What Church leaders, college expert say on how to use social media for good

Ensign College chair of the Communication Department says social media can build one up and bring powers from heaven, not minimize them

30 May 2025, 4:30 p.m. MDT

In a Nov. 20, 2020, video, President Russell M. Nelson invited people everywhere, regardless of faith and circumstance, to share their gratitude on social media with the hashtag #GiveThanks. Credit: Shutterstock

Social media opens — another reel, another post, another scroll. Is it a distraction or a divine tool?

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson, testifies that it can be both.

In 2018, he warned of its potential downsides. He said, “If you are paying more attention to feeds from social media than you are to the whisperings of the Spirit, then you are putting yourself at spiritual risk — as well as the risk of experiencing intense loneliness and depression."

A young man watches on a smartphone as President Dallin H. Oaks speaks during October 2023 general conference. | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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O que líderes da Igreja e especialista dizem sobre como usar as mídias sociais para o bem

In November 2020, he invited the world to use it for good. “I invite you — just for the next seven days — to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal … At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace,” he said, adding: “Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth.”

Joseph Kerry, chair of the Communication Department and associate dean of Vocational and Technical Studies at Ensign College, recently joined the Church News podcast to discuss social media. Speaking of youth and young adults, he explained that he feels optimistic about what they can do online.

“They’re going to be just fine. They’re good, their hearts are in the right place,” he said. “In my experience, they’re hard workers, and it’s a blessing to work with them every day.”

From reels to revelation

In President Nelson’s first address to the entire Church as the Prophet, he said, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”

Kerry explained that when used effectively, social media can build one up and bring powers from heaven, not minimize them.

Enrique Martinez watches conference on his phone while sitting outside with his daughter Rebecca Martinez during the Saturday afternoon session of the 193rd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

“I think most people have had this experience where you see something online that just gives you a bit more strength for the day,” he said. “It fortifies you for the day. It reminds you that you are exceptional, that you are not average.”

Kerry testified that putting out “beautiful messages” can benefit everyone. “As we do those things, I’m convinced that we will strengthen ourselves, we will help others, and we’ll find that peace that seems so elusive.”

Caution about ‘spiritual eclipse’

Though social media can also be a detriment.

Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned in the October 2017 general conference, “All of the virtues and appropriate use of these technologies notwithstanding, there are risks associated with them that, when drawn too close, can put us in a spiritual eclipse and potentially block the brightness and warmth of the gospel.”

This photo illustration shows a 12-year-old boy looking at an iPhone screen showing various social media apps including TikTok, Facebook and X on February 25, 2024, in Bath, England. | Matt Cardy, Getty Images

Kerry said that social media can create a feeling of comparison, causing one to forget who they are.

“You can feel that you are not the individual, that you aren’t a unique child of God. I call it exceptional — and I tell all my students, God does not make average people. He can’t. We are all exceptional.”

However, he cautioned, “The internet, though, has a way of saying, you know, you’re not that exceptional.”

In the April 2025 general conference, President Nelson identified another risk with digital platforms: “The present hostility in public dialogue and on social media is alarming. Hateful words are deadly weapons. Contention prevents the Holy Ghost from being our constant companion.”

Discipleship in the digital age

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shares a selfie photo taken by Benson Barlow after a two-branch sacrament meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday, April 14, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Kerry pointed out that Church leaders can serve as an example of how to use social media effectively.

Noting how active leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are on social media, Kerry said of their posts and content, “I think all that is fantastic, because it’s that exposure that I think strengthens us, fortifies us and helps us.”

Elder Rasband looks at his cellphone as several of his teenage grandchildren gather around to look. Elder Rasband participated in the rededication of the Manti Utah Temple on Sunday, April 21, 2024. — Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, is watched by his family as he does a social media post after the Manti Utah Temple rededication in Manti, Utah, on Sunday, April 21, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Like Paul in the New Testament, prophets, seers and revelators often give messages to those who need it most. Back then, Paul wrote letters to the Philippians; now, apostles record a social media video for their followers.

Elder Stevenson testified in the April 2022 general conference of the power of Latter-day Saints sharing their testimony on social media: “In our digital age, members often share messages through social media. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of uplifting things you might find worthy of sharing. This content offers invitations to ‘come and see,’ ‘come and serve,’ and ‘come and belong.’”

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained in the April 2013 general conference that social media is a place where members can become missionaries. “There are new ways to invite others to ‘come and see,’” he said. “Let’s make sharing our faith online more a part of our daily life.”

Each Friday, Church News reports what Church leaders have shared on social media the previous week.

Elder David A. Bednar and Sister Susan K. Bednar hold their phones and demonstrate how to create a photo and video file in the FamilySearch Memories app. | Leslie Nilsson, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Service missionary shares the gospel with music on social media

Your feed, His message

So what can social media be?

In an August 2024 Instagram post, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles invited members to take charge of their own use of social media, promising, “If you put Jesus Christ in the center of your frame, I promise that you will see everything else more clearly.”

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A post shared by Dieter F. Uchtdorf (@dieterfuchtdorf)

Kerry explained that when Latter-day Saints share content online, they should show they are real people.

“I just love that kind of variety, authenticity,” he said, adding, “It’s a reflection of us, and when our DNA is in something, it comes alive, and we’re able to reach people that no one else could reach because we’re speaking through our voice and our heart, and social media gives us that opportunity.”

To create a space on social media where the Spirit can reside, Kerry stressed the significance of creating and consuming uplifting content and being a peacemaker online. He also underscored that intentional technology use can help maintain spiritual and emotional well-being.