Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Anxiously Engaged

Last week Joel Dehlin, the CIO of the LDS Church came to class and spoke to us about the Church's use of technology. The biggest thing I got out of it was the desire to use the technological talents I've been blessed with. The Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith that members of the Church should use the talents they have to move forward the work of God. The blessings promised them were that they would not only improve the talents they had, but gain new talents, even an hundred fold. This year I am helping to translate the LDS Church's General Conference into Hmong. It is a powerful experience to witness a simultaneous translation into over 80 different languages and to realize that it is done largely by volunteers who receive no benefit other than knowing they are using their talents to move forward the work of God. When we feel passionately about something we should be willing to give something of ourselves to that cause. I felt that in my life this past week as I realized my shortcomings in using my technological talents to further God's work. For those who are tech-savvy members of the LDS Church I think we could be doing more. Joel Dehlin encouraged us to get involved in the Church's online community at tech.lds.org. And for all of us, let's use the talents and skills we possess to benefit the causes we care the most about. The world needs fewer people who just talk the talk and more who walk the walk.

1 comment:

John said...

It is possible to continue "using [your] technological talents to further God's work" beyond volunteer work as well. The Church has many great career opportunities and is quite competetive in almost every way. Many employees here at the Church have left careers with more well known organizations to further the Lord's work in one of the Corporations of the Church.