Ensign demonstrated the Brethren's recent emphasis on Cyber Missionary work, a new territory, a whole new world!
Not surprisingly, because members of the LDS Church are used to proclaiming the gospel in the real world, many faithful Saints are stepping up to the plate and taking the initiative to help encourage and facilitate LDS Cyber Missionary work. (For example, the excellent work being done by the �More Good Foundation�. http://www.moregoodfoundation.org/)
There must be many other stories better than mine, but let me tell you about my own personal Cyber Missionary experiences over the last few weeks.
On the Sean Hannity discussion board I started a topic titled �Ask a Mormon�. That thread is now retired but it received 4,470 messages and had 59,298 views!
http://forums.hannity.com/showthread.php?t=648471&page=112
That's a whole lot of cyber door-knocking, and not a single sole got worn out doing it!
I started another Ask a Mormon thread on a smaller non-LDS discussion board and it quickly became the most popular topic that board's religion forum has ever had, with more than 10,000 views.
There's a whole lot of negativity floating around in CyberSpace, but there's also a lot of interest in learning what Mormons really believe�
Encouraged by those successful cyberhappenings, I started two discussion boards. The first one http://www.LDS1.org is oriented towards LDS cyber missionary work; we have about 150 members and are looking for more. The second one http://www.CTR1.org is a nondenominational board focused on helping people of all faiths discuss ways to carry out their own unique cyber missionary work.
It may seem strange that an active Latter-day Saint would start an ecumenical board. I invite you to visit CTR1.org to find out why I did it and to join in the discussion if you like what you find there.
No doubt the senior brethren are aware of the enormous potential of hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint volunteers of all ages serving with their home computers, tithing a portion of their online time to cyber missionary work, eventually touching the lives of perhaps millions of non-members all over the world, in many different languages. My personal opinion is that LDS cyber missionaries have done their job if all they do is encourage people to visit http://www.mormon.org. There in that quiet inspired place, safe from the virtual turmoil almost everywhere else, the Holy Spirit can reach and teach those who share our precious days on earth. Should we labor all our years crying repentance all over CyberSpace and help bring only one soul unto Christ, we are promised much joy in heaven.
LDS1.org has dozens of prepared responses for inexperienced missionaries to copy and paste elsewhere until their confidence is sure that the Spirit will guide their fingertips on the keyboard if they will only keep calm in the face of sometimes vicious attacks as the war of words rages on towards its post-Millennial climax. I have found that every hostile comment is an opportunity for seasoned teachers of righteousness to calmly teach a gospel principle, and leave a hyperlink to mormon.org that may remain visible for many months. The Spirit can guide truth seekers to those links long after the poster has moved on to other fields.
Hugely encouraged by Elder Ballard, today's LDS Cyber Missionaries in my opinion are pioneers, exploring new territory, finding new places to reach and teach God's children. I sometimes think of Cyber Missionary work as crossing the bridge to some dark corner of the Spirit Prison, doing our very best there, gaining some souls, losing others, then going home for a while to rest and recreate in the Paradise Father has made for those who love Him. Then going back again time after time as we do our part to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ on our watch�
I'm retired. I feel that my entire life has been preparation for Cyber Missionary work, and now it's here. There may be tens of thousands like me, Saints who know different languages, many with skills well beyond my own. The Spirit guides me constantly. I sometimes sense angels looking over my shoulder as I type. I know this is the Lord's work�
I am confident that CyberSpace will eventually yield an abundant real world harvest; we'll get better and better at what we do. Cyberwork may be the way we'll finally teach the Gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, as we have been commanded to do on our watch. I encourage everyone who feels the desire to do so to take the initiative and independently join the joyful reapers. The field is white already. I know, I've been there. 59,000 views of just one �Ask a Mormon� thread in only a few weeks! What if hundreds of us did the same? Thousands?
Do you feel the desire as you read these words? Is the Spirit moving upon you? Can you hear Elder Ballard's firm voice, the voice of a Special Witness of Jesus Christ, sounding a call for help with the harvest? If so, perhaps you too are already prepared and �called' to the work.
Why wait another hour to thrust in your sickle and reap?
Every member online a Cyber Missionary!
It's a GREAT time to be alive!
http://www.lds1.org
