#2 Nephi

[mosesonethirtynine]

For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

2 Nephi 28:30

[pressforwardsaints]

「わたしは率そっ直ちょくさに誇ほこりを感かんじ，真しん理りに誇ほこりを感かんじる。また，イエスがわたしを地じ獄ごくから贖あがなってくださったので，わたしはイエスを誇ほこりとする」

— ニーファイ第二書33章6

[demigodofhoolemere]

50 Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Nephi 9:50

[loveerran]

Come, all ye that are heavy laden

One of the things that has really stood out to me the last few weeks is that Jesus and the gospel are for everyone. I recently attended church in a ward where most of the attendees are or were incarcerated. Almost all had been excommunicated and were no longer even members of the church. But still they came, and the spirit was there and it felt raw and real and relevant.

In a ward where most people aren’t members, adjustments have to be made. A way is found to help people who are under armed guard feel welcome. Service opportunities and assignments for them and their loved ones are made available. They are specifically welcomed and encouraged in their spiritual journey toward God, regardless of where on the path they may be at the moment. There is an understanding that the need for healing is real.

I imagine this ward exists, at least in in part, to provide a socially and spiritually safe and encouraging environment for those who might be ostracized in a typical family ward because of their history and non-conformity. I am glad the church is seizing the opportunity to minister to these men, extending love, kindness and compassion in a sensitive and caring way to them and their families. I am truly heartened to see how traditional ward structures are stretched and modified to accommodate them and make things work, to meet the needs of the moment and the individual - despite circumstances that might cause others to recoil or cross to the other side of the road and pass them by.

I appreciate how clear it was that those men are specifically invited, despite their past deeds, any feelings they may have about where they are in life, or the internal and external shame that they may feel. They are told repeatedly that Jesus wants them and that their ward family wants them too. That is real Christianity.

Love, Erran

[the-troll-book-of-mormon]

davepeta deserves to wear all the funky outfits! like this halter top and biker jacket combob B33 (bonus gif under read more!)

[bankaizen]

(crawling out of the hole that is the cc) finally remade my durge last weekend

[romancemedia]

I just started watching the anime, Chillin' in Another World with Level 2 Super Cheat Powers since yesterday and I noticed two things.

The English voice actor for Flio is the same person who voices Orland Langston from Sugar Apple Fairy Tale.

And Flio and Rys kinda remind me of Zagan and Nephy (the only difference being the progress of their relationships).

[rhunae]

Multiplayer with the hubby, I'm playing a tiefling bard, and he's playing a human druid. Bard has some really fun dialogue choices. He used the default name, Tav. Her name is Nephi.

[sovaharbor]

gonna replay aedrys to feel something again

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Group C Round 2

[image ID: the first image is of the cover of Shadow Slave by Guiltyfree. it depicts a person, who is not Nephis, with medium length white hair, and an intricately designed metal mask covers their face. the second image is of "good" Tom, a young man with short medium-colored hair, sideburns, and goatee. he's looking to the left of the comic panel, saying: "A puppy is in danger." someone from offscreen says: "Again?" end ID]

Nephis

aghhh she's sooo,,, she's like. a little bit insane (canonically). she wants to destroy an entire realm (a realm that has been causing very plot-relevant problems, but still). i'm pretty sure she wants to kill god. she has so much autistic swag it's not even funny. WITNESS! some actual quotes from the story: - "It was as though she had no idea how to talk to people" - "Her tone never matched what she was trying to say. Often, she would forget to put correct intonations in her speech, making questions sound like statements or vice versa" - "[Nephis's] awkwardness seemed to disappear whenever she talked about things that she felt confident about, like ancient heroes. Or killing things" - "[Nephis was seen] intently observing how Cassie talked and behaved around them. Sometime later, Neph would randomly try to mimic small details of her friend's behavior" she's also consistently described as hard-to-read, blunt, and generally talks with a flat voice [mod note: this image was included in the submission, but I wasn't sure if it was fan art or not. either way, it depicts Nephis]

"good" Tom

Was created by the author because he felt bad about naming a one-off shitty character ("bad" Tom) Tom instead leaving him nameless. To quote the author commentary on "good" Tom's introduction page: "There is something in this comic I've been eager to include, however, and that's token 'good guy' Tom. His name is Tom, and he's a good guy, thus proving that not all Toms are like that one Tom. This Tom isn't the least bit manipulative, his extracurricular school activities all benefit society and raise awareness in some way, he's rescued at least three puppies from various situations, and he genuinely loves the first three live action Star Trek series." Note: it is later reveal that part of the reason that "he's rescued at least three puppies from various situations" is that without his knowledge he was given a magic mark that gives him the power to sense when puppies are in danger. [additional propaganda 1]

[mindfulldsliving]

Understanding Judgment Through Scripture

In Christianity, the concept of judging is not just about deciding what's right or wrong. It's more about understanding our connection with others and how our judgments affect those relationships.

Understanding Judging: Insights from 3 Nephi 14:1–2 and Matthew 7:1-5 We often grapple with the concept of judging others. The passages 3 Nephi 14:1-2 and Matthew 7:1-5 provide profound insights into how judging fits into our lives, particularly within a religious context. These verses prompt us to question: are we judging righteously, or are we falling into the trap of unrighteous…

[daisydisciple]

ok but!!! this is a concept I think about all the time and it literally is scriptural imo

take "for where no law is, there is no transgression" from Romans 4:15 for example

and Alma 42:21 "And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature?"

and D&C 88:11-13 ok look:

11 "And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings;

12 Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space—

13 The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things."

Okay so like our innate sense of justice comes from the light of Christ which is in all things and is also the law, or the standard to which we are held, and which we measure the actual state of things against, consciously or unconsciously

The biggest evidence for God, I think, is that it doesn’t make sense for us to notice all the evil in the world if there was no good for us to compare it to.

Like, it seems pretty clear that the standard state of the world is… bad. Look at almost every depiction of the Middle Ages. Look at the Viking age. Look at Africa today. Look at poverty and homelessness in your own country.

Why is this bad? Why isn’t this normal? Why do you feel this horrible anger in you at the all these things that happen, if they’ve been happening since the beginning of time?

Evil can only exist if good existed first. Otherwise, you’re pointing at the world as it has always been and always will be and wondering at why the atoms happened this way.

Which is such a bleak and pointless universe. Why do we care so much about preventing evil and doing good if the universe has no good in it in the first place? It doesn’t make any sense.

The only way evil and suffering make sense is if a state of good and peace existed first. Something whole to compare our broken world to.

I think that Something is God.

[demigodofhoolemere]

22 Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

2 Nephi 8:22

[hiseyeisonthesparrow]

I am feeling very hurt today.

For context, I went to high school in well-off, suburban Utah, although I didn't grow up there. My family still lives there. It's a VERY Mormon- and white-dominated location.

Last night, I was on the phone with my mom, just catching up, making plans for the weekend, the typical Phone Home Because Your Mom Misses You.

She told me that there were plans to build a warming shelter for the homeless in the town. I was excited -- I'd just been to a workshop about homelessness, and me and my friends had exchanged some heartfelt stories about our experiences with homeless friends, family, ward members, et cetera. But then she followed it up by telling me that many folks in the town were strongly against it -- mad that there would be a warming shelter in the town, yelling about it on Facebook groups, protesting at city council meetings. None of them wanted a warming shelter in their town. Hundreds of people, upset.

I've never felt more disheartened. Over half of the people in that town are members of the Church. The chances that there were Mormons at that city council meeting, yelling angrily about a warming shelter are astronomically high.

What God are they following?

What Christ did they get baptized to?

What scriptures do they read? Did they not get the chance to read Proverbs 19:17, Matthew 25:35-36, Luke 3:11, James 2:15-16, 1 John 3:17, Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalms 82:3-4, Proverbs 14:31, Isaiah 58:10, Mosiah 4:16-26, Alma 34:28-29, Mosiah 18:28-30, 3 Nephi 12:3, or Jacob 2:13-17?

What commandments are they following? What "love one another" do they ascribe to?

What has the name of Christ become in this day and age?

The devil turning evil into good and good into evil has never been so obvious. What perversion of gospel principles can possibly lead someone to riot against a warming shelter -- not even a homeless shelter? A place for people to stay alive in the blistering cold.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." The 'members' that have fought against this have, effectively, spit in the face of the Lord. Where has Christlike compassion gone?

[loveerran]

LDS Doctrine, 8yr-old Transgender Children and Policy

One of the most shocking things about the new LDS policies for transgender children, is the policy that appears to deny or severely restrict their access to baptism. I discussed that briefly here (last year and recently). This post looks more at the doctrinal side of the question.

LDS doctrine has been amazingly clear and consistent on the treatment of little children prior to the age of accountability (defined as 8yrs-old in Doctrine & Covenants 68) from the very early days of the church. I honestly feel this issue has some nuance, but the church has been absolutely unwavering in stating the tenet that children under the age of 8 cannot sin, or even if they can their sin is swallowed up in the atonement of Christ automatically.

I might personally believe that accountability for actions is a continuum based on the light and law an individual has received (2 Nephi 9:25-6, Luke 12:47-9, Romans 4:15, 5:13, DC 137:7 – a continuum applying to all individuals, regardless of age). However, LDS doctrine and statements are emphatic in declaring the complete innocence of little children, and that the atonement covers them completely until the child is 8 years old:

Moroni 8:8,11-2,14,19 (verses 20+ are much harsher) “...wherefore little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin… their little children need no repentance… little children are alive in Christ, from the foundation of the world… little children cannot repent; wherefore it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them…”

DC 20:71 “No one can be received into the church of Christ unless he has arrived at the years of accountability before God, and is capable of repentance”

DC 68:27 “And their children shall be baptized for the remission of their sins when eight years old, and receive the laying on of the hands”

DC 74:7 “But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean”

See also Mosiah 3:16, Mosiah 15:25, DC 29:46-7, DC 137:10, JST Genesis 17:3-11, etc.

Taken together, little children are whole and clean through Jesus Christ until they arrive at the years of accountability and are capable of repentance. And that age is 8 years old. Church leaders have repeatedly restated this:

Dallin H Oaks: “We understand from our doctrine that before the age of accountability a child is ‘not capable of committing sin’” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Sins and Mistakes,” Ensign, Oct. 1996, 65)

Bruce R. McConkie “There comes a time, however, when accountability is real and actual and sin is attributed in the lives of those who develop normally. It is eight years of age, the age of baptism.” (Bruce R. McConkie, “The Salvation of Little Children,” Ensign, Apr. 1977, 6)

And we can even see this in the policies laid out in the current General Handbook of Instructions:

31.2.3.1: Children who are Members of Record

(note: children of record are children whose names are on the rolls of the church prior to baptism at age 8)

"In the interview, the bishopric member ensures that the child understands the purposes of baptism (see 2 Nephi 31:5–20). He also ensures that the child understands the baptismal covenant and is committed to live by it (see Mosiah 18:8–10). He does not need to use a specified list of questions. This is not an interview to determine worthiness, since 'little children need no repentance' (Moroni 8:11)."

(bold emphasis mine)

But for the first time in our history, we have an exception to this rule, and it applies only if the child is transgender. Instead of a meaningful interview with the local bishop or one of his counselors about following Jesus, a transgender child (and only a transgender child) who dresses differently or uses a different name and pronouns must have a worthiness interview with the regional Stake President directly. There is no other ‘sin’ that calls for this, even when little children have somehow perpetrated horrible crimes. If the Stake President finds the child worthy (is this even possible under the new guidelines??), he recommends the child for baptism to the First Presidency. The First Presidency is the highest council/court in the church, from which there is no appeal. The First Presidency then chooses whether or not to permit the child to be baptized. This new policy is spelled out in the Handbook:

38.2.8.9: Individuals Who Identify as Transgender

"Any exception to this policy requires the approval of the First Presidency. To request approval, the mission president, or the stake president for an eight-year-old, interviews the person. If he finds the person to be worthy and if he recommends baptism and confirmation, he submits a request for approval to the First Presidency using LCR."

(bold emphasis mine)

In the past, the church has denied baptism to the children of polygamists and to the children of gays (possibly others). In those cases, it could always be said the child’s parents were at fault, not the child themselves. This new policy is a marked departure from that and, in my opinion, is inconsistent with the church’s doctrine. I hope to see this policy adjusted as other policies have been when they do not align well with our core values and doctrines.

Love,

Erran

[nephiii3]

canon. (I'd join)

Incorrect Ghost Quotes‼️

(pt. 14)

Secondo: Would you slap Nihil-

Terzo: Yes.

Secondo: I didn't even finish!

Terzo: Sorry, continue.

Secondo: Would you slap Nihi for 10 dollars?

Terzo: I would do it for free.