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Welcome to The Latter-day Lens! In this week's episode, hosts Shawn, Matt, and Graham tackle some of the most pressing questions from the mailbag and beyond. 

Info on the Zipper Merge

The Thought Provoker:

First this week: A recent survey shows that only 40% of Americans would like their child to attend a four-year college right out of high school. More Americans would like their child to “take some time off” (13%) than would like them to join the military (5%) or join the workforce (6%) combined. President Nelson has said that education is a religious obligation. Do we need to rethink what we are telling our kids to do post-high school?

Next up: President Putin came to the US last week to discuss Ukraine with Trump. Thing is, the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes he committed in Ukraine. As a member of the Rome Treaty, we agreed to arrest anyone indicted by the ICC. Should Trump have arrested Putin the moment he set foot on US soil? Is it morally correct to ignore treaties we have signed on to?  

Finally: The US is discussing taking a stake in Intel. This sounds to me like socialism. Many of our listeners believe that socialism is morally evil. Is Trump’s interference in the management of Intel socialism, and if it is, is he doing something that is morally wrong? 

The Big Question: Putnam and Reeves argue that one of the causes of delinquency in the US right now is the breakdown of civil society institutions (Like the Boy Scouts, and the YMCA) that specifically target young men. Too many men are afraid to mentor young people for fear that they might be accused of sexual assault, and these organizations are no longer allowed to be gender specific. They argue that young men need male role models and that these organizations provide something beneficial to society. President Monson was a big fan of Scouting. Does society need groups like Boy Scouts that specifically focus on helping young men become men?

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Listener Engagement
02:52 Defending Misinformation and Community Learning
05:37 Traffic Merging: Morality and Rightness
08:37 Post-High School Paths: Rethinking Education
11:31 The Value of Gap Years and Alternative Education
14:05 The Three E's: Employment, Enlistment, and Enrollment
17:03 Lifelong Learning as a Religious Obligation
19:55 International Treaties and Moral Leadership
21:24 The Precedent of Arrests in International Politics
22:49 The Role of Treaties in Global Stability
28:21 Government Intervention in Private Enterprises
32:46 The Importance of Civil Society in Youth Development
44:56 Identity Crisis Among Young Men