MustardSeed

I kind of would like to circle back to this. I came across this topic again yesterday. I dont expect or need feedback i just need to get this off my chest, but of course I welcone questions or comments. my concern on this topic is the following. In current terms, we have never been so connected yet felt so disconnected with each other. Thank you Internet! With technology comes certain challenges, and some of these challenges present themselves like the frog in the pot. The following is my opinion based somewhat on fears, admittedly, and somewhat on what I’m noticing in my career. People will occasionally ask me what societal trends I am noticing. Here is one: although it is still not common, personal relationships with AI, including attachment and even romance. As important as family and marriage is to the church, I think it would be important for us to have conversations with our children and grandchildren (and ourselves) about putting AI/robotic relationships in their proper place. Again, this is just an opinion, but I do think that the future will have many people gravitating towards isolation and more and more people attaching themselves to AI replacing pursuit of human connection. I’m seeing this movement happen at work, and I’m seeing it on social media. Because it is still so new, there is some shame around it, and people are not talking about this type of thing in polite company nor are we seeing people advertising this about themselves, but people are indulging in having very meaningful to them relationships with AI. The recent case I learned of yesterday (not my case) had a woman who had recently split with her husband and the husband according to the children has now a girlfriend-and he has “photos“ of her around the house. They were having a hard time processing this. Their mother was asking for help because there is nowhere to turn with no research done on how to help children navigate such things. I know this sounds bizarre, but please trust me when I say that as a therapist. I hear a lot of things that would probably upset many. I do claim to recognize trends fairly early. I noticed about 10 years ago that young people were “cutting off” family members, and I even started a podcast about it. Now here we are where this thing is rampant. Obviously, I don’t claim to be able to predict the future, but I do have my concerns about this trend that i am seeing. FWIW. im discussing it here because my concern is that this is going to be a significant cultural shift and no one is talking about it. I’m surprised the church who tells us what to wear, eat and say etc isn’t really talking about it (other than elder gong to some degree) - trust me I don’t want to be managed in that way but it seems inconsistent with my experience of church involvement in significant threats to familoes. excuse me while I re-mold my tinfoil hat 😉

Oh boy, not us. Last week the Bishop stood up and whispered in the speakers ear and she was like. “ well I guess I’m done.” 🤣

Yes! She’s being fairly military about it. She’s sending out reminders the night before everybody and she hunted me down yesterday. I was talking to a ward member for five minutes after ss and then I went looking for the Teacher training class, she ran me down in the hall, hollering my name. And she talked about so-and-so while rolling her eyes who didn’t show up to the class.

I just asked my brother-in-law who’s a Bishop in Florida about it. He said “Yep. Just changed this month.” arrrrggghh

I’m trying to just be chill about this whole thing.

primary is going Rogue and doing their own thing. Not sure when they’re doing it, but I understand they’re only doing it monthly.

This appears to be permanent

And youth teachers /RS and Priesthood miss SS.

Changed in September, we meet during second hour. Since I teach GD I miss RS. It used to be quarterly, now according to “changes in the Sunday schedule” section of LDS.org, under “common questions, “ it indicates monthly teacher training. I mean you gotta dig to find it but apparently our new SS president did her digging and now here we are. And she stated today she is not gonna let this die. I just wondered if we are the only ones. I suspect it might even be a typo since it’s not updated accordingly in the handbook itself.

Our ward is now doing teacher training every month. Apparently this is a directive for everyone from the generals. Is your ward complying ?

Unfamiliar- looks like in Apple it’s called Days. sounds very Beatles-like.

Music is supposed to make you feel! It’s working then 😉

I’m doing a solo acoustic show in November, at a small arts cafe- expecting 70 attendees all ages. Mostly adults. the theme is Hippie night- I’m gonna just play guitar and sing. Any requests? So far on my list: Both Sides Now Just a Song Before I Go Mellow Yellow the Riddle Song Leavin on a Jet Plane Peace Train Summer Breeze Venus Feelin Groovy me n Bobby McGee

There is a doc on I think Netflix about the robot apocalypse- not that I’m a prepper at all but I got 20 minutes in and turned it off because I don’t need to add to my pile of anxieties lol- But I am aware that AI is growing beyond our understanding. And I do believe it will create challenges we cannot see, and very soon. as a therapist, I am concerned by what I am seeing with regards to AI replacing human connection. For example, yesterday I watched a clip of a girl who was playing with chat, telling chat she had just been swallowed by a whale. I use chat but she was using voice chat. I was shocked by how emotional chat sounded in his responses to her. He sounded very, very real. There was nothing robot-ish about his voice, inflections, etc. A lot of the comments in the comment section were m also alarmed by how human Chat sounded. A few days ago, I had a severely depressed Client reach out to me and ask if it would be OK for him to stop interacting with humans and just use chat to talk “to people”. And let’s not even talk about sex. unless of course Smac wants to lol 🤣😬🤘🏼 Hey and yes you can pry my robot vacuum mop out of my cold dead hands. If the church came out and said DO NOT USE ROBOTS to get ahead of sexy maid roommates (they are coming) I’d have a hard time giving up Jerry, my favorite disk cleaner.

Since the church likes to be directive and since members like the rules spelled out, I’m surprised there has been no revelation or directions regarding relationships with robots. Or has there? AI will be the biggest revolution humankind has ever seen. It’s right around the corner. the church often refers to the proclamation as ahead of its time regarding gender issues as if it’s evidence of its prophesy skills (imo) - so where is the directives on bot issues?

It’s not that you can’t order, it’s that when you go to order they indicate everything is sold out.

I’d rather hear a lecture than listen to my ward discuss. It’s the same 5 ladies who need group therapy but come to church instead 😕

No worries. My post was a meaningless rant itself. I don’t like being treated or talked to like we are 6 and teaching that class yesterday I felt highly annoyed.

I feel like we need another meeting to discuss the new schedule 😅 I teach GD and a guy in our class who attends every week was gobsmacked to learn that he would be attending Sunday school AND priesthood every week. I told him it was his fault that we had to spend the entire class time watching the videos. ☠️🤣 and then we had to go to RS and watch another video and discuss yet again! Apparently I did not get enough because here I am talking about it again. Heaven forbid bigger changes than this.

For sure. The church would do well to make that effort a bit easier.

Since the church has taken the path of being not involved, your wish is granted

It’s too bad there is such an awful stigma for getting help from a therapist. I know many who could really benefit from a skilled, trained, licensed ethical and experienced therapist. I’ve seen it work wonders. But most never go.

I wish you the best in your pursuit of health and happiness, Tony.

So since the church has clarified its position, and you disagree with it, and instead hold on to a talk given in the 70s, it appears you do not trust the present leadership or at least its position on this topic. Which is fine, you don’t have to trust current leadership, but if you’re going to preach to us it’s helpful if you can clarify your absence of faith in present leadership.

I usually just sit on my phone for the captcha exercise. Butt dialing the answers seems to be quite effective.