Latter-day Saint Scholar Addresses McGill University About Social Media and Forgiveness

On November 20, 2025, the McGill University School of Religious Studies hosted media scholar John Durham Peters for the 11th Annual Latter-day Saint Lecture Series at the historic Birks Heritage Chapel. Peters addressed a group of 60 students and staff on the topic of “Redeeming the Dead: Moral Implications of Digital Media.” The lecture explored how technology shapes morality and asked whether redemption is possible in an era of permanent digital records.

Peters, the María Rosa Menocal Professor of English and of Film & Media Studies at Yale University, is a leading media historian and social theorist. He is the author of influential works, including Speaking Into the Air: A History of the Idea of Communication and The Marvelous Clouds: Toward a Philosophy of Elemental Media.

Social Media and the Struggle for Redemption

Peters addressed pressing questions about the consequences of living in a world of digital surveillance and incessant documentation. He raised questions such as: What happens when mistakes are recorded forever? Where is forgiveness online? Can we preach repentance [meaning change] in a world dominated by social media?

These questions are particularly relevant given that social media often documents people at their worst moments. Peters asked, “What does it mean for forgiveness and public deliberation if every word or deed is frozen in its first draft in eternal internet limbo?”

With the permanence of online records, Peters further asked, “Can we recover, change and progress?” He questioned whether forgiveness is possible in a digital world that emphasizes people’s frailties and mistakes, creating an environment where the fixity of the historical record is prized over personal maturation and growth.

Peters emphasized that the current social media moment works together with other social trends to create a profound distrust of the word, even of the official documents and records of our most sacred social and governmental institutions.

Insights from Latter-day Saint Teachings

Drawing on recent research in media studies and ethical principles from the Latter-day Saint tradition, Peters explored how record-keeping, repentance and reconciliation intersect with modern technology.

Peters referenced the teachings of Joseph Smith, former prophet and founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who anticipated some of these modern issues. Smith emphasized the spiritual importance of record-keeping in Doctrine and Covenants 128:8: “Whatsoever you record on earth shall be recorded in heaven …” At the same time, Smith also envisioned an open canon allowing for revision and redemption, suggesting that records of past misdeeds need not bind individuals eternally. He believed that it was possible to redeem the dead by actively changing the past vicariously.

Taking Smith’s view, media could document our failings, but it could also have the power to liberate us by allowing for revision and repair. Peters argues that to date, the internet has fostered an unforgiving culture, leaving little room for change or redemption.

Toward a More Forgiving Internet

Peters offered some potential solutions to this modern predicament. First, he suggested fostering a culture of open learning and forgiveness so that people can change their minds without fear of criticism.

Second, we might draw upon Latter-day Saint thought, as described in the revelations of Joseph Smith, that when we change our lives, even God chooses to no longer dwell upon our past faults and transgressions. Peters asked how we might both respect the historical record and find breathing room to leave the past behind and start our lives afresh.

So, can we recover from the unforgiving social media record being created all around us? “Yes,” Peters affirmed, concluding with a call for a more forgiving internet — one that allows for revision, forgetting and renewal.

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