Speaking of apps, we’d like to remind those of you who include on Facebook some of your LDS interests and background, that there is an LDS Application of Facebook. It includes space for noting your personal scripture faves, and incorporates a few scripture mastery games. You have the option as to whether or not to include the information on your personal profile.

Additionally, take a look at the Ensign Facebook page–a fairly new development. For friends of other faiths visiting, The Ensign is a monthly magazine that shares messages from Mormon leaders and everyday members, includes a monthly message for Mormon Women to share with their neighbors, and Church news from around the world. If you are interested in purchasing a copy for your family, you can learn more about it and order it here.

Facebook is a great way to join the inter-faith conversation online. You can share links, videos, family photos on Facebook in a not-in-your-face kind of way, so that those visiting your pages can see the influence your faith has on your everyday life, inviting questions and participation in conversation with our friends of diverse backgrounds and faiths.

Facebook is a virtual phenomenon. From the day that Mark Zuckerberg turned his pass-around notebook of faces and contact information to keep track of classmates to its conversion to the Internet with his Harvard buddies, Dustin and Chris, in 2004, Facebook didn’t sleep. Its growth in the fall of 2007 was staggering:

Over 1 million new users signed up every week, 200,000 daily, totaling over 50 million active users. Facebook received 40 billion page views a month. Long gone were the days of Facebook as a social network for college students. 11% of users are over the age of 35, and the fastest growing demographic is users over 30. Facebook has also seen huge growth internationally; 15% of the user base is in Canada. Facebook users’ passion to the site is unparalleled: more than half use the product every single day and users spend an average of 19 minutes a day on Facebook. Facebook is 6th most trafficked site in the US and top photo sharing site with 4.1 billion photos uploaded. (“Facebook”)

If you are interested in our initiative in reaching out to Russia online, opening up a dialog about our faith, feel free to visit LDS Russia on Facebook, or check out our Russian forum at mormonforum dot ru.

If you are interested in checking out more about Mormon Women, we also have a Facebook group, so please feel free to visit.  The group is associated with the website by the same name, at MormonWoman dot org. The site is a venue for sharing authentic glimpses into the lives of faithful and proactive LDS women, and has a repository of articles, reflections on women’s issues, and multi-media with user interface and volunteer contributions welcome.

Questions? Comments? Email us at email@moregoodfoundation dot org.  Thanks for stopping by.

Please follow the nudge if you feel one to post your conversion story online, or to participate in some way in this effort to share our faith globally.  For more information, see ways to help, on this site, or send your comment or question to us.

Hi Karen,

Great to hear from you! Yes, it is true, I have a date set for the 29th of March to be baptized. I am so excited! I am going to be baptized in Huntington due to the  fact that the ward that I belong to, is still under renovation.  From what I understand it will be another 6 weeks or so before the [other] chapel is ready.

Do you want to know another neat thing? One of the other guys on LDS.net was scheduled for baptism on the 28th , but he was bumped to the 29th as well! That is so neat! he and I began conversing about the same time we both had gotten on the LDS.net website, and now look at us. . . .

I was unable to attend Church this past week, I had to work on second shift for another guy. But the strangest thing, I really miss going to this Church. There is so much to see and learn, it truly is a unique Church.

It is funny Karen, it seems just  a little while ago, I was investigating the Church, worried . . . about what others might say, worried about the sin which was going on in my life, all of it. But a series of strange and beautiful events seemed to come into play, like all these roadblocks to the faith were layed aside, they became marginalized. My wife’s heart softened a bit, (well more like she is tolerable about it),  and I quit worrying about how others feel. The major sins in my life began to be addressed. It all just happened. I can only attribute this to Heavenly Father, I mean how else could it have happened? I have also had guidance from many people like you as well, thank you so much!

My wife really is a wonderful person, but I think she has been listening to someone at work, I do not know who, but one day while having small conversation, she stated her belief and used the word ‘Cult’. But I am prayerful that God will one day change her heart. I figure if I just live the principles in my daily life , she will see the change in me, and maybe… just maybe, one day she will see the Church in a different light.

To tell you the truth, I do not think she will ever know exactly how much the Church has already benefited her and kids. I try and remain focused on the principles instead of all the other vices in life that leads to the destruction of the family.

God bless you Karen, you know you were the first contact I had ever had in the LDS Church, as far as I am concerned all of these good things would not have happened without you. Your testimony, as well as the other testimonies from the MGF , as well as other sites really made things happen. you are an inspiration.

God Bless You,

Public Relations students, Ashley, Brett, and Kate, assisted More Good Foundation at a service booth at BYU (Brigham Young University) on Friday, October 31, 2008, surveying students about their willingness to share their Mormon beliefs online.

As part of their ongoing research to assist the foundation in facilitating online conversations about Mormons–our faith and our lives–these students shared information about ways other students can use the New Media to engage in the conversation on the Internet.

We appreciate their efforts to help us and help others participate in increasing the dialog about who we are on the Web.

To join the conversation, or for more information, please contact us at email@moregoodfoundation.org or visit our websites (Click on tab, “Our Sites”).

Ashley & Brett at More Good Foundation Booth at BYU

Ashley Chats with BYU Student at More Good Foundation Booth (It's Halloween!)

Kate and Karen at More Good Foundation Booth at BYU

Quisiera agradecer a la iglesia por permitirme conocer la verdad por medio delos misioneros sud, ya que antes de ceptar a Jesucristo en mi vida y mejorar como individuo y progresaren mi vida espiritual, yo era musulman y tenia un sincero anhelo de conocerla verdad y a pesar de todo no sabia como pensaba de Muhammad ( salalahu alehi wa salam ) ahora se que criterio tiene la iglesia sud de muhammad (saws), agradezco mucho a mi padre Celestial por permitirme conocer la verdad restaurada del evangelio y la plenitud de la verdad por medio de nuestro amadisimo profeta Joseph Smith ya que en una oportunidad el se comparo al profeta ismaelita, sse con todo mi corazon que este evangelio es verdadero y no tengo la menor duda de ello y lo dejo en el sagrado nombre de Jesucristo nuestro salvador AMEN”

Translation: I would like to thank the Church for allowing me to know the truth through the LDS missionaries, because before I accepted Jesus Christ in my life and become a better individual and progress spiritually I was a Muslim and had a sincere desire to know the truth.  Above all I didn’t know what to think about Muhammad. . . . Now I know what criteria the LDS Church has with respect to Muhammad, I thank my Heavenly Father very much for allowing me to know the restored truth and gospel and the fullness of the truth through our beloved prophet Joseph Smith given that in one opportunity he was compared to the Ishmaelite prophet.  I know with all my heart that this gospel is true and I don’t have the slightest doubt, and I leave this in the sacred name of Jesus Christ our Savior, amen.

I stumbled into the LDSTalk chat room 7 1/2 years ago. I had been inactive for over 12 years and did not have any LDS friends. I wanted a place to chat with LDS people, in a non threatening way to try and “ease” back into the church. Ben always gave me great advice and encouragement as I started going back to church. Another person I met in the chat room was Giggles. She has been by my side through the good times, bad times, and every step of the way as I became active and was with me in March when I went through the Temple to receive my endowments. I would certainly consider her friendship and influence in my life a positive and thinking about it now, would say that I owe you a debt of gratitude Heather for providing us a chat room to meet in. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

A chaplain from Seattle joined LDS.net because of an incident of religious bigotry on the school board in his area.  The board intended to keep a Mormon from participation, and defamed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   After being applauded and writing a letter about it, he decided to look on the Internet to find out about the Church. LDS Talk was at the top of the search engine listings, and he joined that social networking site.

That was two years ago.  This summer he and his family took a vacation to Utah.  It was great to meet with him and other members of the site at The Olive Garden in Sandy.  This chaplain has been a strong advocate of respect for Mormons and their beliefs.  He’s very Pro LDS, and helps other investigators find the correct answers to their questions, turning them away from anti-Mormon sources.

Derick started reading The Book of Mormon online and  to frequently ask questions in the LDS.net forums. He was a good way through this second witness of Jesus Christ, as well as through thee Gospel Principle Units before he actually called to request his own copy on January 9, 2008. While anxiously waiting for his copy to arrive, he called the local missionaries on January 22nd, and he was then baptized on March 8th. He received the Aaronic Priesthood on March 16th. Derick has been contacted by The Ensign and his story is to be published in the near future.

Derick’s comments on his own online experience follow:

Out of all the billion web sites on the net, I was led to LDS.net to discover the wonderful truth about the Church [of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] and the amazing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”   I did discover the truth about the Church and I’m still discovering more and more about the church using LDS.net along with actually going to services.

“If it was not for LDS.net I would not have called the church, missionaries, and been baptized.”   To be honest, I sure needed the support from LDS..net to build up my courage to visit the missionaries and go to services the first time.  I was nervous and had not done anything like that since I was a kid.”

LDS.net is a social network that invites people all over the world to engage in real-time conversation with those of all faiths. 25% of LDS.net users are actually friends of other faiths, coming to inquire, to see how we live, what we think, how our lives and the gospel of Jesus Christ are entwined.

A member of the McDoodle family came to LDS.net based on an interest in the Church in October of 2007. Before her baptism, on December 2, 2008, she posted asking for advice on how to help her 9 year old son understand and be ready for baptism at the same time. She is one of many who have used the online forums to seek advice in overcoming her fear of emailing the missionaries. Talking with them, then, accelerated her spiritual progress.

He stumbled into the chat room and met with some really nice people. They answered all of his questions. Encouraged him with prayers. Pretty soon he found out about what he needed to do and was baptized. Through the months that followed a lot of things happened in his life. He thought about not only leaving the church but also the site. When he told his new found friends they did not belittle him nor scorn him for thinking of leaving the church. On the contrary, they simply said that he needed to do what’s best. Not many people would do that with someone’s faith.  [Some also said], ”Please stay.” They kept him in their prayers.

And he finally figured out what was missing in his life. . . the Church. When he told his friends online and in real life, [what he discovered], they rejoiced in his decision. Now. . . you might think that this is just another site. No. .to some of the people this site is more like a home. A home of not just people getting together and having a good time, but a group of people that band together in time of need. For Prayer. Learning. Studying. And also for questions. No matter how trivial. Of people helping other people. . .not many chat rooms can say that, nor forums.

I leave you with this. The young man was me, and through the encouragement of this site I did come through a lot with all your prayers and not giving up on me. I want to thank you all personally for that. Each and every person on this moderator staff means the world to me. I want you all to know that. This site is very special to me in so many ways. From the deepest part of my heart I love every one of you in Christ.

If you’re wondering if you can really make a difference by coming off the bleachers and entering the field, we hope to settle it in your mind and heart that your voice is needed.

Let me share with you comments made in an on-the-street survey of random individuals approached by a Public Relations firm eleven years ago to find out what they knew about us as a Church and people. As you read these remarks, I’d invite you to ask yourself: “Do I have anything to say on these issues?” “Would I not eagerly respond to questions like these if I could?” If the answer is, as I imagine it will be, a resounding “Yes,” then I invite you to begin to participate in the online conversation about us on the Internet. For ways to do that, please contact us at email(at)moregoodfoundation(dot)org or km(at)moregood.com. We’ll show you how you can help.

“You know, on family issues and stuff like that; they have good values, it seems like.”

“As a minority, I don’t know of any minorities or blacks that are Mormons. Maybe because I haven’t been around.”

“I might be wrong, but I believe it was a religion originated in probably the 1800s by someone on the East Coast. I thought they uncovered some written material and developed a religion around that.”

“The first thing that comes to mind is that they are allowed to have multiple wives.”

“They give a certain percentage of what they earn to the Church right off the top. I think it is called, ‘tithy’”

“I don’t know about Latter-day Saints, but I was very much interested in the Mormons, and I liked the fact that they were very close and supportive of each other.”

“Very strict, rather conservative in their outlook, and very patriarchal as far as the church structure is concerned.”

“Up until recently, they practiced bigamy.”

“I know a bit. I mean, joseph Smith was the town drunk. Had a vision…. He wnet out West, took the whole thing with him. They lynched him there because they thought he was nuts… They’re really rich; I mean, they know what they’re doing. They live a nice clean life….”

“Something was found in a cave, I believe, by Mr. Smith.

“Caring, open.”

“I know that they’re based in Utah. I know that they have very strict guidelines, that there are not a lot of female priests. I know that Brigham Young University is sort of breeding ground for Mormons.”

As you can see, these interviews–conducted in New York, Washington D.C. and Chicago–reveal much fiction and misunderstanding in the public mind, mixed with a few accurate observations about our morality and lifestyle.

If you feel stirred by these comments, I’d invite you to follow the nudge to participate in sharing your voice online.

During the Sunday morning session of the 178th Semiannual Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes referred to as the “Mormon” Church), a modern-day apostle, Elder Robert Hales, addressed the body of Saints and visitors worldwide. Elder Hales addressed the notion of Christian courage in the wake of misunderstanding about who we are as a people and what we believe.

Elder Hales spoke of seasons of opposition that we have known as the Lord’s church and and as a people. Such seasons of opposition, he indicated, can actually be turned to our good, and can help others and the Church as we respond to those criticisms in love.

“Criticisms create interest,” remarked Elder Hales. As those who seek the truth but don’t know where to find it, our individual responses count and can make a difference.

In a time when we awareness of us in increasing, there is still much to do in the way of creating understanding. While the Olympics, Mitt Romney’s campaign, increased press coverage around the world, have increased discussions about us globally, there is obviously a large percentage of the public who still do not know what we claim, nor understand our central belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  50-85% are still not sure that we are distinct from polygamous groups around us. While Elder Hales did not refer to specific misunderstandings, he did offer a blanket of counsel regarding our duty to respond to those misperceptions and our responsibility to do so in meekness.

Elder Hales suggested that when we read something that is not congruous with our beliefs, we take advantage of the opportunity to speak out in kindness. We can, he said, do some of the following:

• Write a letter to the editor of a publication containing misguided information
• Have a conversation with someone affirming the truth
• Email someone who may have been influenced by prejudice
• Comment on a blog

This is a time that calls for “Christian courage,” he suggested; moreover, meekness is not weakness. As we respond in meekness, not reviling when others may revile, “we stand where the Savior stood,” Elder Hales reminded us.

Let us follow his admonition. If you’d like to know how to start your own blog or need help knowing where to respond to statements about our faith, please contact us at email@moregoodfoundation.org.