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