IMAGE: PHOTO OF CARL YOUNGBLOOD

The Mormon Matters podcast recently featured Carl Youngblood, vice president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association, as well as association member Jordan Harmon. With host Dan Wotherspoon and Derrick Clements, they discussed the positive spiritual effects of disenchantment and demythologizing.

Here is the description of the podcast episode from Mormon Matters:

IMAGE: PHOTO OF PERSON STANDING BEFORE SUNSET SKY

In a faith which claims God is the creator or architect of the universe, one grand idea to lose yourself in is to reconcile that faith with the amazing truths mankind has discovered about those creations. This exercise was eloquently described by Blaise Pascal in the 17th century and resonates even more powerfully today:

IMAGE: PHOTO OF MTA LOGO

Dear members of the Mormon Transhumanist Association,

The association's annual member survey for 2015 is now available. All members of the association are invited to participate, and hopefully everyone will. That includes you! Here's the link to the survey:

IMAGE: PHOTO OF FALL LEAVES AND LAKE

This post is part of a series of personal narratives written by members of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. Each tells their story of how they became a Transhumanist. Guest: Joni Newman.

IMAGE: PHOTO OF C3P0

Are artificial intelligences subjects of redemption in God's plan?

IMAGE: PHOTO OF BALCK

source

Much has been said about recent LDS policy changes with regards to the parents and children in same-sex families. While I won't profess to have final answers (that's not what I'm offering here), I feel there's a need for more charitable dialogue and Christ-like discipleship to find ways forward. And I hope this can be a tool others can use to better understand each other.

IMAGE: PHOTO OF HANDS WITH SCRIPT

Shefa Tal: Raising of the Hands during the Priestly Blessing of Judaism. #LLAP

Like many of the readers here, I was raised Mormon. That means I come from pioneer stock, and among my ancestors were personal friends of the seer Joseph Smith, colonizers, polygamists, members of the Mormon Battalion and the murderous Mountain Meadows militia. I advanced through the orders of the male-only Mormon priesthood, met my high school sweetheart in seminary, wrote to her every week during my two year mission, married and was sealed to her in the temple six months after my return and witnessed the birth of our first child two months after our first anniversary. But part of me doesn’t fit the Mo-mold and never did: my father is a Jew, and my parents were never married.

IMAGE: PHOTO OF CLASSICAL PAINTING WITH TWO WOMEN

In response to recent LDS Church policy changes related to children of LGBT parents, a kind and well-meaning friend commented on the outpouring of reactions.

IMAGE: PHOTO OF ZOLTAN ISTVAN

All publicity is good publicity.

That maxim couldn’t be truer when it comes to transhumanism’s crossover with the presidential campaign cycle.

So thank you, Zoltan Istvan, wrong as you are.

IMAGE: PHOTO OF MTA LOGO

The Mormon Transhumanist Association is pleased to announce that next year's annual conference will take place on Saturday, 9 April 2016, at the Provo City Library.

Our transhumanist keynote speaker will be Eric Steinhart, author of Your Digital Afterlives: Computational Theories of Life after Death and professor in the Department of Philosophy at William Paterson University. Eric holds degrees in computer science and philosophy and has previously worked as a software engineer. He has written extensively on Nietzsche, metaphor, computing, technology, and religion. Our Mormon keynote speaker will be announced later.