A colleague asked me today at work whether I’m excited or nervous about the rapid advances in artificial intelligence in 2025. He has mixed feelings.
I told him I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the new capabilities available to us, especially the enhanced educational opportunities made possible by AI.
My feelings on this subject are strongly influenced by a passage from a revelation Joseph Smith received while he was incarcerated in Liberty Jail in 1839:
God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;
Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;
A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld.
Doctrine and Covenants 121:26-28
This passage is about spiritual knowledge received by revelation, but the fulfillment of those ancient prophecies has coincided with an extraordinary proliferation of knowledge, both spiritual and secular. Is it a stretch to believe that modern technologies that help us organize and retrieve vast amounts of information have played a role in the broader fulfillment of this prophecy?
If ancient prophets, guided by angels, had a particular interest in our day, then surely we should rejoice to be alive at this unique time in the history of the world. As President Russell M. Nelson declared:
We live in the day that “our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation.” We have front-row seats to witness live what the prophet Nephi saw only in vision, that “the power of the Lamb of God” would descend “upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.” [1 Nephi 14:14]
You, my brothers and sisters, are among those men, women, and children whom Nephi saw. Think of that!
“Hear Him,” April 2020 general conference
Today, I will be thankful for the learning opportunities available to me in 2025. I will remember that our day has been a prophetic focus throughout history, and I will strive to take full advantage of the opportunities God has given us.
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