Amanda Jaskolski Professor Smith RLST 245 March 13, 2014 Mormonism !

nno"ation thro#$h Technolo$% &Like all technolo$%, social media is ne#tral '#t is 'est (#t to )ork in the ser"ice of '#ildin$ a 'etter )orld* +Simon Main)arin$, Thro#$h the e%es of man% reli$io#s leaders, technolo$% and social media has a ne$ati"e connotation- ho)e"er, )hen #tili.ed )ith a s(ecific $oal in mind, technolo$% can ha"e a )onderf#l, (ositi"e im(act )ithin a reli$io#s comm#nit%, Thro#$ho#t this (a(er ! ho(e to sho)case ho) Mormonism has em'raced inno"ations in technolo$% to transform the reli$io#s e/(erience, and ca(itali.e on the $lo'al o#treach it offers in ho(es to s(read their 'eliefs and "al#es across continents and $enerations, 0o#nded '% Jose(h Smith Jr, in the 11202s, Mormonism is the reli$io#s tradition (racticed '% the Latter 3a% Saint mo"ement, After Smith4s death in the 11402s, most Mormon4s 'e$an follo)in$ 5ri$ham 6o#n$, callin$ themsel"es The 7h#rch of Jes#s 7hrist of Latter+da% Saints 8L3S 7h#rch9, The )ord Mormon comes from the 5ook of Mormon, )hich is the 'ack'one of the L3S ch#rch, and one of the faith4s most famo#s reli$io#s te/ts, if not the most reco$ni.a'le, 5elie"in$ that Jes#s 7hrist is the Sa"ior of the )orld and the Son of :od, the Mormon faith, in a 'road sense, is 'ased on fi"e different cate$ori.ed (rinci(als, !n no order of im(ortance, the list starts )ith e/ercise faith in ;im, re(ent, 'e 'a(ti.ed, recei"e the ;ol% :host, and choose to follo) his teachin$s for the rest of %o#r life, <ith these fi"e 'asic 'eliefs, Mormon (ractice e/ists in the 'elief that &'% ;is merc% and $race an%one can 'e sa"ed and in short, Jes#s 7hrist sa"es #s from sin and death, 0or that, he is "er% literall% o#r Sa"ior and Redeemer* 8mormon,or$9, =ot onl% is Mormonism (reached and (racticed domesticall%, Mormons ha"e made the effort to share this reli$ion and the )ord of :od on a $lo'al scale,

5ein$ that Mormonism )as fo#nded in the 11204s, )a%s of contactin$ and connectin$ )ith indi"id#als thro#$ho#t the )orld has drasticall% e"ol"ed and chan$ed o"er the %ears, and most drasticall% )ithin the last 20 %ears, >lder Jeffer% R, ;olland, an a(ostle of the ?#or#m of the T)el"e, stated in an article called >+"an$elism Mormons enter the di$ital a$e, &missionaries #sed to s(end m#ch of their time knockin$ on doors, '#t the ma@orit% of the time (eo(le )o#ld o(en the door to see )ho %o# are and then slam it sh#t, Anl% a "er% small n#m'er )o#ld ask missionaries to come into their homes to learn a'o#t the Mormon faith* 8>+"an$elism Mormons enter the di$ital a$e9, ;olland (ro(osed that this )a% of o#t reach is &ineffecti"e, o#tdated and does not reflect the )a% societ% comm#nicates in the modern a$e,* <ith the in"ention of the internet in 1BCB, the )a% missionaries )ere allo)ed to comm#nicate and s(read the )ord chan$ed fore"er, !n addition to traditional o#t reach methods (re"io#sl% on mission tri(s, the ch#rch onl% allo)ed missionaries to connect )ith famil% and friends "ia the internet once a )eek, The initial (#r(ose of limitin$ them to a once+a+)eek o#treach solel% to famil% and close friends )as to eliminate o#tside distractions and allo) missionaries to foc#s their attention on their &call*, )hich is to &(reach the :os(el,* 7hase Larson, former (resident of the 7ol#m'ia Latter da% Saints St#dent Association sa%s that &these restrictions made missionar% )ork more diffic#lt* 8>+"an$elism Mormons enter the di$ital a$e9, 6es, missionaries )ere no) a'le to comm#nicate D#icker and to a 'roader n#m'er in a shorter amo#nt of time, ho)e"er the% kne) the% )ere not reachin$ their tr#e (otential and )ere limited '% these harsh restrictions, !n addition to the traditional meetin$s of Mormon follo)ers, )hich )as to meet at a common s(ot and (reach the )ord of the Lord in order to learn a'o#t Mormonism, there )as no) a ne) method the 7h#rch had to take into consideration to increase the n#m'er of follo)ers, the !nternet,

&<e m#st ada(t to a chan$in$ )orld, There )ill contin#all% 'e im(ro"ements in the )a% )e (erform missionar% )ork* ;olland told a cro)d of 5ri$ham 6o#n$ Eni"ersit% st#dents, Ane of the most im(actf#l im(ro"ements re$ardin$ the r#le chan$es addressin$ ho) technolo$% can 'e inte$rated into the Mormon faith is the #se of technolo$% )hile %o#n$ Mormons $o on their missions, The ch#rch no) allo)s missionaries to access forms of di$ital comm#nication s#ch as 0ace'ook, 'lo$s, email, te/t messa$in$, and mormon,or$ freel% )hile acti"el% seekin$ and talkin$ to (eo(le, not @#st famil% and friends, !n the 'ook, 6o# Are =ot a :ad$et A Manifesto, Jaron Lanier states that &if someone co#ld crack the m%ster% of ho) to make (erfect ads #sin$ the social $ra(h, an ad"ertiser )o#ld 'e a'le to desi$n (eer (ress#re 'iases in a (o(#lation of real (eo(le )ho )o#ld then 'e (rimed to '#% )hate"er the ad"ertiser is sellin$ for their )hole li"es* 8Lanier 10B9, This idea from Lanier relates to the inno"ation of technolo$% #se in the Mormon faith for %o#n$ follo)ers, The internet and e"er+chan$in$ social media (latforms is )hat is ne), and the internet is )hat s(arks most interest amon$ the %o#n$er (o(#lation, Social media sites s#ch as T)itter, 0ace'ook, and 5lo$$er are direct links that aid into the (romotion of the Mormon faith to a %o#n$er $eneration, 3irect interaction 'et)een follo)ers of the Mormon faith and (otential follo)ers, or c#rrent follo)ers, thro#$h these social media sites can increase ed#cation, a)areness, and s(ark interest in other "ie)ers, 5elo) are e/am(les of T)itter acco#nts that the L3S ch#rch #ses to (ro"ide ne)s, ins(irational messa$es, and information to

follo)ers,

There are o"er 10 T)itter (a$es de"oted to (romotin$ the Mormon faith, 3ifferent (a$es tar$et different demo$ra(hic $ro#(s, %o#n$ $irls to older lon$ time follo)ers, This tactic is a $reat )a% to reach a $reater n#m'er of (eo(le #sin$ one social media (latform, The inno"ation and inte$ration of technolo$% )ithin missions has 'een &(henomenal* Larson states, and the im(act of it is sho)n in the n#m'er of follo)ers $ained thro#$ho#t the %ears, Since the re"ol#tion of technolo$% in the Mormon faith )as introd#ced, there has 'een an e/(onential increase of mem'ers, 5elo) is $ra(h de(ictin$ the increase of follo)ers o"er man% %ears, As it sho)s, one can infer )ith the incor(oration of the internet and technolo$% the n#m'er of mem'ers drasticall% increased, Altho#$h there is no st#d% to directl% link technolo$% and follo)ers, it is #ndenia'le that there is a (ositi"e correlation 'et)een the t)o, =ot onl% has the inno"ation of technolo$% increased mem'ershi( in the L3S ch#rch, '#t it has also 'ecome an effecti"e )a% to constantl% connect )ith c#rrent mem'ers in their homes, <ith the #se of email, a((ointments can no) 'e made and confirmed di$itall% instead of missionaries sho)in$ #( on mem'ers door ste(s onl% to find that the% are not home, >ffecti"e technolo$% #se is the main reason for increase in follo)ers for the Mormon faith, )hich is kno)n to 'e modern and &flash%*

in the )a% the% (resent their information to their "ie)ers,

>"en tho#$h the L3S 7h#rch is lar$e in si.e and n#m'ers, it co#ld not ha"e #tili.ed these inno"ations as effecti"el% )itho#t the hel( of an o#tside or$ani.ation, The Mormon Transh#manist Association is &an international non(rofit or$ani.ation that (romotes radical flo#rishin$ in com(assion and creation thro#$h technolo$% and reli$ion,* The Mormon Transh#manist Affirmation $oes as stated, &<e feel a d#t% to #se science and technolo$% accordin$ to )isdom and ins(iration, to identif% and (re(are for risks and res(onsi'ilities associated )ith f#t#re ad"ances and to (ers#ade other to do like)ise* 8Mormon Transh#manist Association9, The association shares media, ne)s, and 'lo$s a'o#t the connection of Mormonism )ith science and technolo$%, and en$a$es a comm#nit% in disc#ssions a'o#t ra(id )orld chan$es, 3#rin$ m% research, ! sent an e+mail to =athan ;adfield, one of the directors of the Mormon Transh#manist Association askin$ him a'o#t this association and its real life f#nction, !n a res(onse e+mail ;adfield stated, &There are a fe) methods that )e are c#rrentl% em(lo%in$ to $et o#r messa$e o#t, Pro'a'l% one of o#r most effecti"e methods is tar$eted :oo$le ads 8:oo$le Ad <ords9, 5eca#se )e are a non+(rofit or$ani.ation, :oo$le $i"es #s free ad"ertisin$ each month, <e ha"e tried to tar$et these ads to (eo(le )ho are searchin$ for to(ics related to reli$ion, science, and technolo$%, ! s#((ose this )o#ld 'e considered a F(#shF strate$%,* 8;adfield9 ;adfield also to#ched on the face that man% of their ne) mem'ers fo#nd them thro#$h 0ace'ook '#t sim(l% searchin$ for Transh#manist $ro#(s, This is a $reat e/am(le of ho) e"en tho#$h associations are ad"ertisin$ and #sin$ a &(#sh* method, the% do not al)a%s ha"e to &(#sh* '#t sim(l% 'ein$ on 0ace'ook and other sites $ets them noticed, 5elo) is a screenshot of statistics of technolo$% #sers )ithin the association ;adfield attached to his

res(onse e+mail from the Transh#manist )e'site 8Mormon Transh#manist Association9, =ot onl% is Mormonism a ma@or reli$ion in the Enited States, its $lo'al inte$ration and 'asic kno)led$e of the reli$ion is risin$ 'eca#se of technolo$% and social media, An e/am(le of comm#nit% and $lo'al comm#nit%, other than T)itter related to Mormonism and technolo$% is sho)n in the (ict#re 'elo), A screenshot of a chat ! )as in"ol"ed in )ith a L3S ch#rch mem'er thro#$h the site mormon,or$ sho)s that 'eca#se of the #se of technolo$%, and more s(ecificall% the internet,

Mormonism and the a'ilit% to teach the )ord of the Lord has 'ecome a $lo'al (ractice, !n the chat, &;* )hich is the L3S ch#rch mem'er, states that in co#ntries like Macedonia )here the% do not ha"e m#ch chance of hearin$ a'o#t the :os(el, com(#ters and technolo$% hel( to allo)s mem'ers reach less fort#nate co#ntries and $ro#(s of (eo(le, th#s e/(andin$ L3S ch#rch follo)in$ across the $lo'e,

Technolo$% is transformin$ the )a% (eo(le relate and connect to reli$io#s instit#tions, The internet, social media, and technolo$ical a((lications ha"e transformed the once 'rick and mortar reli$io#s e/(erience into a h#' of $lo'al o#treach and comm#nication, Mormonism has em'raced inno"ations in technolo$% to transform its reli$io#s e/(erience thro#$h social media s#ch as T)itter, <e'sites, and (ersonal chats, Traditional )a%s and r#les re$ardin$ technolo$% ha"e chan$ed in recent %ears and ha"e th#s forced the L3S ch#rch4s mem'ershi( to increase drasticall% not onl% )ithin the Enited States '#t $lo'all% as )ell, <ith the #se of technolo$%, Mormonism is s(read to the (arts of the )orld ne"er 'efore reached,

<orks 7ited F2013 Ann#al Re(ort,F Mormon Transh#manist Association, =,(,, 2013, <e', 1G Mar, 2014, FA'o#t the Mormon Transh#manist Association,F Mormon Transh#manist Association, =,(,, 200C, <e', 14 Mar, 2014, F>+"an$elism Mormons >nter the 3i$ital A$e,F The 3ail% 7aller, =,(,, 1 J#l% 2013, <e', 14 Mar, 2014, ;adfield, =athan, &Mormon Transh#manist Association ?#estions,* Messa$e to the director, 1C Mar, 2014, >+mail, Lanier, Jaron, 6o# Are =ot a :ad$et A Manifesto, London Allen Lane, 2010, Print,