Clint Goodman wears the title “nerd” with honor, particularly when he is talking about his most recent hobby.
Goodman, of Saratoga Springs, is a senior software engineer with Adobe, but for fun he has developed some tools that offer a statistical analysis of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints General Conference talks since 1971. That’s 51 years of words, topics, trends and vocabulary use.
With the new tools, this coming conference’s speeches will be added within a few days and the charts will continue to grow.
Have you ever wondered what words are used most in General Conference? Which apostle has the biggest vocabulary? Is the church still growing? What terms are trending up or down in conference?
Through his new algorithms, Goodman can answer those questions and more. For instance, did you know President Thomas S. Monson has the most distinct words spoken of all the speakers in General Conference over the past 50 years?
Did you know that church leaders have gradually changed the terms used for deity over time? “Lord” and “God” are trending down, while “Jesus,” “Savior” and “Heavenly Father” are trending up.
To read the full story, visit HeraldExtra.com.
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