The birth of railways during the Industrial Revolution laid the way for the arrival of the first Latter-day Saint apostles to visit London.
Elder Heber C. Kimball, Elder Wilford Woodruff and Elder George A. Smith disembarked at Paddington Station in 1840, soon after its completion.
BYU students today are preparing to enter another remarkable time in world history, the artificial intelligence age, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said Tuesday at a campus devotional at the Marriott Center in Provo.
Young people are riding a new wave of technology that can enhance their lives and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ but also imperil them spiritually, he said Elder Cook.
“We want you to be successful in all aspects of your life, but not at the expense of faith and family,” Elder Cook said.
He noted that during BYU’s 150 years, the world has moved from the agricultural age through the industrial revolution to the information age and now to the doorstep of a new era.
“The doctrine of the restored gospel is just as applicable to the information age as it was to the agricultural or industrial age,” Elder Cook said. “It will be even more important in the emerging ‘Artificial Intelligence Age.’”
“My purpose today is to explore with you what this special moment requires of you,” he said.
Elder Cook emphasized one sentence for the approximately 14,000 students, faculty and staff who attended the devotional:
“My challenge for you precious students is to choose truth when deception is easy,” he said.
What the future holds
He said BYU students and all church members face a rapidly evolving era that appears to be shaped by:
- Artificial intelligence.
- Algorithms that can shape attention and belief.
- Automation of both physical and cognitive labor.
Technology has helped the church make recent, nearly exponential gains in missionary and temple work, Elder Cook said.
The blessings of a new age also come with some spiritual risks, though.
“In addition to deception, available technology can lead to using social media primarily for ‘fun and games,’” he said, “or even worse, to absorb and become addicted to evil visual content.”
The doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remained constant through each of the previous ages and will continue in the next one, he said. It will provide guidance on how to navigate an era when deception and distraction are omnipresent.
“Please do not be discouraged as we all face these unique challenges,” he said. “You will be blessed.”
What to do
Elder Cook said that how BYU students and others respond is crucial both personally and societally.
He shared three characteristics church members should develop to help themselves, the church and the world.
“The future of the church and our very civilization depends on members and individuals who have deep faith, moral courage and the ability to navigate an increasingly complex world,” he said.
“Let me emphasize again that in the AI age, you need to choose truth when deception is easy.”
Elder Cook noted the guidance President Dallin H. Oaks gave students at a Feb. 10 BYU devotional. He told them to:
- Strengthen their faith.
- Increase their humility.
- Seek help from others.
- Be patient.
Elder Cook added additional guidance about whom to follow, how to be directed, what kind of character to develop and where to find absolute truth.
Elder Cook’s statements of guidance for the AI age
The apostle said that with so much information available, it is increasingly important for people to be certain that “what we accept as truth is grounded in eternal principles.”
Here is the guidance he gave about how to do that:
- “The Lord’s scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, will be even more important in our day than they were for prior generations ... Immerse yourselves in the Book of Mormon so you can experience the ongoing witness of the Spirit.”
- “Slow down enough to listen to the Spirit and allow him to direct you.”
- “In addition to established doctrine and scriptural guidance, the Lord provides living prophets for specific guidance in our day.”
- “Spiritual guidance can help you overcome deception as you consume information old or new.”
- “Apostles and prophets have continuously taught that in using our moral agency, we also need to emphasize character, integrity and accountability to God which are all central to the plan of salvation.”
- “I pray that you will strive to be dedicated disciples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
To watch the devotional, visit BYUtv.org.
