Light and Truth Data Modeling

 

Cybersecurity - Deep Learning, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence

Next-generation cybersecurity employs deep learning with large data sets to build a cybersecurity model based on machine learning and predictive artificial intelligence.  Let’s examine how this works step by step.  Traditional cybersecurity has been focused on identifying all known bad threats in the cyber world.  An example would be your anti-virus software which blocks malware from your computer based on having a list of ALL known viruses.  Malware is software that has malicious intent.  Malware is identified, labeled, and blocked one by one.  In cybersecurity, this is commonly referred to as a ‘known bad’ approach to security.  Anti-virus software employs the ‘known bad’ model looking through repositories of known malware and blocking when a virus on the known bad list is seen.  These ‘known bad’ cyber-attacks that we have historically seen use content deception.  Examples of content deception used by attackers would be exploits employing malware, malicious attachments and URLs used in attacks to breach computer systems and networks.  While this approach is still practiced and used by most companies, it has become impossible to block ALL ‘known bad’ content deception-based cyber threats.  Virus total, a top cybersecurity company that tracks and helps to block viruses, puts their repository of known bad malware at over 4 billion samples.  According to the AV-TEST Institute, 350,000 new pieces of malware are detected every day.  In 2020 there were over 1.1 trillion reported new pieces of malware.  A zero-day exploit (never before seen) will be successful in their attack if a company is using only the ‘known bad’ model in their cyber defenses.  A zero-day exploit is a never-before-seen exploit that emerges and often is successful unless the company has countermeasures to find these in real-time and protect against them.  Over the last few years, zero-day exploits have increased in number and sophistication.   

Identity Deception

Over the last several years, attackers are getting more sophisticated, and security defenses have improved to allow companies to more easily block ALL ‘known bad’ email phishing attacks.  With this increased sophistication of the attackers and improved defenses, email phishing attacks have gravitated towards employing identity deception.  With identity deception, the attackers impersonate trusted individuals to carry out their various phishing scams.  These Identity impersonation-based email phishing attacks do NOT carry any ‘known bad’ signals, so they are getting right past current email defenses.  Identity-based attacks can be put in the category of zero-day exploits because there are no associated signals of any kind to add them to a ‘known bad’ list to find and block them.  To combat this new problem, cybersecurity is turning to machine learning and predictive Artificial Intelligence to help fill this new security gap in cyber defenses.  I will use email security in this analogy, but this security approach can be applied to many other cybersecurity disciplines.  Email has become the top threat vector for the original intrusion point for company breaches.  Email employing identity deception tactics is also known as business email compromise (BEC).  According to a 2019 Verizon Data Security report, 96% of all breaches originate from email.  This is possible because the underlying email protocol SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) was built without any authentication or trust.  On the Internet, it is very simple to impersonate or spoof an individual or even a common brand like Microsoft or Google.  Here is an example of individual executive impersonation.  This email was sent from an attacker impersonating a company CEO.  This was directed to an employee from the CEO imposter asking them to take care of an urgent matter with a law firm to whom they would introduce them for assisting with an impending acquisition. 

 

In this phishing scheme, the attacker employed a dual impersonation scheme where they followed up to the same employee with a phishing email impersonating the law firm who graciously said they were hired to assist with the acquisition.  In this fashion, the employee really had no chance to avoid the deception as it's two-sided dual impersonation deception.  

Business Email Compromise, like the example above, has grown at light speeds because attackers are so successful at it.  Traditional content defenses like anti-virus and sandboxing are not able to stop this new wave of identity deception attacks.   Email security is looking to data science, machine learning with predictive Artificial Intelligence to understand email behavior and patterns to identify and stop these new sophisticated phishing scams.  Coupled with this is behavioral modeling and analysis to know what good likes like.  By knowing what good looks like, the bad stands out as anomalous and can be blocked.  Modeling the good security approach will be covered in analogy #5.  

 

This all starts with having big data sets as input to the deep learning layer.  In the case of email, Agari inspects over 3 trillion emails annually where the email data is collected from the message headers and metadata for data science and data analytics as part of the deep learning process.  Inputs would include IPs, domains, domain reputation, mail servers, receiver to addresses, sender from addresses, etc... where all these inputs are crunched in hidden layers of rules, modeling with applied analytics to produce a riskiness trust score to predict whether or not an email is malicious.  The below model diagram shows how this works at a high level with all AI computers.

 

 Diagram: Artificial Intelligence Example

Artificial Intelligence (AI) starts with Deep Learning from large data sets and then applying data against intelligent algorithms and rules, thus allowing software to learn automatically from patterns and modeling to predict the outcomes in the future.  Applying this to email security, the 3 trillion emails Agari analyzes annually are viewed as training data to allow for the learning that occurs with trust behavioral modeling and email rules sets.  This training data allows for and is critical to the outcomes of the predictive behavior.  Every email is labeled, given a risk-based trust score, and classified by threat category if it is bad with the business objective to block malicious emails.  Agari excels to achieve an efficacy rate of 99% in their trust score labeling of emails.  This means that we would be correctly labeling emails as bad or good 99% of the time.  Stopping this new onslaught of identity deception-based phishing attacks comes down to being the best at big data analytics, data science, and behavioral modeling.

Diagram: Showing predictive behavior of labeling possible phishing email

 

We will apply this model to spiritual security to show how the words of Christ, light, truth, intelligence, and the spirit of Christ all work together.

 

Deep Learning based on the Light of Christ

“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.”  (D&C 93:36) Light is the first required element of glory. What does our spirit consist of from our infant state coming into this world?  In Genesis 2:7 we read, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; man became a living soul.”  Man is formed from elements and becomes a living soul only after Christ breaths light into his soul to give him the breath of life.  This breath of life is literally in every sense of the word, the light and spirit of Christ.  All on the earth have the light of Christ to help them choose between good and evil (often viewed as our conscious), but we don’t contemplate enough that we literally are made up of elements/matter consisting of the light and spirit of Christ.    In D&C 88:11, we read, “And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings.”  Richard Draper, in July 2009, a BYU professor of ancient scripture, explains, “This phrase defines light not only as something that makes vision possible but also as that force that activates and stimulates the intellect.  Further, scripture tells us that light ‘is in all things,’ gives ‘life to all things,’ and ‘is the law by which all things are governed.’  (D&C 88:13) Thus a more full definition would make light an ever-present, life- and law-inducing power that manifests itself, among other ways, as natural light, intellectual activity, and the living energy in all things. The scriptures declare that this ‘light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space’ and that it is ‘the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.’ (D&C 88:12–13).  To rephrase for emphasis, these scriptures suggest that the term light is used to describe an aspect of God’s power that radiates out from Him, expanding with His work and will, enlightening, organizing, capacitating, and quickening as it does. Perhaps the best definition would be living and capacitating energy. This idea is expressed in the scripture that states, ‘That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.’” (D&C 50:24).  This scripture suggests that the continual reception of this living energy endows one with ability. Thus, the Lord states:  "And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things." (D&C 88:67)   The ability to comprehend all things comes only as we increase in light.  The light and spirit of Christ, which gave us life to take our first breath, literally gives life to all living things on the earth.  This light is the law or power by which God governs all things upon this earth.  Brother Draper said in his talk, “according to Doctrine and Covenants 131:7–8, ‘all spirit is matter.’ If this includes the Spirit of Christ, then its bestowal upon an individual is an impartation of actual celestial substance—actual elements of spirit producing higher power, higher capacity, higher life. The result of its infusion would be spiritual and intellectual capacitation, which would allow the individual to progress to the point that he could enjoy eternal life.  But the capacitating force of light would have to precede the possession of this celestial substance."  

 

The inspired question that I have pondered more deeply and has brought me increased knowledge, light and truth is: Knowing that the light of Christ dwells within me and is required for more enlightenment - what am I doing to expand upon this light, add to this light, and more fully embrace this light?   Before we explore more on the topic, let’s consider this scripture in D&C 93:33-35 "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy.  The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple."  Knowing that a portion of the spirit and light of Christ literally dwells in you gives meaning to the words ‘your body is a temple.’  We would all do well to ponder more deeply as to how we are treating our personal temples to not desecrate them inside or out.  It’s also equally important to note that we cannot receive a full measure of joy if our disobedience and neglect cause our spirit to be dimmed.  Just as our light and spirit can grow brighter, if we are not providing for the nourishment of our spirit and body, they can actually go dimer and dimer until there is no light within us.  One who continues to follow after wickedness can lose the light of Christ within them.

 

Light and Truth

We are not, however, glorified in light.  We are glorified by the reception and bestowal of the other important element of glory - truth.   “He that keepeth [God’s] commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things” (D&C 93:28).   Satan is bound by abiding in God’s law, living righteously, and the continual reception of light and truth.  Essentially Satan is bound by our living in and understanding the glorifying principle of truth.  Understanding this principle of truth clarifies why Satan focuses his perilous plan of deception around keeping us from the truth and has created this tumultuous war on truth so prevalent in our day.  Walking in truth is what enables us to progress and become more like our Savior Jesus Christ and avoid participating in the divisive behavior of our day created by Satan’s war on truth.  Brother Draper continues in his talk, “The glorifying principle is truth.  Defining truth, the scripture states that it is ‘knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come’ (D&C 93:24).  In other words, truth is knowledge of what a Latter-day Saint hymn proclaims as ‘the sum of existence.’  Truth defined in this way is always associated with light because truth can only be acquired through the power or the capacitating force of light.  Without the faculty created by light, a fulness of truth could never be gained.  For example, if my spiritual mind is pint-sized, I can only hold a pint of truth.  If God is to give me more, the capacity of my mind must be expanded. Light does the expansion. It enlarges, as it were, my mind. Thus, if God wants to give me a quart of truth, He sends the light that enlarges my capacity and, thus, makes it possible for me to receive the larger endowment of truth."  

 

In D&C 84:46, we read, "And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit."  Enlighteneth, in this sense, can be defined as the bestowal of truth.  The light of Christ is given to all people to discern between good and evil.  Also, the light of Christ leads the humble seeker to recognize and find truth.  Missionaries seek to teach by the spirit and help investigators recognize and know when they have been enlightened by the light and spirit of Christ.  Brother Draper goes on in his talk to provide a summary of how light and truth work together, “Light (the capacitating power) and enlightenment (or truth) are received by acquisition of celestial element through the Spirit of Christ to those who obey the word.  But first comes obedience to the word, then light, and finally truth. Thus, all—word, light, truth, and spirit—become united. They are inseparably welded together so that a person cannot be touched by one without being touched by all.  Accordingly, the scripture states, ‘My voice is Spirit; my Spirit is truth; truth abideth and hath no end and; if it be in you it shall abound.’ (D&C 88:66).   As noted already, that body which is filled with light—the power of God—can comprehend all things, namely, all truth."  A principle of truth is that obedience to the word is required for any acquisition of additional light and truth through the spirit of Christ.  Word, light, truth, and spirit are united and connected.  Loss of one will affect the ability to retain the other.  Failure to abide in and obey the word, or even casual treatment of the word will result in some loss of light, truth, and spirit.  To better envision how these all work together, I have applied this to the cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence security model.

Diagram showing relationship between word, light, truth, and intelligence

 

You can see from this diagram more easily how light and truth working together to give us more intelligence and knowledge in this life.    "The Glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth."  (D&C 93:2) The sum of a man's or woman’s light and truth make up their Intelligence, and represents the spirit of man that radiates from them.  Looking to the true source of light, Jesus Christ and His Word, we will find greater peace and capacity to love others. 

 

To answer my question that I started with, how can I receive more light or the ‘capacitating power’ to acquire more truth?  Our light is increased through the grace of Christ as we have an eye single to God’s glory, search from and obey the words of Christ. 

 

God’s Truth is Absolute

Understanding truth, God’s truth, is fundamental to our eternal progression.  In our personal search for truth at the core should be our knowledge and belief in the divine mission of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   We learn from scripture that He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Ultimately all eternal truth necessary for our salvation is founded by looking to the true source of ALL truth, Jesus Christ.  In our search for truth, we should take as our guide the Holy Ghost.  It is “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5) In our search for truth, we need to ask, seek and knock.  Inquiry leads to truth through the reception of the spirit of truth.  This book is an effort in my personal search for truth through divine inquiry of inspired questions.  The Lord instructs us to “Ask the Father in my name in faith, believing that you shall receive, and you shall have the Holy Ghost, which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men.”  (D&C 18:18) Divine truth is available to us all if we seek it and ask with “a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ.”  (Moroni 10:4) Elder Oaks taught, “We believe in absolute truth, including the existence of God and the right and wrong established by His commandments.  We know that the existence of God and the existence of absolute truth are fundamental to life on this earth, whether they are believed or not. We also know that evil exists and that some things are simply, seriously, and everlastingly wrong.”   When it comes to divinely appointed truth, it is absolute. The notion that one can simply write their own narrative of truth to fit what is convenient for them is false.

 

Sincere Inquiry Leads to Absolute Truth

The Lord wants ALL God’s children to seek and ask questions.  We are a question asking people.  Christ’s restored church started with an inquiry by young Joseph, honestly seeking where to find the truth.  “In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?”  (JSH 1:10) Sound familiar to our day.  To make matters worse for us, our war of words on truth is amplified with the information age of the Internet and social media.  Everything is posted, commented on and available for immediate access.  

 

It is completely acceptable before the Lord for us to have questions and be seeking additional truth.  The Lord, in fact, commands us in Luke 11:9, "And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, It shall be opened unto you."  The word ask appears 347 times in the standard works.  The Doctrine and Covenants is mostly about Joseph taking inspired questions to the Lord.  Responding to Oliver’s desire to be endowed with the ability of translation, the Lord said, “Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith.  Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not.  Ask that you may know the mysteries of God.”  (D&C 8:10-11) A principle of truth is that God wants to reveal His truth and even mysteries to His children, but it takes sincerely asking in faith and patiently waiting upon the Lord. 

 

The Lord’s pattern for seeking absolute truth involves:

1.  Sincerely asking in Faith and patiently waiting upon the Lord

2. Studying and pondering questions and doubts from an eternal perspective

3. Using divinely appointed sources of truth as found in our scriptures with the words of Christ, and modern-day revelation from living prophets and apostles

 

False Light and Relative Truth

The following scripture in D&C 93:2 reads, "And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world."  If there is a true light, that would also imply there are false lights, even mundane dimmer lights in this fallen world.  There may be some truth in the midst of these sources, but how can one really know for sure, we can’t.  This all feeds into Satan’s perilous plan of deception.  As compared to the first model when one is searching and immersing in true light, following this model can lead one to confusion, doubt, sin and despair.  Cyberspace brought on the information age and, along with it, a never-ending search for truth.  Many of the rising generation seem to have departed from any belief in absolute truth and subscribe to a belief that truth is relative.  That one can believe, act and live in a manner after a self-prescribed notion of truth.  They forget that truth is truth as ordained by God.  Further, we live in a time when information is available in a fraction of a second on an internet search.  When seeking truth online in cyberspace, there will be many answers available instantly.  This is where relative truth has crept in and become accepted by many of the rising generation who have grown up on smart devices.  The quickest and really only way to deal with the tsunami of information is to make truth relative to the one searching.  It's become accepted and even expected among the rising generation that one is to make their own determination of truth.  If we have questions or doubts, the pattern from the Lord to understand absolute truth has been abandoned and replaced with scrolls, clicks posts, and memes.  Remembering the pattern from the Lord to obtain absolute truth will require effort, faith, prayer, waiting on the Lord, patience and placing our thoughts and minds on Jesus Christ.  When we have honest inquiry and doubts, it takes much longer than an impatient internet search to understand and be enlightened by God’s absolute truth.  

 

Much of our divisive and contentious feelings in the political culture of our country can be attributed to the tsunami of available sources of online information and ‘so-called’ realities of our worldly condition.  In the midst of all this confusion caused by all this noise and commotion, where is one to turn to find true light and truth.  For me, the answer is clear – let’s turn more to the Savior Jesus Christ, the true source of ALL light and truth as received in purity from His words. 

For illustration purposes imagine the youth or adult pondering the following questions while only immersed in worldly sources of truth:  Who am I? Of what worth am I? Am I loved? What is my purpose here on earth? And where do I go after this life?  I won’t even attempt to describe the feelings of possible unrest, despair, self-doubt, and fear that could arise when pondering these questions under different types of false light and deceptions. 

 

The CDC has issued reports showing that suicide among young people increased 56% between 2007 and 2016.  According to Jean Twenge, Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University, “Compared with their predecessors, teens today spend less time with their friends in person and more time communicating electronically, which study after study has found is associated with mental health issues.  No matter the cause, the rise in mental health issues among teens and young adults deserves attention, not a dismissal as a ‘myth.’ With more young people suffering – including more attempting suicide and more taking their own lives – the mental health crisis among American young people can no longer be ignored.”  (https://theconversation.com/the-mental-health-crisis-among-americas-youth-is-real-and-staggering-113239)

 

 The Role of Grace

As I continued my deep learning on how word, light, truth, and spirit all work together in our lives, I shouldn’t be surprised, but it’s when I read the following scripture on the grace that enlightenment came to me from the spirit of truth which quickened my understanding, and I could more clearly see the interrelation of how word, light and truth all work together in our lives.  I felt in every sense of the way the grace of Christ extended to me as I was in deep learning partaking from the true source of Light (the words of Christ).  In D&C 93:11, "And I, John, bear record that I beheld his glory, as the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, even the Spirit of truth, which came and dwelt in the flesh, and dwelt among us."   The truth I learned was that any enlightenment or quickening of our understanding with the bestowal of increased light and truth is all done by the grace of Christ.  Christ has a full measure of grace and truth which He bestows upon us from time to time.  Let’s continue in D&C 93:12-13, "And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace; and he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace until he received a fulness." 

 

Brother Draper described the role of grace in his talk as follows, "But what does it mean to receive grace for grace and to go from grace to grace? The answer lies in the very nature of grace. The word denotes favor, kindness, and goodwill. Out of this comes the theological definition, “the free unmerited love and favor of God,” that brings divine assistance.  The key expressions here are love and favor that motivates the Father to assist His children. To receive grace for grace is to receive assistance on the condition of giving assistance. But not just any kind of assistance will do. What transforms assistance into grace is the kindness and favor felt by the giver that is extended to the receiver when such service may not even be deserved."   We should keep this principle of truth in our mind wherever we are inclined to judge another, and simply choose to love as the Savior would.  The manner and timing of Christ imparting to us His grace and truth is not fully known to us, but we can learn from this scripture and from what we studied on light and truth that it takes obtaining and living the words of Christ and waiting patiently upon the Lord in our service to others whether that charitable assistance is deserving or not.  We are to serve and love unconditionally as Christ showed with His perfect example.  As we do, we will be enlightened with truth from time to time as Christ extends His grace to us. 

 

A principle of truth is that Satan is bound by the grace and truth of Christ to those abiding in God’s law, living righteously, through the reception of grace and truth from time to time until a fulness is received.

 

My Grace is Sufficient

For several weeks while pondering on my writing and my desire to understand further light and truth, the phrase My grace is sufficient has been stuck in my mind.  It is clear to me that our mortal minds do not comprehend the majesty and grandeur of the grace of Christ.  I have seen time and time again in my life when I am going through a trial, simply stuck, unable to move forward or just having a hard time. The moment I more fully turn my mind to the Savior and look to Him, His perfect love rushes in and provides me needed peace and light.  One of my favorite lessons on grace was told by Brad Wilcox at a BYU devotional.   In his depiction of grace, imagine two points on a paper separated by a gap where the top point is God, and the lower point is where we are.  He then asks the question in order to get from the point where we are at to God, what is our part and then what part would be the Lord’s.  I tried this with my children the other night, and they said something similar to what Brad heard from students at BYU, “I guess my part would be about half, maybe a little more than half.”  This is a common notion among members of the church that somehow, our works and efforts to do good and be good are somehow earning us a spot in heaven.  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  Of course, the answer is Christ makes up all the distance between where we are now and where God is.  So why keep commandments and put so much focus around service and being engaged in the work of salvation among God’s children.  Brad further expounds on his teaching of grace that our relationship with Jesus can be compared with a child that is provided piano lessons by their mother.  Nothing they have done or can do will pay for the piano lessons; they are indebted to their mother.  But what they can do is practice - practice - practice to show their mother how much they appreciate her providing piano lessons for them.  So, it is with us, we are forever indebted to our Savior, and nothing we can do will pay this debt to Him.  We can, however, show Him our love and appreciation by being humble and choosing to follow Him and keep the commandments.  Speaking to the 3 witnesses of the plates, the Lord said, “And if you do these last commandments of mine, which I have given you, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; for my grace is sufficient for you, and you shall be lifted up at the last day.”  The grace of Christ is sufficient to preserve us from the deceptions of Satan as we abide in the word and keep the commandments.  And as we keep the commandments, in the Lord’s timing, we are glorified in truth (the word).  Because His grace is sufficient, if we abide in His word, we will be lifted up at the last day into the presence of God.  Christ makes up all the difference in this journey back home to our Father in Heaven.  Knowing this dependence on the Savior should keep us humble and meek, knowing how we don’t merit anything of ourselves.  Humility is an essential character trait required by the Lord in our following Him and abiding in His word to keep His commandments.

 

Applying the analogy to our lives

Let’s explore the effects of the above in our mortal experience here on earth.  I am not a medical doctor, so this will be brief, but the brain has 100 billion neurons that make up the human neural pathways.  We know that the light of Christ is a living and capacity power energy that lives in us.  We all have unique lives and varying degrees of difficulties and trials in our lives, but there will always be some level of commotion, stress, trial, and temptation in our lives due to the fallen world we live in.  From our birth, we received the pure light of Christ being in an innocent state.  In this first example, the mind is full of light.  There are still inputs from the mortal world, but being full of light and truth, they will be far better to deal with the difficulties of life.  They will have a higher efficacy (probability) to live in peace and happiness, making decisions by the spirit of truth. 

 

Diagram of mind filled with light and truth

Data Poisoning - False Light

As reviewed with Artificial Intelligence, it all comes down to the data.  Large data sets are used to train rules and modules to allow for predictive behavior.  This training data is vital and core to determining the predictive behavior of a trained module.  In our email example, large sets of training data from company email and other available sources are used to train the rules and behavioral modeling for predicting outcomes.  Data poisoning is a cyber adversarial attack trying to manipulate or alter the email training data in the attempt to control the predictive behavior.  This predictive behavior is determining the truth for the particular outcomes of the Artificial Intelligence system.  Like with email phishing - is it good or bad?  If attackers can manipulate or replace the data to some level, they can make bad emails look good and good emails look bad.

 

In a similar manner in our technological advanced world, we have immediate access to vast data sets.  This information data-rich driven age produces an unending supply of data sets.  With the easy ability to broadcast out data like from a YouTube channel, it's simple for anyone to put forward their narratives as a data stream for the world to take in.  Knowing this day would come, God has cautioned His children to take every precaution to ensure they walk in truth.  As we have reviewed and verified with scripture directly from the Lord and prophetic teaching with repeated warnings from modern-day prophets, walking in truth is only possible if we are able to hear the voice of the spirit.  A principle of truth from the Lord is that our hearing the voice of the spirit is only possible through our daily intentional feasting on the words of Christ that enables the companionship of the Holy Ghost to ‘Hear Him.’  To learn of Him and walk in truth is only possible as we look to His words - abide in His words as our personal spiritual training data sets.  Just like you train an Artificial Intelligence system with data to make predictive outcomes, we train our minds with scripture and modern-day data narratives to make judgements on ‘what is truth.’  We train our minds to determine what is good and what is bad.  Our personal views of truth will depend to a large degree on the available data sets we choose to spend the most time immersed in.  These datasets plus our past life experiences produce our particular lens from which we see the world and view truth.  Knowing the all-important role of the words of Christ in connecting us to heaven to ‘Hear Him,’ Satan focuses his deceptions on these vast data sets and current day narratives to distract us, all aimed to keep us from the words of Christ.  Satan uses distraction, noise and commotion, or whatever means necessary to keep us from the real data sets found only in the words of Christ.  Satan also uses much flattery as the worldly data sets and narratives are much more alluring and appealing to our mortal minds.  The ultimate data poisoning with any Artificial Intelligence system would be to not only manipulate the data but entirely replace it with a whole new set of data to completely control the predictive behavior deciding on truth.  Satan has his own tactics, deceit and methods of data poisoning in each of our lives, all with the aim to keep us from hearing the voice of the Spirit.  In this manner, he is able to control our view of truth and prevent us from walking in truth.  As in our email security model with predictive Artificial Intelligence, if Satan can manipulate the data sets influencing our minds, thoughts and actions, he can likewise be successful in making good look evil and evil look bad.  Essentially, he can make truth elusive and relative causing confusion, unrest and much division among us.

 

The level to which we have received light and truth directly affects the spirit of Christ that dwells with us and allows for a connection to heaven to ‘Hear Him.’  As reviewed, Satan’s primary tactic is to cut us off from heaven.  As reviewed, connecting to heaven to receive personal revelation is dependent on our holding fast to the words of Christ.  As children of our almighty God, we come into this world from our infant state with a pure light and innocence.  If we could but only keep this innocence, the world would be a much better place, but we know Satan goes about with his lies and deceit, working to take light and truth from us through disobedience and traditions of our fathers.  In D&C 93, "And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers. But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth."  As a father and now grandfather, I have for some time felt the heavy concern caused by all these worldly data sets competing for training the view of truth related to good and bad on my children.  It will take being intentional and diligent to ensure I am bringing my children up in light and truth.  It will take regular searching from the words of Christ and learning of Him to connect them to heaven so they can hear him to safely navigate this perilous time.

 

The following mind has been dimmed due to sin and traditions of their fathers.  They will have a lower efficacy (probability) of living in peace and happiness due to the inability to make decisions in the spirit of truth. 

Diagram of mind dimmed with darkness

 

As we have seen from exploring this analogy that our treatment of the words of Christ and looking to the true source of Light, Jesus Christ is central to safeguarding our spirits.  

The Social Media Dilemma

With the above diagram in mind, let's review a very serious concern for all individuals, families, and communities.  Few have escaped the grasps of the powerful influences of social media.  If you have not had a chance to watch ‘The Social Dilemma,’ please take the time.  You will hear from the creators and owners of the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others who are speaking out as they witness the negative side effects of their platforms in the lives of their users.  I would imagine there is some heavy guilt when they see the rise in teen suicide rates among the mass problems to societies that these platforms have brought.  Here are some statements from these individuals.  “A whole generation is more anxious, more depressed.  There are entire teams of engineers whose job is to use your psychology against you.  Facebook discovered that they were able to affect real-world behavior and emotions without ever triggering the user’s awareness.    Fake news spreads six times faster than true news. We are bombarded with rumors.  Every action you take is carefully monitored and recorded.  We get rewarded by hearts, likes, and thumbs up.  And we conflate that with value and truth. Less control over who we are and what we really believe.  They are completely clueless.”  

 

Social media is a BIG Identity Deception platform spreading false truth created by the evil designs of men causing many to forget ‘who they are.’  Sounds like adversarial data poisoning.  Everything we heard from these creators feeds directly into the perilous plan of Satan.  I have no idea to what level the owners and creators are intentionally assisting this identity deception.  Addressing it here is not an attempt at all to explore their ‘intent.’  This is to help raise the awareness level of all who may read this and how this is seriously damaging to one’s spiritual identity and access to true light and truth.  We lose light and truth by disobedience and tradition of our fathers.  In our generation, where many seem to have retracted from God and religion in return for more worldly sources of truth, many do not receive light and truth from childhood due to no fault of their own; thus, they have no real spiritual defenses against the temptations of the adversary.  We are seeing the widespread effects of this with the increasing moral decay across our society. 

 

As with any technology, social media can also be used to spread light and truth, as we saw happen with President Nelson’s #Givethanks and #Lighttheworld challenges.  Now the youth are invited to continue sharing good things online with the #Strivetobe initiative.  It will take a lot of vigilance and training to help our children and youth navigate through these challenging times, so they have ‘eyes to see’ proper uses of personal devices and managing their time in the online connected society.  As Satan has emboldened his attacks, we must DO more to educate our children and youth in the way of light and truth to help them avoid the deceptions and pitfalls of our time.

 

Responsibility of Parents

Being aware of the above issues with social media is the first step to protecting our children and youth.  It's important to have conversations with our children about the dangers of social media and set some boundaries on usage.  Have some device-free time to pursue other activities that allow for more creative thinking.  Role model good social media practices yourself.  If we have lost some control of ‘knowing who we are’ and unto what we are called, take that control back.  We have reviewed how children come into this world innocent from birth and receive the light of Christ to give them life.  They are pure and innocent in every sense of the way.  As parents, we partner with God (ideally in a covenantal marriage) to provide mortal growth opportunities for God’s spirit sons and daughters by receiving a body.  Satan has no ability to tempt little children until they begin to become accountable to God.  In D&C 29:46-47, we read, "But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten; Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me."  I love this, as parents let's take advantage of this time while Satan’s hand is kept from our children and to do what we are commanded, "to bring up your children in light and truth."  

 One of the most direct scriptures of what we are to teach our children is found in D&C 68:25, "And again, inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents.  And they shall also teach their children to pray, and to walk uprightly before the Lord."  Sounds to me like these are the exact spiritual tools and defenses that are needed to keep our children and youth safe while living at home with us and throughout their lives.  Sounds like these are the spiritual safeguards needed to fulfill the proverb, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart.”  We can be intentional and diligent in training up our children in light and truth by making the words of Christ central to family teaching like with the Come Follow Me individual and family study.