Lesson given December 8th 2024

Simplicity

Tangents:

• Connotation vs. Denotation (skinny vs. slender and simplify vs. complicate)
• Simplify vs. over-simplify
• Complicate vs. add nuance

Examples:

Kevin from The Office vs. Arrival (language learning in Nicaragua, My Fair Lady/Pygmaleon)

• “Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?"
• “Thank”
• “Many small time make big time”

Parable of the “simple” Christmas light installation

ELI5 

All you need is love -The Beatles

Conceptual:

Simple vs. Easy

• Structural composition vs. Difficulty rating (chess)

Heuristics: mental shortcuts for solving problems in a quick way that delivers a result that is sufficient enough to be useful given time constraints (but may not represent true accuracy/completeness)

Qs:

Scriptural examples of when things were simplified (for good)?

• 2 great commandments vs. 10 commandments
• If I have not charity I am nothing (1 Cor. 13)

Scriptural examples of when things were complexified/nuanced (for good)?

• Sermon on the mount: “It has been said in times of old that… but I say…”
• “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things.” (Also 1 Cor. 13)

Why simplify? Why nuance?

• Alma 31:5 - teaching more effective than war
• Truth time-bombs (remembering)
• Recall people from the extremes (pull back from over complicating: Pharisees)(push to add nuance/detail when over-simplifying) Simple is easier to remember/sticks in the brain
• Can be an introduction/foundation to support greater complexity later (scaffolding)

Why NOT simplify? Why NOT nuance?

• Can seem dismissive
• Can push person beyond their capacity/over-burden, bore, lose in the weeds

Effective Methods/techniques/tactics for simplifying?

• Drawing pictures/diagrams
• Using metaphors/analogies
• Telling stories
• Giving examples
• Editing (discarding content, focusing on essentials/basics)

How to simplify/nuance poorly?

• Ignore context
• Don’t “read the room”
• Over simplify
• Over complicate
• Focus on ephemera/thick of thin things/fried froth
• Look beyond the mark

President Eyring:

• “For, behold, I command all men everywhere to repent…” D&C 18 summarizes the gospel simply
• “the Savior gives us the perfect example of how we should teach His doctrine. This doctrine is that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end blesses all of God’s children.”
• “Because we need the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we must avoid speculation or personal interpretation that goes beyond teaching true doctrine. That can be hard to do when you love the person you are trying to influence. He or she may have ignored the doctrine that has been taught. It is tempting to try something new or sensational. But the Holy Ghost will reveal the spirit of truth only as we are cautious and careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine.”
• “Some of you may wonder whether it might be better to draw your children closer to you through having fun, or you may ask whether the child may start to feel overwhelmed by your teachings. Instead, we should consider, “With so little time and so few opportunities, what words of doctrine can I share that will strengthen them against the inevitable challenges to their faith?” The words you share today could be the ones they carry with them, and today will soon pass.”
• “You can find hope in the scriptural record of families. We read of those who turned away from what they were taught or who were wrestling with God for forgiveness, such as Alma the Younger, the sons of Mosiah, and Enos. In their moments of crisis, they remembered the words of their parents, words of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Remembering saved them. Your teaching of that sacred doctrine will be remembered.”

Activity:

Tweet the essence of the gospel (acc to OLD twitter limitation of 140 characters)

Take away?

Legion of honor museum: Art History

Much of art history was a quest to accurately imitate life, you can see the struggle to capture complexity while only having limited capacity and under-representing the complexity in simplicity, but every year/generation seeing progress.

Then the renaissance happened and something “clicked” for the art world collectively and we began seeing very accurate proportions and near-photographic quality in art.

Then the camera was invented and EXACTness, detail, every nuance became possible, nay, easy.

And what happened as a result?

Impressionism… a return to simplicity, but now INFORMED by the capacity for complexity making the choices deliberate/originating from a presence of ability rather than a lack thereof.

 Talk given October 22 2023

Authority

My Goal for this talk: “Notice Authority” - hope that we all will become more aware of authority systems and where that authority is derived like I have while thinking about this talk during the week.

My own “noticing” of authority:

MH Flag Football: Consent of parents leads to consent of kids because someone volunteered to coach. Coaches are obeyed because of a social agreement. 

• Coach authority is tied to specific scope, ex: they can’t come rebuild my car engine with their flag football coaching authority. 
• What I mean is that authority in one area does not grant “carte blanche” authority in other areas.

Tennis: Playing one on one, we grant authority to our opponent to call whether a ball is in or out, but in a real competition a judge is granted that authority by both competitors.

Family life is a great place to “notice authority” - why do kids obey or not obey their parents? What happens when parental authority is questioned? Who makes decisions for what your family does?

Another great place to “notice authority” is in Movies! Playing with the idea of authority is a common theme in many movies:

Catch Me If You Can: Frank Abegnale - assumed authority Pilot, Surgeon, Lawyer etc. (people believed in him - did he have real “authority?”)

Fried Green Tomatoes: Nawanda! Stolen parking space at grocery store younger lady: “Face it: I’m younger and faster.” Older lady retaliates by crashing into younger lady’s car: “Face it: I’m older and have better insurance.”

Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Apes can’t mobilize forces to overthrow humans until authority hierarchy is determined and infighting is quashed (rebellious ape 

Koba offers hand over in deference to Caesar, when Koba’s allies see this, they “fall in line” under Caesar’s authority and the apes can invade San Francisco)

Disney Cartoon The Sword In The Stone - The weak boy is able to draw the sword while stronger warriors can’t (perhaps his authority to rule was especially due to his tutoring by Merlin in which he transformed young Arthur into various animals?)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: uncommonly intelligent peasants question the uncommonly dense King Arthur: where do you get your authority to be king? Arthur explains the legend of the lady of the lake. Peasants reply:

⁃ “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.”

⁃ “Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.”

As you are “noticing authority” think about what would happen if the authority was removed from the scenario… 

Authority matters because it is a “heuristic” (rule of thumb or a shortcut for fast conclusions) It works because you’re not required to waste time or effort deciding who’s “right” or “in-charge” via physical squabbles or philosophical argument. (Imagine Apostles arm wrestling every meeting to see who today’s prophet would be…) Authority lets us get down to business or constructive action faster.

Authority is based in ABILITY (can you DO what you say? Do I BELIEVE you can do it?):

⁃ Knowledge = “latent ability” theoretical, not yet proven - I know how to do something, but may not have proven it yet (if I have proven it, then authority is increased even more) Perhaps I’ve done something similar to increase your trust in my ability?

⁃ Resources = “latent ability” - can I mobilize action via my resources? (physical strength, weapons, money, connections)

ABILITY LEADS TO:

⁃ Social Compliance/Deference/Release of control

WARNING 1: Ability can be faked or lied about, so we must be on our toes when placing trust and granting social authority. In the surfing and skateboarding world fakers are called “posers.” They talk the lingo, wear the clothes, but cannot back it up with ability. Authority can be granted solely through belief even when not backed by ability.

WARNING 2: Socialized authority, over time, can become traditional or assumed or taken-for-granted (I like to call this “baked in” authority). Generally, these “powers that be” become associated with a divine or mystical authority narrative… ex: “The Lady of The Lake.”

In Christian scriptures “baked” in or “taken-for-granted” authority is undermined:

⁃ Esau and Jacob - “birth right” is NOT based on birth order, but God’s favor/righteousness

⁃ Same for Joseph of Egypt (younger brother saves older bros. and entire family because of God’s favor)

⁃ Saul vs. David (strength, charisma, good looks, vs. “the Lord looketh on the heart”)

⁃ Who were the “leaders” of Jesus’ time? Who did Jesus critique the most? Why? Baked in, taken-for-granted, “assumed” authority. “Draw near [to God] with lips, but hearts [and actions] are far from me”

As you “notice authority” make special note of systems where authority has become “baked in” or taken-for-granted - where it is no longer directly tied back to ability. As the scriptures teach us, that kind of authority is important to question.

What I’ve noticed is: When authority is being questioned, it is not a peaceful process or feeling, but it is likely that growth is happening. We can perhaps reframe how we react when authority is questioned and focus on the growth rather than the absence of peace.

CONCLUSION:

Remember that “ability” is the way authority is created? Well, one thing we haven’t discussed is the highest form of ability… ability which comes from invention or creation. In fact, the word “Author” is the root of “Authority.” 

I started off my talk contemplating the source of authority for my kids’ flag football coaches. The next level above the coaches and refs and admins is the founder of the MH Flag Football league, Andy Su… he has authority simply because he took the initiative to create the league, or in other words: He is the “Author” of the league and the de-facto “Author-ity.”

Some things to think about as you embark on your quest to “notice authority:”

“No man taketh this honor unto himself, except he be called of God, as was Aaron”

“Jesus is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end”

“Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith”

Go forth and “notice authority!”

 Musings from July 21 2024:

Korihor Strawman

This is my typical setup for a rant: Sunday School, reviewing the story of Alma’s showdown with Korihor. SS teacher’s lesson plan is to use Alma’s approach to refuting Korihor’s philosophy as a guide for how we, in our day-to-day lives, should approach someone who is espousing similar philosophies.

First, I believe this is a bad idea because our typical interactions with someone who doesn’t believe in God is not “apples-to-apples” with Korihor vs. Alma.

Some key differences:

1. Korihor KNOWS he’s lying. His arguments are not sincere, he’s deliberately deceiving (as shown by his end-of-life confession). Most atheists we encounter will actually be sincere and believe their own point of view genuinely. It is condescending and arrogant to enter a conversation with someone on a topic where you disagree under the assumption that the person you’re talking to is knowingly deceiving you, on-purpose, in order to manipulate you. Good, productive conversations begin with assuming the best intentions.
2. Korihor is deceived. This may seem similar to #1 but I bring it up because most people we have discussions with hold beliefs that are likely as-well (if not better) arrived at than our own position. Our assumption should be that we have as much to learn about the topic as the other person. Assuming, upfront, that an atheist (or whoever we’re talking with on whatever topic) has been somehow manipulated and deceived is arrogant and judgmental and will inhibit good discourse. Note that the difference between #1 and #2 is the difference between KNOWING you’re lying in #1, and in #2 just being deceived/believing someone else’s arguments. We should ask about sources and support for any argument, but not start out assuming our sources are more-reliable than those of the person with whom we’re discussing.
3. For the religiously-minded, Alma is a “prophet” and has extra close contact with “The Spirit” to discern Korihor’s real intent. It is very dangerous for “the rest of us non-prophets” to assume we can tell the inner-motives of a person with whom we’re conversing.
4. Korihor saw an angel. 99.9% sure that no one in this class room is going to be dealing with an atheist that saw an angel.

Why this matters: In real life, each individual we encounter is just that: an individual. Each will have varying degrees of knowledge supporting their position and varying levels of motivation for their beliefs. To, carte-blanche, map Korihor vs. Alma onto our own discussion with another real human being is to paint them as a caricature (a mustache-twisting villain/boogeyman out to get us), and ourselves as a caricature (an all-knowing prophet with God’s only real “truth”). 

Every individual we talk with deserves to have their ideas evaluated on the ideas’ merits without preconceived notions of how, where, or why those ideas originated. We can be curious and ask questions about the sources of the ideas, and THEN make judgements about the merits of those sources, of course!

The Book of Mormon sets up Korihor as a rhetorical “straw man” - a caricature without the nuance of reality - that is easy for “the good guys” to dismantle and “knock down” all the while touting their own right-ness.

“Straw man” reasoning is not solid reasoning, it creates a false sense of strength in your position without pushing you to find valid defense and justification. This false sense of security and over confidence (see the Dunning Krueger effect) is likely to get you into hot water when encountering real world situations. Don’t fall for the trap of oversimplifying scenarios in such a way!

A talk given for church leaders June 9th 2024:
 
God, Neighbor, Self

Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart might mind and strength, and love thy neighbor as thyself.

Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of the Lord.

God, Neighbor, Self. Good mental and spiritual health involves feeling “confident” with all 3: God Neighbor Self

Do the people for whom you have stewardship (and more-importantly you):

1. Feel confident in their relationship with God?
2. Feel confident in their relationship with their neighbor? (Society, family, friends) Do I have my own “tribe” where I feel comfortable and can contribute? Do I “belong” to others?
3. Feel confident in their relationship with themselves? (Are they living in a manner consistent with their own values? Do they have and like their own “identity?”) Do I “belong” to myself?

These 3 areas are interwoven, inform, and build on each other. It is hard to feel confident with God if you don’t feel confident with your neighbor/tribe or yourself. And vice versa, it’s hard to feel confident with your neighbor/society if you are at odds with God.

Small distortions in the relationship between these 3 things can lead to poor mental/spiritual health.

Examples: Have you heard these kinds of philosophies?

• Only God can judge me
• I’ve talked to God about it, I don’t need to involve anyone else (like my bishop or my spouse, or a support group)
• I have to be true to myself (at all costs) [we don’t usually say the parenthesis out loud]
• My problems are so unique that no one can help me (so I’ll stay stuck)

Satan/our “natural man” will very subtly distort the balance between God, Neighbor, and Self:

Satan: “I’m doing what’s been done on other earths… that’s how God gained his knowledge…”

Emphasis on societal norms. Everyone’s doing it, it’s what’s normal. Everyone will understand, turn a blind eye, wink at it, etc. —> Indulgence/misplaced confidence/courage (fight)

Also Satan: “See you are naked! Run, hide!”

Emphasis on societal judgement (shame). You are the ONLY one doing something so shameful. Keep it secret, hidden. No one will understand. —> secrecy, absence of confidence, shame (flight)

These 2 ideas often follow each other and are in direct logical conflict (everybody’s doing it vs. nobody’s doing it). Satan is actually telling the “truth” in both cases, but he is putting EMPHASIS on the wrong things (and omitting the “full story”).

How to help those (including myself) caught in these distortions:

Social: Please notice that all 3 of these areas are a “social” relationship.

PERSON <—> GOD

PERSON <—> NEIGHBORS

PERSON <—> SELF

Many people’s conception of God comes from their experiences with their neighbor (eg: parents, church leaders/God's mouthpiece/God's representative, etc. “My Dad was mean, so God must be too”). Other conceptions of God come from our understanding of ourselves (“I’m lenient and forgiving, so God must be too”). These can actually be sources of distorted God understanding.

Any social relationship can be a source of shame because shame is about the question: “Am I seen poorly through the eyes of another?” Our natural man is hard-wired to care deeply about these relationships and our status in these relationships. Does God not like me? Does my tribe not like me? Do I really like myself?

Brene Brown has taught that: “Because shame is a social ill, it requires a social balm.” Seeing our work as the repairing of a social problem can greatly influence our approach and effectiveness. Seeing problems from this perspective (fixing a social problem) will also help us eliminate words and practices that contribute to building shame. Ultimately we must build a different kind of society or culture around these topics.

1. Help heal the God relationship (priesthood confession, guidance, involvement). Priesthood leaders stand as proxy/symbol for the God relationship, emphasize and help transmit God’s love and mercy/forgiveness/understanding. Prayer = direct link to the divine. Be careful over-emphasizing “justice” and “judgement” which can drive shame.
2. Help heal the Neighbor relationship (friends, family, tribe). Help individuals open up and be honest with others. Help them invite others into their “inner circle”, fight isolation, be vulnerable. Share who they are so others can demonstrate acceptance and love of them “as they are.” Encourage participation in support groups where they can “socialize” with others who are open and honest and can relate to their journey.
3. Help heal the Self relationship (explore and define their OWN values, outside of, but probably informed by “others” - what do they actually believe and feel is important? “get their own testimony”) Therapy can be helpful in this journey.

Again, work in these 3 areas will be interwoven, inform, and build on each other across the lines of the 3 neat little boxes.

Ex: Knowing that your tribe understands and accepts you, helps you believe more that God can know and accept you, which helps you have more self-confidence.

You can’t be an expert in all 3 of these areas, but good leaders are good “short stops” that know where to route the balls coming in from the outfield to the proper base.

Your focus is on #1, but various church programs & other resources are for #2 and you should be lobbing balls to those bases to really help people with the “Neighbor” piece of this puzzle.

Luke 12:2-3 (Jesus talking about the latter days, and the times near his second coming)

“For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.

Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

We typically see this as a warning that our sins will be “shouted from the rooftops” in a shameful way as a punishment for the wicked. But perhaps this could be read as the kind of mindset necessary in the latter days… more of a commandment… where we are the ones doing the shouting… WILLINGLY sharing those things we’ve been conditioned to be ashamed of, in an open and vulnerable way, and that a society in which such sharing of “what is normally hidden” will be a transformed and Godly society.