Called to serve - as a CYBER Missionary?

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Vanhin

I hear you. I don't think there is a difference in missionary work whether it's done personally, by mail, by phone, by Internet, or by any other way. Dispite the fact that there is a great deal of anonymity our here, it's not really virtual. We are talking about actual people, who's spirits are actually the sons and daughters of God. So no special instruction are needed. The instructions we have received from the Lord through the leaders of the Church concerning member missionary work apply in all aspects of real life, including our correspondence by way of the Internet. I have never thought otherwise.

Our role in member missionary work is ultimately to help prepare and encourage people to be taught the gospel of Jesus Christ by his duly authorized missionaries. That's the purpose of member missionary work. I draw no distinction in the various methods and medias used in this work by sincere members. Elder Ballard's call to more member participation is not just about the Internet. It's the same thing the Church and the scriptures have been teaching us for years, "Behold, I sent you out to testify and warn the people, and it becometh every man who hath been warned to warn his neighbor." (D&C 88:81).

All I'm saying is what Elder Ballard said, "Remember that while you as an individual Latter-day Saint in some ways represent the Church, be careful not to represent yourself as speaking officially for the Church." (LDS Newsroom - Apostle Urges Students to Use New Media)

Anyway, I'm not telling you what to do. Feel free to call yourself an "LDS CYBER Missionary" if you want. I just think that we should be cautious not to present ourselves as official representives of the Church, when we are not really that. For us to be that we must be "...called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority..." and in that case, we would have the title of Elder (not just the office), or Sister.

Otherwise, we are standing ministers, and our primary responsibility is to preach the gospel and strengthen the members of the Church, find people for the missionaries to teach and fellowship converts and new members, and seek out our kindred dead and do their work in the temple. As standing ministers, our ministry is Home Teaching; where we go two and two and are organized just like the full-time missionaries, except we don't go abroad, and we teach and strengthen the Church members where we live. That is vital to the missionary program of the Church, and if we really want to be blessed with more convert baptisms, we should double our home teaching efforts, and encourage as many people as possible to hear the gospel as taught by the missionaries.

Those are just my thoughts on the matter. Take em or leave em.

Sincerely,
Vanhin

I should probably just "leave em" but I'm not comfortable with what appears to be somewhat condescending criticism coming from you, maybe that wasn't your intention.

I'm not saying that he did not say them, but I did not see those words you quoted as from Elder Ballard in the link you provided. It might be helpful if you pointed to that sentence more clearly where you say he said the words that you presented within quotation marks.

But whether Elder Ballard actually spoke those words or not, I agree that nobody except the General Authorities speak for the Church. I think that is a given that every active member understands. I always post on my websites dealing with the Church, including the Mormon Sites Discussion Board, a notice to the effect that it is not an official LDS website.

Personally I do not think that today is a time for "caution" as you seem to urge. I think it is a time for every Latter-day Saint who spends quite a bit of time on the Internet to boldly and respectfully declare the truth about our religious beliefs and practices at every opportunity.

In my mind there is nothing unclear about what Elder Ballard is asking us to do on the Internet, sometimes known as "cyberspace".

[Vanhin]

Originally Posted by justamere10

I should probably just "leave em" but I'm not comfortable with what appears to be somewhat condescending criticism coming from you, maybe that wasn't your intention.

I'm not saying that he did not say them, but I did not see those words you quoted as from Elder Ballard in the link you provided. It might be helpful if you pointed to that sentence more clearly where you say he said the words that you presented within quotation marks.

But whether Elder Ballard actually spoke those words or not, I agree that nobody except the General Authorities speak for the Church. I think that is a given that every active member understands. I always post on my websites dealing with the Church, including the Mormon Sites Discussion Board, a notice to the effect that it is not an official LDS website.

Personally I do not think that today is a time for "caution" as you seem to urge. I think it is a time for every Latter-day Saint who spends quite a bit of time on the Internet to boldly and respectfully declare the truth about our religious beliefs and practices at every opportunity.

In my mind there is nothing unclear about what Elder Ballard is asking us to do on the Internet, sometimes known as "cyberspace".

You are right. My apologies, I gave the wrong link. This is the link -> Making Your Influence Felt

That's cool. I would also point out that in addition to the General Authorities, full-time missionaries are official representatives for the Church.

Regards,
Vanhin

[NateHowe]

I do share the same caution. I personally would not use the title "Cyber-Missionary" in referring to myself, because when you go to mormon.org and click on "Chat with a missionary live," certain set-apart servants of the Lord are the true cyber-missionaries who answer questions. I prefer to take the approach that I am an individual member, representing myself only, and that there are some very good reasons why I believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.

Also, our duty as members online is not only to answer questions accurately with true doctrine, but to point those with questions to the official resources that can answer them. Link to LDS.org, Mormon.org, Joseph Smith - Home, default.htm, Provident Living Home, etc.

Essentially, we must speak up FOR the Church, but we must not speak AS the Church.

[Vanhin]

I have to say, I do like the LDS Cyber Missionary logo however. It looks really nice.



Vanhin

[Elphaba]

I thought your cybermissionary title was actually a new, but official, Church position. Also I have read a few of your posts, and thought you were officially representing the Church in an appointed position.

I find it very unnerving, but glad to discover this is not true. I also feel more sure of my initial reaction to your posts, which I'll discuss below. But I definitely believed you were posting as an official representative of the Church.

In fact, when I make a claim like this I always go back to verify my information. But this time I'm not going to. This is because I do not recall seeing a disclaimer on your posts that you are not an official missionary.

I was appalled at how at how condescending you were to one poster--Mike-UK, and almost wrote a post about it. But I decided not to because I assumed you were an appointed representative of the Church.

Despite his repeated posts that he was struggling with his testimony, you kept at Mike with inappropriate comments, accusing him of running out on people; suggesting he was depressed, which cause his unbelief; literally tell him what to do; and suggesting he had Lost Sheep Syndrome.

A number of times you indicated you didn’t want to offend, but then went on to do so.

You wrote:

I don't wish to offend you but I'm wondering if you could be in a state of depression yourself? . . . You should not be experiencing emptiness and "NOTHING", that's not normal. Have you checked with a physician, counselor, bishop?

You needn't answer this if it's a sensitive issue for you, I'm just curious if you have spent any amount of time reading or watching anti-Mormon media?

Why not try throwing yourself into Cyber Missionary work? You could do some good 'out there' each day for the rest of your life, however long or short it may be, and not be ashamed when you meet your Savior at the end of the day...

Now go out and do the right thing. (I couldn't believe you wrote that.) We need all the LDS Cyber Missionaries and Word Warriors we can get.

Now is not a time to turn and run and abandon your brothers and sisters . . . .

I'm sure you understand 'Lost Sheep Syndrome' but please don't take my musings too personally,

(all emphases are mine)

In my opinion, you weren’t listening to Mike at all; rather, you were using heavy recruiting tactics that do not reflect well on the Church.

By the way, I did go back and look at your post. You seriously need a disclaimer that you are not an official representative of the Church.

Elphaba

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by Xzain

INeedless to say, that never happened. I'm sure some had sufficiently hardened hearts that they did leave, but that was undoubtedly a blessing in the long run.

I think it is so odd, and frankly hilarious, how there are still people who think something is going to bring the Church down.

I am no longer a member, but even I know that is not going to happen. Nor would I want it to, but that is not the point.

My entire family is made up of believers, and nothing could shake their testimonies, which I see as a good thing.

So the claim that "this" or "that" is going to bring the Church down is ignorant silliness. It was silly in the 1800s, and it is still silly 170+ years later.

Elphaba

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Elphaba

.....By the way, I did go back and look at your post. You seriously need a disclaimer that you are not an official representative of the Church.

Elphaba

Hopefully you don't seriously think that everyone writing on this board needs to publish a disclaimer that they are not writing as an official representative of the Church.

You seem to have missed the following sentence from the opening post of this thread:

"Well, I've posted the story of how that hit me elsewhere but suffice it to say that although I haven't been officially called as an LDS Cyber Missionary, that's what I've been doing."

And perhaps you missed the question mark in the thread title.


But maybe I should take your comments as a compliment and thank you. I suppose if one's messages resemble those of the Brethren, one is not straying too far from the direction they, under the Lord's direction, are leading the Church in our time.

I note however your apparent opposition to the term "LDS Cyber Missionary" but it's not clear to me why. That seems to me to be an appropriate way to describe Latter-day Saints teaching Gospel truths in cyberspace. Especially when President McKay admonished EVERY member to be a missionary.

So which of those three words would you rule out?

Thanks for posting in this thread, feedback either positive or negative is always instructive, and sometimes helpful.

By the way, I am NOT an offiicial representative of the LDS Church at this time. :-)

I am just an ordinary individual member taking the initiative to do things online that I consider to be potentially efficient and effective towards helping clear up the mountain of misunderstandings about LDS religious beliefs and practices. Along the way I'll do what I can to encourage others to also follow the Holy Spirit, tithe a portion of their internet time to missionary work, and shine their own unique light in the darkness of cyberspace.

I understand that I am just one of hopefully tens of thousands of Saints who are, each in their own way, teaching Gospel truths on the Internet. If anyone cares to use the words "LDS Cyber Missionary" to describe to others what they are doing on the Internet, then I will conclude that I have contributed something positive to what is emerging from Elder Ballard's recent requests for help.

Enjoy the day.

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Vanhin

I have to say, I do like the LDS Cyber Missionary logo however. It looks really nice.



Vanhin

Yes, it's very attractive. My thinking is that if Latter-day Saints have one of those lapel pins close to their monitor it might further encourage them to at least tithe a portion of their online time to missionary work. And it might be a reminder to LDS teens to stay worthy online and prepare for an offiicial mission, or even to engage in cyber missionary work themselves.

In my mind, being able to describe what you spend so much time on the internet doing (or at least a portion of it) as something like "LDS Cyber Missionary" work is helpful if it's true. The pins could be good gifts for any LDS who spends a lot of time on the net, and it promotes the furthering of Elder Ballard's unofficial 'call' for informed active members to engage in cyber missionary work.

The pins are available as a promotional item from the corporate sponsor of Mormon Sites which is hosting the "Ask a Mormon. LDS Cyber Missionary" discussion board:

SunSpring Internet Services

[Hemidakota]

It will be a matter of time that this will be a official position with the church, along with other new positions.

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Hemidakota

It will be a matter of time that this will be a official position with the church, along with other new positions.

Do you have that on good authority? :-)