Are There Any Moral Theories?

This is a rebroadcast. The episode originally published in December 2019. Jason Hunt has a PhD in endocrine physiology and teaches pre-med classes at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He has served as a family ward bishop, a Young Single Adult ward bishop, and as counselor in a Stake Presidency, but his most difficult calling was as the primary pianist. Highlights 07:15 Culture and rules are not doctrinal 09:20 Keyholder applications are different from personal applications 11:00 Elder Bednar’s concept of applications: Doctrines are statements. Principles are embedded in the doctrines and tell us what we should do. They never change. Applications change. 14:50 Keyholder applications hold true when the keyholder is saying them and would apply to those who are within their responsibility, and they do not extend beyond 18:10 Cultural norms are applications that have extended beyond their boundaries 19:00 How you view these cultural norms depends on your personal moral theory. The most common are: Consequential theorist: consequences Obligation theorist: rules Divine theorist: what God has said Egoist: personal priorities 25:00 The best leadership should be able to move between these theories 27:30 When you understand these moral frameworks, how different people respond to the culture makes more sense. Cognitive development also applies. 30:30 Jason’s experience considering the story of Noah 34:30 It’s important to be open and talk about things, even if you don’t have the answers 36:30 Stephen R. Covey: Listen with the intent to understand, not to answer 39:30 Pornography, brain addiction science, and the bladder comparison. Identify the justifications. Ensure they trust and are comfortable and willing to share. 44:00 The response depends again on the personal moral theories of everyone involved 47:00 The Holy Ghost knows what needs to happen and we can be open to that and understand that there can be different consequences for different people 47:40 Have empathy for people with different moral theories and respect them for their approach 49:00 The divine command theorist must be doctrinally grounded or there can be misapplication within the culture. Examples that happen in a YSA ward. 53:20 Egoism: put the mask on first 55:30 When you are working with a leader who is coming from a different moral framework there will be friction and it requires greater empathy. We have to learn to step into different quadrants and embrace the differences of opinion 58:45 A mission is not a saving ordinance. The temple is the culminating event with the saving ordinances and that is where the focus needs to be. 1:00:10 Jason’s motorcycle example compared to technology use: youth do not have the ability to utilize their agency, so they need stages of responsibility Links Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, J. Devn Cornish, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, DeAnna Murphy, Michael Goodman, Richard Ostler, Ganel-Lyn Condie, and many more in over 500 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering,