Divine Patterns, Missionary Work, and Faith-Based Technology Discussion

Overview

An evening gathering at the Oliphant family home featuring an extensive theological and philosophical discussion between Gary Sheng, the Oliphant family (Travis, Amy, and returned missionary son Josh), and visiting LDS missionaries Sister Rusk and Sister Little. The conversation began with Gary and Travis sharing their collaborative work on "divine engineering movement" concepts and evolved into deep theological exploration covering the Book of Mormon, stewardship principles, AI ethics, and the integration of faith with technology and business.

Key Participants

• Gary Sheng: Alpha Schools strategic advisor, preparing for baptism, seeking to understand divine patterns in organizational systems
• Travis Oliphant: NumPy creator, AI industry leader, government contractor, integrating faith principles with technology development
• Amy Oliphant: Stake Relief Society President, gracious host, active participant in faith discussions
• Josh Oliphant: Recently returned from 2-year LDS mission in Calgary, now attending BYU-Idaho, bringing missionary perspective
• Sister Rusk: LDS missionary from Sacramento, finishing mission in October 2025, planned return to BYUI and FSY counseling
• Sister Little: LDS missionary from St. George, Utah, previously served YSA campus in San Marcos, Texas State

Major Topics Discussed

1. Divine Engineering Movement and Divine Patterns

Gary and Travis opened by sharing their collaborative research on "divine patterns" - successful organizational systems from religious institutions that can be applied to mission-oriented projects:

Travis's Approach: Travis: "We've been documenting divine patterns, right? So Gary and I have been working on this thing called the divine engineering movement, which is really about how do you take the patterns that work from religious organizations, particularly around the LDS Church, but not limited to that, and apply them to other kinds of mission-oriented projects."

Gary's Framework: Gary: "The specific thing we're working on is called divine patterns. It's like, what are the successful organizational patterns that have been documented in religious institutions that can be applied to other projects that are mission-oriented? And so the missionaries themselves, the missionary structure, is one of the most effective organizational patterns we've ever seen."

Integration with Open Source: Travis: "And the connection to open source is that a lot of what you find in these patterns is very consistent with open source philosophy. It's about collaboration, it's about transparency, it's about working together towards a common goal rather than having centralized control."

2. Book of Mormon and Christ's Ministry to the Nephites

The missionaries shared their understanding of the Book of Mormon, with particular focus on Christ's ministry:

Sister Little's Favorite Aspect: Sister Little: "My favorite thing about the background of the Book of Mormon is that Joseph Smith had a question. He wanted to know which church was true. And so he went and he prayed about it. And the answer that he got was the Book of Mormon... The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. It doesn't replace the Bible. It points back to Jesus Christ."

Sister Rusk on Christ's Ministry: Sister Rusk: "The Book of Mormon records that Christ came and ministered to the people in the Americas after His resurrection... In 3 Nephi 11, it talks about how He came down and He ministered to each person individually. He blessed the children one by one. He had such compassion for these people."

Gary's Evaluation Framework: Gary: "One of the ways that I evaluate religions is I look at how accurate they are at predicting human nature and providing rules for how humans can flourish. And the LDS Church has done a really good job of that."

3. Stewardship and Financial Principles

Extensive discussion on biblical stewardship principles and their practical applications:

Travis's Talents Parable: Travis: "There's the parable of the talents, right? The guy who was given five talents, he went and multiplied them and became ten. The guy who was given two talents, he went and multiplied them and became four. But the guy who was given one talent, he buried it in the ground because he was afraid... And when the master came back, he took the one talent away from the guy who buried it and gave it to the guy who had ten."

Leaky Bucket Analogy: Gary: "I think about this concept of a leaky bucket. If you have a bucket that's got holes in it, and you pour water into it, the water's just going to leak out. And that's what happens when you give resources to people who can't steward them properly... God is ultimately the one who determines who gets resources, and He gives them to people who can steward them well."

Josh's Real-World Example: Josh: "I had a friend who was doing crypto arbitrage and he was making like $500 a day. And I was like, 'Oh, this is great. I should invest with this guy.' And I gave him like $2,000. And then he lost it all because he got greedy and started taking bigger risks... It was like a Chris Kirkland problem where I was giving money to someone who wasn't qualified to steward it properly because of a halo effect."

4. AI Ethics and Righteous Technology

Discussion of AI development from a faith-based perspective:

Critique of AI Worship: Gary: "There's this worship of AI in the tech world that I think is really dangerous. People are treating AI like it's going to solve all of our problems and save humanity. But that's not what AI is for... AI should be a tool to help us love God and love our neighbors better."

Travis's Vision for Righteous AI: Travis: "What if we built AI that was designed to inspire people and help them become better versions of themselves? Instead of trying to manipulate them or get them addicted to something, what if we built AI that helped people connect with God and with each other in meaningful ways?"

Connection to Prayer as Scientific Instrument: Travis: "Prayer is like a scientific instrument. You ask a question, you listen for the answer, and you act on what you receive. And over time, you get better at recognizing when something is from God versus when it's from your own mind or from the adversary... I think we can build AI systems that work in a similar way."

5. Religious Wars vs Religious Movements

Analysis of historical religious conflicts and their underlying patterns:

Travis's Historical Perspective: Travis: "When you look at religious wars throughout history, they're usually not really about religion. They're about power and resources and politics. The Crusades weren't really about Christianity - they were about European powers wanting to control trade routes to the East... Real religious movements are about hearts and minds changing, not about forcing people to believe something."

Gary's Movement Architecture: Gary: "The most effective religious movements have been the ones that create systems for people to discover truth for themselves rather than trying to force beliefs on them. The missionary system is brilliant because it puts people in a position where they have to study, pray, and receive personal revelation rather than just accepting what someone else tells them."

Sister Rusk on Natural Man: Sister Rusk: "There's this concept in the Book of Mormon about the natural man being an enemy to God. It's talking about that internal fight that we all have between our base instincts and our higher spiritual nature. Every day we have to choose whether we're going to follow the Spirit or follow our natural impulses."

6. Philosophies of Men Mingled with Scripture

Discussion of subtle deceptions that blend truth with error:

Travis's Temple Reference: Travis: "In the temple, they talk about the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. That's exactly what's happening in a lot of these secular ethical frameworks. They take some true principles but then mix them with human philosophies that lead people away from God... It's more dangerous than outright lies because it's harder to detect."

Modern Applications: Gary: "You see this in DEI ideology, in wokeism, in a lot of these modern movements. They take legitimate concerns about justice and fairness, which are biblical principles, but then they twist them into something that's actually divisive and harmful... We should reclaim DEI to mean 'Divinely Engineered Infrastructure.'"

Network Effect of Destruction: Travis: "The adversary is really good at using network effects to amplify destructive patterns. He gets people to spread ideas that sound good on the surface but actually lead to division and spiritual death. That's why we need to be so careful about what ideas we accept and spread."

7. Conversion Stories and Personal Testimonies

Sharing of conversion experiences and spiritual development:

Alma the Younger Story: Josh: "Alma the Younger was one of the most powerful conversion stories in the Book of Mormon. He was actively fighting against the church and trying to destroy people's faith. But then he had this spiritual experience where he was basically in agony for three days because he realized what he was doing was wrong... When he finally called on Christ for mercy, all that pain was replaced with the most incredible joy he'd ever experienced."

Sister Little's Personal Experience: Sister Little: "The Book of Mormon has helped me understand what godly sorrow means. It's not just feeling bad about something you did wrong. It's feeling a pull toward the Savior, a desire to become better. Regular sorrow pulls you away from God, but godly sorrow pulls you toward Him."

Gary's Baptism Plans: Gary: "I'm planning to get baptized, probably in the next few months. My great-grandfather was actually a missionary and pastor in China during the communist takeover. He had to flee the country but he never lost his faith... I feel like I'm continuing a family legacy of faith that got interrupted for a generation."

8. Family Dynamics and Community Building

Observation of healthy family and religious community structures:

Amy's Hospitality: Amy: "We love having missionaries over. It's always such a blessing to have them in our home. They bring such a good spirit with them... I noticed Sister Rusk's scriptures are really well-marked. You can tell she's been studying hard."

Josh's Mission Experience: Josh: "Most missionaries start out kind of lukewarm, to be honest. But being on a mission forces you to really study and pray and develop your own testimony. You can't just coast on what your parents taught you. You have to find out for yourself whether it's true... That's what makes the missionary system so effective."

Travis's Teaching Approach: Travis: "When we're thinking about how to organize events or build communities, we can learn a lot from how the church does things. They've figured out how to get people to voluntarily give their time and energy to serve others. That's not easy to do, but they've created systems that make it work."

9. Scripture Study Assignment and Spiritual Practices

The evening concluded with practical spiritual instruction:

Scripture Assignment: Sister Rusk: "We'd love to invite you to read 3 Nephi 11. It's the chapter where Christ appears to the Nephites. Pay attention to how He ministered to them individually and the way He expressed His love for them."

Prayer Practice: Sister Little: "When you pray about what you read, ask specific questions and then listen for the answers. Sometimes the answers come as thoughts, sometimes as feelings, sometimes through other people or experiences. But God does answer prayers when we ask with sincere intent."

Stupor of Thought Concept: Travis: "There's this concept from Joseph Smith's translation about a 'stupor of thought.' It's when you get this unsettled feeling about something, like your mind can't quite grasp it or it doesn't feel right. That's often a sign that an idea or inspiration isn't from God."

10. Angelic Assistance and Divine Revelation

Discussion of supernatural help and guidance:

Travis on Angels: Travis: "I believe that angels can provide inspiration and assistance when we ask for it through prayer. It's not something to take lightly, but it's a real resource that's available to us... The key is learning to distinguish between divine inspiration and our own thoughts or desires."

Restoration Principle: Gary: "One thing I appreciate about the LDS perspective is this idea of restoration - that God periodically restores lost truths and authority. You see it with Moses, with Enoch, with Joseph Smith. It's not that God changes, but that people lose truth over time and God has to restore it."

Personal Revelation: Sister Rusk: "Everyone can receive revelation for their own stewardship. Parents can receive revelation for their families, leaders can receive revelation for their organizations. But the prophet receives revelation for the whole church and the world."

11. Sex Differences and Sacred Roles

Thoughtful discussion of gender roles and human sexuality:

Celebrating Differences: Travis: "There's something beautiful about celebrating the differences between men and women rather than trying to pretend they don't exist. Women have this sacred role in creating and nurturing life that men simply can't fulfill... We should honor that rather than trying to make everything the same."

Gary's Perspective on Culture: Gary: "A lot of modern culture treats sexuality in a way that's actually dehumanizing. It reduces people to objects rather than recognizing the sacred nature of human intimacy and the family... When you understand the divine purpose behind these differences, it changes how you think about everything."

Divine Design: Sister Little: "God designed us as male and female for a reason. The family is the fundamental unit of society and of God's plan. When we understand our roles in that context, it gives meaning and purpose to everything else."

12. Leading vs Lagging Indicators in Organizations

Business philosophy discussion with spiritual applications:

Company Culture Critique: Travis: "Too many companies focus on 'employee happiness' as a leading indicator, but that can actually destroy the company's purpose, which is the lagging indicator. If you optimize for the wrong things, you end up with a dysfunctional organization... It's like focusing on being liked rather than being effective."

Divine Culture Projection: Gary: "I think the best company cultures are actually projections of divine culture. They reflect eternal principles like integrity, service, excellence, collaboration. When you get that right, the happiness takes care of itself because people are aligned with their higher purpose."

Missionary Organization Model: Josh: "The mission organization is interesting because it focuses on the work first - teaching, serving, baptizing. But missionaries end up being incredibly fulfilled because they're doing something meaningful. The happiness is a byproduct of the purpose, not the goal itself."

13. Technology and Human Connection

Exploration of technology's role in building vs destroying relationships:

Community Technology Vision: Gary: "One of my friends has the leading AI for connecting people based on their shared goals and interests. The idea is that people want to meet people they should be meeting, but our current technology often keeps us isolated or connected to the wrong people... We need technology that strengthens real communities."

Vibe Coding Concept: Travis: "There's this concept of 'vibe coding' - accelerating people's introduction to classical computer research. The idea is to get people excited about the fundamental principles rather than just learning to use tools... It's about understanding the why, not just the how."

Cell Phone Data Ethics: Gary: "We were talking about the ethical implications of cell phone geolocation data. The government has access to all of this information about where we go and who we associate with. It's like having a surveillance state that most people don't even think about... How do we build technology that serves human flourishing rather than enabling control?"

Key Strategic Insights

Divine Organizational Patterns

• Religious organizations have developed the most effective systems for motivating voluntary service and sacrifice
• The LDS missionary system combines personal development, service, and organizational effectiveness
• Open source principles align naturally with collaborative religious approaches
• Stewardship models from scripture provide frameworks for resource allocation

Faith-Based Technology Development

• AI should inspire and uplift rather than manipulate or create dependency
• Prayer can serve as a model for human-AI interaction based on question-asking and listening
• Technology should strengthen human connections rather than replace them
• Divine principles can guide ethical technology development

Spiritual and Intellectual Integration

• Academic and business success don't require abandoning faith principles
• Scientific methodology can coexist with spiritual revelation
• Personal testimony development requires both study and experience
• Truth can be evaluated by its ability to predict human nature and enable flourishing

Community and Family Structures

• Healthy families model divine relationships and serve as society's foundation
• Religious communities provide frameworks for voluntary cooperation and service
• Gender differences should be celebrated rather than eliminated
• Hospitality and service create environments for spiritual growth

Action Items and Future Opportunities

Immediate Follow-ups

1. Scripture Study: Gary to read 3 Nephi 11 and discuss with family/friends
2. Baptism Planning: Gary's preparation for baptism in coming months
3. Divine Patterns Documentation: Continue collaborative research on religious organizational models
4. Missionary System Analysis: Document effective elements for application to other mission-oriented projects

Long-term Collaborations

1. Faith-Based AI Development: Technology that inspires rather than manipulates
2. Community Technology: Platforms that strengthen real relationships and shared purpose
3. Educational Innovation: Integration of spiritual and intellectual development
4. Government Ethics: Application of divine principles to public service and policy

Network Development

1. Religious Communities: Deeper engagement with LDS and other faith networks
2. Technology Ethics: Collaboration on righteous approaches to AI and data use
3. Family Strengthening: Models for healthy family and community structures
4. International Relations: Application of divine patterns to diplomacy and cooperation

Notable Quotes

On Divine Patterns: Travis: "What you find in these patterns is very consistent with open source philosophy. It's about collaboration, it's about transparency, it's about working together towards a common goal rather than having centralized control."

On Stewardship: Gary: "God is ultimately the one who determines who gets resources, and He gives them to people who can steward them well... If you have a bucket that's got holes in it, and you pour water into it, the water's just going to leak out."

On Missionary Work: Josh: "Most missionaries start out kind of lukewarm, to be honest. But being on a mission forces you to really study and pray and develop your own testimony. You can't just coast on what your parents taught you."

On Truth and Religion: Gary: "One of the ways that I evaluate religions is I look at how accurate they are at predicting human nature and providing rules for how humans can flourish."

On Technology and Faith: Travis: "What if we built AI that was designed to inspire people and help them become better versions of themselves? Instead of trying to manipulate them or get them addicted to something, what if we built AI that helped people connect with God and with each other in meaningful ways?"

On Personal Revelation: Sister Rusk: "Everyone can receive revelation for their own stewardship. Parents can receive revelation for their families, leaders can receive revelation for their organizations."

Conclusion

This evening gathering demonstrated the natural integration of deep theological discussion with practical applications in technology, business, and community building. The conversation revealed how spiritual principles can inform and enhance rather than compete with intellectual and professional pursuits. The Oliphant family's hospitality created an environment where LDS missionaries could share their faith while Gary explored his spiritual journey and Travis connected his technical expertise with divine principles.

The discussion highlighted the potential for faith-based approaches to address modern challenges in technology ethics, organizational effectiveness, and community building. The missionaries' emphasis on personal revelation and the Book of Mormon provided a framework for understanding how divine guidance can inform both personal decisions and broader societal issues. Gary's preparation for baptism and his work on "divine patterns" research represents a synthesis of academic rigor with spiritual seeking.

The evening concluded with practical spiritual assignments and an invitation for continued study and discussion, demonstrating how genuine religious conversation can lead to both intellectual growth and spiritual development. The combination of Travis's technical expertise, the missionaries' spiritual insights, and Gary's strategic thinking created a rich dialogue that bridged multiple domains of human experience.