The Wise Use of Technology
"Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer [...]. To be 'encircled about eternally in the arms of his love' will be a real and not a virtual experience."
As a millennial, I have lived from the early days of home computers, through the arrival of the internet, through the transition to smart phones/ homes/ cars/ appliances/ etc., and on to the emergence of AI and even bigger technologies.
Our lives are being integrated into a digital system that we have partially chosen through consumer choices and which has partly been thrust upon us by businesses and entities pushing for innovation. Technology is growing at a faster and faster pace.
I have recently felt to stop and consider what the rightful place of technology is in my life. And in doing so, my mind keeps coming back to two landmark talks from one of our modern-day apostles, Elder David A Bednar:
Things As They Really Are (2009) & Things As They Really Are 2.0 (2024)
Why does this topic matter to followers of Jesus Christ? Because anything that becomes deeply integrated into our lives makes demands on our time, energy, and choices—all of which matter in God’s eternal plan.
These talks, given 15 years apart, provide prophetic insight and loving direction on how we can make righteous use of technology. I invite you to read (or watch) these talks with me and see what guiding principles we can discover about the use, hazards, and blessings of technology in our lives.
For those unfamiliar with Christianity or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you may wish to start with my three introductory posts: Who is Jesus Christ? What is the Purpose of Life? and What is the Need for a Church? These will provide the basic foundation of our beliefs.
Don’t Be Afraid of Emerging Technologies
Before re-reading these talks this week, I began noticing how much technology affects not just my day-to-day choices but the state of my physical and mental health.
Among the things I noticed were these:
I have my phone in my hand or near me almost all the time.
I am often looking at my devices instead of interacting with the people around me.
I have brain fog after using electronic devices all day.
Digital distractions (like games, notifications, social media, articles, videos, etc.) often take priority in my limited time.
I sometimes use technology as a way to regulate my mood, procrastinate unwanted tasks, and avoid inconveniences.
At times, I turn on a device intending to do one thing and get sucked into doing something else entirely.
I have more difficulty concentrating after using digital devices for hours at a time.
The distractions of technology and media can make it more difficult to hear the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost.
Many of these observations worry me. As someone who enjoys making good use of time and energy, it bothers me that I waste much of it doing things that matter less.
Along with these observations, the integration of AI into my phone, internet browser, social media, and other spaces also worries me.
A few weeks ago, I decided to turn off as many AI features as I could, unhappy that these leaning machines were studying everything I did online, curating my access to information, and threatening my sense of freedom and autonomy.
I watch helplessly sometimes as others play around with AI—chatting, fishing for information, and instantly generating artwork and writing. As a writer and artist, I know that whatever I put online is going into this “machine” to be used at the whim of whoever pushes a button.
But re-reading these talks reminded me that, despite my fears, AI does have good uses. In his wisdom, Elder Bednar reminded us of the following:
“My intent is not to suggest that artificial intelligence is inherently bad; it is not. Nor am I saying we should not use the many capabilities of AI in appropriate ways to learn, to communicate, to lift and brighten lives, and to build and strengthen the Church; of course we should. We should not be afraid of or attempt to hide from AI. But the righteous possibilities of this amazing technological tool can be realized only if we are aware of and guard against its perils.”
I had to laugh at myself, because I have been attempting to “hide from AI.” Or at least severely limit its influence.
But, on the other hand, I do use AI features to automatically translate Japanese in live videos. It's a useful tool that helps me tune my ear to better pick out the words I already know but can’t catch in the pace of normal speech. AI also helps translate calligraphic kanji that are difficult for me to read at my stage of learning.
Then there’s the “Get Involved” app, which relies on AI to pick out names in digitized historical documents. I can then index the highlighted names into a database, which helps people who are searching for family or historical records to locate them more easily. And AI tools can be useful in visually restoring old or damaged photographs, too.
These are just some examples of good uses of AI technology.
Like any tool, AI is useful in proportion to how well the user has mastery of it. That’s the key—knowing how it works and being the master of it (and not the slave of it).
Elder Bednar touches on some important principles that can guide our use of technology. Let’s take a look at some of them.
We Are Agents to Act, Not Objects to Be Acted Upon
This is a principle that I have heard repeated by Elder Bednar more than once. It hearkens back to a scripture in the Book of Mormon. The prophet Lehi, in his final address to his family, explained key elements of God’s plan of salvation, including the important principle of moral agency.
Elder Bednar explains agency this way:
The term moral agency is instructive. Synonyms for the word moral can include “good,” “honest,” “virtuous,” and “honorable.” Synonyms for the word agency can include “action,” “activity,” and “work.” Hence, moral agency can be understood as the ability and privilege to choose and to act for ourselves in ways that are good, honest, virtuous, and honorable.
Agency is vital to God’s plan for our happiness and progress. If we do not make conscious choices for ourselves we do not learn and grow.
Instead, of being an agent we become an object for external forces to act upon. We are the pencil rather than the artist, the piano rather than the pianist. We are passive and submissive while others work their will upon us through technology.
God’s creations include both “things to act and things to be acted upon.” And, importantly, moral agency is the divinely designed “power of independent action” that empowers us as God’s children to become agents to act and not simply objects to be acted upon. […]
The adversary’s selfish scheme was to strip away from the sons and daughters of God the gift to become “agents unto themselves” who could act in righteousness. His intent was that all of Heavenly Father’s children become objects that could only be acted upon.
How can we prevent technology from shaping us into “objects to be acted upon”? How do we claim the divine gift of acting in righteousness for the benefit of ourselves and all mankind?
Three thoughts come to mind:
Set boundaries
Invite the Holy Ghost
Be mindful and intentional
Setting boundaries can look like setting timers or wellness reminders to control how much we use technology or certain apps. It can look like scheduling our free time so we can properly prioritize work and rest. It can also look like establishing home rules, etiquette, or tech-free zones. This article, Taking Charge of Technology: A Guide for Parents and Primary Children, has some great tips for families.
Invite the Holy Ghost to guide your use of technology by praying for wisdom. We should “let God prevail” in our use of time and technology. As we prioritize sacred habits like scripture study, prayer, and time in holy places we will learn to recognize the Spirit’s voice. Even in times when we are immersed in technology we will be able to hear and heed his warnings.
Be mindful and intentional with your time on technology. When you use your device with a purpose you are less likely to misuse it. Prioritize “best” uses of technology (such as work, communication, and service) over uses that are merely “good” (such as wholesome recreation & entertainment). Avoid harmful uses of technology altogether.
Elder Bednar offers the following cautions when it comes to AI and agency:
Because AI is cloaked in the credibility and promises of scientific progress, we might naively be seduced into surrendering our precious moral agency to a technology that can only think telestial. By so doing, we may gradually be transformed from agents who can act into objects that are only acted upon.
We are accountable to think and learn for ourselves and not to let AI do all the thinking and studying for us.
Truth is knowledge of things as they really are. Artificial intelligence cannot simulate, imitate, or replace the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives. No matter how sophisticated and elegant AI technology ultimately may become, it simply can never bear witness of the Father and the Son, reveal the truth of all things, or sanctify those who have repented and been baptized.
AI does not have a conscience. It has no actual power to know truth, remind us of truth, or have any purifying effect on our souls. Only the Holy Ghost, invited through our obedience to covenants and commandments, can do that.
Like carbon monoxide [some] virtual relationships may become the “invisible killer” of real relationships. Counterfeit emotional intimacy may displace real-life emotional intimacy—the very thing which binds two people together. […]
Always remember that an AI companion is only a mathematical algorithm. It does not like you. It does not care about you. It does not really know if you exist or not. To repeat, it is a set of computer equations that will treat you as an object to be acted upon, if you let it. Please, do not let this technology entice you to become an object.
AI and other simulations can entice us to become objects as we surrender our will to commit to real work—of building real relationships and accomplishing real good—and instead we passively receive simulated affection, live in a simulated paradise, and receive simulated rewards for solving simulated problems.
We become a product of technology if we allow it to master us.
Do Not Allow Technology to Minimize the Importance of Your Physical Body
One of two important reasons why Heavenly Father sent us to this earth is to be tested to see if we would use our moral agency for good. The other is to receive a physical body. The combination of spirit and body is necessary in order to become like God and Jesus Christ.
Our physical bodies make possible a breadth, a depth, and an intensity of experience that simply could not be obtained in our premortal estate. President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has taught, “Our spirit and our body are combined in such a way that our body becomes an instrument of our mind and the foundation of our character.” Thus, our relationships with other people, our capacity to recognize and act in accordance with truth, and our ability to obey the principles and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ are amplified through our physical bodies. In the classroom of mortality, we experience tenderness, love, kindness, happiness, sorrow, disappointment, pain, and even the challenges of physical limitations in ways that prepare us for eternity. Simply stated, there are lessons we must learn and experiences we must have, as the scriptures describe, “according to the flesh.”
Recognizing the necessity of having real experiences in a physical body, we should be aware of the potential that technology can create a barrier between our minds and our bodies.
For example:
Giving a higher priority to online or virtual relationships instead of real, tangible relationships with our family, spouse, friends, and neighbors.
Becoming so absorbed in gaming or virtual entertainment that we forget to eat, drink, exercise, sleep, or otherwise care for our bodies.
Trading our real identity (of which our body is a part) for a virtual identity, avatar, or persona.
Doing things in a virtual world that we would never do in real life, especially morally questionable things.
Objectifying the body as merely tantalizing parts or images on a screen.
Please listen to this warning from Elder Bednar:
I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies, and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.
If the adversary cannot entice us to misuse our physical bodies, then one of his most potent tactics is to beguile you and me as embodied spirits to disconnect gradually and physically from things as they really are. In essence, he encourages us to think and act as if we were in our premortal, unembodied state. And, if we let him, he can cunningly employ some aspects of modern technology to accomplish his purposes. Please be careful of becoming so immersed and engrossed in pixels, texting, earbuds, twittering, online social networking, and potentially addictive uses of media and the Internet that you fail to recognize the importance of your physical body and miss the richness of person-to-person communication. Beware of digital displays and data in many forms of computer-mediated interaction that can displace the full range of physical capacity and experience.
What begins as a habit that helps us relax or unwind can become a dependency or addiction that disconnects us from our bodies.
This is something I have personally struggled with before. There are times when it feels necessary to disconnect from pain, depression, or anxiety, and the most effective and convenient thing is a digital distraction.
I recently decided to take drastic action against this trap. In March of this year I took two weeks off from technology as an exercise of willpower and to refresh my life. I spent those two weeks reading the Book of Mormon in its entirety, rather than spending evenings reading articles, watching videos, or playing games. I wrote about my experience here.
It was such a powerful two weeks that I decided to make it a weekly habit to “fast” from technology. Wednesdays have become my tech-free days, aside from work and essential communication. Unfortunately, lately I’ve been slipping and ending my fast early so I can have an hour or so in the evening to catch up on notifications.
As I have prioritized spending time away from technology, I have found a greater ability to deal with pain, depression, and anxiety in healthier ways. I involve God more in my healing process and I am developing a greater trust in him. And most especially, I recognize more and more the need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life.
Technology is no substitute for the power of the Son of God. He provides real and lasting relief, strength, and healing. He can help us become masters of both body and spirit—to become agents to act rather than objects to be acted upon.
Two Questions to Guide Our Use of Technology
Finally, Elder Bednar offers two questions by which to direct our use of technology.
1. Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life?
2. Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?
Rather than spelling out every good or bad use of technology, this wise apostle of the Lord is teaching us correct principles and asking us to govern ourselves.
In doing so, it would be also wise of us to counsel with God.
For example, if I found that my use of technology on the Sabbath Day was obstructing my ability to worship God, I should consider what would be some righteous uses of technology (or consider not using technology) on the Sabbath. I could then take this recommendation to God in prayer and ask him to confirm my choice.
As another example, if I found that overuse of technology zapped my energy so I had no motivation for social interaction, taking care of my body, or other necessary activities, I might consider deleting an app or two. Or rearranging my schedule to prioritize the things that matter most. Then, I could take my decision to God and ask for help.
I have already made a decision for myself that will I do another two-week technology fast. This means you won't hear from me again until next month. However, even as I have been writing this article I know it's something I need to do for my health. I want to make this type of fast a semi-annual habit. I haven’t decided yet whether to read Jesus the Christ or The Miracle of Forgiveness this time. I will definitely be reading daily from The Book of Mormon—just not the whole thing this time.
Remembering that the purpose of this earth life is to be tried and tested, it becomes important for us to consciously exercise moral agency. We are not here to be merely entertained, kept busy, or to take mental vacations between obligations. We are here to make choices that matter, to overcome obstacles rather than avoid them, and to learn and grow. The more we engage righteously in our own living reality, the more confidence we will have when we meet the Savior someday.
I testify that God lives and is our Heavenly Father. He is the author of the plan of salvation. Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer, whose body was bruised, broken, and torn for us as He offered the atoning sacrifice. He is resurrected, He lives, and He stands at the head of His Church in these latter days. To be “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” will be a real and not a virtual experience.
I add my witness to Elder Bednar’s, even as I strive to better follow his counsel. Jesus Christ lives. He is meant to be part of our living reality. And we are meant to be his hands to bless the lives of those around us through our actions. May we do so, is my prayer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
This is blog is not an official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn the Church’s official doctrine and teachings please visit: comeuntochrist.org.