My First Post (1)

Hello to the blogging world. Some of you may be wondering why I set up this blog and the truth is that it is part of an assignment for my Writing 150 class. I was a bit apprehensive at first but I feel like this blog is going to be great way to complete this course successfully and also reach out to family and friends back home in Northern Ireland and South Africa.

My first assignment from Sister Steadman was to read two talks from Elder David A. Bednar which have the same general message: share the gospel with social media while using it wisely. The first talk, entitled "Things As They Really Are", can be found here. The second talk is called "To Sweep The Earth As With A Flood" and it may be found in this link.

I learnt two great things from these talks. Firstly, it is our duty and also our privilege as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to share the gospel. Elder Bednar explains: "We are blessed to live, learn, and serve in this most remarkable dispensation. An important aspect of the fulness that is available to us in this special season is a miraculous progression of innovations and inventions that have enabled and accelerated the work of salvation." With all of these great tools for missionary work, why do more of us not jump at the chance to share this happy Gospel with our friends, family, and neighbors? We click a button and an email is sent, a video link is shared, or a picture is uploaded. We can use these advancements in technology for such good if we make the decision to do so. We have the chance to uplift the lives of those around us by using social media in appropriate ways.

The second thing I learnt from Elder Bednar was to be true to yourself. We are sons and daughters of a great King, and we should treat ourselves that way. Social media and gaming can provide an opportunity to remove ourselves from the real world and live in a virtual world under a false identity. Of course many would argue that it's just a game, it doesn't mean anything, it's all anonymous anyway, no one can trace it back to you. But that's the point. YOU are not an anonymous being. You are a real being with divine potential that needs to be fulfilled in the real world. Submerging ourselves for hours each day under an alias is damaging to the real relationships in the real world. If we spent more time in the real world and less time lost in fantasy, our efficiency would increase. Efficiency at work, at making friends, at sharing the gospel. Be loyal to the royal within you. Make the most out of your life as you can!

I suppose I may have learnt more from writing this post than you did from reading it, but that's because I got the chance to look inside myself and see what I thought about what Elder Bednar was teaching us. Maybe you could do the same.

Thought for the day: "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness." (D&C 58:27)

Have a great day!