Title: The REST of the Story

Topic: How I became a missionary (again)! The pre-story for The Social Media MTC.

Just like with every epic tale this one started many years ago, I just didn't know it yet.

I served an 18-month mission in Spain + Spanish Morocco as a young adult but never planned on serving again. Couples often serve after retirement, but I'm not married. I'm well outside the age range for proselytizing missionaries, plus I need to work and save for the future. I only knew about service opportunities at our local Bishop's Storehouse (food pantry) but that didn't seem like a fit.

Many years ago I made the decision to say "Yes" to the opportunities that come. One of those came in the form of a calling ((church assignment) to serve in my local Stake (group of congregations) to serve as the Public Affairs Director. A lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I had NEVER heard of this position.

I learned its a role focused on building relationships; relationships that can help or hinder the work of the church throughout the world. This happens in 3 primary ways: Print media, working with Opinion Leaders and online with social media.

Opinion Leaders are defined as the Civic, Education and Business leaders in each community.

I didn't even know where to start. So, I did what I always do. I prayed for guidance about what Father in Heaven would have me do.
Each time I prayed I received the same answer. Only two words: Social media.

Huh. Up to that point I had a decade + of experience using Facebook, but for me it was simply a way to share about my life, stay connected with friends and family and find/reconnect with acquaintances from the past. I had never even thought about the potential to use it for anything other than that.

My adventure of learning to use Facebook as a TOOL for Christ began.

Some years into that assignment I had a distinct impression from the Holy Ghost. This came as a clear and penetrating thought into my mind. That in a “year” I would receive a calling from our then Area 70, a friend of many years, who lived in my small, country community. I've had similar insights from heaven before and ever one happened just as the Holy Ghost said, so I had no reason to doubt.

Fast forward about a year later. It was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Nobody was attending church in person at this point, businesses everywhere were closed and social distancing from those dear to us was common practice. My cell phone rang one morning. I was in my bathrobe, sporting bed head and guess what? It was my friend, the Area 70!

Keep in mind that new church assignments are usually extended in church attire, at a church building, very official-like. But, this one came as I sat on my bed after he asked: "Sister Brown do you have a few minutes to talk?"

I was asked to serve in another capacity I had never heard of: Assistant Director Social Media for the Portland Communication Coordinating Council. Say that times 3x fast. I could hardly say it once! All 11 Stake Presidents in our coordinating council had been asked to submit names. The number of suggestions for that position to that point out of the 35,000+ members of the church in the Portland metro Area? Zero. The revelation came to my friend directly. It was me. It was meant for me.

That assignment was 2-fold. I would work with the Public Affairs Directors then called Stake Communication Directors for all stakes in our council as well as work with the Oregon Portland Mission.

And this my friends is where my life took a turn I never saw coming!

The Co-Director of our Council who oversaw my assignment was planning to attend a meeting with our local mission leaders. It was just turning fall and the new Mission Leaders had arrived the previous July. I was invited to come. I was happy to. I felt it was the right thing to do. Except, It was at the mission office in Beaverton, a 45-60 minutes from my home. I was broke and didn’t have gas money to attend in person. I also had a car on it's last leg. So, I opted to attend over Zoom. Isn't technology grand! They rolled the BIG TV into the Mission President's office and then a miracle.

Synergy in motion! I shared lots of social media ideas, the Mission Leaders did too and it turned out we were in complete alignment. After that meeting my co-director said you have a new BFF (in the Mission President).

He was right. 

A couple weeks later my local missionaries delivered an invitation from President Haymond for me to come and speak at the upcoming zone conference just a couple days away. I accepted the assignment with honor, but was terrified despite my years of experience. It had been some time since I had stood and taught. I had spent the few years prior with my Father in Heaven, Savior and Holy Ghost going through my own personal Gethsemane. But just as with Christ, my Sunday morning did eventually come.

I went to Zone Conference despite my fears. I taught my break-out sessions. My life changed.

I received an invitation to come speak at the following Zone Conference and the next until a fateful lunch that changed it all.

My Mission Leaders took me to lunch at Lake Oswego Grill and President told me he wanted to give me more responsibility and a title in the mission. This photo is after that fateful lunch! When President told me a few weeks later that I would need to be a set apart missionary to serve with the mission my only question was "Do I get a nametag?"

This is a photo of the day at a Zone Training for the #JesusBrand in the Gresham Zone that my nametag was delivered. In the old days they had pins on the back. The new ones have magnets. Sweet Sister Mattingley helped me since I couldn't figure out how to get the backing off the magnet.

She even put it on for me! It was a POWERFUL experience!

President delegated the responsibility for social media to his incredible wife. She and I worked together as besties and companions for nearly the next 3 years. The COVID years were WILD! And we did it all together. Revelation was a daily, if not hourly occurrence as we worked with hundreds of missionaries! I was in FB Messenger chats with every single companionship in the mission, facilitated at Zone Conferences, wrote curriculum, trained all new social media moderators, taught Temple VC Sisters for the Portland Temple as well as over Zoom for the Sisters at the Oakland Temple and SO much more!

As country borders began to re-open our missionaries were transferred all over the world. Many were called to serve as Tech/Social Media Missionaries or Assistants to their new Mission Presidents. They needed help with social media and guess who they called? That's right! Yours truly. I facilitated training for missions in St. Petersburg Russia and Sao (I need to figure out how to do the little tilde on a laptop) Paulo, Brazil. I sent training resources to Angola, the Caribbean, England and Canada. Parents of my missionaries reached out for help with other children now serving.

I conducted training for an Area Communications Director in Southern California. After discussing all that we were doing in social media in Oregon with their local Area 70 he told me: "Every mission needs one of you, Sister Brown." As far as I know I was the first and only adult Service Missionary working with a mission on social media in the global church. At least I never heard of another one. We had calls from other missions across the USA constantly asking for help; to the point we had to limit the calls we took to get our own work done.

We had such amazing success and I agreed with that Area 70! If only...I knew that it wasn't really conceivable to have a single adult with no children, with my background in Corporate Training, proficient with social media, curriculum design and more in every mission in the church.

But, through The Social Media MTC, that vision CAN reach a global audience!

Did you know that Mission Leaders once released are instructed not to visit their mission for the next 2 years? So, it was nearly two years after their release that I was invited and able to attend a wedding for one of our missionaries in Utah. I surprised my dear friends in the temple! What a reunion!!! Needless to say a worker had to "shoosh" our sobbing and excitement!

Draper, UT Temple Summer 2025

They are Mission Leader Mentors today, helping prepare new Mission Leaders for their upcoming assignments. You can read their testimonials on my website: www.thesocialmediamtc.com

As for me? I'm committed to and passionate about this urgency in my heart. I KNOW I've been called and prepared by God to share His message with the world! Every voice matters.

Love, Laura