The Majesty of the Moment

AI in the Tech Industry

Witnessing the Lord's Work Through Technology

A Message for BYU Idaho Students
February 2026

You Are Not Just Entering Tech

"You are entering the most transformative moment in human history since the printing press."

Every decade has its revolution: the PC, the internet, mobile. But AI is different in scale and scope.

It's not just a new tool— it's a force multiplier for human capability.

And you are here by design, not by accident. The Lord knew when He needed you.

The Liberation of the Engineer

AI doesn't replace engineers—it elevates them.

Old Reality	New Reality
Boilerplate code	AI generates scaffolds while you architect
Manual testing of edge cases	AI-assisted test generation with strategic oversight
Documentation written after the fact	AI generates documentation you refine
Debugging syntax errors	Focus on system design and user experience
Grunt work consuming time	Strategic work creating value

The Shift: From "implementer" to "strategist and director." Your creativity becomes the scarce resource—and that's what companies will pay for.

Think about what engineering has traditionally been: endless configuration, repetitive debugging of syntax errors, boilerplate code that numbs the mind, documentation that takes more time than the solution itself. AI changes this equation fundamentally. With AI, you're not spending 80% of your time on grunt work. You're spending 80% of your time on what matters: architecture, design, user experience, solving novel problems. This is a massive shift in what it means to be an engineer. You're elevated from "implementer" to "strategist and director." The thing that will be scarce and valuable is your creativity, your judgment, your vision for how systems should work—not your ability to type code. This is the liberation. The boring stuff becomes automated. Your unique human capability becomes the bottleneck, and that's precisely where you should be spending your time.

The Convergence of Technology and Temples

Temples are being announced at unprecedented rates. But how do we scale?

🌳 AI Curated Synthetic Tree

Machine-learned genealogical patterns that generate verified family connections at scale

🔐 Data Rights Management Architecture

AI-driven systems ensuring consent, privacy, and ethical access across global datasets

⚙️ AI Enhanced SDLC Tooling

Accelerated development pipelines with AI-assisted code review, testing, and optimization

🎙️ Oral Genealogy AI Solution

Transcribe, interpret, and structure family stories into searchable genealogical records

✓ Data Quality & Standards

AI validation and standardization ensuring consistency across billions of genealogical records

🚀 Rapid Design & MVP Iterations

AI-powered prototyping enabling faster customer feedback loops and engineering velocity

The Pattern: The Lord always provides the means before the need becomes overwhelming.

Consider the Church's trajectory. Temples are being announced at rates we've never seen before. President Nelson speaks of constructing temples in locations we never imagined possible. The youth are being prepared on a global scale. But here's the operational challenge: How do you staff, train, architect, build, maintain, and operate this proliferation of sacred edifices? How do you keep the work moving forward when the scale is unprecedented? The answer is that AI provides the enabling technology for all of these dimensions. This isn't speculation. These are real applications that are being deployed right now. Translation models that work in dozens of languages. Training systems that can standardize protocols across cultures. Design optimization. Genealogical record processing. Global communication that breaks down language barriers. And here's the theological pattern: The Lord always provides the means before the need becomes overwhelming. Joseph Smith had the Urim and Thummim before the translation needed to happen. The pioneers had revelation on irrigation before the desert needed to bloom. We have AI now—before the full scope of temple growth requires it. This is not coincidence. It's providence.

The Hastening Work of the Lord

"Behold, I will hasten my work in its time..."
— Doctrine & Covenants 88:73

What does this mean for us?

The Lord doesn't do things suddenly—He prepares the way.
The groundwork is laid before the miracle.
AI is not coincidental—it's providential.

The Printing Press and the Restoration:

Just as the printing press enabled 19th-century growth, AI enables 21st-century scale. The Lord provides the mechanisms of dissemination; we provide the obedience and consecration.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:73-75 tells us that the Lord will hasten His work in its time. That's not metaphorical language. It's a statement of divine purpose. But notice: The Lord doesn't do things suddenly, with no preparation. He prepares the way. He lays the groundwork before the miracle becomes visible to everyone. This is how I understand AI in the context of the latter-day work. It's not a surprise to God. It's part of the preparation. It's the mechanism He's providing before we need it most. Think about the parallel with the printing press. In 1820, right before the Restoration began, the printing press had been invented and was spreading. Without it, there's no way the Book of Mormon gets translated, printed, and distributed to the world. The Restoration couldn't have happened at the scale it did without that technology being in place. Now, in the 21st century, we have AI. And it arrives just as the Lord is accelerating His work—temple announcements, global growth, the hastening of both the gathering and the temple work. That's not coincidence. That's the Lord providing the mechanisms before the need becomes overwhelming.

The Majesty of the Moment

Do not miss this.

"We live in a time of miracles. Look for them."
— Elder David A. Bednar

AI Is One of His Mightiest Miracles:

Language is no longer a barrier — AI translates instantaneously
Knowledge is democratized — What took years of education is now accessible
Capability is amplified — What required teams now requires vision
Reach is global — Local problems have global solutions

Your Role in This Moment:

You are not passive observers. You are witnesses of the hastening, participants in the miracle, builders of the infrastructure, and stewards of this technology.

There are moments in history when God's hand is visible to those with eyes to see. When the Spirit whispers: "This is significant. Pay attention. You are part of prophecy." This is one of those moments. AI represents one of the Lord's mightiest miracles—not because it's perfect, but because it enables His work to move forward in ways that were impossible before. Language barriers—gone. A missionary in Brazil and a member in Japan can communicate instantly, with meaning preserved. Knowledge that used to require a PhD is now accessible to anyone willing to ask. The capability to design complex systems that once required massive teams is now accessible to individuals with vision and creativity. And global reach—a local problem can now have a global solution. But here's what I want to emphasize: You're not passive observers of this miracle. You're participants. You're the builders. You're the stewards of this technology. When you stand before the Lord, you'll be able to say: "I saw the miracle happening, and I joined in. I used the tools You provided to further Your work." That's your opportunity in this moment.

Professional Preparation

Learn AI deeply
Not superficially. Understand the fundamentals of how these systems work, their limitations, their potential.
Maintain ethical standards
AI amplifies intent. If you use it for good, it multiplies the good. Stay grounded in gospel principles.
Develop creativity
The boring code will be automated. Your value is in insight, vision, and solving problems that matter.
Stay grounded in doctrine
Technology is a tool. The gospel is the foundation. Keep that relationship clear.

Practically, what does this mean for you? How do you prepare for this moment professionally? First, learn AI deeply, not superficially. Don't just use ChatGPT. Understand how these models work, what they can do, what their limitations are, what the research frontier looks like. Be a student of the field. Second, maintain ethical standards. This is crucial. AI amplifies whatever intent you feed into it. If you use it to multiply good, it will. If you use it for harm, it will do that too. Stay grounded in the principles that matter—honesty, integrity, service to others. Third, develop creativity. This is what I said earlier: the boring code is being automated. Your value as an engineer is going to be your ability to imagine solutions to problems that don't have obvious answers. That's where creativity matters. And fourth, stay grounded in doctrine. Don't let the technology seduce you into thinking it's more important than it is. It's a tool. It's powerful, but it's a tool. The gospel—your relationship with Heavenly Father, your discipleship to Jesus Christ—that's the foundation. Keep that as your north star.

Spiritual Preparation

Recognize the divine timing
You're here for a reason. This isn't luck or chance. The Lord placed you in this moment.
Seek spiritual gifts
Discernment will be critical in a rapidly changing field. Ask for wisdom. Seek personal revelation.
Stay worthy
The Lord needs temple-worthy engineers in positions of influence. Your personal righteousness matters.
Look for the miracles
They're happening. Don't become cynical. Stay awake. Notice where the Lord is working.

The Invitation:

You have the opportunity to build systems that serve billions, create technology that protects families, design tools that spread truth, and work on problems that matter eternally.

And spiritually, how do you prepare? First, recognize the divine timing. I keep coming back to this because it's foundational. You didn't land here by chance. The Lord needs you now. That's not hyperbole. That's a spiritual reality you should take seriously. Second, seek spiritual gifts—particularly discernment. The tech world moves fast, and there will be ethical questions, philosophical questions, choices that don't have clear answers. You need spiritual discernment to navigate those. Pray for it. Ask for wisdom. Seek personal revelation. Third, stay worthy. If the Lord is going to use you in significant ways, you need to be in a position where you can receive inspiration. That means being temple-worthy, living the standards, keeping your covenants. And fourth, don't become cynical. Look for the miracles. They're happening. You're part of them. Stay awake to how the Lord is working in this moment. And here's the invitation: You can use your skills to build systems that serve billions. You can create technology that protects families. You can design tools that spread truth. You can work on problems that will matter eternally—not just in your career, but in the history of God's work on the earth. That's not rhetoric. That's your actual opportunity.

Your Charge

"Don't look at AI as just another tech trend. Look at it as the Lord looking at you and saying: 'Here are the tools. Now go build My kingdom with greater power than any previous generation had access to.'"

The majesty of the moment is that you are here.

The miracle is already unfolding.

The invitation is to participate.