Scroll Ye in Holy Places
Take control of your online space!
Have you ever thought of transforming your online experiences into holy places?
The Lord has commanded us to stand in holy places (see Doctrine and Covenants 87:8). You can do this by spending time in temples, chapels, your home, and other places where you can feel the Spirit.
You can also be more intentional in how you use smartphones, social media, and artificial intelligence (A.I.). You can be strategic in how you interact with posts, videos, pictures, and other online media. As you do, you’ll create places where you can better feel the Spirit and come closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Here are some ways you can scroll in holy places.
Train Your Algorithms
Today it’s easy for our minds to be totally occupied in virtual space as we engage with technology. If we’re not careful, we can be swept along a current of online content—just like the current of a river—and be distracted from what matters most. In many ways, this is due to algorithms.
An algorithm is a set of rules or processes a computer program follows. Some algorithms select what you see in your recommendations and feeds. These algorithms are based on how you engage with content—likes, shares, comments, saves, even how long you view videos or photos.
The purpose of these algorithms is to keep you interested so you’ll keep scrolling for as long as possible. The problem with this is it can affect our use of agency. Regarding technology, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has reminded us that, as God’s children, we can “become agents to act and not simply objects to be acted upon.” Moral agency, which is “the ability and privilege to choose and to act for ourselves in ways that are good, honest, virtuous, and honorable,” is an essential part of God’s plan for us.
Elder Bednar taught that an algorithm “does not like you. It does not care about you. It does not really know if you exist or not.” It is only a process “that will treat you as an object to be acted upon, if you let it.” So, don’t let it!
You can train your algorithms to better serve you. When you see a photo of a temple, watch a Strive to Be music video, or come across any other positive message, be sure to engage with it. Take your time to enjoy it instead of quickly clicking in and out of it. This will have a powerful effect on the algorithm and teach it to push that kind of content to you more frequently! Over time, this can help you create a more holy place for scrolling.
Watch Out for Echo Chambers
The more time you spend with particular types of content, the more likely it is that those types of content become all you’ll see. Your worldview becomes narrower and narrower until what you see feels like the truth. This is called an echo chamber.
If you’re not careful, you can get stuck in unhelpful and spiritually dangerous echo chambers. Church leaders have taught that we should avoid content that seeks “to promote anger, contention, fear, or baseless conspiracy theories.” We need to focus on credible, reliable, and factual information and turn away from what is “speculative or founded on rumor.” The Holy Ghost and careful study can help us discern between truth and error (see Doctrine and Covenants 11:12; 45:57). Truth can always be found in the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets and apostles.
The gospel encourages us to seek knowledge and understanding. But be mindful. If you come across something untrue or are warned by the Spirit to avoid it, choose to follow those promptings and find more uplifting places to spend your time. Seek after things that are “virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy” (Articles of Faith 1:13), both virtually and in the real world.
Remember Who You Are
Many voices seek our attention. Some are good, but quite a few are misleading—especially online. These include Satan’s attempts to get us to forget who we really are so we can be miserable like he is (see 2 Nephi 2:27).
You are a son or daughter of God with infinite worth and divine potential. Let this knowledge guide you in all areas of your life including as you look for uplifting content and share it with others. Always look to Jesus Christ in all you do (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:36). Then, as you scroll in holy places, you can create a space that can help you feel the Spirit and strengthen your faith.