The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has launched a new networking and missionary tool. Now individuals interested in learning more about the Mormons can use Mormon.org to research the church’s beliefs, and meet real members of the church.
Mormon.org launched this week with 2,000 profiles. The site will grow as more members of the church sign on and add their own profiles. Visitors to the site can log in to a chat service and “talk” live with a representative of the church, or surf profiles created by members. The profiles include pictures, videos, biographies, and self-created explanations as to why they live their faith and why they are a Mormon. The number of profiles is expected to eventually jump to 100,000 as the Church continues to ask its members to voluntarily consider sharing their faith on Mormon.org.
The response was incredible,” said Ron Wilson, manager of Internet and marketing. “We read story after story of how this Church has impacted these people’s lives. While every story was different, there was a commonality of a life impacted by striving to follow Jesus Christ.”
Members also share personal stories and answer dozens of other, more specific, questions such as “Are Mormons Christian?” “What part does prayer play in your life?” “Why don’t Mormons drink coffee, tea, or alcohol?” and “What do Mormons believe about the Bible?”
The profiles are reviewed, but not edited or modified. They are left in the original form as they were submitted. “When you read those profiles you get inside people’s hearts, and it is pretty obvious right from the get-go that people are sharing their own beliefs,” said Stephen B. Allen, managing director of the Missionary Department.
Space is provided on the profiles for individuals to link to their personal Facebook and Twitter pages and their blogs. That feature will make it possible for individuals seeking to better understand the Church to connect directly with individual Mormons. Church members can create a profile at new.mormon.org by logging in with their LDS Account. Only English profiles will be available this year, but other languages will follow.
Roanoke LDS Church Examiner
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Comments
You won't read any negative profiles though because the church censors its members. You can't say anything bad about the church and still be in good standing with the church. I've seen this first hand in a sacrament meeting.
Jill, this is untrue. You can say anything you want about the church. Criticize away. However, the pulpit is not the proper or appropriate place to do so. And you are right, the profiles on Mormon.org are reviewed (not censored). Would you allow someone to come to your personal site and say something vicious, upsetting, or incorrect about you? Probably not. So why should a church allow individuals to do the same? Would you allow someone to stand in your living room and preach against you? Again, probably not. So why would a church?
Everyone has their right to an opinion and free speech. It is just where you choose to speak that is limited.
how is it any different than apple deleting threads and posts on its forums about the consumer reports article discussing iphone signal problems
Erin, your comment just proved my point. It isn't just the pulpit either. If you write something about the church, they will disfellowship you. I googled a former stake president one day and the first result was a story about being disfellowshipped for writing about some of the questionable church history. Think again before criticizing this church or exposing its real history.
If you want to be objective about it check out mormon.org and Recovery from Mormonism - exmormon.org. You will gain insights from people who love the church and others who have been bishops and found things that they disagree with. Read both sides to the story.
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