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This month’s Ensign has an article about using the Internet to do family history work. Anyone in the world can visit FamilySearchIndexing.org to signup as a volunteer and begin doing “extraction work,” the work of transcribing names from old court documents, birth certificates, and death records. This family history work, along with temple work, brings about the redemption of the dead, one of the threefold missions of the Church. The Church’s Family History Department has long been adept at using technology in its mission.
What about the other two missions of the Church: “Perfect the Saints” and particularly “Proclaim the Gospel”? If the Internet is to be used to proclaim the gospel, how will it be done? How can the Church use the Internet to proclaim the gospel as effectively as it has used the Internet to enable redeeming the dead?
How can we use the Internet to proclaim the gospel? Here are some ideas that come to mind:
- If we participate on the Internet, people who interact with us may see our good example and ask about our religion.
- If we participate on the Internet, people who don’t even know us may find our thoughts and feelings about the Church.
- Perhaps we can use web applications and other Internet technologies to better manage our real life missionary work.
What else comes to mind for you?
In the Ensign article, Sister Susana Doty said she never intended to get an email address, but she became actively involved on the Internet when she was able to do family history work online. How can we make proclaiming the gospel online equally appealing?
