Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves: Subverting Dogma in an LDS Context

Speaker 1

So with that, we’re going to go straightway into our speakers. Our first speaker today is going to be Chris Bradford. He is the vice president of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. And Chris was born in Utah, soon moved to Washington, DC, then overseas for his father’s employment. He’s lived in Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Pakistan, Italy, where he served a mission for the LDS Church. He’s a self-taught programmer. He manages social and mobile development at Ancestry. com. He has a degree from Brigham Young University in linguistics. Chris and his wife Lucy have five sons and three daughters. And Chris is passionate about science, technology, religion, philosophy, and the performing arts. So with that, please welcome Chris Bradford.

Chris Bradford

Thanks. I’d like to discuss some approaches, both philosophical and practical, that I found effective. In Subverting Dogma in an LDS context. Title of my talk is Wise as Serpents, Harmless as Doves. And I’d like to talk about this both in and outside church functions themselves. How can we be wise as serpents and harmless as doves?

Chris Bradford

Now before we get to the how, it’s probably important to talk about the what and the why for a moment. What I am encouraging us to do is to draw on the insights of the parallels and complements between Mormonism and transhumanism to help people get beyond perceived roadblocks And move in a fruitful direction towards synthesis.

Chris Bradford

Why I encourage this is twofold. First, since most of us have found ways to synthesize or at least reconcile Mormon thought and transhumanism, we are well positioned to help others do the same. And second, since most of us identify as Mormon We probably see value in the faith system and community, a potential to move in a direction. That we and hopefully a broadly inclusive we value.

Chris Bradford

A side note, for those who do not identify as Mormon, while I’m going to draw on Mormon texts And cultural values for this talk, the approaches that I discuss should be broadly applicable to many other communities as well.

Chris Bradford

Now on to the how. When we think of wise serpents, we may be drawn to the image of That old serpent, which is the devil, from Revelation. And when we think of subversion, we’re probably inclined to think of something like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. But in the context of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, it’s precisely the opposite.

Chris Bradford

Quote: He said to them, Behold, I send you forth. as sheep in the midst of wolves, not the other way around. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Chris Bradford

When Moses led the children of Israel in the wilderness and they encountered deadly serpents, he raised a serpent of brass on a pole. And when the Israelites looked at the brass serpent, they did not die from their snake bites. The Book of Mormon tells us that this brass serpent was a symbol of Christ. And Jesus clearly sought to subvert the incorrect dogmas of his time. So let’s examine a bit how he went about doing it so that we might be as wise as that serpent.

Chris Bradford

First, a couple of generalities. Jesus stated: Think not that I am come to destroy the law. Or the prophets, I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

Chris Bradford

If we have any hope of being effective among our brothers and sisters in the LDS faith, We must reassure them, and not merely through our words, that we have not come to destroy their faith, but to fulfill it. This means, among other things, drawing on shared authoritative texts, scriptures, and words of church leaders to establish a communal bond. serving side by side in church assignments, accepting callings, in general, demonstrating that we love and value the community in a way that they can relate to.

Chris Bradford

And this reaches to the harmless as doves half of the equation. The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and we should try to communicate using an aesthetic that our community associates with the Holy Spirit. This is not to say that we can’t be bold. The Holy Spirit can be associated with boldness, sharpness, and power. But we must be guided by the principles outlined in Doctrine and Covenants 121. by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned, by kindness and pure knowledge, shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy. and without guile, reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy, that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.

Chris Bradford

Now to some specifics. Number one, draw on the scriptures heavily. Jesus quoted scripture frequently. but often did so in a manner that opened up new ways of understanding familiar passages. Most people have not read the Scriptures in any great depth. Yet they attach great value to them. Proposing new interpretations of Scripture is a highly valuable approach. I found this especially effective among the youth who are hungry for the meat of the gospel, not just the milk that they got in their primary years. Talk about the meanings of individual words. Talk about historical context. Talk about alternate translations. Talk about the origins of particular passages.

Chris Bradford

Express number two, express unusual perspectives and disagreements in non-threatening ways. Some phrases that I found helpful include another possible way to look at that is or something I found helpful is, or sometimes I struggle with, I wonder whether we couldn’t think about it like this. Try for a yes and approach rather than a no-but approach. And don’t be afraid to speak up. During a scouting trip, for example, some boys were talking about how evolution is bad, and I told them that I didn’t see any reason why God couldn’t use evolution as a creative Process and had no negative repercussions from the boys or their parents.

Chris Bradford

Number three, don’t be too concerned about using familiar language in unfamiliar ways. While vagueness can obfuscate or be harmfully deceptive, it can also build bridges. Think of these bridges as perhaps a rope bridge. That serves as a guideline for the construction of a solid bridge of understanding later on. In Doctrine and Covenants 19, we even have God Himself setting this example for us Using the familiar terms endless and eternal in unusual ways, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men altogether for my name’s glory.

Chris Bradford

Four, be willing to challenge assumptions directly. One of my favorite examples is countering the idea, usually from a well-known primary song, that faith is like a little seed. By reading from Alma, Now we will compare the word unto a seed. And this is best done with concepts and examples that do not obviously undermine significant beliefs, allowing people to reconsider minor ways in which they may be mistaken lays important groundwork for more substantial self-examination.

Chris Bradford

Number five, don’t get involved in drawn-out back and forth arguments in a church setting. Express your perspective and let others express theirs. You may be surprised at how many others share or appreciate your views.

Chris Bradford

Number six Above all, don’t do any of this to gratify your own ego, to show people how smart you are or how much you know. Yes, as you see positive results, it will feed your ego. But that cannot be your motivation. People will see right through that. This is probably the hardest aspect of subverting dogma, at least for me.

Chris Bradford

If our brothers and sisters can see Christ in us and can feel the Holy Spirit as we share our perspectives, We can be wise as serpents and harmless as doves till we all come in the unity of the faith unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things. Thank you.

Chris Bradford

Okay. Any questions?

Speaker 3

Warmer said you never found anything that’s really hostile toward you and wanted to excommunicate the sovereign prisoners.

Chris Bradford

So the question is, in, say, a Sunday school setting, have I ever come across people who are really hostile and who, say, would want to excommunicate me or something? Actually I haven’t found that in a Sunday school setting. I found that more on the internet than I have. It’s at this cool. I think really if you build on these principles that I laid out of really establishing shared values that you don’t really encounter that much. I’ve definitely had debates with people maybe in the hallway after a Sunday school class or something, but usually very good natured. Any others?

Speaker 3

You said something about how you see evolution as God’s plan as far as where we’re going from now. Does that go any Reverse as well, or are we looking just in a forward perspective?

Chris Bradford

So the question is: do I see evolution as primarily a Forward-looking thing as part of God’s plan, or also looking at our past, if I understand correctly. I could see that actually both ways. I have no problems with the idea that past evolution included involvement of God, of a Creator. I would also be okay with the idea that we look at it primarily in an ongoing or forward-looking way. Thanks.