Honduras in the News . . .
There has been a lot of news going on in relation to Honduras these days . . . . many people are doing searches about Honduras to find out more information or to try to understand what the current situation is like here . . . I've noticed many many hits on this blog . . . so I'm sure many of the blogs in the sidebar are getting more attention as well.
Which is a good thing right?
It's good if we are sharing appropriate messages with the intent to fulfill our missionary purpose to share a message of the Savior and of the Gospel. If we are posting messages about the gospel, missionary experiences, and sharing testimonies of the Savior, and the good works accomplished by the missionaries . . .
It's a good thing!
There has been a lot of news going on in relation to Honduras these days . . . . many people are doing searches about Honduras to find out more information or to try to understand what the current situation is like here . . . I've noticed many many hits on this blog . . . so I'm sure many of the blogs in the sidebar are getting more attention as well.
Which is a good thing right?
It's good if we are sharing appropriate messages with the intent to fulfill our missionary purpose to share a message of the Savior and of the Gospel. If we are posting messages about the gospel, missionary experiences, and sharing testimonies of the Savior, and the good works accomplished by the missionaries . . .
It's a good thing!
But it brings to mind a few points that I think we need to be aware of . . .
(A few photos of our July Transfer arrivals!)
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
(Our newly arrived Couple Serving as Missionaries!)
A Few Important Reminders . . .
We always need to use caution when posting about our young people, our precious missionaries, and also about their experiences and investigators. Sometimes missionary letters written to homes and family need to be filtered or edited to make them more appropriate for widely broadcast social media.
We always need to use caution when posting about our young people, our precious missionaries, and also about their experiences and investigators. Sometimes missionary letters written to homes and family need to be filtered or edited to make them more appropriate for widely broadcast social media.
Honduras has a turbulent environment that is not always friendly to everyone, and here in Honduras (as in many parts of the world) not everyone is to be trusted. We need to be very careful in our online social media postings to protect not only the security, privacy and safety of our missionaries, but also the security, privacy and safety of their investigators.
Please be extra cautious to not include your missionaries email address in public posts. Anyone who is close enough to your missionary to email them can certainly get that information from the family. There have been instances of missionaries receiving inappropriate emails through their assigned missionary email address.
(Final Transfer - heading for home! We'll miss you!)
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
Exercise Caution . . .
I would also advise caution in sharing exact locations where missionaries are currently serving and where they live.
I would also advise caution in sharing exact locations where missionaries are currently serving and where they live.
Consider referring to your missionary as Elder or Sister so-and so, and avoid the use of their first names while blogging.
Please also be very careful about information that you share about the investigators. Edit out names, or change the names, do not include locations, cities, zones, where the missionaries are serving. Most investigators would not appreciate reading about their private and personal lives on widely broadcast social media.
(Everyone was on hand to welcome our Senior Couple!)
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
It is wonderful to share inspiring missionary experiences! Much good is accomplished through sharing such inspiring stories. Just be cautious not to identify, embarrass or attract unsafe attention to individuals and families living in this tumultuous climate. We do not know who is reading each blog . . . but I do know that this blog is attracting much more attention these days . . . and likely not all of it is of a positive nature.
And so we muct be cautious.
It is a great privilege for the Church of Jesus Christ to have missionaries serving in all of the countries here in Central America . . . we wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize that privilege. We need to be very careful about privacy violations by families of missionaries, both past and present.
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
Blogs and social media have a great purpose in sharing the gospel. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has established their own media presence through popular sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram. Clearly there is an appropriate and positive use of such postings.
“Sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before. . . . Perhaps the Lord’s encouragement to ‘open [your] mouths’ might today include ‘use your hands’ to blog and text message the gospel to all the world!” . . .
“With the blessings of modern technology, we can express gratitude and joy about God’s great plan for His children in a way that can be heard . . . around the world. Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity.” — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Ensign, May 2011, “Waiting on the Road to Damascus.”)
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
(Scenes from some recent baptisms)
As we create and share content online that reflects gospel principles, we can help more and more people throughout the world come to a knowledge of our Savior and the restored gospel.
Sharing through social media will only continue to grow . . . but take great caution to always follow the Spirit's promptings so that you can share the good news in a spirit of charity. Our testimonies can and do reach people around the world. If we each take great care to focus on making our messages uplifting and inspiring, certainly we can "flood the earth" and accomplish the great purpose that modern technology was meant to accomplish.
I love this quote from Elder L. Tom Perry,
"Surely there could not be a more exciting time to be involved in the Lord’s work," Elder Perry said. "In a world where we can so easily share our testimonies, the kingdom of God will surely spread, like the stone in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, until it fills the whole world."
(We had an opportunity to do a fireside for members and missionaries on the Book of Mormon)
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| From July 31, 2014 |
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| From July 31, 2014 |
And from the General Handbook on Instructions:
"Members are encouraged to be examples of their faith at all times and in all places, including on the Internet. If they use blogs, social networks, and other Internet technologies, they are encouraged to strengthen others and help them become aware of that which is useful, good, and praiseworthy."
This YouTube video is quite helpful is explaining the use of etiquette and caution in blogging missionary experiences!
2 comments:
So true!! I am going to post a link on our blog to yours so our parents can read it!! Thanks for writing this all out.
Wise counsel that I had not thought about. Thank you for sharing--starting these practices now.
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