692R-2008-Book-SN

Sharing the Gospel Through Social Networks  by Whitney McGowan &amp; Yvette Arts       &#8220;You have a great opportunity to be a powerful force for good in the Church and in the world.&#8221;    Elder M. Russell Ballard, Ensign, July 2008    Overview   Within the past few years, a new phenomenon has swept the world, a social networking movement in which millions of people have become involved. You can become involved too and be a &#8220;powerful force for good in the Church and in the world.&#8221; Social networks are Web-based communities built around individuals&#8217; common interests, connections, goals, employment, educational backgrounds, family ideals, entertainment choices, and other types of relationships. Some social networks are built around diverse interests. Social networks are also built on many levels of interactions and offer a variety of different tools to connect, inform, create content, and maintain relationships. Some social networks are designed specifically for personal expression and sharing with families and friends, while others are created to promote businesses and bring in revenue. Many social networking sites are a big part of youth culture and tend to promote social connections between adolescents ages 11-18 and college-age students. However, whatever your niche or interests, most likely there is a social network just for you. Social networking sites are attracting record numbers of users. Although there is no way to calculate exactly how many people are participating in social networks, it is estimated that two-thirds of all Internet users visit a social network site at least once each month. However, the specific social network that is most popular depends on the country where you live. For example, in North America, the top two social networks are MySpace and Facebook, but in Asia, Friendster, Cyworld and Orkut have gained the attention of millions of social networkers. Most social networks are free, easy to use, and are geared toward specific types of audiences. MySpace, Bebo and Facebook originally catered to younger audiences and have recently branched out to &#8220;older&#8221; audiences who generally have higher incomes and are more educated. Why Use a Social Network? Social networking is all about creating, building and maintaining relationships in virtual communities, whether those relationships are between family, friends, business partners, employees, students, or newly found acquaintances. At the highest level, these relationships empower individuals to gather online with others and extend their capacity to share and engage in wholesome interactions. &#8220;Nourishing relationships are the single most universally agreed-upon feature of the good life,&#8221; according to Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence. Susan Alberts, a scientist at Duke University who &#8220;studies the survival value of sociability&#8221; concludes that the &#8220;practical lesson for us all comes down to &#8216;nourish your social connections&#8217;&#8221; (p. 319). The idea behind social networks is to do just that: nourish social connections. If you are reading this book,you are probably a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The themes of gathering, sharing and community are familiar terms. You have probably heard of the Gathering of Israel, or have held a Family Home Evening in which you gathered with family and friends,and sacrament meeting in which we gather in worship with our brothers and sisters. In essence, the gospel of Jesus Christ is built around some of these concepts of sharing, gathering, and community building. Many of these concepts have been extended to the Internet and play a vital role in the success and excitement that comes with belonging to social networks Elder Ballard, in his historic address about the Internet in July 2008&#8217;s Ensign stated, &#8220;Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration. It is also important that you and the people to whom you testify understand that you do not speak for the Church as a whole. You speak as one member&#8212;but you testify of the truths you have come to know.&#8221; Elder Ballard explained many of the ways to share those words. He challenged members of the Church to become active participants in sharing the gospel through the Internet. Sharing the gospel is even easier now because of social networks. Becoming an Active Participant in Social Networks  The kind of collective action Elder Ballard talked about wasn&#8217;t possible before the advent of the Internet. These enabling technologies now available increase and transform individuals&#8217; social visibility, channel their motivation, and provide new ways of forming and communicating with groups. You probably have questions about the many ways that you can participate in social networks and use them to share the gospel. We&#8217;ve tried to anticipate and answer these questions below. 1. What are Some Examples of Social Networks? Perhaps you are ready to join a social network right now, but where should you start? There are hundreds of online social networks in many different areas of interest. Below are a few of the most popular social networking sites. Facebook: &lt; http://www.facebook.com&gt; Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life. MySpace: &lt;http://www.myspace.com&gt; MySpace is a place for friends, to search for old friends, make new friends, express who you are, upload picture and videos, add music, keep you connected with your friends either through the web or through the mobile MySpace application. LinkedIn: &lt; http://www.linkedin.com&gt; LinkedIn&#8217;s mission is to help you be more effective in your employment, and can help open doors to opportunities using the professional relationships you already have. Bebo: &lt;http://www.bebo.com&gt; Bebo is a social media network for friends to share their experiences and explore entertainment interests. Bebo stands for &#8220;Blog Early Blog Often.&#8221; Orkut: &lt;http://www.orkut.com&gt; The service states that it was designed to help users meet new friends and maintain existing relationships. 43 Things: &lt;http://www.43things.com/&gt; 43 things is a community that allows people to interact about what they want to do with their life. 2. Are There Social Networks for Religious Organizations? Yes. Many individuals from religious organizations are sharing their beliefs, staying connected with other, and inviting others to participate in their religious community through social networks. Many of these social networks have places for discussion boards, news, updates, and member listings. Most of the popular social network sites have groups within that are affiliated with the LDS church. For example:  Facebook: Facebook includes hundreds of groups associated with Mormons and Mormonism. For example: The Family: A Proclamation to the World, I Was the Only Mormon in My High School, You Know You&#8217;re Mormon If&#8230;, Largest Mormon Group Ever, Mormon Missionaries are like Jedi, Mormon Artist,All My Mormon Friends Have Trampolines, Lethbridge Mormon Dances, Mormon Moms, etc. MySpace: MySpace currently has more than 120,000 religion-focused groups. More than 570 LDS groups have been created on MySpace. Some of these groups include Latter Day Saints Members, LDS Friends From Around The World, Mormon &amp; Married, The Mormon Club, The Army of Helaman, LDS Latinos, and the CTR crew. LinkedIn: The popular business connection site, LinkedIn has over 70 groups associated with Latter-day Saints, such as LDS Connected, LDS Professionals, LDS Entrepreneurs, LDS Data Society, Arizona Management Society, LDS Connect, LDS Professional Network, LDS Scouting, LDS LSA,Wharton School LDS Network, LDS Latter-Day Saint Business Owners, etc. 3. Are Social Networks Safe? The answer to this question is &#8220;it depends.&#8221; Many social networks are quite safe. You, as the user, usually have the right to determine who can view your profile, who can see your photos, etc. Some social networks ask you to specify if everyone on the network can see your profile, or if you want to limit it to your family and friends. When you upload a photo, some will ask you to whom you want to make the photo visible (i.e. everyone, friends, and family, or some will even allow you to send the photo to an email address). Sometimes these profiles settings are referred to as public and private; public meaning that anyone can view the profile, and private meaning you choose who can view it. In the areas where pictures can be posted, don&#8217;t include provocative poses or immodest pictures, and immediately hit the back button or close your browser, whichever is fastest, if you come upon inappropriate photographs or other material. You should take some caution in the information that you decide to post on your social network because your profile could be viewed by anyone. For example, it would not be a good idea to include information on your profile such as your social security number (if you live in the United States). Some people are even cautious about listing their address or phone number, or even the maiden name of their mother. The key is to be thoughtful about what you post on your profile and to use the privacy settings provided if you don&#8217;t want just anyone to know your personal information. You may also want to be cautious about the type of language you post on your profile. For example, many employers research and look at the profiles of the individuals whom they are seeking for potential employment. Therefore, if you don&#8217;t want your potential employer to see it, then don&#8217;t make it public. Unfortunately, social networks are also a popular place for predators. These individuals can easily join a network and pretend to be someone whom they are not. They can post false information and make attempts to contact you or one of your family members. If you are using a social network, be careful with whom you speak or have conversations. If you are a parent with children in your home, you should know all of those individuals with whom your children are chatting. You should also warn them about the dangers of chatting online with strangers. Make sure you know them before inviting them to view your profile and talk with you. In many cases, individuals after meeting someone through a social network site will set up an appointment to meet. This can be a very dangerous idea, especially if you or your family member met the individual online through a social network. Many social networks have moderators for discussion boards and chat rooms, and if you or any member of your family feels that there is any misconduct in these areas, contact the moderator. A lot of social networks connect you to friends of your friends. These &#8220;friends&#8221; have access to your information and you have no control over what they do with the information you include in your profile. Some social networks offer places where you can chat or post personal thoughts. You may want to share what you did at a party over the weekend, but remember that many people can potentially read any information you post. For the most part, social networks are safe places, but you and your family members must use some caution and common sense. 4. What is a Profile? A profile is a place where you can include information about yourself that you would like others to know. Some social networks provide questions for you to answer. These questions typically ask you about your gender, age, interests, friends, connections, family, pets, entertainment preferences, etc. Your profile can also contain your photo, links to your favorite popular media, goals, and other information. You can also choose whether to have sections of your profile seen by everyone, or just a select group of people. Some social networks are quite open with your profile information and allow it to be crawled by search engines. Other social networks control access to your profile through your privacy settings, member privileges, or subscription services. In social networks others don&#8217;t see the physical you, and so you are required to create an online representation of yourself. You can use this image-crafting opportunity to reflect your testimony of the gospel. Dana Boyd, a noted social network expert, divides this self-representation into three categories, which we have adapted for use with this chapter. Impression Management (or self presentation)&#8212; Impression Management is the way in which individuals attempt to control the impressions that other individuals form of them. As a member of a social network, individuals will form an impression of you based on the content you place on your profile. As a Latter-day Saint, you have the opportunity to share your feelings and thoughts about being a member of the Church. One way you can start a religious conversation with someone is by listing your membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can also post pictures of yourself, your family and your friends participating in activities that are wholesome, and show unity and love. As mentioned earlier, people form impressions of others based on what they see in others and read about them. To help others see you in the best light possible, your profile picture should reflect your best self. You should look happy in your picture and it should be free from any distracting or extreme styles of dress or hair. Information about you should reflect a wholesome and well-balanced life that is centered around church and family and honest work. If you have served a mission, post pictures from your mission and include captions that positively reflect the mission and the missionary work you performed. Friendship Performance&#8212; How you respond to friends and family in the public areas of your social network constitute your friendship performance. Public messages posted on your page to family and friends should be uplifting and inspiring. You shouldn&#8217;t send any controversial virtual gifts to friends that will be displayed, or join any application that is not congruent with church standards. Public Displays of Connection&#8212; Individuals who view your profile and other areas of your social network can see the connections you have to friends and family. They can see the groups with whom you associate and the applications you use. There are many gospel-centered groups in Facebook and MySpace that you can join. You can also create your own gospel-centered group the social network(s) you join. In Facebook there is a space for you to list your religious affiliation. In addition to using social networks to create an online representation of yourself, you can also use tools within social networks to keep extended family informed through group calendars, digital photo albums, newsletters, newsfeeds, family profiles, special announcements, and family histories. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, be sure to create your profile following high standards in appearance and words. Be informed about the tools and conversations that occur on the social networks that you and your family members use. 5. What are the Hardware, Software, Bandwidth Requirements, and Resources Needed to Participate in a Social Network? Social networks are accessed through web browsers. In order to access a social network site, you need to have a computer with an Internet connection and a web browser or a mobile phone with wireless capabilities. Some of the most popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape and Safari. Some social network applications require certain browser &#8220;plug-ins&#8221; to provide additional functionality to your browser. Some of these plug-ins include Quicktime, RealPlayer, Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Java, and Shockwave. A broadband (fast) connection to the Internet will make viewing photos and other multimedia in social networks more enjoyable. 6. Where Can I Find Free Online Tutorials? At this point, you may be ready to participate in a social network, but may be unsure how to get started. Here are some free online tutorials to assist you in your social networking journey. Tutorial 1 Facebook Tutorial: How to Create a Facebook Profile http://remarkableparents.com/facebook-tutorial-the-basics-part1/  Tutorial 2  How to Join a Facebook Network http://www.ehow.com/video_2201974_join-facebook-network.html  Tutorial 3  Build Your MySpace Site, 15 Minutes a Day http://personalweb.about.com/c/ec/22.htm  Tutorial 4  How to Build Your Profile using LinkedIn http://www.howcast.com/videos/16292-LinkedIn-Profile-Tutorial  Tutorial 5  iKeepSafe Videos &amp; Tutorials on how to keep your children safe on the Internet http://www.ikeepsafe.org/PRC/videotutorials/   7. How Can I Use Social Networks to Share the Gospel? Now that you have a general understanding of social networks, here are a few ideas and tips to help you follow Elder Ballard&#8217;s counsel of sharing the gospel through the Internet, particularly by using social networks. Tip 1&#8212;List your religion. On your profile in Facebook, list your religious affiliation as Christian/The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tip 2 &#8212;Create an LDS-centric group in LinkedIn or on Facebook. An example of an LDS-centric group on Facebook is called Mormon Moms. Mormon Moms is a group for any individual who is a mom, desires to be a Mom, or is expecting a child. The purpose of the group is to help individuals raise Christ-like, respectful, and moral children. Anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, can join. Tip 3&#8212;Post a video of your testimony.

Once you have posted a video of your testimony online (YouTube.com is a popular video-sharing Website) you can post a link of that testimony in your Facebook page or another social network to which you belong. Here is how you post a link of a video of your testimony into Facebook. 1. Upload your video on YouTube, or find another video of a testimony that you want to share. 2. On the right side of the video, you will see a box that looks similar to the one below. Copy the text listed in the URL box.  3. Go to your profile page on Facebook.com. 4. Click on the Share Link button (shown below).  5. Paste the link into the box.  6. Click Preview and make sure everything looks the way you want it. You can also add an optional comment. 7. Click Post. Tip 4&#8212;Build the kingdom of God through genealogical work. On Facebook, there are several applications that an individual can download to participate in genealogy with your friends and family. The top application for families on Facebook is called We&#8217;re Related. More than 13 million individuals are using this application. We&#8217;re Related allows individuals to find relatives on Facebook, connect with friends and family members, build family trees, and share news and photos. Other applications on Facebook where individuals can pursue their genealogy include: Family Tree, My Family, Family Facts, and many more. These applications (as well as any application on Facebook) can be downloaded into your social network on Facebook by doing the following. 1. Go to your profile page. 2. Click on Applications (at the bottom, left-hand corner).  3. Click on Find More.   4. Type in the name of the application in the Search Applications box.  5. Click on the name of the application you want to download. 6. Download, the application. Tip 5&#8212;Share a faith-promoting experience, your testimony, or a favorite scripture on The More Good Foundation&#8217;s application on Facebook called The LDS App. If you have served a mission, or have a friend or relative serving, you can also share your experiences, or tell about the experiences of your friends and family members using this application. The More Good Foundation is committed to helping faithful Mormons share their stories with the world, and then helping the world find those stories quickly and easily. Being a member of this group is free. Latter-day Saints are encouraged to participate. View their Website at: &lt;http://www.moregoodfoundation.org&gt;. Tip 6&#8212;Share Your Love. In 1 Timothy 4: 12, it states, &#8220;&#8230;be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.&#8221; Being an example to others is a great way to share your love. The way you act and represent yourself is also a testimony to others of what you believe. As Elder Ballard said, &#8220;Every disciple of Christ will be most effective and do the most good by adopting a demeanor worthy of a follower of the Savior.&#8221; There are many ways to share the Savior&#8217;s love with others, as well as by being an example using social networks. Here are few ways this can be done: 1. Post nice comments on the photos your family members share with you.  2. Leave a nice message or comment on their Wall on Facebook, or a newsfeed on another social networking site.  3. Post video clips about the gospel of Jesus Christ, or about individuals bearing testimony of the love of the Savior. (This could be you bearing your testimony.)   4. Read and be aware of the content that is posted on your family members&#8217; social networking sites. If a family member has posted content that is of concern to you, talk to this individual about it.  8. How Can Using Social Networks Affect My Family? Using social networks has potential positive, as well as negative effects, depending on how you use them. Examples of how social networks can affect you and your family are listed below. Potentially Positive Benefits of Using Social Networks: The benefits of using social networks can have a positive impact on you and your family. For example, social networks are a great place for you to connect with your friends and family and even share information that means a great deal to them. Social networks can also be a great place for you to share the gospel, meet new people, learn more about some of your interests, and reconnect with individuals whom you have not seen in a long period of time. Potentially Negative Effects of Using Social Networks: As stated earlier, you need to be careful about the content you post on your profile when using a social network. Some employers and authorities (such as law enforcement agencies) carefully monitor and look at the profiles of individuals. Some individuals have lost their jobs or have had evidence used against them in court that was posted on their profile pages. Social networks have been known to be addictive to some individuals. For example, digital strategist &lt;http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22705712-2,00.html&gt;Julian Cole said, &#8220;For many moderate to heavy users, checking their MySpace or Facebook account has become an automatic and compulsive behaviour, with some participants reporting they log on up to 20 times a day.&#8221; This addiction is especially prevalent in university students and individuals new to the workforce. Some social networks contain applications that have games with virtual worlds where individuals spend quite a bit of time participating and get so involved that the virtual life becomes more important to them than real life. Conclusion At the close of Elder Ballard&#8217;s message on &#8220;Sharing the Gospel Through the Internet&#8221; he boldly stated,  &#8220;There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those 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. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time&#8230;May the Lord bless each of you that you will have a powerful influence on those you come in contact with. As I said in the beginning, the power of words is incredible. Let your voice be heard in this great cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ.&#8221;   As stated by Elder Ballard, there is so much good that can be done in the world through small and simple means. Social networks are tools that can help you do your part in sharing your feelings about the gospel, including the glorious message of the Restoration. Your sphere of influence can be expanded tremendously through the use of this tool. If you have not joined a social network yet, start today. Who knows who you will reach and the good you will do?