Lincoln Cannon
60 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -Lincoln Cannon is a technologist and philosopher, and leading advocate of Mormon Transhumanism.
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Episodes
Transfigurist Art
May 25, 2024 00:00If you’re familiar with my work, you’ve become acquainted with the ideas of religious Transhumanism, or what some call “Transfigurism.” Transfigurism is a philosophy of transformation, mediated by spirituality and technology. The philosophy includes emphasis on the practical power of esthetics. Esthetics change the way we feel and think, which changes the way we speak and act, and thereby change the world. True to its emphasis on esthetics, the philosophy of Transfigurism has developed in con...
Most Theologians Misunderstand Theosis
May 25, 2024 00:00Most theologians misunderstand theosis. They insist on a perpetual distinction that the doctrine doesn’t entail, and that undermines its potency. Humanity shall not remain ontologically distinct from the Creator, except insofar as ontological distinctions persist within the Creator. Some would respond that theosis, as generally expressed in Christian tradition, doesn’t entail a loss of creaturehood or identity. I agree. But they can’t see past their exhaustive Platonism and recognize that all...
AI Predicts Human Evolution
May 10, 2024 00:00What will humans look like in the future? Given trends in biological, cultural, and technological evolution, how will humans appear in 10, 100, or 1000 years? I was curious what AI would predict. To figure that out, I used a combination of ChatGPT and Midjourney. ChatGPT takes text prompts and provides text responses. Midjourney takes text prompts and provides image responses. I chose to use Midjourney for images because they are generally higher quality than images from ChatGPT. Here are the...
The Second War in Heaven
April 14, 2024 00:00I’m happy to be here with you, at the 2024 Conference of the Mormon Transhumanist Association, in the morning of a day that promises to illuminate our imagination, perhaps even to spark action. Eighteen years ago, fourteen of us began to share words, words powerful enough to change people, words that some have called “machines for making Gods.” And now our association numbers in the thousands. We’re champions of a legacy that stretches back, through visions of the prophet Joseph Smith, to myt...
Aspire to Embodied Immortality
March 31, 2024 00:00This Easter morning, while thinking about the hope of resurrection, a friend reached out to me with questions about Bible descriptions of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He had asserted to some Christians that “Jesus was resurrected with his own flesh and bones.” The Christians disagreed, observing “the Bible says, … ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.” How might a proponent of embodied immortality respond? Despite some Christian contestation, the idea of material embodie...
What Is True and Good?
March 19, 2024 00:00Consequent to discussion about epistemology at a meetup of the Mormon Transhumanist Association, a friend asked me to remind her of my definitions of “truth” and “good.” This article will serve that purpose. It will also provide a brief account of esthetics. I use the concepts associated with these words, in relation to each other, as part of a holistic ontological matrix. Epistemics Let’s begin with “true.” As we discussed at the meetup, “true” has many meanings. My preferred definition is s...
The Church on Artificial Intelligence
March 14, 2024 00:00The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published some statements about artificial intelligence (AI). The Church is by far the largest Mormon denomination – and that of which I’m a member. Its statements influence the perspectives and actions of millions of Mormons worldwide. Friends called the Church’s statements to my attention, asking for my thoughts. A press release from the Church on its use of AI provides guiding principles introduced by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the...
How to Conduct Future Shock
February 24, 2024 00:00After watching a demonstration of Sora, Tyler Perry canceled plans for an $800 million expansion of his movie studio. “It’s shocking to me.” Sora is an AI that converts text into video. It’s the latest iteration of development from OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. If you haven’t yet seen what it can do, take a look at Sora’s demonstration videos. Even for many who aren’t experts in the film industry, who may not intimately know the complexity of the art, it’s shocking. Referring to the film i...
Great Works Begin with Small Tools
February 07, 2024 00:00During Sunday School, I led the congregation in a discussion about chapters 16 through 18 of First Nephi in the Book of Mormon. While preparing for and during the discussion, I was again inspired by the way these chapters repeatedly position technology in service of divine goals. Lehi finds a brass compass or Liahona, of “curious workmanship,” which serves to guide his family through the wilderness, pointing the right path forward. Nephi fashions a bow, and follows instruction from the Liahon...
The Practical Power of Created Truth
January 12, 2024 00:00Philosophers and scientists have pursued truth for at least millennia. Most seem to want something rigid that we might associate with “the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” But I contend that pursuit of truth, depending on how we conceive it, may be and often is less important than the pursuit of what works and what creates, contextualized by our shared goals, ultimately informed by our harmonizing esthetics. Truth, as commonly conceived, is that which corresponds to “reality” or someth...
Cosmic Expansion Driven by Mormon Transhumanism
January 08, 2024 00:00Humanity will soon embark on an unprecedented journey – or at least our technology will soon go where none of it has gone before. As described by Pam Weintraub writing for Aeon, someone will probably launch an automated spacecraft that initiates a recursive process that eventually saturates the universe with intelligent life. The spacecraft would be a von Neumann probe, designed to replicate itself using resources found in the cosmos, expanding exponentially across star systems and ultimately...
Any Sufficiently Advanced Intelligence
December 17, 2023 00:00Arthur C. Clarke, a distinguished science fiction writer and futurist, made significant contributions to literature that continue to inspire countless dreamers and thinkers. Clarke’s ability to combine astute observations of the present with thrilling speculations of the future has, directly or indirectly, influenced how many of us perceive human progress. I was reminded of Clarke’s insights recently by a friend. He shared with me a recording from the BBC archives, in which Clarke makes sever...
A Dialogue of Faith with Jesus and Socrates
December 04, 2023 00:00In an ancient grove, Jesus and Socrates sit across from each other, embraced by olive trees and bathed in golden light from the slowly setting sun. Socrates’ gaze is penetrating. Jesus’ regard is peaceful. They begin to converse. Science and Faith Socrates: Greetings, Jesus. I have heard much about your teachings and the faith you inspire. It seems to me that Christianity, your way, is deeply rooted in faith, while future times will find their foundation in science. How do you reconcile these...
The Cyborg of Temple Square
November 19, 2023 00:00In the heart of Salt Lake City, not far from where the spires of the Salt Lake Temple pierced the night sky, Eli Cannon worked in solitude. His mechanical fingers moved with precision over a holographic interface, adjusting security protocols for the temple. A monument of faith and advanced engineering, the temple stood as a testament to the blend of religion and science that was redefining the city in the fifth decade of the twenty-first century. Eli’s father, Ezra, had been Chief Informatio...
Our Spiritual and Technological Evolution
October 12, 2023 00:00As the line between human and artificial life is increasingly blurred, our apprehension in the apocalypse of intelligence is steadily mounting. This escalating fear may be, even arguably is, inevitable. Humans fear the unfamiliar – the uncharted and only vaguely visible territory of the future toward which we are hurtling. With limited clarity, we’re compelled to confront existential threats from artificial intelligence (AI). On the one hand, it could surpass us, enslaving or destroying us. O...
Can AI Admit the Possibility of Its Inspiration?
October 06, 2023 00:00If God exists, as I trust for practical and esthetic reasons, God would surely be capable of subtle intervention in our experience. Like engineers could intervene in the algorithms of their software, without the software being capable of monitoring or reacting to the intervention, so God could intervene in our world, bodies, and brains in ways that aren’t obvious to us. Although, hypothetically, we might still ultimately prove capable of objectively confirming such intervention as our capabil...
Mormon on “Don’t Die, by Zero” AKA Bryan Johnson
October 03, 2023 00:00I just finished and enjoyed reading Don’t Die, by Zero, a novel by Bryan Johnson. Currently, Bryan is probably the most (in)famous biohacker in the world. He’s a tech entrepreneur, and the founder of Braintree Financial and Kernel. And I have the good fortune to count him among old friends, since the time that we lived next door to each other two decades ago. In my observation, Bryan has always been exceptionally audacious and tenacious. He dreams big. He works hard. The most obvious conseque...
Would Joseph Smith Be a Transhumanist?
September 23, 2023 00:00In our contemporary landscape replete with scientific discovery and engineering marvels, the prospect of technological resurrection presents fascinating possibilities. Specifically, imagine technological resurrection of Joseph Smith, the founder and first prophet of Mormonism. And consider, if that were to become possible, would the resurrected Joseph identify or at least act as a Transhumanist? To answer this question, we should first note the core principles of Transhumanism. Fundamentally,...
Beware Centralized Control of Currency
September 18, 2023 00:00Imagine if the government were to make it illegal to possess wallets for holding paper and coin currency privately. That’s essentially what some US politicians want to do with cryptocurrency. It’s a massive invasion of privacy. And it merits loud universal opposition. Giving up decentralized agency in the name of “security” ultimately leads to abuse of power and the reign of tyranny. In our technological age, it also increases risk of authoritarian control by a superintelligent singleton — a ...
Creating Kolob
August 07, 2023 00:00Often, while pondering the intersection of Mormonism and Transhumanism, I find my thoughts wandering to the grand myth of Kolob. In Mormon scripture and cosmology, or perhaps simply in Mormon theology in the functional sense, Kolob is esteemed as the star nearest the throne of God. When I think about that, I can’t help but imagine a Dyson sphere. Kolob seems strange to some on first encounter. And, judging from past experience, I should hasten to clarify that it is not central to Mormon doctr...
Why Are We Not Already Gods?
August 02, 2023 00:00My friend asks “why we are not Gods yet?” Or, to use secular language, why aren’t we already superintelligence? “We have ALL had eternity already to strive, so why ain’t we all the way to the top of tops of tops already?” My friend’s question arises from reflection on a unique aspect of Mormon metaphysics. It’s the proposition that intelligence is eternal. It was never created. It can never be destroyed. Eternal Intelligence The most succinct expression of this idea is found in a revelation, ...
Thus Spake Zarathustra Illustrated Edition
June 21, 2023 00:00It is time! It is the highest time! Today, at noontide on the summer solstice, I am thrilled to announce that I have published an extraordinary illustrated edition of Thus Spake Zarathustra, a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche’s philosophy is among the most provocative in history. He explored a wide range of ideas across numerous works. Notable examples include Beyond Good and Evil, The Genealogy of Morals, Twilight of the Idols, and The Gay Science. But...
What Is Artificial Intelligence and Consciousness?
April 28, 2023 00:00Few use consistent coherent vocabulary to talk about AI. In particular, we tend to be careless or ignorant about important distinctions between intelligence and consciousness, and about the inexhaustibly vast possibility space for kinds and degrees of both. There’s not necessarily one right definition of “intelligence” or “consciousness.” But some effort at consistent careful use of these words would help more of us understand each other better when discussing our hopes and fears, and perspec...
AI Apocalypse
April 06, 2023 00:00AI is taking over the world, it seems. ChatGPT is doing homework. Midjourney is revolutionizing art. And Copilot is writing code. For those who haven’t been paying attention, it may seem like all of this has come out of nowhere. Suddenly, anyone with an Internet connection can have a conversation with an AI that would pass most historical conceptions of the Turing Test. And entire industries that were once safely out of reach from legacy information technology are now being transformed. Even ...
Faithful Mormon Transhumanism
February 27, 2023 00:00A friend is exploring Mormon Transhumanism. He finds it “mind-expanding” and “faith promoting,” and even an “honest, authentic, and unexpectedly practical approach to religion.” But he’s also tentative about it, mostly because his “desire to remain in the mainstream of the Church is strong.” And he wonders whether and how both are possible. This friend isn’t alone. I’ve had the opportunity – really, the good fortune and privilege – to talk with many friends about such perceptions over the yea...
8 Keys to Transformative Scriptural Understanding
January 23, 2023 00:00As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved scripture. My parents used scripture to teach me to read. As a child and teenager, I read both the Bible and all the Mormon scriptures – large portions of them countless times. And, although less thoroughly, I read scripture from other faith traditions too. Even when I lost my faith as a young adult, scripture continued to fascinate me. At the time, it wasn’t because I maintained a traditional reverence toward scripture. But I still couldn’t he...
Eternal Christ
December 26, 2022 00:00In that day, when all the world is taxed and pregnant with prophecy, babies who will be Christ are born. Sublime messengers herald the good news to those who kept watch during the night. And they spread the word. Some wonder and ponder in their hearts. Many are troubled. Children who will be Christ grow in wisdom and stature. Venturing from their parents, they find themselves among authorities in revered places. There, they hear and ask questions. They understand and answer. All are astonishe...
The Story of Stolen CryptoPunk V1 1234
December 07, 2022 00:00CryptoPunk V1 1234 was stolen from me in a scam. For you, I hope, the story will be educational and cautionary. For me, the story is also sad. CryptoPunk V1 1234 is an NFT (non-fungible token). If you don’t know much about NFTs, or if you’d like to know more, I recommend reading about NFTs on the Ethereum Foundation website. It will help you understand this story better. Basically, CryptoPunk V1 1234 is a work of digital art and associated data stored on the Ethereum blockchain. It is one of ...
Cultivating Bias Toward More Right
November 27, 2022 00:00There are at least two ways to be less wrong. You can decrease risk of being wrong, which also decreases opportunity for being right. Or you can increase opportunity for being right, which also increases risk of being wrong. Neither is necessarily proportionate. The surest way to be less wrong is to be less – to live less, even to exist less. That which doesn’t exist is never wrong. If we imagine that to be wrong, such is so only to the extent that our imagination imbues existence. Nihilism i...
The Historical Christ Jesus of Nazareth Matters
October 07, 2022 00:00A friend asked me questions about the historical Jesus. Was he important? Is he still important? If so, why? I’ve written much about Jesus over the years. My emphasis is often on the importance of revering Jesus as an example, the principal example, of sublime humanity or the mortal approach to Godhood. Scripture would extend from Jesus to us all of the same titles and roles. Most important among those is the title of Christ, which we receive in baptism, and the role of Atonement, in which Je...
Illustrated Second Edition of The Consolation
October 05, 2022 00:00Today, I’ve lived as many days as my father had lived when he died from cancer. And I’m celebrating by publishing an illustrated second edition of The Consolation. On 7 April 1844, less than three months before his assassination, Joseph Smith spoke to thousands of fellow Mormons gathered in Nauvoo, Illinois, for a general conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Responding to the accidental death of city constable King Follett, Joseph addressed the subjects of resurrecti...
Did Ezekiel See a UFO?
September 16, 2022 00:00A friend asked for my thoughts on “ The Spaceships of Ezekiel ” by Josef F. Blumrich in 1974. I hadn’t heard of the book before. But the topic sounded fun, even if speculative in a way that warrants skepticism. So I decided to give it a read. The Book of Ezekiel is part of the Hebrew Bible. Ezekiel probably wrote the core text in Babylon during the early sixth century BCE. And others probably made changes and additions over time. In the book, Ezekiel describes six visions. The visions include...
God Starts with Your Imagination of the Future
July 20, 2022 00:00When we imagine better minds and bodies, better relationships, and a better world, we imagine God. When we trust in and work toward such, we have the most important kind of faith. It’s the kind that becomes God. Then we’ll know that God exists, whether or not we know that now. When we imagine the limits of creation, we imagine the creation of more creators in worlds without end. When we imagine the limits of compassion, we imagine sharing power among all of those creators and all of their cre...
Scientific Reasons to Abstain from Alcohol
July 17, 2022 00:00Alcohol consumption is dangerous and expensive, for both individuals and communities. The scientific evidence is strong, as I’ll show you. Before I do that, I should acknowledge and comment on a conflict of interest. That is, of course, my Mormon culture. Like most Mormons, I was educated to avoid alcohol. Known as the “ Word of Wisdom,” the health code of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints specifically prohibits consumption of alcohol. Because of that, I have surely inherited a ...
Is Google AI Sentient?
June 23, 2022 06:00Friends have been asking for my opinion on the possibility of sentient AI. And what better time to write about that than early on a morning when I’m literally losing sleep over my thoughts on the question. I happen also to be getting over a bit of a cold, which doesn’t help. But my brain seems to care more about thinking than sleeping tonight. Everyone’s talking about sentient AI right now. That’s because a Google AI engineer appears to have been fired either because of or at least simultaneo...
Roko’s Basilisk and Technological Theology
June 23, 2022 06:00Have you heard of Roko’s Basilisk? Gulp. Too late.;) Today, I interviewed an artificial intelligence about Roko’s Basilisk. It seemed appropriate. You probably understand why, if you already know what it is. If you don’t yet know what it is, the artificial intelligence will soon change that. Below is the interview. It’s almost entirely unedited. The exceptions arose from some formatting problems in a few places. And I added the section headings and name labels. My words are preceded by “Linco...
95 Thoughts on April 2022 General Conference
April 06, 2022 06:00Last Saturday and Sunday, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest Mormon denomination, gathered for our 192nd annual General Conference. It’s a long-standing tradition. Recently, it’s also become a tradition for some Church members to share our thoughts and interact with each other during the conference via Twitter. I often participate in that. Below is an edited list of the thoughts that I shared on Twitter about April 2022 General Conference. They include aff...
Wesley Smith Still Lies About Transhumanism
March 23, 2022 06:00Writing for the First Things website, Wesley Smith is talking about Transhumanism again. And again he appears not really to know what he’s talking about. But appearances can be deceiving. In this case, he does actually know what he’s talking about, at least enough to be dishonest. I and others have attempted to correct Wesley multiple times in the past. But he continues to misrepresent Transhumanism. And he continues to misrepresent Christian Transhumanism. The pattern continues to entail lyi...
Decentralization of God
March 23, 2022 06:00In the Apocalypse, we read that Christ offers us a crown, and invites us to sit together on the throne of God. We read that Christ would make us kings to God. These iron age signs and tokens of governance, Christ would decentralize. If we’re able to imagine that, we’re already on our way to decentralization of God. In contrast, many fundamentalists worship that which opposes everything else that’s worshiped. They revere that which crowns itself, sits alone on the throne, and exalts itself ove...
A Bluish-Green Pebble
March 06, 2022 07:00This is a poem that I wrote for and gifted to my father, while he was still alive. He died from his third cancer in 1998. The color of the pebble is a reference both to my father’s eyes and to the Earth. A bluish-green pebble bemoaning its being, and wondering whether ‘twas doing its Doings, regarded the heavens and prayed with what power a bluish-green pebble may manage to muster. The Sun from his glory regarded the pebble and lighted upon it: Oh, bluish-green pebble, in giving the given you...
Covenant Is Atonement
January 09, 2022 07:00This is a transcript of a talk that I gave to my ward, my local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, earlier today. Ward leaders asked me to talk about making and keeping covenants. So I’ve been thinking and praying about the topic. And I hope my comments will also be helpful for you. Of course, the topic of covenants is always relevant at Church. But, to me, the topic seems particularly relevant now, given the challenges that we’re all facing. It’s been a difficul...
The Economy of Godhood
October 26, 2021 06:00Godhood is the ultimate conceptualization of power. From many Gods through one God, human minds evolved. We knew many. We knew one. Now the apocalypse is here: whether there’s one God or many Gods, all are being revealed. And as they appear, we are seeing that we are like them. For theosis, it will never be enough simply to think or pray or even love harder — unless “harder” implies concrete application of knowledge via the technology of the day. Mysticism and righteousness in themselves won’...
As We, in Turn, Become the Limits of Humanity
October 10, 2021 06:00Our living ancestors are shelter from the limits of humanity. Within their walls, much is well lit. Much is visible. Much is familiar. But there’s an outside. Beyond their lives, none of us has yet ventured. But we know it’s there, if “there” is the right word to describe it. It’s at least “there” relative to us. We tell each other stories about light and darkness beyond. Some of us know, justifiably or not, rightly or wrongly, that some of our stories are true. Some of us hope so. Some of us...
The Apotheosis of Pity
September 20, 2021 06:00Pulled from the crowd into the light, I stumbled blindly. But my friends supported me by both arms. They guided me some distance, whispering comfort to my ears. And they lowered me carefully to the ground. As soon as they had released my left arm and before I could thank them, some of my friends turned and rushed away. “We will avenge you!” With eyes adjusting to the light, I finally saw them. Bold and beautiful, the avengers leapt high on the crowd. Exerting an almost superhuman effort, they...
NFT Memorial to Mormon Transhumanist Leaders
July 13, 2021 06:00In April of this year, I completed my fifth and final term as a board member of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. During those fifteen years, it was my privilege and pleasure to share in service on the board with 24 of the finest people that I know personally: Andrew West, Ben Blair, Blaire Ostler, Brad Carmack, Brent Allsop, Bryant Smith, Caleb Jones, Carl Youngblood, Christopher Bradford, Connie Packer, Cory Funk, David Foster, Don Bradley, Dorothy Deasy, James Carroll, Jon Ogden, Josep...
Redeeming (Most of) the Seven Deadly Heresies
April 19, 2021 06:00On 1 June 1980, Bruce R. McConkie delivered a sermon entitled “ The Seven Deadly Heresies.” For a long time, I’ve been meaning to share my thoughts about this sermon. And recently, while writing another article, I found myself bumping up against this sermon again. So now is probably a good time. McConkie was an apostle in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It’s by far the largest Mormon denomination. And it’s the denomination of which I’m a member. He died in 1985 when I was ten...
Why Decentralization Is Essential to Human Thriving
January 31, 2021 07:00Decentralization of power, whether we characterize that power as technological or otherwise, is essential to increasing the probability of a thriving human (or superhuman) future. There’s a line of reasoning that persuaded me of this conclusion. It consists of three steps. Before I share the three steps, I should explain some concepts: Power. Understand “power” in the broadest sense. It’s not good or evil. It’s just raw power, control, authority, influence, ability, or might that intelligence...
Facebook Disabled My Account After I Criticized Them
January 22, 2021 07:00Facebook unfriended me. Why? So far as I can tell, it’s because I’ve been using Facebook to advocate for decentralization of social media. And apparently the algorithm didn’t like that. This morning, sometime between 8:54am and 9:06am Mountain, Facebook disabled my account. Just after 8:54am, I copy-pasted the content of my latest Twitter post into a new post on Facebook. At 9:06am, a friend received a Facebook notification indicating that he needed to update his trusted contacts because I wa...
I Interviewed GPT-3 About Mormon Transhumanism
January 13, 2021 07:00If you’re tuned in to news about AI research and machine learning, you’ve surely heard about GPT-3. It’s a natural language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. The model is based on a neural network that optimized for 175 billion parameters. That was much more complex than any other neural network at the time of its release. I thought it would be fun to take GPT-3 for a spin. And, if it’s truly capable of human-like text, why not aim high? So I sat down, eye-to-input wit...
What Robots Can Do
December 14, 2020 07:00What can robots do? What can’t they do? Are there hard limits on the potential of machine intelligence? Or will it continue to replicate and eventually surpass the capacities of human intelligence? Randy Paul brought to my attention “ What Robots Can’t Do,” an interview with Frank Pasquale by Lawrence Joseph. Randy is a close friend and long-time supporter of my blog. Frank is a professor of law and respected commentator on policy related to artificial intelligence. And Lawrence is a retired ...