mythologicalmormon

[mythologicalmormon]

The mint brownie… has a milk????

byu creamery mint brownie milk i love you

[mythologicalmormon]

the night sky after rain can be really magical actually. what do you mean it rained and all of a sudden the horizon is brighter?

like it somehow washed everything away- a new canvas with freshly painted constellations, planets, and the moon with vibrant hues. colors so pigmented it demands your attention, and you do so willingly without a second thought.

[mythologicalmormon]

god was so funny in Ether 2:23. "how will you take light? well, you can't do windows, they'll break." (glass windows haven't been invented yet.) "you can't do fire because - wait, fuck, you haven't discovered that yet either - you just can't take fire. idek"

[mythologicalmormon]

one of the stakes in my city is holding an LGBTQ+ fireside and the speakers are telling a story of how they got invited to the gay wedding of two LDS men in their area, and they attended, and they sat next to someone the husband recognized from the construction industry and they were like "which groom are you here for?" and the man was like "both of them! I'm their stake president :)" and then started pointing out the bishops and all these local church leaders who were there to support this gay couple getting married. I almost teared up

[mythologicalmormon]

Had fun in Sunday school today

[mythologicalmormon]

Why does the lighting hate me in every single stake dance photo

[mythologicalmormon]

seeing people discussing the concept of hell and how cruel the idea of eternal punishment is like, wow! i know this belief system you would love if not for your knee-jerk reaction against its name

[mythologicalmormon]

As a reminder:

We have not found archeological evidence of the Book of Mormon tribes. We have no proof of where they were, or if they actually existed.

Native Americans are not 'descendants' of the Lamanites, and to assume so is something Native American tribes have explicitly asked us not to do.

As far as we know the Book of Mormon is an extended parable, or happened on another Earth, or details civilizations completely lost to time that have no relation to living cultures today. There is also proof of bias, as the author(s) claim(s) to only record things of 'spiritual importance', and that can look differently to everyone. And I haven't even mentioned the lost pages that could've changed the context of everything.

This is not to say you can't learn things from the Book of Mormon - analyzing it's text across many contexts is enriching both personally and academically. But to take the text at face value and blindly believe it and the associated rumors, especially when being racist towards Native Americans by wrapping them up in a mythos they did not consent to? No. Stop. Do not pass 'go'. Do not collect $200. Go directly to jail.

[mythologicalmormon]

im actually so fucking tired of my religion being called a cult.

mormons aren't a cult. they dont "eXhIbIt A lOt oF cOnTrOL" over members lives. they don't believe in strict rules or requirements to get to heaven. it's guidelines on being a better person. its loving people regardless of who they are.

the secret lives of mormon wives was so incredibly distortionistic of the actual religion. stop hating and just. Spend A Day in an actual???? lds church????? not those flds or jehovas witnesses which are cults but ACTUAL. Mormon Churches Please. before you call my faith a cult.

there are so many queer people in the mormon church MYSELF INCLUDED who receive nothing but love and kindness. there arent any brainwashing or any of that. you are fully allowed and even ENCOURAGED to question every aspect of our faith. if you fuck up, youre not seen as disgusting or sinful. my dad did some pretty messed up shit that would definitely gotten him shamed out of any other church but instead everyone was so supportive and kind and understanding and didnt force him into anything.

youre allowed to do whatever you want with your life, within reason at least.

stop throwing the word cult around like fucking confetti.

[mythologicalmormon]

“Your sweetheart is the most important person in your life. I, of course, do not have a sweetheart” - a stake single adult rep in his sacrament talk

[mythologicalmormon]

In light of recent events and my brother having a talk in sacrament tomorrow, I was reminded of a talk that I gave last year that focused on diversity and I thought y’all might appreciate it.

There is a story Jesus told about a Jewish man who was severely injured and left on the side of a road. Various travelers saw him and ignored him, including a Jewish priest. Although the injured man was of the same creed as the priest, the priest continued on his way with no regard for his fellow man. Eventually, a Samaritan man walked by. Now, Samaritans and Jews detested one another. The Samaritan’s preexisting bias would dictate that he, upon seeing the man was a Jew, ignore him as the previous travelers had. However, the Samaritan saw the man suffering and decided to help him no matter their personal and cultural differences. The Samaritan did what the other travelers chose not to and demonstrated true caring for one’s neighbors without regard for bias. The parable of the good Samaritan provides a valuable example for us. Would you take time out of your day to help someone in need, even if they belonged to a group of people whom you dislike or disapprove of? Are you willing to sacrifice your prejudice in an effort to help people belong in the church?

Our Heavenly Father loves diversity. When he created the earth, He did not make everything uniform and identical. He made millions of distinctive and unique species, plants, and other incredible creations. From seahorses to raccoons to peregrine falcons, the creatures on this earth are each special. The same goes for people. The assorted characteristics that differentiate us also make us human. Some of us are short, some of us are gay, some like reading, and others can wiggle their ears. God doesn’t love us in spite of our diversity, but because of it. He loves diversity. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t have made each one of us one-of-a-kind. He wants all of us to belong and to appreciate that which makes us special, just as He does.

Even within the church there is exceptional diversity. In the talk that I am referencing, The Doctrine of Belonging, Elder D. Todd Christofferson says quote “As the long prophesied latter-day gathering of the Lord’s covenant people gains momentum, the Church will truly be composed of members from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.” When the church was restored, the first members were all white and of European heritage. But diversity is the natural result of having a widespread group, and as the church became more vast, so did the diversity within it. There are millions of members in this church that are of varying colors, backgrounds, genders, and sexualities. There are members who speak languages from the obscure to the well-known. There are members who have medical and mental health problems and members who speak with a stutter or a lisp. Our differences don’t make us less of God’s children, but some among us will belittle and alienate members who are unlike them. God invites all of his children and all of their diversity to partake in his covenants and return to him. We should follow in His example by loving diversity and striving to make everyone know that they belong in our Savior’s church.

Helping people feel and know that they belong in the church requires everyone to let go of their preconceived notions, judgments, and biases. Each and every one of us has prejudices. We discriminate based on serious things such aswhether or not a person has gone to prison or who someone voted for in an election, and we discriminate based on simple things like what music someone listens to or what type of clothes someone wears. Prejudice is often nothing more than a sweeping generalization that misrepresents a group of people. Within church culture, prejudice is unfortunately common and it is counterproductive to helping people feel like they belong in the kingdom of God. The general handbook for the church states, “Prejudice is not consistent with the revealed word of God. Favor or disfavor with God depends on devotion to Him and His commandments, not on the color of a person’s skin or other attributes. The Church calls on all people to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice toward any group or individual.” When we are prejudiced against a person, we have a mental block that prevents us from helping that child of God feel like they belong. Prejudice gives way to unjustified judgment, which in turn can lead to members of the church feeling out of place in the one setting where they should feel completely at ease.

Everyone in this room, including myself, judges people. We judge people for how they dress when they attend church, how many children they have, how short or long their hair is, or how eloquently they speak, among other things. We may keep our judgment to ourselves, speak it behind someone’s back, or even tell it to their face. Elder Christofferson remarked on this, saying, quote “We may unwittingly impose expectations on others – or even ourselves – that are not the Lord’s expectations. We may communicate in subtle ways that the worth of a soul is based on certain achievements or callings”. In what subtle – or not so subtle- ways do you convey your judgments? When someone who does something you disapprove of walks into a room do you turn your body away from them and avoid including them?

As often as we may cast judgment upon others, it is not our place to do so. Judging our brothers and sisters both within these walls and outside them only splits the kingdom of God. We all sin and we all sin differently. There is a saying: Don’t judge others because they choose to sin differently than you do. Who are we to judge the sins of others? Just because we have opinions on proper etiquette, behavior, and beliefs it doesn’t mean that it is our place to enforce them. They remain opinions only. We will not always know all the details about a situation. We don’t know the circumstances surrounding why a couple has no children. We don’t know if the brother who doesn’t make eye contact has autism or another disorder that makes eye contact difficult. We don’t know what may have happened behind closed doors before a divorce. We don’t know if the sister who uses her phone during class needs to use it to be able to focus. Judging our neighbors can, and frequently does, drive our beloved brothers and sisters away from the church, whereas loving our neighbors as Jesus loves us will help them to know that they belong here with us.

Elder Christofferson also stated, quote, “It is a sad irony when someone, feeling he or she doesn’t meet the ideal in all aspects of life, concludes that he or she doesn’t belong in the very organization designed by God to help us progress toward the ideal”. Perfection does not happen in this life, and yet in church culture we often make it seem as if perfection is a prerequisite for salvation.Such an unreasonable expectation creates an unnecessary divide in the church. We do not have to do certain things to belong in this church. Every single person on this earth belongs in Heavenly Father’s kingdom, no matter their past sins, current situations, and future mistakes.

There are things that people believe are “required” to be a worthy disciple. Regarding the passing of the sacrament, some hold the belief that every young man must be clean shaven, devoid of jewlery, have short hair, and wear a white shirt and tie. The Lord, however has made it a simple act of reverence and service, with the only requirement being that, “Those who administer the sacrament should be well groomed and clean. They should not wear clothing or jewelry that might detract from the worship and covenant making that are the purpose of the sacrament.” This is an example of a church culture misconception and is only one of many others which are geared towards being perfect in this life. Every worthy and able young man has been asked to prepare for and serve a mission. However, serving a mission is not a requirement to hold the priesthood and to serve the Lord throughout their lives. We have been given free agency, and it is not our place to judge when an individual chooses not to serve a mission or when a missionary returns home early. Some members cannot fathom saying no to a calling even if they know that their personal circumstances would clearly be incompatible with the calling at that time. How are our sisters and brothers within the church supposed to know that they belong when we make them feel like they have to be this picture-perfect human being?

If we want to gather Israel, we cannot only minister to those whom we feel comfortable with. Our baptismal covenants did not say to “Bear our friends�� burdens and only our friends' burdens; mourn with only those whom we feel comfortable with; comfort only those whom we like.” They said to, “bear other’s burdens, that they may be light, mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those in need of comfort.” The language in our baptismal covenants does not exclude any of God’s children, so why do we?

When you see someone who doesn’t seem to be included, make a point to talk to them. If a brother or sister stops attending church, reach out to them. Show those around you that they belong, even if it means that you have to step out of your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to be a voice for others when there’s an untoward joke or when someone is being talked about behind their back. Love those in need of love, even those nobody spares a glance for. Be like our Savior in all that you do, and you will show those around you how much they belong.

[mythologicalmormon]

I woke up at 4:30 this morning filled with existential dread.

I'm sure everyone can imagine why. I don't know if I've ever felt this hopeless about America. Angry, sure. Disappointed, lots. But I always had this hope that the better angels of our nature would triumph in the end.

I'm not hopeful anymore.

But here's a warning to all of my fellow Latter Day Saints, especially the ones who will never see this--our shared Christianity isn't going to save us. If the Christian Nationalists get their way and it comes down to an Us vs. Them scenario, we Mormons will always be classified as "Them."

For the past couple decades, LDS leadership has tried to strengthen ties with our fellow Christian religionists, which is a nice thought, while doubling down on Conservative Christian policies and culture war propaganda. It seems that leadership is trying to fit in, make us all snug and cozy with the Evangelicals and other right-wing Christians.

But let me tell you, none of that is going to keep us safe. They will never accept us as one of them. At the end of the day, regardless of our Christ-centered doctrine and our faith, they don't think we're Christian at all.

In the Us vs. Them equation we will always lose.

Stay safe out there my fellow Mormons, my siblings in Christ. Community is the only thing that might get us through.

[mythologicalmormon]

[through gritted teeth, with fists clenched]

When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS, NAME THEM ONE BY ONE, AND IT WILL SURPRISE YOU WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE-

[mythologicalmormon]

Alright folks, we’re going full Mormon on this bitch

[mythologicalmormon]

I’ll be honest guys I’m so tired. I’m so angry. I’m sick of putting everything I have into this country and getting literal poop back.

Right now I feel like Moroni and Mormon, totally betrayed by their society. But I’m trying to channel their spirit. If they could keep going, keep the faith, and not let the world change them when they were literally the last of their kind, then, I hope and pray we can do the same.

We have each other and that’s more than they had. I love all of you. Stay safe.

[mythologicalmormon]

*rocks back and forth*