ARTIFICIAL Intelligence and the Very REAL Book of Mormon

ARTIFICIAL Intelligence and the Very REAL Book of Mormon

By Jeff Downs

“Karl Marx, in the mid-19th century, wrote that religion is “the opiate of the masses.” He was convinced that faith in God disconnected people–especially the disadvantaged–from the present and distracted them from engaging in progressive politics. It would now seem that artificial intelligence has become the new “opiate of the masses” that a progressive society has developed to disconnect people–anyone with a computer or smartphone–from the past and distract us from genuine engagement with our Heavenly Father.

As a teacher of thirty years, I am deeply concerned about what the rise in artificial technology is doing–and has the potential of doing–to my students and society in general. Unfortunately, there is not a lot I can do on that front. But, as a father and grandfather, I want, at the very least, to do all I can to warn my children about the dangers artificial technology poses to their faith and testimony.

Yes. That’s right. To their faith and testimony. And, I am hoping, you want to do the same!

My son, Mike, is a college student studying computer programming. A friend of his was recently asked to give a talk in church. This friend, also studying computer programming, seemed quite pleased with himself that he had found a quick and easy way to accomplish this task. Using an artificial intelligence (AI) generator (easily accessed and free to use online), he simply asked his smartphone to write for him a talk on the given subject, including some scripture, as well as a few quotes from several General Authorities from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In mere seconds, the talk was written. It even included a “testimony” at the end, if you can believe it!

My son had a copy of his friend’s talk which I was allowed to read. It had the structure one would expect in a Church talk, with quotations from current General Authorities that aligned very well with the subject, along with assorted scriptures from the standard works seamlessly woven throughout. It was impressive for something constructed in mere seconds by a computer using nothing but sophisticated algorithms as its source.

But the more I read, the more I realized something was clearly lacking: sincerity. There was simply no connection made between the subject matter and the person giving the talk. The words were correct, but the heart or Spirit of the message just wasn’t coming through. How could it? After all, the Spirit had nothing whatsoever to do with it!

Perhaps I would’ve dismissed this completely as a peculiar, computer-generated curiosity one might expect from a programming college student . . . had it not been for the computer-generated “testimony” at the conclusion. That was the part that spooked me. The “testimony” rang hollow. Empty. And then I realized that this same college student had actually given the talk–presented it as his own! He stood in front of a congregation and read the words but, in reality, didn’t produce a single one of them. And, worse than that, concluded by bearing a “testimony” that hadn’t come from his heart, but had been algorithmically generated from his smartphone!

Disturbing? Alarming? I hope you feel that way.

Please don’t get me wrong. I love my GPS when it comes to travel. At no time have I ever craved a return to folded maps and all of the stresses related to missed turn-offs or the delays produced from the miscalculation of distance and/or unforeseen traffic. And, when it comes to researching information, I in no way want to return to the card catalogs of yesteryear. I enjoy my microwave oven, automatic sprinkler system, garage door opener, and Bluetooth earbuds. These technological advances have helped with everyday, mundane tasks or have simply made living more comfortable. However, having a computer or smartphone produce a talk for me–including a testimony–gives me pause. Just how much should we hand off to a machine?

I shared some of my misgivings with my son the moment I had finished reading the talk. But then I sat back and took a moment to collect my thoughts. What would be an appropriate response to any younger person who questioned the use of the latest technology to complete what they might see as a “mundane” task?

I immediately remembered a thought from President Russell M. Nelson. Sister Joy D. Jones of the General Primary Presidency gave a talk in which she shared a very short video clip in which children–and I emphasize here, children–were able to ask the prophet questions. If you Google (in this case, using technology for something good) “The Lord Loves Effort General Conference April 2020” you will find it (or you could use this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7OhT6jsvZQ). In this very short video (just over a minute and a half), the prophet makes clear that EVERYTHING that has to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult. He then states clearly (so that even a child–and hopefully a college student–can understand!), “The Lord loves effort. Because,” Nelson continues, “effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.” President Nelson then notes how if one wants to become good at playing the piano, time and practice must be sacrificed; there are no shortcuts! I can find a song on my smartphone and play it, but that will not magically allow me to play the piece myself. I will never know the joy and satisfaction that comes from mastering that particular piece of music–learning it within my heart as well as the ends of my fingertips–through hours of practice and dedicated determination. President Nelson then concludes by stating that we cannot progress any other way! In fact, he points out how we should always be progressing and will continue to do so in the life to come. So, again, when it comes to our earthly progress as well as our eternal, there are no shortcuts! We learn by doing and by doing we learn. It’s a bummer, and difficult for some to hear, but an essential fact of life!

As the days went by, my heart ached for this programming student who thought he’d genuinely found a shortcut when it came to writing his talk and then, whether he realized it or not, having his smartphone go beyond even that to the manufacturing of his very “testimony.” A testimony that, again, came from a lifeless algorithm (this fact can’t be expressed enough).

Many of us can relate to how difficult it is to construct a talk from the ground up (I’m experiencing that right now!). It takes time, research, pondering, thought, and–hopefully–prayer. The very act of doing so intentionally puts us into an introspective mindset that opens us up to personal inspiration/revelation that, hopefully/ideally, allows us to spiritually connect to what He would have us learn and then thoughtfully/meaningfully share with others. Through this process we, hopefully/ideally sense what we not only need to learn ourselves but what needs to be shared with those with whom our message will be given. Unfortunately, for this programming student, all of this opportunity for learning and growth for himself and for others was lost–traded in for the tapping of a few keys on his smartphone.

He took the shortcut.

Where spiritual muscle could have been strengthened through the hours it would have taken to develop a talk in the way I just mentioned, spiritual atrophy is the only other inevitable alternative. And as spiritual muscles atrophy, we eventually find ourselves becoming spiritually weaker until, eventually, our genuine testimony “withers away” (Alma 32:38). And, before we know it, we have let go of the iron rod and find ourselves lost in the mists of darkness Nephi warned us about in 1 Nephi 11. That AI-generated talk then becomes very similar to the great and spacious building Nephi mentions as well in that same chapter–appealing and enjoyed by many, but lacking any solid foundation on which we can genuinely trust. In fact, it’s worse than this since Nephi makes clear that there is actually no foundation at all (with the building AND an algorithmically-generated testimony)!

In the April 2021 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Your mountains may be loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems. Your mountains will vary, and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith. That takes work. Lazy learners and lax disciples will always struggle to muster even a particle of faith. To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception. Increasing your faith and trust in Him takes effort.”

Can a learner get any lazier than having their smartphone generate a talk in mere seconds using an app? I’ll let you reach your own verdict on that one.

Perhaps the effort that would have been required to assemble that talk was exactly what was needed to address the “loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems” this student undoubtedly faces daily. We ALL face these obstacles. But, regrettably, the opportunity to tap into the remedy for such struggles was traded away for the shortcut. Hopefully, for this student’s sake, this doesn’t become a habit.

But how does any of this artificial intelligence material relate to the Book of Mormon, you might ask?

Recently, some Church historians, scholars, and professors (not all, but many) have been encouraging us to take on a similar mysterious-AI-approach when it comes to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon (I avoided the word “translation” because we are being told by some that word doesn’t mean what we think it means). They encourage us to believe that the part Joseph Smith played was minor–nearly as minor as my son’s programmer friend generating his talk using a smartphone. For many of these intellectuals, Joseph didn’t play a very active role but simply read the words that appeared in a stone he placed in the bottom of a hat.

Think about that. Is this proposed idea really all that different from letting our smartphone do the heavy lifting when it comes to generating a talk?

They tell us the very translation itself “appeared” (generated magically) and Joseph simply read the words and gave us what we have today. In fact, they assure us that the plates weren’t even needed in the translation process and merely sat under a cloth while Joseph’s smartphone–I mean stone–did all of the work. And, when pressed, the very idea that the Book of Mormon is a record of a real people in actual history is brought into doubt by some of our very own scholars and historians today, who assure us that just having uplifting and motivating stories, just as we have in our nonhistorical Bible, should be enough to give the Book of Mormon value and meaning in our lives.

The book By Means of the Urim & Thummim by James W. Lucas and Jonathan E. Neville does an amazing job at explaining how the translation process was, in fact, a very real and tangible experience. I highly recommend this book for your own library and the libraries of your children and grandchildren. It beautifully teaches how we should trust Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery when they tell us that the plates were used and translated using the Urim and Thummim (a device specifically prepared for this purpose), and not a stone, by the gift and power of God. If anyone knows someone struggling to wrap their head around this topic, this book will shepherd the reader through a well-sourced, logical, and sympathetic exploration that I haven’t the room or expertise to do justice in this article. The book Seer Stone V. Urim and Thummim by L. Hannah Stoddard and James F. Stoddard III, is another wonderful resource (they are out there, folks, if you know where to look!).

I challenge anyone to read Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants and underline every instance of the word “translate”, “translated”, and “translates”. You will be surprised by how many of these words you find! These words were used for a reason! A translator does far more than read words off a stone. A translator must deal with poetry, symbolism, metaphors, slang, neologisms, colloquialisms, the social context of the audience receiving the text being translated, how much needs to be elaborated or expanded to make the translated text meaningful to a modern audience, make variations inspired by the Holy Ghost and choose a style and tone that their audience will respond to if they are to even begin to accept the offered material and not reject it outright (which explains all of the King James language!). Put in this light, Joseph had a Herculean task few give him credit for. Why so much work for Joseph? Yes, we needed–and the Lord needed–the Book of Mormon to come forth, but Joseph needed to grow and develop as well! No growth would have been made had he simply read words off of a smartphone–sorry–stone.

We and our youth need to understand this! Joseph took NO shortcuts and neither should we! He too needed to grow and progress, and his sacrifice, dedication, and struggle to produce the book we have today should be recognized and, in turn, appreciated–not disparaged as so many “experts” are doing today.

Another dangerous trend in current scholarship is to dismiss the historicity of the Book of Mormon itself (along with the Bible, for that matter). Since we have no definitive location for where the Book of Mormon took place, some scholars, religion professors, and Church historians encourage us to focus on the spiritual messages/confirmation only. President Gordon B. Hinckley thoughtfully taught: “I can hold [the Book of Mormon] in my hand. It is real. It has weight and substance that can be physically measured. I can open its pages and read, and it has language both beautiful and uplifting. The ancient record from which it was translated came out of the earth as a voice speaking from the dust. . . . The evidence for its truth, for its validity in a world that is prone to demand evidence, lies not in archaeology or anthropology, though these may be helpful to some. It lies not in word research or historical analysis, though these may be confirmatory. The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable individuals may sincerely question its origin, but those who read it prayerfully may come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it came forth by the gift and power of God.”

The spiritual confirmation of the reality of the Book of Mormon is essential! And, when it comes right down to it, that is the strongest confirmation we will ever receive in this life. No matter how much evidence we acquire, faith is required! As President Ezra Taft Benson taught: “Every man eventually is backed up to the wall of faith, and there he must make his stand.”

But Neal A. Maxwell also taught: “It is [my] opinion that all the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, will remain in the realm of faith. Science will not be able to prove or disprove holy writ. However, enough plausible evidence will come forth to prevent scoffers from having a field day, but not enough to remove the requirement of faith.”

And David Whitmer, one of the three published witnesses to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon said, “When we were first told to publish our statement, we felt sure the people would not believe it, for the Book told of a people who were refined and dwelt in large cities; but the Lord told us that He would make it known to the people, and people should discover the ruins of the lost cities and abundant evidence of the truth of what is written in the Book.”

And this is where Wayne May, Rod Meldrum, Jonathan Neville, Rian Nelson, David Hocking, L. Hannah Stoddard, and a growing host of others have done so much to shine a much-needed light on the “abundant evidence of the truth of what is written.” This blog and the conferences the aforementioned take part in share information that speaks to the heart and can do much to bolster your own testimony as well as the testimonies of your children and grandchildren. But it must be shared!

It is vital, in my opinion, that we acknowledge the truth that each of us is born with spiritual gifts. Gifts of the Spirit are cited in many places in scripture (1 Corinthians 12:3-11, Romans 12:6-13, Moroni 10:9-18, and Doctrine and Covenants 46:8-29). Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, “In the fullest sense, [spiritual gifts] are infinite in number and endless in their manifestations.” And Elder Gene R. Cook taught: “One of the great processes you go through in life is to discover yourself, to find those gifts and capacities God has given you. He has given you great talents, the smallest part of which you have just begun to utilize. Trust the Lord to assist you in unlocking the door to those gifts. Some of us have created imaginary limits in our minds. There is literally a genius locked up inside each of us. Don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise.”

Now, keep these words in mind as you read Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-14: “To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world. To others it is given to believe in their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.”

For me, these verses are referring to the gift of testimony. For some, simply reading the Book of Mormon will spark in them the ability to simply believe it is true. That is truly a gift for which they should be eternally grateful. For others, though, it will take time to, as Elder Cook suggested, “unlock” this gift. But, if we are sincere, and righteously striving to find the truth, Moroni assures us that it can be done (Moroni 10:4) and that the gift of testimony regarding the Book of Mormon (or any other truth) can be ours!

But I submit to you that helping others see that the Book of Mormon is in fact a genuine history of a genuine people may in fact be needed to help “unlock” this testimonial gift or at least put a person in the proper mindset to at least consider the idea that the Book of Mormon is in fact a very REAL history. That is precisely, again, what this blog, and the above-mentioned people, are trying to do.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “I believe God intends us to find and use the evidence He has given—reasons if you will—which affirm the truthfulness of His work… Evidence is still evidence even if it is not immediately observable… Our testimonies aren’t dependent on evidence—we still need that spiritual confirmation in the heart of which we have spoken—but not to seek for and not to acknowledge intellectual, documentable support for our belief when it is available is to needlessly limit an otherwise incomparably strong theological position and deny us a unique, persuasive vocabulary in the latter-day arena of religious investigation and sectarian debate.”

My friends, now is the time to share what we learn with others. There is tangible evidence sitting right under our very noses if we take the time to open our eyes and hearts to the information being offered on this site and at the conferences Rod Meldrum, Rian Nelson, and others put together. The plates were REAL. The lives chronicled and detailed in the Book of Mormon were REAL. And the message it is trying to convey and warn us about is also REAL. But to obtain an essential spiritual witness of this will require effort! A testimony of its genuine historicity is also obtainable, but your smartphone–and no algorithm–can do it for you. There is nothing ARTIFICIAL when it comes to the Book of Mormon, and my hope as a father and a grandfather is that my posterity will take the time to obtain a REAL testimony from a very REAL book that is here to show us the way to genuine joy and happiness: the covenant path that leads back to our loving Heavenly Father and cherished exaltation.” Jeff Downs

Please share this information as there are many of us who need this information on the good and evil of todays new technologies.

You can reach Jeff Downs at:
[email protected]