Geeky Ways To Build The Kingdom

I'd like to start off this post on a bit of a personal note.  I'm an introverted person (I'm sure some of you can relate).  I generally don't feel comfortable sharing things with complete strangers, especially something as personal and valuable as the gospel.  I've often felt ashamed about the fact that I don't 'share the gospel' or help build up the kingdom by giving out 100 pass along cards or a Book of Mormon a week.  I recently realized that there are ways for an introvert like me to help build up the kingdom.

Indexing

Indexing is something that I started doing about 4 years ago.  With indexing, someone has taken a digital picture of a document, and they want the information from it captured into text form.  For instance, Family Search Indexing is currently indexing the entire 1940 US Census.  They've taken the pictures, and all they need is an army of volunteers to come, read, and enter in the data that they want from the documents.

How does this help build up the kingdom? The information from these documents is then used for genealogical work.  People can use the information from the documents to learn more about their ancestors.  Personally, most of my genealogical work has been done.  Helping with indexing makes me feel like I'm helping other people find their ancestors.

And now for a totally shameless plug, Family Search Indexing needs a lot of help with that 1940 census!  Indexing isn't too terribly difficult nor does it require a super fast computer.  You can learn more about it by clicking here.

Mormon.org profile

Mormon.org is a website dedicated to helping people who aren't members of the LDS church to learn more about the church.  They've added the ability for members to create a profile about themselves, to share how the gospel has influenced their lives, and to answer questions about what they believe in.  Creating a profile can help another person feel like the church is made up of 'real' people rather than a bunch of crazy people.

Social Media

One other way that the gospel can be shared is through social media.  Articles on lds.org can be shared via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites.  By sharing about the church and its teachings, more people can be reached.  It also could help out another member who is struggling with their faith.

Blogging

Another option is to start a blog.  A blog can be a great way to share about a person's personal beliefs or their journey through life.  I've found that using Blogger was a rather easy way to start writing a blog.  Chances are that someone could be touched by personal experiences that you have to share.

All in all, helping build up the kingdom through technology is important.  It's also a good idea to balance sharing through technology with sharing in-person with other people.  Sometimes sharing the gospel is as simple as living it.