Preparing the way using social media

by Colin Bacon

Using social media to share the gospel

Back in August 2021, I was working in a high-profile role at an airport, when people from Afghanistan were having to leave their home country to make the UK their new home. The UK took in about 15,000 people.

I got talking to one young man, and his father; they had been through some terrible times—too much to put into print. The Spirit guided me to talk and make friends with this total stranger, who I could see and feel had a good heart.

When departing from each other, after the necessary business had been sorted at the airport, he asked me if we could keep in touch through WhatsApp and we did. I kept in regular contact, asking how he was progressing with life in the UK; all was going well for him.

Every time I messaged him, I had an overwhelmingly strong feeling that kept pushing me to ask him a question. So, on one day, I asked, “Are you religious at all; are you Muslim or Christian?” He then replied that he turned to Christianity three years ago! I was buzzing, feeling very comfortable in then asking, “Have you heard of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?” I then sent him a link to the Church’s website. He said he hadn’t heard of it but would look at the link. I gave him a brief history of the Church, my spirit pouring out and by the end I had tears rolling down my face, as I knew this message was sent through the Spirit. After I had sent a few other links to gospel stories, I asked him if he would be interested in learning more about the Church. He replied yes; he was excited to learn more.

I sent him a Book of Mormon with my typed testimony, to the hotel where his family were staying in Crawley. I contacted the local bishop and their missionaries, who then arranged to meet him. While that was happening, I got hold of a Book of Mormon in Farsi (from our missionary elders here in Doncaster).

My friend subsequently accepted the call to be baptised on Sunday 13th of February. I will be there to surprise him.

All this was done through social media, from WhatsApp to Facebook. Under the guidance of the Spirit this modern technology can be used for good, to share and spread the words of our prophets, old and new, and messages from the apostles of love and charity. I love what we have, especially the spirit of Christ in our hearts and homes.