Steven Christiansen appointed Global Vice President & COO
Carl Youngblood co-founded the MTA in 2006 and has served as its President and CEO since 2021. He is engaged with the Association’s efforts to explore the intersection of Mormon theology and transhumanist philosophy. Among the many initiatives that Carl has been involved with, he has designed and built the Association's current website, which unifies all prior content in a single location using inspiring visuals and animations. ¶ Youngblood’s professional career spans more than two decades of full-stack software development at the intersection of Silicon Slopes and Silicon Valley. He was an early employee at Omniture (acquired by Adobe), a founding engineering leader at Divvy (a Utah-based unicorn startup), co-founder of Blockscale LLC (a blockchain services firm eventually contracted into Coinbase), and Senior Solutions Architect for Amazon Managed Blockchain at AWS. His technical fluency ranges from scalable web architecture to blockchain infrastructure—the kind of deep engineering experience that grounds his theological speculation in working knowledge of the systems he writes about. ¶ Under his leadership, the Association has developed its mission of promoting abundant human flourishing through the compassionate use of science and technology, fostering dialogue across secular and religious audiences and arguing that each has something essential to learn from the other. His writing, collected on his blog From the Depths, spans over a decade of conference presentations and theological essays: meditations on participatory resurrection, the alignment of artificial intelligence read through the Grand Council narrative, intelligence as eternal and multifaceted, and religion as social technology. He writes, as a colleague has observed, with warmth and accessibility on questions of momentous practical consequence—how to navigate faith crisis without losing faith’s power, how to think about resurrection as something we actively participate in rather than passively receive. ¶ Youngblood’s distinctive contribution to transhumanism is the integration of serious technical expertise with serious theological reflection. He embodies the Mormon transhumanist conviction that scientific and spiritual development are not parallel tracks but a single path—that the learning required to build better systems is continuous with the exaltation Mormon theology envisions, and that human ingenuity, rightly oriented, is itself a divine imperative.
Steven Christiansen recently accepted an appointment as Vice President and COO
Dear Members of the Mormon Transhumanist Association:
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Steven Christiansen as Global Vice President and COO of the Mormon Transhumanist Association.
Steve currently serves as Chapter President of the Provo, Utah Chapter, where he has been indefatigable in elevating our local meetups through exceptional guest speakers and significantly increased attendance and engagement. He will continue serving as Provo Chapter President in a pro tempore capacity until new leadership is called.
We also wish to express our sincere gratitude to Matt Gardner, our outgoing Global Vice President, for his dedicated service and meaningful contributions during his term. Matt will continue to serve as a counselor to the global presidency and Board of Directors, and we are grateful for his ongoing commitment to the Association.
We invite all members to extend a warm welcome to Steve in his new role and offer your support as he begins this service.
Below are statements from our incoming and outgoing Vice Presidents:
Statement from Steven Christiansen – Global Vice President & COO
I am honored and humbled to accept this appointment as Global Vice President of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. The work of this organization—exploring the profound connections between faith, reason, and our technological future—has been a source of deep meaning and inspiration in my life. From my first introduction, their message resonated with a part of me that long lay dormant and restless. Their core beliefs are rooted in a call to action, a call to hope.
I want to express my gratitude to Matt Gardner for his exemplary service as Vice President. His contributions have strengthened our community, and I’m grateful he will continue lending his wisdom as a counselor to the presidency and Board.
In my time leading the Provo Chapter, I’ve witnessed firsthand the hunger that exists for thoughtful engagement with the questions we grapple with as an Association. I’ve seen how bringing together remarkable speakers and curious minds can spark conversations that genuinely change how people see themselves and their place in the unfolding story of creation.
I look forward to bringing that same energy to my work at the global level—supporting our chapters, amplifying the voices of our members, and helping the Association fulfill its mission of radical flourishing. I’m eager to serve alongside President Youngblood and the rest of our leadership team, and I invite your ideas, your feedback, and your collaboration as we move forward together.
Sincerely,
Steven Christiansen Global
Vice President & COO
Statement from Matt Gardner – Outgoing Global Vice President
Dear fellow members,
It has been a privilege to serve as Global Vice President of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. The MTA has been a rare and meaningful space where I have been able to thoughtfully test and refine my Latter-day Saint beliefs as they reach toward new horizons—especially where the gospel of Jesus Christ intersects with artificial intelligence and emerging biological technologies. This community’s commitment to rigorous inquiry, authentic faith, and moral responsibility continues to inspire me.
I am delighted to pass this responsibility to Steven Christiansen. Steve’s remarkable work with the Provo Chapter—cultivating substantive conversations and building genuine community—demonstrates exactly the kind of leadership our Association needs at the global level. His energy and dedication will serve us well.
While I step back from the Vice Presidency, my commitment to the MTA remains firm. I look forward to continuing my service as a counselor to the presidency and Board of Directors, supporting our mission in whatever ways prove most useful.
Thank you for the trust you have placed in me, and please join me in supporting Steve as he takes on this important role.
Warmly,
Matt Gardner
Thank you all for your continued engagement in the work and mission of the Association.
With gratitude,
Carl Youngblood
President & CEO
Mormon Transhumanist Association