267. How to write an LDS Blog. # 87 from Feb. 5, 2014, reposted, with new ideas.
If I as an "elderly lady" can write a blog, YOU CAN TOO! Check out all the tutorials, and helps and hints, which takes a bit of time, but soon you'll find that it becomes quite a hobby to you! First, pick out a name for your blog! Be careful as you start, because some things you can't change.
You can write as often as you wish, or only now and then. It is up to you. Some people write daily, some once or twice a week, and some less. I have missed a few days when I didn't feel well, or were very busy.
I am reposting Blog # 87, which was posted on Feb. 5, 2014, over 8 months ago. We all know that Elder Bednar (blog # 216) counseled us to do all we can to spread the Gospel through the media. I like to put on interesting family history stories, and I also enjoy reposting articles I read on Meridian Magazine, LDS Living, Brian Mickelson's blog, (One is # 217) and often I run into other blogs, or Church news on lds.org. LDS Living quotes from several blogs at times. I always include the title and author of all I post. When I find an article I like, I "copy and paste" in "new blog" and save it as a "draft". Then I have a few to choose from if I don't write something myself.
This article on writing your own blog was quite a favorite after it was published. I would encourage any of you who want to add to the "hastening of the work" and "flooding the world" with good articles that will inspire people, to try and do this. My all time favorite is blog # 95, poems my mother Ruth Allen Miles wrote -- today it has had 206 views! It was posted on February 12, 2014. I have posted several blogs about her life, and my father's life, and the lives of many pioneer ancestors, which can be found under "labels" under their names.
I hope some of you check out the "Translate" button on the left, and also read some of the favorites, and some listed under "labels". This blog is part of my legacy to my posterity and you friends. If you put important subjects in the title, people will find it when searching in "google". I also post them on google, (G +1) twitter, pinterest, Facebook, and the big B (for blogger). If you choose you can have selected viewers. I preferred mine to be available to anyone who was interested.
This is me and my husband of 59 years, Wayne in our living room in St. George, Utah . Wayne loves to do indexing, and has finished over 630,000 names, and has over 965,000 points. I love to do Family History, write music, do e mail and Facebook, etc. on the computer.
I am an 80 year old great grandmother, -- however I started this blog last Nov. 14th, hoping it would be a missionary tool. It is fascinating to me that I have had people from ,many countries read some of my blogs. People from the following countries have looked at this blog, -- some just a few from their country, and other countries have had large numbers of page views. People recently from : United States, France, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Austrailia, Turkey, Russia, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, -- and I remember a few months ago seeing some views from Moldova, Algeria, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Algeria. I wish I could hear from some of you. I don't know if the "comments" section isn't set up right or not. I would welcome any e mails, or contact from any of you whom I consider friends. I know everyone is busy, but you can put " How to write an LDS Blog" and there are several articles that will help you.
------------------This is blog # 87 ---
You can write as often as you wish, or only now and then. It is up to you. Some people write daily, some once or twice a week, and some less. I have missed a few days when I didn't feel well, or were very busy.
I am reposting Blog # 87, which was posted on Feb. 5, 2014, over 8 months ago. We all know that Elder Bednar (blog # 216) counseled us to do all we can to spread the Gospel through the media. I like to put on interesting family history stories, and I also enjoy reposting articles I read on Meridian Magazine, LDS Living, Brian Mickelson's blog, (One is # 217) and often I run into other blogs, or Church news on lds.org. LDS Living quotes from several blogs at times. I always include the title and author of all I post. When I find an article I like, I "copy and paste" in "new blog" and save it as a "draft". Then I have a few to choose from if I don't write something myself.
This article on writing your own blog was quite a favorite after it was published. I would encourage any of you who want to add to the "hastening of the work" and "flooding the world" with good articles that will inspire people, to try and do this. My all time favorite is blog # 95, poems my mother Ruth Allen Miles wrote -- today it has had 206 views! It was posted on February 12, 2014. I have posted several blogs about her life, and my father's life, and the lives of many pioneer ancestors, which can be found under "labels" under their names.
I hope some of you check out the "Translate" button on the left, and also read some of the favorites, and some listed under "labels". This blog is part of my legacy to my posterity and you friends. If you put important subjects in the title, people will find it when searching in "google". I also post them on google, (G +1) twitter, pinterest, Facebook, and the big B (for blogger). If you choose you can have selected viewers. I preferred mine to be available to anyone who was interested.
I am an 80 year old great grandmother, -- however I started this blog last Nov. 14th, hoping it would be a missionary tool. It is fascinating to me that I have had people from ,many countries read some of my blogs. People from the following countries have looked at this blog, -- some just a few from their country, and other countries have had large numbers of page views. People recently from : United States, France, Netherlands, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, Ukraine, Ireland, Israel, Canada, Austrailia, Turkey, Russia, United Kingdom, Poland, Sweden, -- and I remember a few months ago seeing some views from Moldova, Algeria, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Algeria. I wish I could hear from some of you. I don't know if the "comments" section isn't set up right or not. I would welcome any e mails, or contact from any of you whom I consider friends. I know everyone is busy, but you can put " How to write an LDS Blog" and there are several articles that will help you.
------------------This is blog # 87 ---
I READ AN ARTICLE ON LDS LIVING ABOUT HOW TO START AN LDS BLOG -- THESE ARE THE STEPS I FOLLOWED, AND IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS, I'D BE HAPPY TO 'TALK' WITH YOU ON E MAIL AND HELP YOU! (I POSTED MY E MAIL A FEW BLOGS AGO, BUT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IT IS: )
paralee.eckman@gmail.com (It also is on "view my profile") Please only those interested.
paralee.eckman@gmail.com (It also is on "view my profile") Please only those interested.
There are a lot of things you can do to follow the counsel of prophets and share the gospel online. Some of our favorite (and some of the easiest) ways include using Facebook and Twitter, but if you're ready to take the next step in personal online member missionary work try this: start a blog.
The LDS blogging world is actually already quite well-established, and has been nicknamed by the online community "the Bloggernacle." Joining is as easy as typing out your testimony. Follow these six steps to get started on your own LDS blog:
1. Select a website to host your blog. (Pal -- I found blogger to be quite easy -- check out all hints, etc.)
There are several great (and free) blog sites that will let you set up your blog in a matter of minutes. Some great ones we like include Blogger, Blog.com, Weebly, and Live Journal. If you've got a little more tech expertise, making a Word Press site is also a great option.
For the purposes of our how-to, we're going to use Blogger as an example.
2. Create an account with your hosting site.
On the main page of the hosting website, there should be an option to either "log in" or create a new account. Since this is your first time here, you'll need to create a new account. (Sometimes, this can be done with your Facebook so you won't have to remember your login information when you want to blog.)
Blogger uses Google accounts to keep track of your blogs. If you already have a Gmail, YouTube, or Android smart phone account, you can log in using that information. Otherwise, click "create an account" and follow the step-by-step directions to make a free Google (and Blogger) account.
Importance note: If at any time your hosting site asks for your credit card information, do not give it to them. Some services charge a monthly fee to host your blog--but many places will do it for free.
3. Make your blog's page.
Now that you have an account and are logged in, it's time to make your blog! If the site you've chosen to use doesn't automatically take you through a step-by-step tutorial at this point, look for a button or link that says either "start," "create," or "new." Click on it, and follow the instructions. Be prepared to name your blog, pick our a URL, and select a color scheme.
For Blogger, there's a button in the upper left corner that says "New Blog." Click that, and a window will pop up allowing you to make the selections to create your blog.
4. Start your first post!
Now that your blog has a name and web address, it's time to start blogging! Look for a button or link that says "new post" or "new entry." Click it, and it should bring up a new page with a large blank text area. This is where you type your post! Use the formatting options (like bold, italic, underline, and alignment) to organize your post as you like.
Some blog sites (like Blogger) will also ask that you title your post, and there will be a specific text field for you to do that. Leaving this field blank can prevent your post from saving, so make sure you write something in here.
Important note: Make sure you save your work often. If you accidentally hit refresh, you can lose what you've already written. To prevent this, most blogs have two buttons: "Save" and "Publish." Hitting "save" saves your current work, but doesn't post it to your blog yet. This way you can come back later and work on the post more before you "publish" it to your blog. Some sites (like Blogger) will also have a button to let you "preview" your post to see what it will look like before publication as well.
5. Share your new blog!
After you hit publish, you can start sharing your new blog! Post a link on your Facebook, email it to your friends, and do whatever you can to get it out there! And congratulations on being the newest member of the LDS Bloggernacle!
6. Keep the magic rolling.
Come back to your blog often to write new posts. A lot of bloggers have a set schedule (whether that's 1 post a month or 3 a week), and many think of their blog as a method of journal keeping. If you think you've run out of things to say, here are a few ideas to get you rolling again:
- Tell your conversion story.
- Write about your (or your child's) baptism.
- Share your testimony.
- Write about a time the Lord helped you through a trial.
- Explain an instance where you saw the Lord's hand at work in your life.
- Give ideas--for service, for FHE lessons, for youth activities, for whatever you have ideas for!
- Share personal insights into your favorite quote or conference talk .
- Share your favorite scripture story and explain why you like it.
- Talk about what happened today in your life and focus on things you're thankful for.
- Share a story from your family history.
- Write about your perspective on a current event. (Check out our Mormon Report to see what's going on in the LDS world.)
- Make a list of everything you're thankful for--count those blessings!
- Write about what you learned at Church on Sunday.
- Share a gospel video and write about its message.
- Write about your (or your child's) baptism.
- Share your testimony.
- Write about a time the Lord helped you through a trial.
- Explain an instance where you saw the Lord's hand at work in your life.
- Give ideas--for service, for FHE lessons, for youth activities, for whatever you have ideas for!
- Share personal insights into your favorite quote or conference talk .
- Share your favorite scripture story and explain why you like it.
- Talk about what happened today in your life and focus on things you're thankful for.
- Share a story from your family history.
- Write about your perspective on a current event. (Check out our Mormon Report to see what's going on in the LDS world.)
- Make a list of everything you're thankful for--count those blessings!
- Write about what you learned at Church on Sunday.
- Share a gospel video and write about its message.
Additional Resources
There are lots of great resources available to LDS bloggers. Here are just a few great places to start if you're looking for a little more help:
More How-to's:
Free "I'm a Mormon" & "I believe" buttons for blogsTutorial Embed Mormon.org Pages on Your Blog or Website
Other Articles
LDS Church News: Blogging Success StoriesThe Book of Mormon as a BlogBlogging Bishops: 2 Mormon Men Talk About Sharing the Gospel Online
Example blogs
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