LDSLiving.com Encourages Starting Your Own LDS Blog
Posting here at oneClimbs.com for over 3 and a half years has led me to the conclusion that every Latter-day Saint should keep a blog of some kind. We talk about keeping journals and/or small plates, but I think the time has come to include keeping a blog among the recommendations.
I was first very apprehensive about starting a blog because I have a very poor command of the English language when it comes to writing. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I have no idea what a participle is and couldn’t explain the difference between a verb and an adverb; I just do my best to communicate what I feel is important. Very often, kind visitors to the site will correct my many grammar sins and typos and I’m very grateful for that.
I didn’t start a blog to impress people with my grammar. I started the blog because on December 15, 2007 while speaking at a graduation ceremony at BYU Hawaii, Elder Ballard said:
Now, to…all other faithful members of the Church, …may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet, particularly the New Media, to share the gospel and to explain in simple, clear terms the message of the Restoration. Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true. You can download videos from Church and other appropriate sites, including Newsroom at LDS.org, and send them to your friends. You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church, and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports. This, of course, requires that you, all members of the Church, understand the basic, fundamental principles of the gospel.
We are living in a world saturated with all kinds of voices. Perhaps now, more than ever, we have a major responsibility as Latter-day Saints to define ourselves, instead of letting others define us.
I have found that the blog is useful in many ways. It’s a great place to store all of the research and things I find as I study. Putting it into an article form and making it public forces me to really make sure that I have done my due diligence of finding answers and presenting them in an accurate manner. I’ve always believed that you’ve only learned something when you have the ability to teach it to another.
The blog has become a repository for talks and lessons; I can give a lesson on almost any topic in a very short time period. The only downside to this is that you will be known at the person to call at the last minute (sometimes literally at the “last” minute) to substitute for a lesson or give a talk. I don’t really mind doing last minute lessons, I personally find it kind of exciting!
oneClimbs was not very impressive in the beginning. Your blog does not have to get a ton of traffic or every become very notable in the world; that’s not the point. Do it for you, your posterity and most importantly for the sake of truth and the glory of God. Do it your own way and change it from time to time if you feel so inclined. There are no rules, it is a blank canvas on which to explore.
Go for it, you will discover many great blessings in your journey and on your climb ;)
***UPDATE*** I forgot to include this but the Church published a short how-to on how to create a blog as well.
You present a lot of good reasons for starting a blog. I’ve been itching to do it for some time now, but (should I admit this?), I’m fearful.
I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps I’m worried it won’t look so good, (vanity!). I’m not incredibly computer savvy, but I feel strongly that this is something I need to do.
I feel myself wanting a forum to share some of the things that I feel are important for many of the reasons you’ve mentioned and outlined here, and I don’t feel social media like facebook, twitter, etc.. are appropriate for this. I especially find the value of having my own “repository” of thoughts & feelings, and a library of talks, lessons, and videos I really value.
What I can say is that I believe I want to do this for the right reasons. I honestly could care less if I get little internet traffic – as you say, that is not the point. The point is to do this for its own sake. Sometimes I feel like I have been “poaching” or using other peoples’ blogs as a space for me to write my own “blog” instead of actually responding to the topics or questions. Not only is this probably annoying to the bloggers, it’s a sign that I need to start my own!
So I have a few practical questions: Do you have to pay to start a blog like yours? I know there are plenty of sites on the internet that allow you to have some free space, but under their domain. How did you get your own domain? And what would you recommend I do? Also, I can tell you’re into computer graphics. Do you have specific programs you use that you like better than others? Are they costly? As always, any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Know that you have inspired me to start doing this! I was originally led to your blog because of the material you presented here. And since you’ve been so patient and kind to respond to my questions, I’m very grateful to you. Thanks.
You can start a blog for free at WordPress.com, just follow the process of signing up. At first, I wouldn’t worry about getting your own domain, you can always add that later. WordPress has a huge repository of free themes, just use one of those for now to get the hang of blogging.
I’ve constantly changed my blog. There is no “perfect”, it’s a constantly evolving thing, so start simple and focus on putting content together and organizing it via categories and tags.
When and if you feel it’s time to take things up a notch, there’s a whole other process, but you can upgrade or export all you’ve currently done. You don’t have to be afraid of losing anything.
Start there.
Thanks!