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Lincoln Cannon

Lincoln Cannon

著者: Lincoln Cannon
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Lincoln Cannon is a technologist and philosopher, and leading voice of Mormon Transhumanism.2025-2026 Lincoln Cannon スピリチュアリティ
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  • How to Know God
    2026/06/07
    The scriptures say a lot about God. God is the greatest intelligence (Abraham 3:19). God has a tangible body (D&C 130:22). God works within a community of Gods (Abraham 4:1). And God is present in and through the world itself (D&C 88:6). God is courageous (Moses 7:28). God is compassionate (1 John 4:16). And God is creative (Moses 1:33). Crucially, God is not (or at least particular Gods are not) static. In other words, in at least some important ways, God changes. Of that, Jesus Christ is the principal example. “He received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness” (D&C 93:13). At least, that’s what scripture says. But can we know any of that for ourselves? Can you know God? And, if so, how can you know God? When such questions arise, Mormons often appeal to Moroni 10:4-5. “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” What does that mean? Of course there’s the face value meaning: you can know anything “by the power of the Holy Ghost” after sincerely, intently, and faithfully asking God. But what does it actually look like, in practice, to ask in that way? And what is an answer “by the power of the Holy Ghost”? Often, Mormons interpret this to mean that we can know something is true by praying and feeling good about it. I think that can be a good start. But it’s a bad stop. Good feelings can sometimes be misleading. Even more broadly, when you close your eyes and set aside appeals to authority, what do you know? Honestly, what do you actually know? I suggest you know, at least, that which you’re feeling and thinking now. Regardless of the extent to which these immanent experiences may actually reflect anything that transcends you, you know the immanent experiences. Regardless of the extent to which your interior world accurately maps onto any exterior world, you know the interior world. If you’re feeling good, you know that. Suffering you know equally well. Your hopes and dreams, however fleeting they may be, you know as perfectly as they can be known. Your doubts too are known to you, even if ironically, as fully as knowledge can attain. That, I contend, says something about how we ought to interpret the Moroni passage. And, in turn, it says something about how we can ultimately know God most dependably. After explaining that God changes, as exemplified by Jesus Christ, the scripture continues (D&C 93:19-20): “I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness. For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace.” That “fulness” that we may receive is the same that Jesus received. It is glorification in Christ, who is glorified in God. By extension, it’s a fullness of Godhood. And that, the scripture says, is what and how we ought to worship – the worship of emulation, rather than anything like obsequious groveling. The scriptures say a lot more about the practical consequences of such worship, of emulating and becoming God. God organizes us to gain intelligence and bodies, in community, expanding our presence in and through the world (Abraham 3:22-26). We increase in capacity for courage and compassion until, as God is, “so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17-18). Then we are Gods (D&C 76:58-60), made “equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” with God (D&C 76:95) by whom, through whom, and in whom “the worlds are and were created” (D&C 76:23-24). We will “see as [we] are seen, and know as [we] are known” (D&C 76:94). We will “comprehend even God, being quickened in him and by him” (D&C 88:45-50). And “when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (Moroni 7:48). Consider. How could it be otherwise? How could God not know God? How could we not know ourselves, at least as dependably as we know anything at all? And if we recognize in our own experience, in our own feelings and thoughts, that which we esteem as Godhood, how could we not know God? To recognize God in ourselves, we must know God. This is simply true by definition. The first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ is faith. I understand that faith, in its most basic form, to be an active working trust in, or the courage to act on, Jesus’ claim that we, together with him, can overcome suffering and death. Joseph Smith, in his last general conference sermon, pressed us to understand that first principle, ...
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  • In Memory of Mike Perry
    2026/04/19
    Dr. R. Michael (Mike) Perry was a gentle, principled, and thoughtful man who devoted decades of his life to Alcor and the cryonics movement. He also engaged broadly in the religious Transhumanist movement, including membership in the Christian Transhumanist Association, Terasem, Church of Perpetual Life, Society for Venturism, and Society for Universal Immortality. I first met him when he joined the Mormon Transhumanist Association, in its early years. He went on to present at Association conferences, serve as an advisor, and become a beloved friend. In conversation with me, Mike expressed inclinations toward naturalistic atheism. But he engaged Mormon thought with genuine curiosity and intellectual courage, even occasionally arguing that the hope of technological resurrection is not only compatible with religious intuition but even its fulfillment. At one Association conference, he presented his theory of “parallel recreation,” reasoning from informational realism and multiverse frameworks toward universal immortalism. It was, as I recall, during that presentation that I first heard him refer to Jesus’ biblical charge to “raise the dead” and claim that Christians “should take him more seriously.” I had the privilege of spending time with Mike just last weekend at the 20th anniversary retreat of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. He shared one of his digital music compositions for the gathered attendees, who listened with nothing short of reverence and erupted in applause afterward. At another time, as he and I sat together and caught up on each other’s life, he spoke with enthusiasm about his plan to retire from paid work at Alcor and continue serving there for free. That detail says everything about who he was. Mike is now an Alcor patient, cryopreserved and in the care of the community that he helped build. This is an ending – a big one. But for those of us who share his hope in universal resurrection, this isn’t the last ending in his story. With him, we trust that the story need never have a last ending. Mike, I’m grateful for our time together, for your work and example, and for our friendship. See you in the resurrection. [ Visit the webpage to view the media. ]
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  • 29 Thoughts on April 2026 General Conference
    2026/04/05
    Yesterday and today, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints met for our worldwide general conference. The Saturday morning session was a solemn assembly in which we sustained our new Church president, Dallin H. Oaks. Oaks succeeded former Church president Russell M. Nelson upon the latter’s death, as is our custom. The act of sustaining a new Church president is an expression of support, not a vote. Often, while watching, I share my thoughts and feelings about conference in posts on social media. My intent is to promote deeper engagement with the conference. To that end, I generally express both affirmations and constructive criticisms. Below is a list of my posts during this conference. Elder Kearon points out that sustaining votes for persons called to fill positions in the Church don’t entail that we intend always to agree with them. They entail our willingness to support those persons in those positions. Still thinking about the structure of the solemn assembly, which implicitly emphasizes Church hierarchy and its predominantly male composition. Perhaps we should re-examine the extent to which doctrine demands this structure. Sister Yee says that “ministering is the essence of who God is,” implying that we become more like God as we minister to each other. Sister Yee says God needs help with the “staggering task of answering prayers.” Amen, sister. That’s practical faith. Love the artwork of Minerva Teichert, particularly the pioneer woman raising her arm, that Elder Gilbert references. It channels a substantial Earthy determination. Elder Gilbert addresses those “trapped in traditions,” illustrating with a story about people slow to join the Church, to honor another religious tradition. But this also applies to us in the Church, trapped in traditions that inhibit fuller emulation of God. Assuming technological change continues to accelerate biomedical interventions, Elder Bednar has the best chance of becoming the last president of the Church to receive the calling based on the death of a predecessor. Elder Bednar quotes D&C 93, emphasizing that Jesus, like us, did not begin with a fullness, but progressed from grace to grace – again like us. This is the heart of theosis, exemplified by Jesus in Christosis. Elder Becerra speaks of tithing, suggesting it gates emergence from poverty. I think a communal case can be made for this, particularly when tithing is understood broadly. But I suspect many individual cases contradict this. Characteristically, President Eyring speaks of peace, encouraging prayer to facilitate that. He’s right, probably even for you, if you will. Look at the science. Elder Ortega compares theosis to climbing a mountain, where the direct path is rarely the fastest or safest. I’d add that there are also many ways up a mountain. Elder Caussé is something of a celebrity in my home. My French wife is currently posing for a photo offering him (on the TV) a piece of baguette. Oh la la. Elder Caussé points out that, although we may serve those we love, we also tend to come to love those we serve. This is a salient practical observation. Investment in cooperative ecosystems reinforces emotional attachment to those ecosystems. Elder Matswagothata has presence — captivating presence. The second he smiled, I wanted to listen to him. Elder Soares warns against the philosophies of men. Scripture advocates love of the wisdom of God, which is the philosophy of God. Philosophy, the love of wisdom, in itself isn’t the problem. The problem is aspiration to anything less than divine wisdom. Good to see Elder Uchtdorf as the opening Easter speaker for the second day of General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He’s one of my favorites. Elder Uchtdorf says the Easter story of Jesus changed the world forever. This is objectively true, even from a non-religious perspective. No ideology in human history has come even close to the number of Christians. Elder Uchtdorf says he saw “with spiritual eyes” that Jesus is resurrected. When I was young, Church members commonly supposed that apostles must see Jesus more literally than “spiritual eyes” may suggest. That seems not to be as commonly supposed today. President Freeman says that God’s promises will be fulfilled in us, regardless of the bad days through which we must pass, if we trust. That’s how prophecy works. It’s not about fortune-telling. It’s forth-telling. We make it so. Elder Rowe quotes Jesus, “that which you have seen me do, that you should do.” The Bible says Jesus consoles, heals, and raises the dead. Do Christians take Jesus seriously? Do we aim to console, heal, and raise the dead? Elder Rowe again quotes Jesus, “be converted that I may heal you.” Consider the conditional or causal structure of that invitation. What is it about change that mediates healing? Elder Rasband echoes thoughts and feelings of previous speakers, celebrating ...
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