New listeners, this episode replays some of the discussions that get brought up later on. Also, NBA YoungBoy was arrested in Cache Valley Utah recently and is back in jail. Shawn doesn't like to talk about it, listen to this episode to find out why.

The Thought Provoker:Shawn is up first this week. Eight regional daily newspapers sued OpenAI and Microsoft for copyright infringement yesterday, the latest in an industrywide reckoning with the rise of content-dependent artificial intelligence. News publishers like The New York Times have sued OpenAI for using their journalism to train its models, arguing repackaging original journalism is not a fair use. Other media companies are opting to sign deals with AI companies to pay to license their content, including The Associated Press and Reuters. Reports indicate OpenAI is paying individual publishers $1M to $5M annually for such access. Is this not a demonstration of how free market solutions combined with a fair justice system produce productive and profitable outcomes much more efficiently than government regulations can? Next up, Sam.  LDS culture intruding on church doctrine.Finally, Matt.  Gallup recently released a survey that shows that only 30% of Americans are engaged at work. This is an 11 year low of employee engagement in the United States. From 2012 until 2020, employee engagement was on a steady increase. At the same time, employee engagement in the year 2000 was only 26%. So my question is, should we be concerned about the decline in employee engagement at work, or should employers get used to the idea that only about ¼  to 1/3 of their employees are actually going to be engaged while they're at work?The Big Question: Each year, Gallup releases the Rating World Leaders report, which details the rise — or fall — in leading world powers' job approval ratings across the globe. Last month, for fun, I did a little survey of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in which I asked them to rank prophets from best to worst. I haven't analyzed the results yet, and I don't think that I will share the results, but my question is… Is it appropriate to rank prophets in the same way that we rank world leaders?

Apologies to Shawn's fans. He had technical issues that caused him to drop from the podcast. Sorry you all missed his great comments on the big question.The Thought Provoker:Sam is up first this week. Why don't people recognize the booming economy right now? Next up, Matt.  Two exciting trials are going on right now. One trial features Chad Daybell trying to avoid the death penalty for things he and Lori Vallow are alleged to have done. In the other, The first criminal prosecution of a former US president. Which of the two is more important? Should we pay attention to either of these?Finally, Shawn. Libertarians and laws: Malum in se is a Latin phrase  (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Latin_phrases) meaning 'wrong' or 'evil in itself'. The phrase is used to refer to conduct assessed as sinful or inherently wrong by nature, independent of regulations governing the conduct. It is distinguished from malum prohibitum (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malum_prohibitum), which refers to acts that are wrong only because they are prohibited by law. An example of malum in se would be murder, rape, or theft. Tax law or Driving without a seatbelt would be Malum prohibitum.   We have lots of scriptures informing us on this topic. How about the "Malum in se" standard for deciding laws and how harsh their punishments should be? Good idea? Bad idea? The Big Question: As I've been reading the Book of Mormon recently, I have been reading. I have been looking hard for any mention of abortion, gender dysphoria, or homosexuality. I cannot find anything in the scriptures that suggests that an individual who undergoes a transgender operation is going to be kept out of the Celestial Kingdom. I don't see any evidence that a person who is gay can't go to the Celestial Kingdom. I see a lot of evidence that people who cheat, lie, steal, or who do not use their wealth to take care of the poor will go to hell. Rather than worrying about the social issues the parties use to divide us, can’t we all unite behind stronger punishment of lying, cheating, and stealing (Alma 1:17-18)? Shouldn’t we worry more about promoting peace and helping the poor than we do about these other social issues?

The Thought Provoker:Matt is up first this week. Two big stories this week related to free speech. In the first, the University of Southern California canceled a graduation speech by a valedictorian who is Muslim and has social media posts that support Palestinians. They say that it is a question of safety. In the second, Google has terminated 28 employees after a series of protests against labor conditions and the company’s contract to provide the Israeli government and military with cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. Both of these are private organizations, so there is not technically a violation of the First Amendment. Are either of these organizations wrong to punish free speech in this manner? Next up, Sam.  Michael Jordan wins at NASCARFinally, Shawn. In recent episodes we engaged in topics that lead us to seek for answers from our church’s website: churchofjesuschrist.org. We were able to find answers that supported both sides of a few discussions and on the surface seemed to contradict each other. One example was the proper use of the word “Mormonism” and another was whether or not the family proclamation is doctrine. I believe I know the answer to why these contradictions occur on the website and am 100% ok with them but my question to you both is…why do you think these contradictions occur on the website and is it a problem?The Big Question: New research by Gallup shows that 67% of people who are employer-owners (an employee who owns shares in their company or the right to the value of shares in their company) are thriving in well-being. Only 51% of employees are thriving, and only 48% of self-employed workers are thriving. This is interesting because each of us fits into one of those categories. Is one form of employment better than the others? Why are so many employer-owners thriving?For this research, Gallup measured subjective wellbeing along five dimensions:1 Engagement at work2 Evaluation of employment situation3 General life evaluation4 Financial wellbeing5 Whether basic needs are being metCory writes, “Your discussion from last week about the Family Proclamation was very interesting and shows that it can be used as both a spiritual and political document. I often hear church members say that the proclamation came out of nowhere seemed very uncontroversial at the time. However, the church leaders knew what they were doing and were very much concerned at the time it was released. I would like to provide some information about how the Family Proclamation has been used as a political document from the beginning. There is ample evidence that the 1995 Family Proclamation was in response to the emerging legal environment when the 1993 Hawaii supreme court ruled that prohibiting same-sex marriages was discrimination. The Hawaii constitution contained ambiguous language about the gender of people soliciting marriage, and a case in 1993 brought this issue into national attention.  Shortly after being called as an apostle in 1984, Dallin H. Oaks circulated memo with the senior church leaders that discussed what the church should do in response to anti-sodomy laws being repealed around the U.S

Links for the discussion about the changes in temple recommend interview questions.Handbook 38.5.5 was updated in August 2023 to include this statement about the garment. Wearing and Caring for the Garment Members who receive the endowment make a covenant to wear the temple garment throughout their lives. The temple garment is a reminder of covenants made in the temple and, when worn properly throughout life, will serve as a protection against temptation and evil. The garment should be worn beneath the outer clothing. It should not be removed for activities that can reasonably be done while wearing the garment, and it should not be modified to accommodate different styles of clothing. Endowed members should seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to answer personal questions about wearing the garment. It is a sacred privilege to wear the garment and doing so is an outward expression of an inner commitment to follow the Savior Jesus Christ. It is a matter of personal preference whether other undergarments are worn over or under the temple garment.Here is the letter from April 2024 with the new changes to the statement about the garment. What could unlock LDS church growth in Japan? It says two words, says scholar. And I'll tell you the story by reading the very first part of this, and then we have the conversation. So here's the story. The high -ranking business exec didn't know what to do. A faithful Japanese Latter -day Saint, he had committed to never allowing a drop of green tea, considered along with black tea and coffee, to be against the faith's dietary code to pass his lips.Some links for the discussion on the Family Proclamation."A proclamation is different from an official declaration, a doctrinal exposition, or statements on policies. Some of these come from only the First Presidency, some just from the Quorum of the Twelve, and some from both the presidency and the quorum.""Doctrines outlined in the proclamation apply as much or more today as they did in 1995 when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued the document, which proclaims to the world the importance of the family."

General Conference RecapMatt's Second Coming PredictionWhat is Mormonism?

Mailbag:  General Conference PredictionsThe Thought Provoker:Matt is up first this week. You guys are always telling me how Elon Musk is a proponent of free speech. Well, two things came up this week that suggest he is not. First, A federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X that had targeted a watchdog group for its critical reports about hate speech on the social media platform. Second, The number of people using X daily is falling. A platform that was once the best place for free speech is on the decline because of how he is managing it. So Musk sues people who track hate speech on X, while driving people away from the platform. Isn’t the most moral thing for Musk to take X public again, cut his losses, and move on? Next up, Sam, "What is up with this?"  Finally, Shawn. "Oregon measure 110. In 2021, the year that Measure 110 went into effect, Oregon saw a 41% increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths. Many Oregonians consider Measure 110 a failed experiment.  Of 7000 tickets only 200 calls and even less who went into rehab. Recently the Oregon house voted 51-7 kicking bipartisan House Bill 4002 to the Senate. The new bill would unwind voter passed bill 110. Even though the outcome of the decriminalization bill was negative and deaths went up, is it desirable to have states experiment with various ways to solve societies problems? When states experiment with new tactics, do they provide us with good case studies of what we should and shouldn’t do in order to thrive? Does the Oregon decriminalization experiment and reversal show that people on both sides of politics are really trying to do good? "The Big Question:  The UofU women’s basketball team travelled to Spokane Washington to compete in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. They stayed in a hotel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which is about 30 miles from Spokane. While walking to a restaurant, the women were targeted by racists. They said, “You think in our world, in athletics and the university settings, it's shocking. There's so much diversity on a college campus and so you're just not exposed to that very often.” Do you think that it is true that people are more racist outside of college campuses and athletics? If so, does a college education provide the best cure for racism in the United States?

Mailbag: One listener writes, “Another UBI experiment. This time in San Antonio. https://sanantonioreport.org/cash-without-conditions-san-antonio-experiment-guaranteed-income/  What do you think people did with extra money? You'll have to read to find out.” The Thought Provoker:Sam is up first this week. Did BYU’s ‘No Sunday Play’ policy cause the NCAA selection committee to schedule them away from Salt Lake City, Utah?  Would they have been seeded higher, and chosen to play Mcneese in Salt Lake during the first round?  Ultimately, Gonzaga played Mcneese, soundly defeating them and then beating Kanas.  BYU could have easily achieved both results with home court advantage. BYU was beaten by Duchesne in Omaha, Nebraska in the first round of the tournament.Next up, Shawn. One of our leaders, J Annette Dennis spoke at the big relief society devotional and gave a phenomenal and bold talk about woman and covenants and priesthood. She quoted president  Nelson saying: “Every woman and every man … who participates … in priesthood ordinances [and makes and keeps covenants with God] has direct access to the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood.”  What does God mean by power and authority versus what the world means by power and authority. Here is a talk from President Packer that discusses this idea.Finally, Matt. After a horrific attack in Moscow, Putin’s response has been to blame Ukraine. In a televised address, Putin said 11 people had been detained, including the four gunmen. "They tried to hide and moved towards Ukraine, where, according to preliminary data, a window was prepared for them on the Ukrainian side to cross the state border." The United States shared intelligence we had gathered about an imminent plan by extremists to target large gatherings in Moscow with the Russians. Does the fact that Russia did not share this information with the Russian public and Putin’s eagerness to blame Ukraine say something about Putin’s determination to conquer in Ukraine? If so, has the situation in Ukraine changed enough for us to finally do something to end Russian aggression in Ukraine? The Big Question: Two-thirds of the people who served in with Trump in the White House in 2020 have refused to endorse him for president in 2024. His former VP Mike Pence has publicly stated that he will not vote for Trump, His former defense secretaries, Chiefs of staff, Attorney General, and National Security Advisor have all said that he is not fit for office. His former Secretary of State called him a moron. When deciding who to support in an election, how much should people pay attention to the opinions of people who have worked closely with the candidate?

The Thought ProvokerFirst up, Shawn. This week Political Scientist Matthew, “Matty Bird” Miles interviewed LDS history Scholar Patrick Mason on the twim podcast. Matt asked a great question of Mason about how history informs his interpretation of religious doctrine? He answered it helps him be comfortable with change and to be comfortable with the human element in scripture. How does history inform your interpretation of religious doctrine or should the pursuit of historical facts be completely separate from revealed doctrine? Next up, Matt. Utah lawmakers passed a pair of high-profile bills this year — HB562 and SB272 — that set up the framework to build a new ballpark and a new arena that could help the Beehive State land Major League Baseball and/or National Hockey League franchises within the next few years, should the leagues decide on Utah. Gov. Spencer Cox is expected to sign both by his March 21 deadline. In related news, two Utah marathon runners are blowing away the competition and will be competing in the Olympics this summer in large part because of taxpayer money that supports their professional running group. Is it morally wrong for governments to spend taxpayer money on building professional sports stadiums? Finally, Sam. Tesla has implemented a ‘no resale’ clause for their new cyber truck.  The penalty?  A lifetime ban from purchasing Tesla vehicles?  Is this the right thing to do to limit excessive markups?  Should government enact similar restrictions on markups, or is the free market better served allowing supply/demand to govern product pricing?  Popular Youtuber ‘Mr. Beast’ recently expressed disgust for any industry that gets excessive markup.The Thought Provoker.  Idaho just passed a new sales tax designed to increase funding for public schools. This is one of many examples of taxes that people are required to pay even if they are not citizens or if they are denied the right to vote. Anyone who purchases anything in Idaho will pay that tax for schools in Idaho. One of the slogans that American colonists chanted to condemn the British was “No taxation without representation.” The cause of this “tyranny” was the Stamp Act, basically a sales tax levied by the British government that colonists did not have a voice to oppose. If sales tax was one of the major causes of the American revolution, perhaps it is morally wrong. Is it wrong for governments to tax people and refuse to give them a voice? If someone pays a tax, do they have the right to representation in government?

One listener writes, “I know how much everyone loves UBI, but with so many trials and studies to learn about it happening and wrapping up, I feel like it would be good to talk about their findings. I'm also discouraged by rich people who are lobbying to prevent even the research and studies.The Thought Provoker: This week, a letter was read to Republican-majority LDS Congregations across Utah.  Notably, Matt now lives in Idaho. https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2024/02/28/lds-leaders-stress-candidates/ Is this admonition “anti-Trump?”  Is this in line with political non-affiliation statements of years past (not including June 2023.)?  Will this heal or widen a divide among Trump-loving voters?  California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that exempts Panera Bread from a new $20-an-hour minimum wage hike for fast food chains after the billionaire owner of several of the chain’s locations donated to his campaign, according to a report. the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act (FAST Act) includes an unusual carve-out that exempts “chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item,” according to Bloomberg News. A second recall will determine Newsom's fate and potential political future. In the Book of Mormon, 32 times the phrase “by the voice of the people” is referenced in contrast to corrupt judges and leaders. Should the opportunity to recall any politician at any time be a more available choice for the people?Many states are currently facing a crisis in public education. Across the nation, teachers are leaving the profession. Attrition rates have fallen, but in nine states studied in a recent Wall Street Journal article, turnover is higher now than it was in 2019, the last year before the pandemic. Researchers have linked loss of teachers to lower student test scores. Experts and educators say teachers are continuing to leave for a variety of reasons. The average teacher salary hasn't risen significantly in decades, adjusted for inflation, as officials have used increased education funding for other purposes. Occupations outside of teaching might be more available and enticing, with unemployment rates low and work from home policies more common. And some teachers say that student behavior has worsened since the pandemic, making their job more challenging. Do we have a moral obligation as society to make education a more attractive employment option for the best and brightest in our society?The Big Question: A lack of federal regulation and a mishmash of state laws have made selling products featuring the cannabis-derived ingredien

The Thought Provoker:Shawn is up first this week. Elon Musk has sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, claiming that the company failed to keep its promise of developing AI tools for "the benefit of humanity" over maximizing profits.Musk helped launch and fund OpenAI in its early years. His lawyers argue that Musk poured time, money and recruiting resources to the AI lab, on the condition that it would remain a nonprofit "dedicated to creating safe, open-source AGI for public benefit," We believe that there are some doctrines that fall in the category of “looking beyond the mark”. Jesus taught “of tenets thou shall not talk” and “whoso shall declare more or less than this, the same cometh of evil” . Joseph smith taught: “stay close to the trunk because the branches will break” oes this not also apply to knowledge and innovation?  Is Elon musk right about ai that maybe it’s one of those “beyond the mark” innovations and that we should tread lightly and remove profit motive? Next up Matt. Rumor has it that The US, Germany, and Russia had agreed on a prisoner exchange that was going to free Alexei Navalny. As of February 9th, all of the details of the release were being worked out. So the big question then is why did Russia have him killed just days before his release? Were these discussions about Navalny's release just a ploy for Putin to try to figure out what the United States was willing to give for him Or did Putin feel threatened by Navalny in some way? If so, is Putin perhaps in a weaker spot politically than we might have otherwise supposed? Finally, Sam. Psalms 66:1-2”Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.”  We LDS typically associate this scripture with the Mo Tab…whose style has evolved…Boyd K comments about Mac Wilberg. My son Braden and his friend Holly, both BYU students, recently attended an interfaith musical worship….at BYU…as part of a World Religion class.  Braden’s response to the experience.  “The music and motion was uncomfortable….” as a worship experience.  He also recognized that the people putting it on felt disconnected from the BYU audience who responded in a non traditional way.  Braden’s thought, does that disconnect create a wall between types of Christian believers?  I’ve attended many different types of worship services.  I’ve heard the loud band, and I’ve also had a Catholic friend tell me he was disturbed going to an LDS Sacrament service because of the irreverence displayed by kids running up and down the aisles.    Do Christians and members of the Church have a responsibility to speak a more similar worship language?  Why not get louder in LDS services  Big Question: We just concluded celebrating Black History Month in February. Although many Americans Feel that black Americans contributions to the American culture are celebrated, most black people do not feel that way. Half of all adults say that the things they have learned about black Americans contributions to American culture came from sources other than the K-12 curriculum. I remember when I was in high school that every February Black History Month was celebrated and we learned a lot about Black Americans contributions to American culture, but I wonder if there is a better way to learn about black Americans. Should institutions other than high school (k-12) education celebrate " rel="nofollow">

The Thought Provoker:Matt is first this week. Exciting new research in the field of male contraceptives has identified a number of medications that a man can take that will make it impossible for him to impregnate a woman. The work is very preliminary at the moment, but the findings suggest that taking the medication has no long term side effects on the man or his ability to produce viable offspring in the future. I always looking for new ways to discourage unwanted pregnancies. I also don't like that abortion policy focuses so much on women and what they should and should not be able to do. It is pretty easy to conduct a paternity test and identify the father of any child. So, is it morally appropriate to mandate that fathers of children who are the offspring of an unwanted pregnancy take one of these safe medications to prevent them from fathering any more unwanted children? Next up, Sam. Something about texting kids and communication in the modern age. Finally, Shawn. Elder Christofferson spoke recently of the rise of clinical depression among teenagers globally, noting that Latter-day Saint youth are not immune. “Church studies of member youth showed that globally in 2018, 29% struggled with clinical levels of anxiety,” he reported. A 2022 systematic review highlighted the alarming global prevalence of depressive symptoms among adolescents aged 10-19, reaching as high as 34 % (Shorey et al., 2022)In 1995 Matt preached something to me that he learned from elder boyd k packer. “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. ... That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel”Elder Christofferson offered this surprising statement:"If we can lead our youth and young adults to spiritual rebirth, depression will evaporate, and any anxiety in their lives, will be quite manageable." "Even death itself cannot threaten their peace once they have been born of the Spirit and have learned to trust in God."True? Or simplification of a complex, modern challenge? The Big Question: Many conservatives do not like property or income taxes and look for ways to eliminate or reduce their property or income tax bill. But, governments need money to pay for basic services. What typically happens is that states with low property and income taxes have higher sales tax. Sales tax is one example of a regressive tax because it requires a much greater share of income from low- and middle-income families than from wealthy families to be paid as taxes. The lower one’s income, the higher one’s overall effective state and local tax rate. On average, the lowest-income 20 percent of taxpayers face a state and local tax rate nearly 60 percent higher than the top 1 percent of households. Is it morally wrong for the government to require poor people to pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than wealthy individuals?

The Thought ProvokerSam is up first this week. And I make the argument that the high prices we pay here in the US for pharmaceuticals subsidize the entire world, but they guarantee the best end result anywhere else in the world. We have medicines and therapies that are available globally because of the higher prices we pay here in the US.  Next up Shawn, Power to the Patients is a nonprofit organization that advocates for healthcare price transparency. Their mission is to make healthcare more affordable and equitable by making price transparency a standard. In 2021, a rule was mandated that hospitals must provide patients with clear and upfront pricing information about their services and items. However, for many years, hospitals and insurers have been ignoring these rules. Power to the Patients' goal is to help Americans know their right to know healthcare prices up front to shop for value. They also want to ensure that hospitals follow the law to show all their prices.  In Alma 37, the word “secret” is used 13 times to condemn the practice of “secret works”.  Is it unprincipled for a business, like a hospital  to not disclose price and cost of risk (ford pinto for example) to consumers to make free choices?  Examples: healthcare, ford pinto, gas stoves, red dye, msg, supplements, etc. Finally, Matt. I don’t want to get into a debate about Biden vs Trump. Super Tuesday is coming up in March and if Nikki Haley were to win many of those races, she could be the Republican nominee. This question is only about Trump. This week Trump was found guilty of committing massive fraud in his New York City businesses. Along with the $350 million fine, he is barred from serving on any board in any business in the State of New York for the next three years. His accountant is barred from ever doing that kind of work again in the State of New York. The President of the United States is responsible for running the Executive Branch. He also appoints individuals to positions of immense power to run the executive branch. Should a person deemed unfit to run a business in New York be allowed to run the Executive Branch as President? Should someone who has such a hard time selecting a qualified accountant be in charge of filling important roles in the Executive Branch? The Big Question: Last fall, a Missouri court found the National Association of Realtors and two real-estate brokerages guilty of conspiring to inflate real-estate commissions. Typically, when a home is sold, the listing agent and the buying agent each get a 3% commission, both of which are paid for by the seller. The stage is set for the buyer’s agent to no longer automatically receive a 3% commission. The jury ordered the NAR to pay $1.8 billion in damages. Now it looks like realty groups are going to begin changing their fee structure. This is classic case of government interfering in the markets. Is this government intrusion into the marketplace justified?

The Thought Provoker:Shawn is up first this week.  This week Tucker Carlson interviewed Vlad Putin and I got very mad because he didn’t challenge a single thing Putin said. Didn’t challenge his claim that Poland started ww2, didn’t challenge Putin’s claim that he has no interest in invading other countries unless they attack Russia even though he just invaded Ukraine. Didn’t challenge the lie that the west promised to not expand NATO. Didn’t challenge the revisionist history about Ukraine never existing… But in his post interview statement, Carlson said his intent was not to challenge him but to show Americans who Putin is and how he thinks and what his reasons were for invading Ukraine. When propaganda is published and now promoted by people who have grown followers (200 million so far), is this the modern model for successfully communicating a message? Does this show that big media is losing ground to freelance/citizen media? Should Saints engage in the modern movement of citizen media to promote our religion (missionary work) or influence the morals of society? Next up Matt. A group called Come Near is leading an ad campaign that included some spots in the Superbowl. They use the tagline “He Gets Us” to promote the Christian faith in a way that it believes is relatable, non-offensive and nonpartisan. Some people feel like there is a better way to spend the $100 million that has been donated to this organization so far. Our church gets questions like this all the time. Is it consistent with the ethic of Christ to spend millions of dollars for brand management? Does Jesus need brand management? Finally, Sam. All right, so we're going to go a little light here where you guys have had very heavy topics. So think the last time you walked into a restaurant or into a, I don't know, like a fast food restaurant somewhere, you go up, you order, you tap your credit card and you get the opportunity before you touch the food, before anybody brings you anything, before they slide the tray across the counter. What do they ask you for a tip and not a suggestion. but a monetary tip to give them help for providing service. The question today is, A, is that tip before you ever receive anything warranted? And has tipping gotten out of control or is it warranted?The Big Question: For just the third time in more than two decades, less than half of Americans say they are “very satisfied” with the way things are going in their personal lives. The 47% of U.S. adults expressing high satisfaction with their lives has edged down three percentage points over the past year and is only one point higher than the 2011 record low for the trend. The previous low points in Americans’ personal satisfaction have occurred at times of economic uncertainty. The 46% reading in 2011 came when the country was still recovering from the 2007-2009 recession, and the other sub-50% reading (47%) was in December 2008 during the global economic crisis. Oddly, satisfaction hit its peak in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic. To me this suggests that people are looking for political solutions to problems that are non-political. No matter who wins the 2024 elections, people are probably still going to be dissatisfied with what is happening in their lives. What is the root cause of this dissatisfaction that people seem to be experiencing right now?

The Thought Provoker:One listener writes, “ I  heard Shawn say that we shouldn't pay attention to the fact that people in blue states live longer. You talked about life expectancy, but you could make the same case that people in blue States are, on average, richer, safer, healthier, better educated and more likely to live in a happy, stable family than people in red states.  But Shawn says none of this matters because it's all about individual decisions. But then we're left to ask why are people in Vermont so much better at making decisions than people in West Virginia?”Matt is up first this week. The Super Bowl is coming up and I have two questions related to that. First, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are a pretty polarizing couple. My friends who love football say that Swift is ruining the sport and that the NFL conspired to get the Chiefs into the Superbowl. My friends who love Taylor Swift say that the NFL is using her to boost their ratings without giving her the love she deserves. Who is right about that? The second question is about the location of the big game. Many of our listeners will be travelling to Las Vegas to watch the Superbowl, what moral principles should guide personal behavior in Las Vegas? Many young people have no problem with gambling. The church manual says gambling is wrong, but I don’t see any canonized scripture about that.Next up Sam: President Biden shut down the Las Vegas Airport on a crazy busy day of flying in and out. This closure led to delays, cancellations and millions, in costs to travelers, airlines and impacted businesses. Who should pay for these junkets work Should presidents be allowed to so severely impact citizens with their travel?Finally, Shawn: Many Latter Day Saints face difficult decisions in upcoming elections. The Latter Day Lens has discussed what guidance scripture gives us when trying to choose who and what to support. D&C 134 teaches: “We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life…..and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people”. Have Trump or Biden shown that they will uphold and administer the laws that protect free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life? The Big Question: The Associated Press recently did a deep dive into conspiracy theories. They report that nearly half of Americans believe a conspiracy theory, but that those beliefs are mostly harmless (for example, I believe that silk boxers cause male infertility). The problem comes when people put their conspiracy beliefs into action. The two main culprits are politicians and the business community. Politicians use conspiracy theories to raise money and mobilize supporters. Businesses profit

Mailbag:I thought your discussion about longevity and quality of life was interesting. Healthy living is something I think is very important, but I don't know that a health care solution is the key. this map can help identify possible patterns for what might be contributing to longevity. The Thought Provoker:This week Sam is up first. Should Utah schools ban smart phones, or teach a class on smart phone management? Governor Cox says he supports banning smartphones in Utah schoolsNext up, Shawn. Fewer people are getting married and there are fewer two parent families. In 1970, nearly 70% of American adults ages 25 to 49 were living with a spouse and at least one child. As of 2021 — the most recent year for which they have data — that's fallen to 37%. In 1970, essentially no one was reported to be cohabitating unmarried with kids; by 2021, that rose to 5%. And, significantly, 18% of American adults were married with no kids in 1970. As of 2021, that's risen to 21%. Additionally, a survey recently found that “one in eight adults fall into the DINK (dual income no kids) category, and that a further two in five (39 percent) don’t plan on having children in the future.” The DINK hashtag has 247.1 million views. Is this new model of family regression or progression?Finally, Matt. In what seems like an unlikely turn of events, Democrats are actually fighting to do something about the southern border and Republicans are not. A couple of months ago, President Biden suggested that Congress pass a bill providing economic support for Ukraine, Israel, and the Southern Border in one package. This started bipartisan negotiations to fund each of these. Now that a bi-partisan bill is set to pass the Senate Donald Trump has urged Republicans to oppose the bill because he would like to use it as a campaign issue. He doesn’t want Biden to “win” on the border. Republican Speaker Johnson said that now is not the time for comprehensive immigration reform. Is “now” a bad time to pass comprehensive immigration reformThe Big Question: Thousands of teenagers and young adults in the United States have developed delusions and paranoia after using cannabis. Legalization efforts have made cannabis more readily available in much of the country. More frequent use of marijuana that is many times as potent as strains common three decades ago is leading to more psychotic episodes, according to doctors and recent research. I think it is interesting that just as states made it much more difficult to smoke tobacco in public, they started legalizing marijuana, but marijuana may be worse for people than tobacco. Isn’t it time for government regulation

The Thought Provoker:Matt is up first. Sam has been saying for a long time that Trump would be the Republican nominee. I have been saying that we should wait and see what the voters do, and not just trust polls. Well, now the voters in Iowa have spoken and it is nearly certain that Trump will be the Republican nominee. I have no reason to believe that Nikki Hailey can win the nomination, especially since Ron DeSantis has not dropped out. Whether people like it or not, the choice is Biden or Trump. So, my question is simple. Do members of our church have a moral obligation to do everything they can to make sure that Biden wins in 2024.Next up Sam. What do you make of the backlash against Aaron Sherinian?  Finally, Shawn. Technology has enabled anyone to become an “expert” and publisher of content. Millions of political, religious and lifestyle posts get consumed daily by church members. It’s like a nonstop digital testimony meeting. Examples include: A discussion exploring if Lehi and Jeremiah were best friends? Are we sinning if we don’t vote Biden? What physical evidence exists that proves the Book of Mormon? Counter attacks at popular evangelical podcasters.  Is religious content published by average church members a net good or bad for the members of the church? Do average members who now have a voice publish content that is effective and positive for members? can it hurt more than help? The Big Question: According to an article published in the Wall Street Journal, Americans are living longer, but spending less time in good health. The estimated average proportion of life spent in good health declined to 83.6% in 2021, down from 85.8% in 1990. The decrease of time spent in good health is partly because medical advances are catching and treating diseases that once would have killed us. But it is also because of the rising prevalence, often among younger people, of conditions such as obesity, diabetes and substance-use disorders. Most of these risk factors are preventable and treatable, and tackling them would bring huge social and economic benefits. We are failing to change unhealthy behaviors, particularly those related to diet quality, caloric intake, and physical activity, in part due to inadequate policy attention and funding for public health and behavioral research. As a result, life expectancy from birth increased from 75.6 years in 1990 to 77.1 years in 2021, but healthy life expectancy, a measure of how many years we can expect to enjoy good health, fell from 64.8 to 64.4 in the same period. Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Israel, & France all have healthy life expectancy 10 years higher than in the United States. Free market solutions do not seem to be helping Americans live healthier lives. What role should the government play in helping Americans live healthier lives?

Mailbag:One listener writes “Military conscription has been shown to build a shared national identity, boost loyalty to the polity, and instill patriotism… But here’s the tradeoff: Men from conscripted generations show less trust in democratic institutions than those exempted from the draft…[and] weakens the relationship between the citizen and the state. Hard to say really - I think with the poor state of patriotism and shared national identity we experience in the US today it could be beneficial.” Another listener says “I think Shawn's feelings of mistrust for professors are becoming more common in America. The Chinese Cultural Revolution also involved persecution of formally educated people. In what ways are our modern anti-academic attitudes the same as and different from the anti-academic ideas of early Chinese communist revolutionaries? Why do you think anti-academic feelings are on the rise?” The Thought Provoker:Shawn is first this week.  | Archaeologists using LIDAR have discovered a constellation of ancient Amazonian structures in what is now modern-day Ecuador, according to new research published yesterday. Flourishing for roughly 1,000 years about two millennia ago, the settlements are believed to have been populated by 30,000 residents at their peak—roughly equal to London under the Roman Empire at the same time. The find follows a number of similar discoveries in recent years, including a sprawling urban network in the Bolivian Amazon two years ago.Also, growing in popularity are social media accounts like scripture plus for example that focus on promoting scripture through evidential and defensible means such as proof of cities in South America to build faith in the Book of Mormon.  Do these discoveries and approaches grow peoples faith in God or distract from what is supposed to be a personal and spiritual process? Next up Matt, “A recent study looks at how rapid demographic change is expected to transform the supply of kin worldwide. They project that project that great-grandparents will be more common in the future, but they may be too old and frail to provide support. Individuals in the future will face increasing demands for informal care from kin worldwide. Our findings support the calls for more investment in childcare and old-age care to alleviate the burden of individuals aging with fewer kinship resources to rely on. In the church we talk about how people who need help should first turn to their family, then to the church, then to government. As the makeup of families changes in the future, should we re-think societal obligations to support people in need? As people have fewer family members who are able to help take care of them, should the community play a larger role?” Finally, Sam. Why does Matt hate Big Pharma?

One listener writes, Hey I wonder if you guys have heard of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard. She was recently released from prison for her role in the killing of her mother. Now she has over 7 million followers on Instagram and she is likely going to be a millionaire because of the fame she is getting from her story. What is the morally appropriate reaction someone should have to a person like Gypsy-Rose?The Thought Provoker:Sam is up first.  Disney worldNext up, Matt. There is a crisis at the southern border. The US Customs and Border Protection statistics show that since 2021 the number of people encountered at the border has risen from around 70,000 per month to over 200 thousand people each month. Texas has responded by implementing a crackdown of their own. This has led to US citizens being unlawfully detained by Texas police. When it comes to abortion, Shawn seems to favor federalism and state’s rights. But, isn’t it the job of the federal government to secure the border? Isn’t this an issue in which states need to stay out of enforcement? Finally Shawn. Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly launched a direct-to-consumer website yesterday, allowing its customers to receive third-party prescriptions for its drugs, including its newly approved weight loss injectable Zepbound (similar to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic). Users can be connected to a telehealth service via the site to quickly receive prescriptions before placing an order. This direct to consumer approach eliminates the big 3 Pharmacy Benefit Managers (middleman) and allows Eli Lilly to reduce drug prices significantly. For example, Zepbound will be $1,000 from a Pharmacy but only $500 through Eli Lilly’s new website for non-insured and only a $25 copay for insured. Is this a game changer and a Capitalists dream? The Big Question: I've been pondering ways that we could improve civic awareness, better prepare young people for life, and reduce crime at the same time. Many countries around the world have some form of required military service for young people between the ages of 17 and 26. There's a wide variety in how countries implement these programs, but the big question is. Would it be good for the United States to implement some form of mandatory military service for young adults?

2023 US politics. It may be hard to believe, but at this time in 2022, Donald Trump had not been indicted on a single criminal charge. As of today, Donald Trump has been indicted in four states on 91 different criminal charges. In addition, A jury found Donald Trump liable in May for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, awarding her $5 million and he recently completed a civil fraud trial in New York that could result in the loss of his business license and require him to pay $250 million. Yet, he remains the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination. Has this been a good year or a bad year for Donald Trump? 2023 foreign politics. The year began with a hopeful Ukraine that they would be able to use foreign aid to push Russia from its borders. Things seemed especially hopeful after Wagner rebelled against Putin. Now, The EU and US seem reluctant to continue financial support of the war effort. China has faced internal political and economic challenges resulting in mass exodus from their country. Tens of thousands of millionaires are fleeing the country and more than 24,000 Chinese citizens have been apprehended crossing into the US from Mexico in 2023. They fly to Ecuador and pay smugglers to guide their travel through the dangerous jungle between Colombia and Panama en route to the United States. In addition to problems at the southern border, the United States is trying to negotiate peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians. It seems like a game of Risk is being set up and the US is about to face too many conflicts to handle with our existing might. Is the world in a better place today than it was a year ago? 2023 US economy: Last year, economists were predicting that the US would be in a recession before the end of 2023. They expected unemployment to be somewhere close to 5% and that it would lose 2 million jobs. Instead, the unemployment rate, has come in below 4% for 22 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s, hiring has slowed but remains healthy, and inflation dropped from 9% in June to 3.1% in December. Economists now think that the US will avoid a recession altogether. What do you think about the performance of the US economy in 2023? Is it better, worse, or just about the same as you expected it to be? 2023 LDS Church. There are so many things we could discuss. Lori Daybell conviction, Tim Ballard, 8 Passengers plea deal, The YSA conference in Utah, 38 new temples announced, 36 new missions created, President Ballard passing, Elder Kearon called, Elder Holland being on his deathbed, getting healed, and then called as President of the Quorum of the Twelve, Romney retiring, and the SEC fining the church for the way in which they hid money. What do you think is the most important church related story in 2023? Predictions: What do you think will happen in 2024?In the LDS church/Mormondom?In US politics?In global politics?In the US economy?