Wagon Wheels!

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Wagon Wheels!

• Contemporizing LDS Pioneer Technology into Modern
  Day Examples That Students can Understand and
  Apply
• By Dr. Aaron Wester, PhD

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Spiritual Splash Zone
Encourage students to digitally sit at front of
class
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President Brigham Youngs Counsel

• In 1862, Brigham Young Stated, Every discovery
  in science and art, that is really true and
  useful to mankind has been given by direct
  revelation from God, though but few acknowledge
  it. It has been given with a view to prepare the
  way for the ultimate triumph of truth, and the
  redemption of the earth from the power of sin and
  Satan. We should take advantage of all these
  great discoveries, the accumulated wisdom of
  ages, and give to our children the benefit of
  every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them
  to step forward and efficiently do their part in
  the great work.

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President David O. McKays Counsel

• In 1966 President David O. McKay prophesied
  scientific discoveries that stagger the
  imagination would make possible the preaching of
  the gospel to every kindred, tongue, and people.
• Discoveries latent with such potent power,
  either for the blessing or the destruction of
  human beings, as to make mans responsibility in
  controlling them the most gigantic ever placed in
  human hands. This age is fraught with limitless
  perils, as well as untold possibilities

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President Gordon B. Hinckleys Counsel

• In 1981 Gordon B. Hinckley stated, We are
  confident that as the work of the Lord expands,
  he will inspire men to develop the means whereby
  the membership of the Church, wherever they may
  be, can be counseled in an intimate and personal
  way by his chosen prophet. Communication is the
  sinew that binds the Church as one great family.
  Between those facilities which are now available
  and those which are on the horizon, we shall be
  able to converse one with another according to
  the needs and circumstances of the time

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Elder David A. Bednar on Technology

• We are blessed to live, learn, and serve in this
  most remarkable dispensation. An important aspect
  of the fullness that is available to us in this
  special season is a miraculous progression of
  innovations and inventions that have enabled and
  accelerated the work of salvation from trains to
  telegraphs to radios to automobiles to airplanes
  to telephones to transistors to televisions to
  computers to satellite transmissions to the
  Internetand to an almost endless list of
  technologies and tools that bless our lives. All
  of these advancements are part of the Lord
  hastening His work in the latter days.

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Pioneers 1st Broad Reach Social Channel

• The Saints were somewhat isolated in the Salt
  Lake Valley.
• Three functions of the Newspaper
• Local social communication between church/state
  leaders and community
• Reliable source of news for the community
• Expansion of Community Voice as communities
  extend further away
• There was a need to have a connection to what was
  going on in the world other than just word of
  mouth
• There was a need for pioneers to have a voice in
  their community and social outlet for sharing
  testimony and connecting to others.
• First Print of Deseret News with the voice of
  the state of Deseret and the Motto Truth and
  Liberty, was published in 1850.

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Social Media Providers Used in 2015
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Social Media in the Contemporary LDS Church
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Social Media in the Contemporary LDS Church
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Social Media in the Contemporary LDS Church
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Social Media in the Contemporary LDS Church
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Social Media Technology In the Church

• On August 19, 2014, Elder Bednar stated that
  approximately 40 of all LDS missionaries would
  use digital devices for conversion, retention,
  and activation through social media tools.
• As of 30 June, 2014, there are 85,728
  missionaries serving, which includes 6,735
  seniors (8), 54,053 elders (63), and 24,950
  sisters (29).
• Currently 6,500 Missionaries in 30 missions in
  the U.S. and Japan receive specially configured
  iPad Minis for online proselytizing.
• Church leaders will also implement online
  proselyting in the United States, Canada, Japan,
  and western Europe following a test in those
  areas for more than a year.

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Nested Programming Loops in Java
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How is such programming used today?
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Technology Started with Mormon Pioneers
Designed by Orson Pratt and William Clayton
First used on May 12, 1847 Originally called a
roadometer 60-tooth gear wheel made 1 full
revolution for every 360 rotations of the wagon
wheel (1 mile). Smaller 40-tooth gear wheel made
1 full revolution every 10 miles
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Pioneer Games
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Pioneer Games on the Trail

• Stick Pulling
• Laundry Relay
• Three-Legged Race
• Wheelbarrow Race
• Dancing to fiddle music
• Hide and Seek
• Tag
• Jump Rope

• Marbles
• Fox and Geese
• Dare Base
• Drop the Handkerchief
• Last Couple Out
• Blind Mans Bluff
• Dare Base
• Ducks Fly/Simon Says

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Joseph Smiths Favorite Game
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Joseph Smith and Young People
Joseph had four fairly distinctive commitments
regarding young people (1) their need for adult
love, respect, and guidance (2) their need for a
healthy balance of work and play (3) their need
for schooling and (4) their need for religious
training. - William G. Hartley
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Joseph Smith and Games

• That Joseph Smith liked to pull sticks, wrestle,
  play baseball, swim, and hunt is generally well
  known. William Allred, who played ball with
  Joseph many times, recalled an instance when
  someone criticized the Prophet for indulging in
  play. To answer the criticism Joseph told a
  parable about a prophet and a hunterclearly
  explaining his own philosophy about the
  relationship of play to work. As the story goes,
  a certain prophet sat under a tree amusing
  himself in some way. Along came a hunter and
  reproved him. The prophet asked the hunter if he
  always kept his hunting bow strung up. Oh no,
  said he.
• Why not?
• Because it would lose its elasticity.
• It is just so with my mind, stated the prophet
  I do not want it strung up all the time. 5

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Pioneering the Video Gaming Industry
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The Rise of ATARI
Nolan Bushnell raised in Ogden Utah, worked at
Lagoon, attended USU and UofU
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ATARI Ataru in Japanese

• Nolans favorite game was Japans centuries old
  classic, Go.
• The term Atari is used by Go players to
  politely inform their opponent that they are
  about to be overrun.
• More specifically, the term comes from ataru
  meaning to hit the target
• The word Atari is also used in Japanese when a
  prediction comes true or when someone wins a
  lottery.
• Fun Fact In 1976, Steve Jobs approached Nolan
  with an offer to put in 50,000 stake into Apple
  for 1/3rd ownership of company now worth approx.
  480 Billion. Nolan declined the invitation.

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PONG Revolutionizes On-Screen Gaming
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Under the Hood
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Pong Code for a TI Scientific Calculator
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Programming Video Games Today
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The Future of Gaming Technologygt Full 360 Degree
Immersion gt The Rift
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Council From the Brethren

• Elder David A. Bednar stated, "It is no
  coincidence that Family Search and other tools
  have come forth at a time when young people are
  so familiar with a wide range of information and
  communication technologies. Your fingers have
  been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and
  advance the work of the Lord - not just to
  communicate quickly with your friends. The skills
  and aptitude evident among many young people
  today are a preparation to contribute to the work
  of salvation.

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Next Wave of LDS Pioneers in Technology

• 1 million jobs will go unfulfilled in the United
  States in the technology industry this year alone
  because only 1 in 10 schools teach students how
  to program and manage, and work with technology.
• Over the next 10 years, 1.4 million jobs will be
  available in computer science, however only about
  400,000 college graduates qualify for those jobs
  today. Thats a shortage of a million people!
• Everybody in this country should learn how to
  program a computer Because it teaches you how to
  think. Steve Jobs

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What about Technology and Other Faiths?

• Seven out of 10 Christian Millennials who fall
  into the age range of 18 to 29 read scriptures on
  a screen.
• One-third of them say they read their scriptures
  from a mobile device.
• 54 of them watch online gospel videos
• one-third of them use online search to learn more
  about their faith from multiple sources.
• Through the advent of technology, more and more
  individuals are discovering and experiencing a
  new-found relationship with their Lord and
  Savior, Jesus Christ.
• The opportunities then to contribute as a
  technologist to this movement to enable and
  empower individuals who are search through
  applications and information to answer those
  critical questions of who they are, why they are
  here, and where they are going, are tremendous!

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