Not another social networking site!Nope, this isn't just another networking site. Really. This site is a collaborative endeavor to connect LDS and like-minded Patriots from around the world in the spirit of unity and brother (and sister)hood we think the Lord expects of his Kingdom. I cannot count the times I've been TDY and needed to know what time church started (you can find that on the church's website now, and you'll soon find that here) or felt like I could have used a Priesthood blessing but felt like looking up the bishop in the phone book was a little too intrusive (I know I should have done it anyway but that's not the point). The point of this opportunity is to create an online "foyer" where we can reconnect with old friends from old bases and assignments, meet new friends before we PCS to new assignments, and leverage and extend our influence with each other, on behalf of each other, thus strengthening each other and the Kingdom.
Value Added
We here at SaintsAndPatriots know that the success of this site will depend entirely on each one of us. User generated content (postings, suggestions, questions etc) will make this site worth the time you take to visit (and CONTRIBUTE). All of the features and pages on this site have been carefully scrutinized by our team in an effort to create value to the user. All our best efforts are going towards creating a fresh, clean, and user friendly online experience where you can get the same great online experience you get with Facebook, Craigslist, or Amazon.com. We're NOT trying to be those things, but we are trying to provide similar online experiences for our specific intended audience: LDS and like-minded families and individuals in the military, veterans and their families, public servants, and every other "patriot" in the book.
More to Come
Our intial roll out will include organization specific pages (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines etc) but we'll be adding new organizations as fast as we can. We have identified and begun to collect content and scripting for over 1,500 different, state, base, career, and interest area pages. Our goal is for any SaintsAndPatriots user to be able to quickly connect with other users based on military occupational specialty (MOS or AFSC, or rating), by base (McChord AFB, Ft Bragg, Camp Pendleton, Pearl Harbor Naval Base) or by state.
A Work in Progress
We are NOT going to get this perfect the first time. What we're asking for is your help in quality checking the content on our pages, providing quality content yourself, submitting your thoughts on how we can improve, and ultimately participating as much or as little as you want.
Elder M. Russell Ballard recently spoke at the BYU-Hawaii commencement about using "new media" to build the kingdom: "Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration." I unequivocally believe that this online forum can be a useful tool in strengthening the relationships we now have, and building the new ones that we all need to be more successful in our jobs, our families, our communities, our nation, and ultimately our service to the Savior. Please consider contributing, fellowshipping, and participating on SaintsAndPatriots.com.
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=72443645a2cba110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1
