Accepting a Prophet's Invitation

Last month President Nelson issued a four-part invitation to the women of the church. I have a testimony of the importance of following the prophet, so I accepted the invitation.

Of course, it's always easier to continue doing something you're already doing, so the last two invitations aren't much of a challenge at all, but I'm grateful for the reminder to focus on them and to see if there's any need for improvement. At the time of general conference, I was near the end of reading the Old Testament, with the plan to read the New Testament before the end of the year. It was simple enough to switch that to the Book of Mormon, and I've appreciated the thoughts and inspiration that have come over the past month from reading the Book of Mormon and marking all references to our Savior.

My bookmark is this quote from President Nelson:

Second, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation. As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends.² You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.

What miracles are you seeing as you accept this invitation?

Source

However, this post is really about the first invitation, to participate in a ten day fast from social media. I'll admit that when he made this suggestion to the youth in June, I was grateful it wasn't geared to me. While I'm aware of the pitfalls of the internet, I'm also grateful for the technology that allows me to connect with far-flung family and friends, but I was getting annoyed at the ads popping up on FaceBook and discovering that scrolling an endless newsfeed was becoming too time consuming. In addition, trying to find the balance between various activities in my life is a continual struggle, and I thought accepting this challenge might help with that.

I took a couple of days to plan ahead, sending early birthday greetings and such. During that process I discovered a tab on the "friends" page noting recent posts and realized it might be the solution to help me streamline the time I spend on social media. Checking in on my friends directly will bypass the stuff FaceBook adds to my newsfeed that I don't want to see. I also figured I would waste less time if I used the "unfollow" button regularly. It's so easy to click on one thing, then another, then another, without really realizing it, and I've learned that setting a timer before I sit down at the computer - and then really stopping when it goes off! - helps with that problem. Technology provides a great opportunity to develop self-control.

During this preparation time, I read Jonah 3 where the people proclaimed a fast to help them turn from their evil ways. I thought that was a perfect scriptural example to explain what our prophet is encouraging us to do in this modern day.

Half-way through my social media fast, when I learned my brother had died unexpectedly and I wanted to be able to share that information quickly with our cousins, I surmised that President Nelson didn't say ten "consecutive" days, and maybe I could take a social media fast one or two days a week for five or ten weeks. However, I resisted the temptation, realizing that more good would come out of it if I stuck with my original plan. And I was able to share our sad news through emails and phone calls.

In spite of no FaceBook, at least at the beginning, we did make it to the funeral in California. This is my brother from Virginia and our cousin from Utah.

Hopefully this experience will motivate me to avoid wasting time. It has definitely reaffirmed the importance of using social media properly, as a tool for communication, a way to provide encouragement and support to others, and an opportunity to share knowledge; it can be a tremendous source for good.

Finding a balance in using technology wisely isn't necessarily a new thing. Here are some excellent conference talks on the subject of technology in the home:

Good, Better, Best, by Dallin H. Oaks

Family Councils, by M. Russell Ballard

If Ye Lack Wisdom, by Marcos A. Aidukaitis

Seeking the Lord, by Jose A. Teixeira

Now is the Time, by Jack N. Gerard