Aimee Winder Newton is in the thick of a re-election campaign for her seat on the Salt Lake County Council.

But you wouldn’t know it from her social media accounts – at least not over the past week. That’s because since 6 October, at the behest of her church’s top leader, Newton has been engaged in a social media fast, limiting exposure to sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Russell M Nelson, president of the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, asked the church’s women to consider the fast in his address at a womens-only session of a church conference.

“I invite you to participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind,” said Nelson, 94, who became the church’s 17th president in January. “The effect of your 10-day fast might surprise you.”

The break, said Nelson, whom church members view as a prophet of God, might lead Latter-day Saint (LDS) women to notice a shift in their priorities.

Nelson’s request came as a surprise to many and has produced a range of reactions from women. Some appear to have immediately logged off and gone dark from their social media accounts, a reaction that may not be surprising in a religion where obedience to church leaders is seen as a sign of faithfulness.

But for those who rely on social media to do their jobs, manage their families, or who, like Newton, are in the midst of a political campaign the choice has been more complicated.

“When he first said that, I thought, ‘oh no!’ I’ve got all these Facebook ads running,” said Newton, a Republican and the council’s current chair. “And I was thinking about all the people who would be off social media and wouldn’t see them.”

Crystal Young-Otterstrom, a Mormon who has been active in Utah’s Democratic party for more than 15 years, said many women are talking about the conflict and deciding to do what’s best for their own lives, even if they agree in principle with the fast. That includes opting in on a limiting basis or deciding to put off their fast to a late date, as Nelson didn’t specifically say fasts should immediately begin.

“One of the things that is so special about being LDS is that we all believe in personal revelation,” said Young-Otterstrom, a chair of the LDS Democrats who has also been a national officer in that caucus. “We all believe that we have the power and right to the Holy Ghost and to know what’s right for us in our lives. So, I applaud women for knowing what’s right for them.”

In Newton’s case, that has meant limiting her social media time to 30 minutes per day. That allows her to check in on county business, respond to constituents and give her campaign messaging a boost, without sending her spiraling into mindless scrolling that takes up more time than it should.

“That’s been the right balance for me,” she said. “I know it’s different for everybody.”

Newton also said she hopes to maintain a reduced social media schedule once she comes to the end of the 10-day window and plans to use her cellphone’s timer to help.

“It’s made me more aware of how much time I’ve wasted,” Newton said. “Social media is a great thing to use to keep in touch with people and share ideas, but there are a lot better things I can do, like spend time with my kids or actually call an old friend.”

With about 23 days left until election day, Newton said she doesn’t anticipate the fast will have a negative effect on her campaign. She also doesn’t believe the timing of Nelson’s request was motivated by politics, although it came just days before mail-in ballots were sent to voters and as the church is engaged in a public campaign against a medical marijuana ballot initiative.

“We have a worldwide church and our leaders are not just looking at Utah,” she said.

Young-Otterstrom, who is also the director of the Utah Cultural Alliance, is more bothered by the timing. Utah’s November ballot is rich with important ballot measures — including education funding gerrymandering, and Medicaid expansion. Women, who are often the swing voters on Utah issues, need to be part of the online dialogue, not shut out, she said.

In addition, she said, “asking women in particular to be silent, especially in this time of #Metoo and continued gender conflict in our religion and our state, seems not well thought through.”

Young-Otterstrom also hopes that Nelson, who issued a similar call for a fast by church youths in June, will eventually extend the request to Latter-day Saint men.

“I certainly hope that if (church leaders) are going to make a suggestion to one member, they would make it to both,” she said.