#1 Sweeping the Earth as it Really Is

         This is a reflection paper on two of Elder Bednar's addresses to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which I fully recommend for a good read or Sunday School lesson helper! The talks can be found on lds.org. Happy Reading!

Sweeping the Earth as it Really Is

            When I was in sixth grade I was a part of a program called N.O.V.A it was a class where we were taught a set of values or standards that would help us live a happy and healthy life. In one of these lessons we were taught that we all have two wolves inside of us; one being good, and one being evil. As sixth graders we weren’t sure which wolf was stronger and which would conquer the other until the end of the story where we learned that the wolf that wins in the end and the one that grows stronger is the one you feed. So, from that point on it became our responsibility to feed whichever wolf we wanted to prevail: good, or evil.

            Elder David A. Bednar has addressed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on many occasions, but there are two that reminded me of my experience as a sixth-grader. One given in June 2010 titled “Things as They Really Are” he tells of the dangers of social media if we use it unwisely. He does not condemn the use of the internet or technology but he does give an apostolic warning that gives the whole message a darker tone; the kind that makes us evaluate our own lives to see how and where we’re using our time while on social media and other websites. His next talk, given in August last year, is titled “To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood” in his message he invites members of the church to share our message through social media as if to sweep the Earth with a flood of goodness. He still gives warning of the dangers of social media work but advises that we use the internet for good and to send forth the message of our Lord’s gospel. This message left me with hope and a desire share and bring the world a bit of goodness to social media.

            While comparing the two talks it shows that there are really two sides of social media; while it can be used to bring to pass so much goodness and happiness to those around the world it is also used as a dangerous, harmful, evil thing. It becomes our choice and responsibility of whether we will be a part of the spreading forth of the gospel or be the ones wasting our time just scrolling. I believe that the Internet and social media are both incredible things that the Lord has brought to pass in these last days to hasten His work; I also believe that as good as the internet is it is also a dark place that the adversary uses to destroy the children of God. We just need to choose which wolf of social media we’ll feed. I choose to feed the good, and I will share this gospel with all my heart, mind, might and strength.