User talk:Declan.ruediger

Welcome to Wikipedia
Hi, Declan.ruediger. I noticed you make some edits at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wikipedia's always happy to have new editors join.

I just want to invite you to read up on some Wikipedia policies. Some of the edits you made seem to rely on what the Wikipedia community calls primary sources. In scholarship and many forms of writing, primary sources are considered the main source base, because researchers like historians and anthropologists use primary sources to make novel arguments. However, Wikipedia's guidelines are that we don't try to do original research. Instead, we try to summarize the verifiable information available in reliable secondary sources. A denominationally-published manual like Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ or For the Strength of Youth is, in this context, best understood as a primary source for the Church: it was written by the denomination, so it's a primary source for information about the denominatino. For contributing content, instead of citing primary sources, read up on secondary sources (especially academically published journals or books) and learn what the field says about topics.

As you state you are a full-time missionary for the Church and evidently have interest in editing the article about the Church, I also recommend you read Wikipedia's conflict of interest policy. I recognize it talks about being employed, and if my understanding is right missionaries for your denomination are generally volunteers, but as you are in this voluntary office full-time, you are acting directly as a representative of the denomination itself, and not for subsidiary organs of it. Your familiarity with the denomination could be a welcome resource, but understand that as a community we have also had to deal with concerns about institutions—companies, churches, political campaigns, etc.—trying to use Wikipedia to promote and publicize themselves, rather than to educate the public in a neutral way that aligns with the general consensus of most reliable sources about topics. This isn't an accusation about you in particular; these are rules we have in place to be careful. Take the time to read, especially to learn about what Wikipedia considers the appropriate ways to disclose having a conflict interest.

There are many ways to contribute to Wikipedia. Contributing content is one way to do that. Editors who are learning the ropes or who may have a conflict of interest with the topic they're editing are also invited to contribute content via edit requests, which are a way to suggest an edit to an article and allow other editors to look at that suggestion and decide whether or not to implement it, thereby involving more editors so as to limit the chance that the contribution is non-educational. Alternatively, if reading a lot of secondary sources isn't as much of an option (cost, time, etc.), consider making what the community calls "gnomish" edits—fixing grammar, spelling, formatting, etc., and that's something a person can do on all kinds of topics, even ones that one isn't necessarily familiar with.

I know that was a lot to read—sorry that I wasn't able to be more concise!—but I hope it's of some help. P-Makoto (she/her) (talk) 10:41, 9 March 2024 (UTC)

Conflict of interest
Hello, Declan.ruediger. We welcome your contributions, but if you have an external relationship with the people, places or things you have written about on the page The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may have a conflict of interest (COI). Editors with a conflict of interest may be unduly influenced by their connection to the topic. See the conflict of interest guideline and FAQ for article subjects for more information. We ask that you:


 * avoid editing or creating articles about yourself, your family, friends, colleagues, company, organization, clients, or competitors;
 * propose changes on the talk pages of affected articles (you can use the edit COI template);
 * disclose your conflict of interest when discussing affected articles (see );
 * avoid linking to your organization's website in other articles (see );
 * do your best to comply with Wikipedia's content policies.

In addition, you are required by the Wikimedia Foundation's terms of use to disclose your employer, client, and affiliation with respect to any contribution which forms all or part of work for which you receive, or expect to receive, compensation. See Paid-contribution disclosure.

Also, editing for the purpose of advertising, publicising, or promoting anyone or anything is not permitted. Thank you. Left guide (talk) 22:32, 9 March 2024 (UTC)