Liar Liar

As Grace* sat in the armchair, her heart began to pound. The bishop gazed across the table and into what felt like her soul. She was 12 years old. “Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the eternal father, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?” he began. “Yes,” replied Grace. “Have you ever had impure thoughts?” “No.” She chewed her lip a little. “Do you smoke or drink alcohol, coffee or tea?” he quizzed. “No,” Grace said. She’d found a rhythm now. It was in this “worthiness interview”, a common practice for young people in the Mormon faith, that Grace learned to lie. And she’s been doing it ever since.

In a world in which we rarely post without a filter, it’s almost impossible to discern a genuine image from a deep-fake, and “fake news” is a response to criticism that comes with a presidential stamp of approval, the lines between fiction and reality are blurrier than