I've come to really look forward to tweeting General Conference, and gathering, online, with so many great members who enjoy it as much as I do. I love it because of the great spirit that attends, what many may find surprising, digital missionary work. But trust me, it's real and for many of us who regularly participate, countless experiences leading to more extended gospel conversations are often the result.
Tweeting General Conference on Twitter is not for every member. Some prefer to follow the tweets via the hashtag #LDSConf and when inspired retweet a favorite message. Either way, it is a thrill to see the words of living prophets take center stage, on Twitter, and know that many outside of the Mormon faith are being touched by their inspired messages.
During the last General Conference members on Twitter got a huge thrill when Dieter F. Uchtdorf sent a shout-out during his talk:
"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. In fact, I am almost afraid that some listening have already sent text messages like “He’s been speaking for 10 minutes and still no aviation analogy!” My dear young friends, perhaps 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."
For LDS members, who gather to tweet General Conference, this is exactly what we are doing. We are focused and understand our purpose. It is more than a social activity. Each of us have a testimony of using technology to build the kingdom, and in a sense, it is a personal offering to do so.
As a brief reminder of how to tweet LDS General Conference, most effectively, I am reposting some tips that I created previously:
Tips for Tweeting #LDSConf
1. For those following the hash tag #LDSConf let's try to keep the stream loaded with quality content specific to the conference.
2. Avoid excessive idle chatter using the #LDSConf hash tag.
3. If you must chat, drop the #LDSConf hash tag. That way, for those who decide to check out what #LDSConf is all about, they will find an amazing stream of inspired content that makes sense!
4. DO use the hash tag #TwitterStake to chat with other Mormons on Twitter!
5. Tweet #LDSConf with a purpose -- to share the gospel with those outside of our faith.
6. If you tweet over 120 characters it makes retweeting difficult.
7. Resist urge to tweet every six seconds... ; )
8. Share personal feelings about #LDSConf alongside tweeting the conference message.
9. Consider sharing LDS resources throughout the conference, i.e. LDS.org, Mormon.org, Mormon Messages, etc...
10. Have fun!
To learn more about what Mormons do on Twitter, why, and how -- you can read some of my previous posts:
I've been asked a number of times WHY I tweet General Conference on Twitter? Many concerns have been raised, -- one being that you can't get as much out of conference if you are focused on reading other tweets and deciding what you want to tweet. This can be true, if you look at it that way... but I don't.
I believe it was during the Sunday afternoon session of conference that our dear Prophet and President of the LDS Church's name, Thomas Monson, was trending on Twitter! Such wonderful exposure to the eternal truth, that God speaks to His children, today! I hope you'll excuse me for not recalling exactly when this happened, but I was busily engaged throughout the entire weekend, while I tweeted as best I was able, with nine rambunctious grandchildren, and their parents! It was a glorious weekend!
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Kathryn Skaggs a.k.a. @LDSNana on Twitter
General Information for April 2012 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
This much anticipated meeting will be held in the LDS Conference Center, Salt Lake City, Utah. This is an exciting time for Mormons worldwide! We have the opportunity to hear from our Prophet and President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, as well as many other prominent Church leaders -- to receive relevant counsel and direction to help strengthen us as individuals, and as a people, committed to living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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