Thursday, September 10, 2015

Go Ye Unto All the Earth


Our bodies allow us to experience our life on earth in a deeper, more God-like way. “Our physical bodies create depth.” (Things as They Really Are – Ensign June 2010). Elder Bednar explains that we have feelings, urges, and tendencies that we are born to master. Our time on earth is brief and needs to be utilized so that we can return to our Heavenly Father in a more perfected form. Satan, however, has attempted to manipulate our feelings, urges, and tendencies in a way that wastes our time through misuse of social media. Whereas, in his talk “Sweep the Earth as a Flood,” he highlights the positivity and the righteous influence that these technologies can likewise have in our lives as well as in the lives of others.

            The Plan of Salvation requires us to live in a reality that is hard, trying, and often discouraging. Elder Bednar in his address, “Things as they Really Are,” warns us of “digital distractions, diversions, and detours,” that often feel more secure when faced with the alternative of reality. Satan has bombarded our lives with social media, TV, music, and video games to distract our minds and hearts from our true purpose. In contrast, illustrated in his talk “Sweep the Earth as a Flood,” God has provided technology as a way to communicate and send uplifting messages to the world. Through use of technology in missionary work, it can touch the lives of individuals who would not have otherwise heard about the gospel.

            As summarized from Joshua 24:15, “No man can serve two masters,” describes the two conflicting uses of technology in Bednar’s talks. We can’t be a part of the flood of the gospel when we are wasting our time on temporary satisfactions. In the talk “Sweep the Earth as a Flood,” we can spend time posting pictures, quotes, and messages of hope, as well as focusing our time on building lasting relationships with people we love. In our united effort we can reach the billions of people on social media sites and together prepare the world for the second coming of Christ.

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