In the September Ensign, Breanna Olaveson writes of the changing landscape of Mormon messaging on the Internet. While the cyberscape (I think I just coined a word)–the virtual landscape– was largely negative 6 years ago, disenfranchising seekers and dismantling even the understanding of some members, it is now in reverse trend.

Six years ago 80% of search engine results for the term “Mormon” were negative or inaccurate. Today the situation has improved. In some countries, Internet search results for “mormon” are now up to 80 percent positive.

Why the significant change? In addition to official Church Web sites, unofficial Web sites sharing positive information about the Church are spreading across the Web. Individuals are using blogs to share their values and gospel messages are making their appearances on social networking sites. In short, because of how members are using it, the Internet is also helping bring people to the missionaries.

The Ensign indicates some of the ways Mormons are spreading the gospel meaningfully, including profiling on the new Mormon.org, blogging, using social media sites and sharing links to gospel-themed media messages; as well as working with the More Good Foundation–which has actively been engaging and empowering members online to improve Mormon presence and to provide accurate content for interested onlookers and seekers.

The founders of the More Good Foundation began to study search engines and how they selected results. The learned that Google, a popular Internet search engine, allows one site to occupy only two spaces on a results page. That means that even if LDS.org has hundreds of relevant pages, only two will appear as search results. That left a lot o open space for negative sites, and people seemed to gravitate to sites that were unrelated to the Church as an institution.
They’re looking for their peers’ perspectives rather than trusting the organization’s,’ said Jonathan Johnson, president of the More Good Foundation.’ If we understand that principle, we will understand why our leaders say we as members can be more effective. We avoid the walls that are created when people see someone in an official capacity.’