Every member an apologist?

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The Church’s recently posted article on the Mountain Meadows Massacre will be published in The Ensign later this year. While controversial topics like this are not central to the saving principles of the Gospel, the Internet has brought them more fully into the light and the Church has responded. By the end of the year more Church members will be educated (and even know for the first time) about this topic than ever before in Church history.

A few days after the article was published, I received one of those forwarded emails from a friend. It had been forwarded to dozens of people:

hey everyone…So i was checking out lds.org this morning and saw this article. I don’t know how many of you have heard about a movie coming out called, i think, “September Dawn.” This movie is supposed to portray a massacre which occured over 150 years ago in the utah territory and I assume that it will not portray the LDS church in the best light. Please read this article, that was put out by the church, so that when you are approached with questions you may be informed with the true story and can hopefully be a strength at a time when the church is once again being attacked. Pass this along so that all that don’t understand can gain strength through this knowledge! Hope all is well! The work will go forth no matter what, hopefully we can be on the side that helps it!

Is this the beginning of every member an apologist?

The Internet makes it easy for uninformed, anonymous voices to perpetuate misconceptions about the Church (not that all of the Church’s critic are uninformed or anonymous), but it’s also an opportunity for Church members to be more educated on church history, church doctrines, and the Church’s place in society than ever before. It’s an opportunity for every Church member to express our faith.