An exciting benefit I get from sharing gospel-relate content on social media is the opportunity to learn which prophetic messages best capture people’s attention.
Generally, the volume of views or “likes” a social media post has must not replace our own spiritual filter. We must follow the spirit and choose for ourselves what is true or best for us to consume. As I look for new content to post to @DeclareMyWord, however, I do vigorously study the metrics of all my posts to learn what topics are most inspiring to those who visit the page.
One metric I especially key in on is the number of times a post is “Shared”. My goal is to post messages in such a way that those who view them are inspired to also share them with their family & friends.
So, with that in mind, I want to share with you, my friends, the most shared post on @DeclareMyWord. As of today, it has been shared 242,155 times with over 4.5 million views.
What I also find fascinating is that this post also has been watched for 12,732 hours, 19 minutes and 14 seconds. That equates to nearly a year and a half of total “watch time”. My hope is that during all the time it is watched, it is an opportunity for the Holy Ghost to prompt a positive thought or idea that will be a blessing to that person.
The post I’m referring to is a General Conference message from President Ezra Taft Benson in 1986 titled 'To the “Youth of the Noble Birthright”. He was speaking in the Priesthood session and was directing this thought specifically to the Aaronic Priesthood. He said,
“Your most important friendships should be with your own brothers and sisters and with your father and mother. Love your family. Be loyal to them. Have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters. Help carry their load…”
What a powerful statement! It’s easy to see why that message resonates so strongly to many. Click here to listen to President Benson share this message in it’s entirety.
As you listen to this talk, think about the following:
- Are “your most important friendships… your own brothers and sisters and… your father and mother”?
(If you are now married, is “your most important friendship…” your spouse?) - How do you “love your family”?
- How do you stay “loyal to them”?
- Do you “have a genuine concern for your brothers and sisters”?
- In what ways do you “help carry their load”?
