Authors

John Taylor (1808–1887) served as the third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 until his death. Born in Milnthorpe, England, he immigrated to Canada in 1832 and converted to the Church in 1836. Known as the “Champion of Liberty,” he edited several Church publications and served multiple missions to England and France. Taylor was present in Carthage Jail when Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred in 1844. Shot five times, he survived and was thereafter known as a “living martyr.” He is remembered for singing “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief” at Hyrum’s request shortly before the attack. As Church President, Taylor led the Saints during intense federal persecution over plural marriage. The Edmunds Act of 1882 forced him into hiding for the last years of his life, during which he established colonies of refuge in Mexico and Canada. He died on July 25, 1887, still maintaining his convictions about religious liberty.

Jon Bialecki is a Continuing Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego, a position he has held since 2020. His research centers on the anthropology of religion, the anthropology of the subject, ontology and temporality, religious language ideology, and religious transhumanist movements. He approaches these topics with a keen interest in religious authority and its intersections with other authoritative discourses, such as science. Bialecki’s prior work includes a major field project with Southern California evangelicals, where he studied Pentecostal practices and the constitution of religious authority. This groundwork led to his current participant observation research focused on the Mormon Transhumanist Association (MTA). He holds a BA, MA, and PhD from the University of California, San Diego, as well as a JD from the University of San Diego. His work has appeared in numerous edited volumes and in academic journals such as the South Atlantic Quarterly , American Ethnologist , Anthropological Theory , and the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute . He also served as co-editor for a special issue of Anthropological Quarterly focusing on Christian language ideology.

Jon Cheney is the Founder and CEO of the General AI Proficiency Institute (GenAIPI), an organization he launched in early 2025 to protect human agency, adaptability, and ownership in the age of AI. A software executive and lifelong technologist, Jon has spent more than two decades building technology companies and leading teams through digital transformation. Through GenAIPI, he works with organizations across industries as a fractional Chief AI Officer, installing internal AI capability rather than dependence⁠—training leaders and teams to choose creation over consumption. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on AI leadership and human agency, and writes and speaks frequently on the conviction that the greatest risk of the AI era is not job loss, but the loss of what makes us human.

Jon Ogden is an author, educator, and entrepreneur focused on the intersection of faith, family, and technology. He is the co-founder of Uplift Kids, a platform providing families with a lesson library and curriculum designed to foster spiritual health and well-being within the home. Ogden is also the author of When Mormons Doubt: A Way to Strengthen Relationships and Live a Quality Life , a work that explores themes of faith, doubt, and community within a Mormon context. His exploration of religious belief as a potentially modular system, similar to an API, suggests an openness to integrating diverse philosophical and spiritual traditions—a perspective that aligns with the Mormon Transhumanist Association’s interest in exploring how technology and innovation can enhance human experience and spiritual development. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English, Literature, and a Master’s degree in Writing and Rhetoric, both from Brigham Young University. Ogden lives in Provo, Utah, with his spouse and two children and writes regularly at johnogden.com.

Jonathan lives in rural Georgia with his wife and three boys, teaching Chemistry and enjoying the good people of his community. He studied Molecular Biology at Brigham Young University, and Biophysics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Jonathan is passionate about fatherhood, teaching and learning, Mormonism, and dance (he’s much better at the first three), and dabbles in home repairs, various crafts, poetry, music, gardening, and Transhumanism. He has enjoyed many years working in Primary, with Young Adults and Ward Missions in various capacities. He currently enjoys serving in his ward and community however he is able.

Jonathan Jardine holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Brigham Young University (BYU) and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is the Chief Operating Officer of Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers. Prior to Blue Cloud, he served as CEO of Believe Dental, a San Antonio-based organization focused on expanding oral healthcare access for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jardine served as Executive Director of Product Supply at Valero Energy Corporation, and as Country Manager for Valero’s Latin America business, based in Lima, Peru, where he also served as a board member of the AirBP | PBF Aviation Joint Venture. His career spans multiple sectors, including healthcare services and finance, with previous positions at Goldman Sachs and Dodge & Cox in San Francisco. Jardine draws on principles from influential thinkers like the late Harvard professor Clay Christensen, exploring concepts of emergent and deliberate strategies. His presentation at MTAConf 2022 focused on the potential of decentralized strategies within the church, particularly in its practical application, drawing inspiration from Joseph Smith’s emphasis on individual agency and governance.

Jordan Harmon is a psychotherapist and social worker who considers himself an “accidental transhumanist.” His journey into transhumanism began after encountering the Mormon Transhumanist Association (MTA) through a podcast and subsequent interactions with members. Initially drawn by a misunderstanding—thinking it was the “Mormon Transpersonal Association” due to his interest in transpersonal psychotherapy and its implications for spiritual growth—Harmon initially approached transhumanism with some hesitation. However, after engaging with the ideas of transhumanists like Lincoln Cannon and Carl Youngblood, Harmon became increasingly interested in the movement. His work now explores the intersection of psychology and transhumanism, particularly focusing on our relationship to pain and problem-solving. He delineates two types of problem solving: the primitive, reactive response rooted in evolutionary survival, and the evolved, meaning-making response of the prefrontal cortex, which can sometimes exacerbate emotional and psychological pain. At the MTAConf 2015, Harmon discussed the “problem of problem solving,” examining how our evolved capacity for rational thought and planning can inadvertently trap us in our minds, hindering our ability to live fully. He also touched upon the internal experience, characterized by a vast array of thoughts, emotions, urges, and moral judgments, and how these elements interact to shape our perceptions and actions, highlighting persistent challenges in self-governance and interpersonal relationships.

Jordan Miller has been involved with merging AI and distributed consensus technologies for years. He built Satori , a global network of future predicting AIs.

Jordan Roberts, MD, is a physician, humanitarian, and bioethicist whose work bridges the intersections of clinical medicine, Mormon theology, and transhumanist philosophy. Born in Mesa, Arizona, to a Mormon mother and a Jewish father, Roberts grew up at a unique cultural crossroads that has informed his lifelong interest in the synthesis of diverse religious and scientific traditions. Roberts’s academic journey began at Arizona State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences. He subsequently received his medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix. Following his medical education, he completed his residency in family medicine at St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. His professional background as a clinician is deeply intertwined with his philosophical pursuits, particularly regarding the ethical implications of emerging technologies and the moral imperative of life extension and health equity. In 2017, Roberts was appointed as the Chief Humanitarian Officer of the Mormon Transhumanist Association (MTA). In this leadership role, he focused on the practical application of transhumanist ideals—specifically the use of technology to alleviate human suffering and expand the reach of compassionate care. His vision of “Humanitarian Transhumanism” emphasizes that the transition to a posthuman or exalted state must be rooted in helping the needy among us. Roberts presented a compelling lecture at the MTAConf 2017 titled “The Evolution of Zion.” In his presentation, he explored the concept of Zion not merely as a historical or geographical location, but as an evolving socio-technical state. He posits that the religious mandate to build Zion is compatible with the transhumanist goal of using advanced science to create a society characterized by the absence of poverty, disease, and inequality. By drawing on his dual heritage, he often incorporates themes from both Jewish tikkun olam (repairing the world) and the Mormon pursuit of the New Jerusalem. Roberts remains an avid student of science fiction, philosophy, and the history of medicine. He served a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil, an experience that helped shape his global perspective on public health and humanitarianism. Through his writing and speaking, Roberts continues to advocate for a future where technology and theology work in tandem to fulfill the highest aspirations of the human spirit.

Joseph Fielding Smith (1838–1918) was the 6th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving from 1901 until his death. He was the son of Hyrum Smith and nephew of Joseph Smith. Born in Far West, Missouri, Joseph F. Smith experienced the trials of early Church history firsthand. As a young child, he witnessed the aftermath of the Carthage martyrdom. At age nine, he drove an ox team across the plains to Utah with his widowed mother. At fifteen, he was called on a mission to Hawaii, where he had a transformative vision of the afterlife. He taught that Jesus’s work was not finished with his death and resurrection but continues until all who can be saved are redeemed. This expansive vision of salvation includes work for the dead and the promise that the faithful become saviors on Mount Zion alongside Christ.