To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood

"This age is fraught with limitless perils, as well as untold possibilities.”            - David O. Mackay

In a talk given by David A. Bednar he addressed the powerful influence of social media today. Truly, social media can bring limitless perils, but I would like to focus on the untold possibilities that are available because of social media. I believe that so much good can be accomplished through various social outlets because I have already seen it in my personal life. However, one needs to use it correctly if they want to create a positive impact in the world. 

One thing that really stood out to me in David A. Bendar's talk was that one should be authentic and genuine when posting. He stated, "Our messages should be truthful, honest, and accurate.  We should not exaggerate, embellish, or pretend to be someone or something we are not." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an organization full of diversity. We are all children of God that were created to be different. If we all tried to fit a cookie cutter mold of " the ideal Mormon", the message we share would only reach a limited number of individuals. The church is very aware of it's diversity, so they constantly create videos that show a broad spectrum of individuals. The Mormon Message "I pray when" was highlighted by Elder Bednar. In it, there is a mother, a woman soldier, a person dealing with anxiety, and many other unique situations. If I was a person dealing with anxiety, it would be effective for me to share the video, and then bear my genuine testimony on the power that prayer has had on my life when I was dealing with anxiety. This can be scary, but when a person becomes vulnerable, it opens up relationships with others who may be struggling with the same thing. As brothers and sisters it is important to reach out to those who we can specifically relate to.  

A particular sign I related to in the video was " I pray when I feel lost." As a young single adult there are many uncertainties. I constantly feel as if I am being tossed to and fro in the vast world of decisions. Just recently I decided to change my major. My entire life I grew up singing. I was set on studying voice at a university level and receiving my bachelors in vocal performance. I took an entire year of classes and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, something felt off. Even though I was in a place I had always dreamed of, I felt lost. I decided to pray for direction so I could find my way. Through thoughtful meditation and communication with God, I was prompted to enter an Intro to Communications class. One day we had a Public Relations specialist come in and introduce the field and I felt a huge burden lifted off my shoulders. The path was brightly illuminated in front of me and I knew that this was the course I should take. Although it was a leap of faith to give up a childhood dream, I know that Heavenly Father had another plan in store for me. I am still singing, but I am also gaining skills in communication that will bless my life in more ways that I can imagine right now. 

Elder Ballard states " In Shakespeare's time, he was limited generally to the Globe Theatre, but we now have a global theater... The doors to the world are literally opened wide." It is an exciting time that we all live in and I know that through thoughtful and genuine posting, we can share God's light with the entire world.