In his forum presentation on avoiding internet deception held May 7, Keith Erekson, Director of Historical Research and Outreach for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, "Unfortunately, Latter-day Saints show no significant advantage over others in detecting fraud, and we may in some instances be even more vulnerable."

Erekson detailed examples of psychological manipulation that he's seen members of the Church run into in the information age. He then gave corresponding patterns of thoughts and behaviors that can be used to combat this deception.

"With practice, I hope these patterns can become habits or reflexes that strengthen our thinking," Erekson said in his presentation. "I hope these become life hacks that protect us."

Pattern 1: Listen to True Messengers

The first habit Erekson described was listening to the Lord's true messengers.

Erekson pointed to the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society in 1837 as an example of individuals spreading the message that Joseph Smith was a fallen prophet because of his imperfections as a man.

"The question of whether the living prophet is [called] of God or just a man is itself part of the distraction. Obviously, the Savior's messengers are human."

And when the Lord's messengers need correction, continued Erekson, He gives it. Erekson gave examples of the risen Lord stopping Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon translation after the loss of the manuscript, the mortal Messiah restoring a severed ear after Peter cut it off and Him telling Judas to exercise his agency quickly and then replacing him in the quorum of the twelve.

"The Savior watches over his messengers, so we don't need to fall for the fallen messenger counterfeit," said Erekson.

Pattern 2: Reject the Mingling of Truth and Error

The second pattern that Latter-day Saints can adopt to avoid deception is to reject "the mingling of truth and error." Erekson explained that the mingling of truth and error can be found in the oversimplification of complex topics, the direct omission of important details and giving the truth out of context.

"These tactics mingle enough truth to make you let your guard down, with enough error to lead you astray," he explained. "These tactics thrive in our day as common methods in antagonistic websites, reels and stories."

Pattern 3: Repent and Keep Covenants

The third pattern that members of the Church can engage in is repenting and keeping their covenants.

"Have you noticed that neither deceivers nor the deceived speak of repentance?" Erekson asked. "Instead, they will belittle the act or change the subject."

Erekson emphasized President Oak's teaching concerning the role of taking the sacrament weekly in our repentance: "This weekly pattern helps us avoid deception and remain true to our covenants. Repentance purifies our hearts and clears our minds."

Pattern 4: Recognize the Fruits, Workings and Bounds of the Spirit

The last pattern Erekson encourages members of the Church to develop is learning to recognize the fruits, workings and bounds of the Holy Ghost.

"Let's make it real. Suppose a male tells a female that he has had a dream in which he saw her as his wife," Erekson paused as his audience gave a knowing laugh, before continuing, "That is out of bounds."

Erekson gave a handful of other examples of true and false manifestations of the spirit before concluding, "No one can accept the Gospel, take the Holy Spirit as a guide or avoid deception on our behalf. We have to do this for ourselves."

Shauna Smith, a BYU-Idaho junior studying horticulture, attended the forum. "Sometimes it's really difficult to sift through all of the information out there," Smith said. "I mean, everyone has an opinion, and they're ready to give it all over Instagram."

"I'm so glad I came [to the forum] because it kind of course-corrected me back to where I should look for that guidance, especially for my future choices."