Ten Easy Ways to Share #LDSConf Using Social Media

The cat is totally out of the bag when it comes to knowing how much sharing General Conference using social media means to me personally! My passion for sharing the gospel online, over the last few years -- even prior to the official LDS Church doing it -- eventually caught their attention and has actually led to an incredible invitation to share General Conference, live, from the media center inside the LDS Conference Center. I still haven't quite figured out 'why me'? so instead I say 'why not me'? --  and just do it. This will be my 4th trip (I think) to Salt Lake City to do so, and each time I nervously wonder to myself if they will continue to allow me to do this in the future. Serving in this manner has become such a great joy in my life.

I have a sincere desire to be a part of this great movement, through technology, to share the message of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with those not of our faith. I know that many of you share a similar passion and it is a pleasure to work together in this endeavor. Making sure that information about how to watch General Conference is made available, as well as sharing the words of living prophets in real-time, I feel, is one of the greatest opportunities that we as average members have available to us, to help accomplish this great work. If you wonder just how important this work is to the Church, let me share a few quotes from some of our prophets.

Elder M. Russell Ballard: 

"The Lord, over the centuries, has had a hand in inspiring people to invent tools that facilitate the spreading of the gospel. The Church has adopted and embraced those tools, including print, broadcast media, and the Internet....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." ("Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet," Ensign, July 2008, 58–63) 

Elder Russell M. Nelson: 

"Now in this day of the Internet, there are new and exciting ways you can do missionary work." ("Be Thou an Example of the Believers," October 2010 General Conference) 

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: 

"With so many social media resources and a multitude of more or less useful gadgets at our disposal, sharing the good news of the gospel is easier and the effects more far-reaching than ever before.... 

"[P]erhaps 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! But please remember, all at the right time and at the right place. 

"Brothers and sisters, 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 not only around our workplace but around the world. Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone’s life for eternity." ("Waiting on the Road to Damascus," April 2011 General Conference)

Source: LDSTech

"Social media is fun, free and informative. It's also here to stay. It has the potential to connect the world, and any individual or organization trying to communicate a message to a large audience should take a serious look. With a message as important as the restored gospel, it's no wonder why the Church is taking gospel discussions online and encouraging members to do likewise." LDS Church News - "The Church in Cyberspace; Using social media to spread the gospel"

As we are now only days away from LDS General Conference I'd like to make sure you are all aware of some of the best ways to share this information with those whom you have influence online. Most all of us are now on Facebook, Twitter and/or Google Plus and/or use email, etc... where we frequently come in contact with nonmembers, giving us many opportunities to share our faith -- if we will but take the opportunities. 

Ten Easy Ways to Share General Conference 

Using Social Media

1. Share video invitation to invite friends and family to watch General Conference. (Copy and paste this link anywhere online or in an email: http://www.lds.org/general-conference/invite-others?lang=eng. If you have a blog you can embed it as I have here.)

2.  Invite family and friends to the official LDS General Conference event. 

3.  Invite family and friends to LIKE The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Facebook, where they will receive updated information about LDS Church events -- including General Conference.

4.  Visit the General Conference section of LDS.org which includes banners, video and audio widgets that can be embedded onto a personal blog or website to invite friends and associates to participate in conference. (See my right-hand sidebar >>> 

5.  Share General Conference sessions, live, by using my 10 Tips for Tweeting #LDSConf on Twitter. Follow me @LDSNana on Twitter and we'll do it together! (If you prefer Google Plus or Facebook you can apply these tips accordingly.)

6.   Make sure your friends and family are aware of the many different ways that they can watch or listen to General Conference online or on television: How to Watch/Listen to LDS General Conference.

7.  Share past General Conference addresses by posting links to talks and videos via LDS.org archives: All Conferences -- and perhaps share a brief principle of the gospel that you learned to encourage discussion. After General Conference do the same with current addresses.

8.  Once General Conference has concluded consider writing about your experience and sharing it via email, your favorite social network (Facebook, Google Plus, etc...) or on your personal blog -- even if you don't normally share Mormony stuff.

9.  Always be willing to answer and/or invite questions about your Mormon faith. Make sure you provide the link to Mormon.org where anyone can learn more about the Church on their own.

10.  Share this cool LDS General Conference infographic!

Here's my challenge to you: pick two of the 10 ways to share General Conference and do it!

Now, have I missed anything?

tDMg
Kathryn Skaggs

More from WBMW: 

Confessions of a Prophet Stalker

Autumn is All About General Conference for Mormons

LDS Media Talk: Explaining Mormon Beliefs: LDS General Conference

Note: this post has been updated, to include information about the 2013 October General Conference