#2 Nephi 31

[mindfulldsliving]

Mindful Living: Applying Alma 37, 2 Timothy 3, and Psalm 1

The scriptures are alive with lessons guiding our daily walk. Alma 37 teaches us that small and simple acts of righteousness can bring great results. 2 Timothy 3 warns of perilous times but encourages us that scripture equips us for every good work.

Understanding Scriptures: Insights from Alma 37, 2 Timothy 3, and Psalm 1 Why are scriptures so essential in our lives, especially for Latter-day Saints? Alma 37, 2 Timothy 3, and Psalm 1 offer profound insights that can guide us daily. Alma 37 emphasizes the importance of counseling with the Lord in all our doings, ensuring that He will direct us for good. In 2 Timothy 3, we read about the…

[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

[nerdygaymormon]

Are you willing to condemn the racism the Mormon church has taught you?

The church has been wrong on Racism, Patriarchy, Misogyny and Anti-queerness.

One message that is given in scriptures in different ways is that God loves us all and treats us the same, and we should do likewise.

Deuteronomy 10:17 - For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.

Mark 12:31 - The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

John 13:34 - “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Acts 10:34 - Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism

Romans 2:11 - For God does not show favoritism.

Romans 10:12 - For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,

Galatians 3:28 - There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11 - Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

2 Nephi 26:33 - ...black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God

Furthermore, the Book of Mormon can be seen as a cautionary tale about a group of violently racist misogynists who wound up getting annihilated explicitly because they would not stop being violently racist misogynists. It also teaches that pride and wealth inequality doom civilizations. Too many Mormons view the Nephites as the heroes of the Book of Mormon and want to be like them, but D&C 38:39 warns us, "lest ye become as the Nephites of old."

[obsessingoverl]

2 Nephi 31:14

But, behold, my beloved brethren, thus came the voice of the Son unto me, saying: After ye have repented of your sins, and witnessed unto the Father that ye are willing to keep my commandments, by the baptism of water, and have received the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost, and can speak with a new tongue, yea, even with the tongue of angels, and after this should deny me, it would have been better for you that ye had not known me.

(Emphasis added by me)

I'm not sure why, but as I was reading this in YW I felt very impressed to share it on here. Go forth and discourse, I'd love to hear any insights that you have.

[theestervashti]

"The Fitting." From Esther 2: 19-20.

We just discovered there are several definitions of virginity, one we keep to ourselves, one that is imposed upon us by society. The one that counts is the one we keep to ourselves as we wait for just the right touch.

All societies on earth are virgins, being hustled and bustled and fussed over by persons that do not care about their needs or feelings, wants and desires. The coming of the Mashiach is their longing, a time when the social and internal definitions of quality of life are in close harmony.

Conspiracies, something called a secret combination in the Book of Mormon are alliances formed between the church, state, industry, and private persons in order to squeeze the public like a grape. Secret Combinations represent a deep corrupt illness in our lives. Much of the Book of Mormon is dedicated to the complete eradication of them and their causes, the Gadianton Robbers, "those who cover up things of value."

Gadianton means:

Gad= to cut out

ian= anything without

ton= the undertone

The references in the Book of Mormon like the rest of it are simply fabulous:

Secret Combinations

See also Cain; Gadianton Robbers

An organization of people bound together by oaths to carry out the evil purposes of the group.

The father of lies stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations, 2 Ne. 9:9.

I must needs destroy the secret works of darkness, 2 Ne. 10:15.

Judgments of God did come upon these workers of secret combinations, Alma 37:30.

Gadianton did prove almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi, Hel. 2:4–13.

Satan put it into the hearts of the people to form secret oaths and covenants, Hel. 6:21–31.

The Lord worketh not in secret combinations, Ether 8:19.

Nations that uphold secret combinations shall be destroyed, Ether 8:22–23.

They did reject all the words of the prophets, because of their secret society, Ether 11:22.

From the days of Cain, there was a secret combination, Moses 5:51.

The objectives of the Secret Combination in America was the one that attempted to keep the black man in slavery. The Book of Mormon, written for the most part by President Abraham Lincoln, introduced a doctrine of freedom to the nation and we know what happened after that.

In the Book of Eshter, we see a secret combination is attempting to usurp the line of succession of the Kingdom of Persia and take the queen's virginity and thus become entitled to that which was stolen rather than offered freely.

The text says we can't have our virginity stolen twice; meaning once slavery to the man is done, we must not submit ever again unless the slavery is to one's sugar honey.

The story continues as Marduk, called Mordecai in Hebrew, AKA the Babylonian god of the King's Gate calls attention to the plans of a secret combination.

The structure of the block of verses is what is called a Hand. Hands consist of five stanzas designed to explain the cultivation of a member of the royal line of succession. They are different from those which appear in 2, 3, 4, 6, or 7 line blocks of scripture found in the Torah and Tanakh. The goal of a Hand is to "bring up" up an enlightened person into an elevated level of Malchut, AKA Tiferet, "of glory."

The story says the secret combination that was trying to prevent Esther's rise to glory on her wedding night consisted of two officials, the king's officers. They did not end well when discovered:

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 

20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana[b] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 

23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 19: The virgins gathered a second time. Until you place your lips on another's or put your hand on his chest, you are a virgin to this person. Marduk "the son of Utu Shamash, the destroyer of darkness" means "resist the misfortune." The Number is ה‎החו‎ ��‎"from the meadow."

=

We can't lose our virginity until we meet someone who has put slavery of any kind behind him or her and we have done the same. This place in life is called the meadow; it is carefree, effortless, clement, pleasant, and rejuvenating.

Communities are meant to find themselves and their ways of life in the meadow not within a melting pot meltdown.

v. 20: Esther followed the instructions and was brought up. Esther endured Seven Days of torture in hell. She then returned to life and restored human nature. The Number is 10358 ק‎גהח‎, kgah. Eventually we have to come into the light and old age is too late:

"The verb כהה (kaha) means to be dim or darkened and is often used for the effects old age has on one's eyesight (Deuteronomy 34:7, Isaiah 42:4). It comes with two derivatives:

The adjective כהה (keheh), meaning dim, dull or faint (1 Samuel 3:2, Isaiah 61:3). The feminine noun כהה (keha), meaning a lessening or alleviating. Some translations read "healing," but that overshoots the meaning of this root somewhat. It occurs only in Nahum 3:19."

v. 21: Two of the king's guards became angry. Anger is always selfishness and jealousy. It is the root cause of idolatry, worship of the offended, disquieted ego self.

They are identified as:

Bigthana= your fortune is mine!

Teresh= fear of austerity, of inheriting nothing

These must not influence the search for the sugar honey, that would be a mistake. ‎

The Number is 10065, ק‎סה‎, cassa, "the chair seat", also י'‎סה‎ ‎, "yes, there is existence."

"Existence" is explained in Massei. It is apparently comprised of a world without assholes in it:

The Israelites Conquer the Canaanites.

40 The Canaanite king of Arad "the wild ass", who lived in the Negev "rolling hills" of Canaan, heard that the Israelites were coming. 41 They left Mount Hor "the highest mountain" and camped at Zalmonah "place of idols." 42 They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon "the regions beyond." 43 They left Punon and camped at Oboth, "water skins". 44 They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim, "ruins of the regions behind" on the border of Moab "the waters of the past". 45 They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad "future washing water". 46 They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim "hidden in the two cakes". 47 They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim, "across the Jordan" near Nebo "the prophecy." 48 They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho "the fragrant place". 49 There on the plains of Moab they camped along the Jordan from Beth Jeshimoth "house of waste" to Abel Shittim, "the stream by the acacias".

=

"In order to make the plan of God, His Promise of a land flowing with milk and honey come to pass, the rolling hills of cyclic existence must be surpassed. All the idols, men who act like and are treated like gods, who long for the afterlife at the expense of real life must be thrown down so their flawed and ridiculous patterns come to an end.

Beyond them are "water skins" pure men who, free to worship the One God Alone, will be able reflect upon Him. Leave the dirty water of the past behind, move forward by reflecting upon the future. A future free of assholes, liars, tyrants, cheaters, freaks, and their corruption which lay between yesterday and tomorrow.

Do not hesitate to leave their shittiness behind, their House of Waste, and cross over into a land that is fragrant with "inexpensive fragrance", the sweetness of men who live without strife."

v. 22: Marduk received the credit. Resistance to secret combinations and privateers who think they are entitled to the privileges others have to earn is always where the credit or the inheritance is willed.

The Number is 6211, ו‎ב‎בב‎ ‎, "The port, the gangway."

The gangway was revealed when Moses parted the Red Sea. As soon as the opportunity to escape the darkness of the secret underworld is availed, one must change one's mind and head in the other direction. Our enemies must be left for dead behind us.

As we discussed in the prior frame, this is why the Other is critical in our lives, he gives us hope the future and the past shall no longer collide. He gives us something homogeneous to look forward to.

v. 23: All of this was recorded in the book. For a virgin homo, the book of the annals has not been written yet. Some would say if it involves a fairy tale romance with a prince or a princess it is worth waiting for. The Number is 10015, י'‎אה‎, "a proper fitting."

The new or newer honeybee in one's life is supposed to fit like a sexy new outfit. It is supposed to feel as if one is living within one's own skin at last. Any conspiracies that take place around the palace intrigue are therefore to foster this female prince version of Shabbat called a fitting. The theft of virginity is otherwise considered a crime.

Societies that surrender this feeling to the whims of oppressors and desires of the corrupt for even a single second are making a huge mistake.

As I have said, the fucking Republicans, a hotbed of terrorism and conspiracies in America and all around the world to steal virginities need to be exterminated, just as the Book of Mormon instructs.

[aj-mahonri]

Why was Jesus Christ baptized? The #bookofmormon has helped me to learn this sacred truth.

Know ye not that he was holy? But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments.

2 Nephi 31:7

[eyvorkristinskjald]

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. 2 Nephi 31

[bookoformon]

3 Nephi 18, Part 2. "Overcrowded."

Recall in the Book of Alma, the Prophet says the Synagogue where the worship of an Agnostic Spirit is the superior form of worship. Here again he states the Gospels and the Spirit of the Christ are to be incorporated into the Synagogue under the tokens of the beliefs that all who pray to the God of Israel are of one flesh.

From Alma Chapter 21:

20 But he caused that there should be asynagogues built in the land of Ishmael "obedience"; and he caused that his people, or the people who were under his reign, should assemble themselves together.

21 And he did rejoice over them, and he did teach them many things. And he did also declare unto them that they were a people who were under him, and that they were a afree people, that they were free from the oppressions of the king, his father; for that his father had granted unto him that he might reign over the people who were in the land of Ishmael, and in all the land round about.

22 And he also declared unto them that they might have the liberty of worshiping the Lord their God according to their desires, in whatsoever place they were in, if it were in the land which was under the reign of king Lamoni.

This "appearance" of Christ to the Nephites, the modern day disciples of America through the Book of Mormon goes on to say to be anointed in the truth of the Torah and the New Testament is worthwhile, to drink of them and violate the Decrees or the Our Father is the path to Damnation:

17 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, he turned again unto the multitude and said unto them:

18 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation; for Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.

22 And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;

23 But ye shall apray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father, in my name.

24 Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

25 And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.

26 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words, he turned his eyes again upon the disciples whom he had chosen, and said unto them:

27 Behold verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you another commandment, and then I must go unto my Father that I may fulfil other commandments which he hath given me.

28 And now behold, this is the commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall not suffer any one knowingly to partake of my flesh and blood unworthily, when ye shall minister it;

29 For whoso eateth and drinketh my flesh and blood unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his soul; therefore if ye know that a man is unworthy to eat and drink of my flesh and blood ye shall forbid him.

30 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out from among you, but ye shall minister unto him and shall pray for him unto the Father, in my name; and if it so be that he repenteth and is baptized in my name, then shall ye receive him, and shall minister unto him of my flesh and blood.

31 But if he repent not he shall not be numbered among my people, that he may not destroy my people, for behold I know my sheep, and they are numbered.

32 Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.

33 Therefore, keep these sayings which I have commanded you that ye come not under condemnation; for wo unto him whom the Father condemneth.

34 And I give you these commandments because of the disputations which have been among you. And blessed are ye if ye have no disputations among you.

35 And now I go unto the Father, because it is expedient that I should go unto the Father for your sakes.

36 And it came to pass that when Jesus had made an end of these sayings, he touched with his hand the disciples whom he had chosen, one by one, even until he had touched them all, and spake unto them as he touched them.

37 And the multitude heard not the words which he spake, therefore they did not bear record; but the disciples bare record that he gave them power to give the Holy Ghost. And I will show unto you hereafter that this record is true.

38 And it came to pass that when Jesus had touched them all, there came a cloud and overshadowed the multitude that they could not see Jesus.

39 And while they were overshadowed he departed from them, and ascended into heaven. And the disciples saw and did bear record that he ascended again into heaven.

The implications of this for the world's Jewry in modern times must not, as the text says be a source of consternation or dispute. Certainly the same methods used for the Torah, Midrash, Gemara, etc. can be applied to any scripture. The final passage says a cloud covered Jesus and he could not be seen and his departure was overshadowed by clouds.

Clouds are symbols like the one that led the Israelites out of Egypt, and must be analyzed using Gematria.

v. 38: The Value in Gematria is 8810, חחאאֶפֶס‎, Xhaapes, "overcrowded."

No matter one's customary or desired aspect of deity, one will end up figuring out: there is just one Eternal Immaculate Spirit. There are no others, He has no other forms. It is He who does everyhing, nothing we can say, write or do can change this.

He deigned to help us and came in the flesh to discuss the Torah and to believe in Shabbat and everyone hated Him for it, so He left.

v. 39: The Value in Gematria is 9324, טגבד‎‎, tagbad, "be proud."

The Gematria says the world has become overcrowded with opinions and positions on God's will and as to how it should best be run. The Book of Mormon says in the above passages there are a few basic ways we want to approach this, they are not difficult. To be touched in the flesh by the Spirit of God and come to life and then follow the preceps of religion is not a daunting task but we perennially fail at it because of overcast skies.

A man or woman who cannot clear the Self of clouds and peer into the clear sky cannot know the Holy Ghost or be touched by the power of His Son.

The second Number speaks of pride, which is associated with the attainment of Ha Shem, the transition between the knowledge of the experience of Judaism and the direct experience of it:

“On Mount Sinai”; it is called Behar, “on the mountain.” The qualities of pride and fortitude are emphasized, but not the modulating influence of the humility of Sinai, “the lowest of all the mountains.”

In resolution, it can be explained that the phrase Behar Sinai, “On Mount Sinai,” refers to a person who reminds himself of the need to subdue his self-importance. The very fact that these efforts are necessary indicates that his humility does not entirely encompass his being.

When, by contrast, a person has totally sublimated his identity to the mission with which G‑d has entrusted him, he does not need to remind himself of the need to be humble; self-concern is of no importance to him. This is the intent of the name Behar, “on the mountain” that a servant of G‑d stands proud, firmly rooted in the power endowed by the strength of his purpose.

This strength of purpose will enable our people to overcome all the challenges confronting us during these last moments of exile, and go on to greet Mashiach. May this take place in the immediate future."

SO what should Jews do about the dilemma they have been faced with, Jesus yes, or Jesus no. The Book of Mormon and the Gematria and the Rab say, all is Ha Shem, and the Authority of the Holy Ghost was first given to Moses on Horeb, and the direction all of us want to take is towards Mashiach, Global Ethical Responsibility, not towards any particular religious idiom, place, sect, faith, or strand of it.

Every Jew is already aware of this, which is essentially what the scripture says. Certainly a pleasant reminder doesn't cause harm.

[73ironath]

BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST

In our fallen state, we had a serious wrestling before we received the remission of our sins.

For the remission, due process of baptism is required and the ordered one is to be done by men holding the Priesthood Authority.

When this is done, is that all? Should we fold our hands?

In this, Nephi counseled: "If ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and enduring to the end, behold thus said the Father: ye shall have eternal life." 2 Nephi 31:20

This is nothing more than being rooted and grounded in the doctrines, ordinances, mysteries and knowledge of the FATHER and the SON.

Unfortunately, many of us are of a strong faith that with the Bible alone we can be rooted and grounded enough in the testimony of the Christ. The Bible is not sufficient. There's need for constant revelations, Apostles and Prophet and others scriptures for us to be rooted.

With regards to scriptures for us to be grounded, the Lord said:

"Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; (book of Mormon) for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever." 2 Nephi 8-9.

As we act upon the words, we shall become rooted and grounded in the testimony of Christ.

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[mindfulldsliving]

Steadfast Faith and Divine Guidance: Navigating Life's Challenges with Priesthood Principles

The foundations of priesthood power and authority are intricately linked to the teachings found in 2 Peter 1:5-10, which outlines the critical need for men of faith to develop qualities that will make their calling and election sure.

In a coming day, only those men who have taken their priesthood seriously, by diligently seeking to understand and embody its principles, will fully manifest the power and authority endowed upon them. This commitment transcends mere duty; it requires a deep, intentional journey of faith and a pursuit that echoes the sentiments of Psalm 27:8, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto…

[hlmowrer]

Week 29: Life is interesting, except when it's not

I don't have a lot of commentary for this week.  Since I've been in Michigan, I've often called family members and asked what's new...only for them to tell me that not all that much has changed.  This has always thrown me for a loop, since mission life always brings something new/interesting/weird to talk about on the daily.  However, this week, I really don't have very much to say.  Sometimes, the secret to life is to keep enduring what comes your way.  

Those of you that have good memories may recall my first letter from Kalkaska, in which I talked about Emily, the grandmother of a big family in our branch.  I included the following comments in that letter:

On Saturday we visited Emily, the elderly matriarch of a big family in our branch for dinner who had been asking for missionaries.  She's on hospice care now, and has late stage dementia so she had great difficulty keeping even a simple conversation.  For much of the dinner she had very little to say and couldn't answer questions.  But then Elder Jorgensen asked her what she thought the most important thing about life was, and she could NOT say enough about how much she loves the Gospel and the Church. With help from her granddaughter she told us how she was one of the first female missionaries in California, and how hard she tried throughout her life to support the missionaries and share the joy the Gospel brought her.  I felt the spirit so strongly around her, and I cannot tell you how much joy it brought me to see someone who has truly endured to the end.  I pray she gets to go home and reap the rewards of her hard work on this Earth soon.  I shared the following verse from the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31:20.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

I told her how proud I was of her for being one of the precious souls to actually fulfill her baptismal covenant to endure to the end.  I bore testimony of the experience in church on Sunday as I introduced myself to the branch, and teared up as I did it.  It wasn't the most dignified thing I've ever done but the spirit was present in the room for sure, and I think her family was touched.

Emily passed away a few days ago, and I was reminded of this truth.  I've been very bad at being patient with God's timing lately.  I want things to move forward and happen, and sometimes they just don't.  But I teach people every day about the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which ends with the divine command to "endure to the end".  This life is long, and despite our efforts there are seasons when not a whole lot happens to boost us up.  These times feel drawn out and rather useless...at least as far as we can see.  Every piece of our precious mortal lives are important, and these times can help us endure towards our return to our Heavenly Father just as much as the interesting and victorious times can.  For me, the memory of a lifelong missionary finally reaping the eternal rewards of a century of faith in her Savior has at least helped me think about the reality of my life.  I was the very last missionary Emily ever met, and I can't help but think the Lord would like me to find meaning in that.  

I think I'll leave it there, friends.  All my love to you this week.  <3

-Elder Beren Mowrer

[nerdygaymormon]

2 Nephi 31:20 - Love of all men

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.

As a gay man, I think I'm acing this love of all men! lol

But seriously, here we see yet again, we are to love God and to love people. That is the key to our religion. Yet we create many obstacles to exclude certain groups of people, like those who are LGBTQ+, from being embraced in our love. Too many Latter-day Saints like to keep queer people at arms length because we don't fit in the theology.

When the theology is simplified down to its core to love God and to love people, those who try to make sure they don't love us too much so that it's clear they don't condone all our choices, they are the ones breaking the fundamental commandments.

[the-hem]

Regression to the Mean: The Conclusion to the Perfect Series. Part 1.

12.1 Regression to the Mean.

The acceptable mean- the middle of the road- is the Grace of the Divine made manifest through the humane. I cautioned earlier we need more than Bible verses, rumors and hymns about God’s Love, we need the real things. They are always conveyed through Baptism and Beatitude, AKA Direct Experience of the Sacrament. 

Direct Experience is always ever new. The Book of Mormon emphasizes the use of Ancient Scripture in modern times was an inherently flawed idea and encouraged continual revelation, a fresh intuitive, Spirit Driven Approach to life: 

 2 Nephi 5:

30 And it came to pass that the Lord God said unto me: aMake other plates; and thou shalt engraven many things upon them which are good in my sight, for the profit of thy people.

31 Wherefore, I, Nephi, to be obedient to the commandments of the Lord, went and made athese plates upon which I have engraven these things.

32 And I engraved that which is pleasing unto God. And if my people are pleased with the things of God they will be pleased with mine engravings which are upon these plates.

33 And if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people they must search mine aother bplates.

34 And it sufficeth me to say that forty years had passed away, and we had already had wars and contentions with our brethren.

We must learn from history and this includes how functional our humanity has been given circumstances. The Grace of God being the standard, where did we rank? 

Mosiah 7:

24 Yea, I say unto you, great are the reasons which we have to amourn; for behold how many of our brethren have been slain, and their blood has been spilt in vain, and all because of iniquity.

25 For if this people had not fallen into transgression the Lord would not have suffered that this great evil should come upon them. But behold, they would not hearken unto his words; but there arose contentions among them, even so much that they did shed blood among themselves.

26 And a aprophet of the Lord have they bslain; yea, a chosen man of God, who told them of their wickedness and abominations, and prophesied of many things which are to come, yea, even the coming of Christ.

27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the aGod, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the bimage of man, and it should be the cimage after which man was created in the beginning; or in other words, he said that man was created after the image of dGod, and that God should come down among the children of men, and take upon him flesh and blood, and go forth upon the face of the earth—

28 And now, because he said this, they did aput him to death; and many more things did they do which brought down the wrath of God upon them. Therefore, who wondereth that they are in bondage, and that they are smitten with sore afflictions?

29 For behold, the Lord hath said: I will not asuccor my people in the day of their transgression; but I will hedge up their ways that they prosper not; and their doings shall be as a bstumbling block before them.

30 And again, he saith: If my people shall sow afilthiness they shall breap the cchaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

31 And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the aeast wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

32 And now, behold, the promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and ye are smitten and afflicted.

33 But if ye will aturn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all bdiligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

Are any of us contributing the demise of humanity in any way? Are we diligent of mind or fettering our destinies to deadly delusions about the ability this planet to withstand our abuses of it? 

Abraham Lincoln, the author, was unrelenting in his belief the Gospels should have been sufficient to tell us how to avoid stumbling through history, fucking up in bigger, more spectacular ways.

27 And because he said unto them that Christ was the aGod, the Father of all things, and said that he should take upon him the bimage of man, and it should be the cimage after which man was created in the beginning;

The more flamboyant our delusions about war, corruption, genocide, waste, all the telltales of profound inhumanity, the farther from Mean we digress, the greater the consequences, the more costly prosperity becomes to recover. 

30...If my people shall sow afilthiness they shall breap the cchaff thereof in the whirlwind; and the effect thereof is poison.

31 And again he saith: If my people shall sow filthiness they shall reap the aeast wind, which bringeth immediate destruction.

Iniquity digresses us from our basically Gracious natures and instead of prosperity, rampant, farther reaching and lasting impropriety results. Ingenuity, the natural product of continual reflection on our failure to make history is our way out. 

The Book of Mormon meditates on why this happens. One instance of one Gospel should have been remedy to war, bigotry, violence, apartheid, all the root causes of all sins that have rotted at our souls and made us the most technologically sophisticated but devolved instance of humanity so far. 

We are obsessed with Jesus Christ and all the rituals and institutions He ordained, are positively freakish about keeping the traditions and sacraments, but not once have they cured us of the need to be petty or interested us in growing up just as Christ did as he walked through Jerusalem long ago.

If we believe the Son of the Sun became the Son of Man as we are all Sons of Both, then their means, their generally good and amicable natures should not be that far out of reach for us.

[demigodofhoolemere]

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. 21 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.

2 Nephi 31: 19-21

[gay-mormon-wizard]

@ he who doth not press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men:

[mathmusic8]

Thought some of you might enjoy this analogy that we talked about in church today <3

(From a speech given by Elder Paul V. Johnson on Oct 1, 2022)

"Our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ, have the power to save us and transform us. They can help us become as They are.

"A few years ago, one of our young grandsons, Aaron, began having health problems. He became fatigued, had quite a bit of bruising, and did not look healthy. After medical testing, he was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia, a disease where his bone marrow stopped producing red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Without treatment and an eventual cure, his blood could not clot properly or fight off infections, so even minor falls, injuries, or illnesses could quickly become life-threatening.

"For a period of time, Aaron received regular platelet and blood transfusions to keep him out of danger. The doctors explained that the only cure for the disease would be a bone marrow transplant, and the best chance for success would be to have a sibling as the donor. If one of his siblings were an ideal match, the outcome of the transplant could be lifesaving. His four younger brothers were tested, and one, Maxwell, was deemed a perfect match.

"Even with a perfect donor match, a bone marrow transplant still poses a serious risk of complications. The process required that Aaron’s own cells in his diseased bone marrow be destroyed by a combination of chemotherapy and radiation before receiving the stem cells from his brother Maxwell’s bone marrow. Then because of Aaron’s compromised immune system, he needed to be isolated in the hospital for several weeks and then at home for several months with special protocols, restrictions, and medications.

"The hoped-for outcome from the transplant was that Aaron’s body would not reject the donor cells and that Maxwell’s cells would gradually produce the needed red and white blood cells and platelets in Aaron’s body. A successful donor transplant causes a very real physiological change. Amazingly, a doctor explained that if Aaron committed a crime and left blood at the crime scene, the police could arrest his brother Maxwell. This is because Aaron’s blood would come from Maxwell’s transplanted cells and have Maxwell’s DNA, and this would be the case for the rest of his life.

"Aaron being saved by his brother’s blood has spurred many thoughts about the atoning blood of Jesus Christ and the effect of His Atonement on us. I would like to focus today on the permanent, life-giving change that occurs as we allow the Lord to work miracles in us.

"Aaron did not have the power in himself to overcome the disease. His body could not make the blood cells needed to sustain his life. No matter what he personally did, he could not heal his bone marrow. Just as Aaron could not cure himself, we cannot save ourselves. No matter how capable, educated, brilliant, or strong we are, we cannot cleanse ourselves from our sins, change our bodies to an immortal state, or exalt ourselves. It is only possible through the Savior Jesus Christ and His infinite Atonement. “There is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God" (2 Nephi 31:21). It is His atoning blood that cleanses us and sanctifies us.

....

"We are children of God with a majestic destiny. We can be changed to become like Him and have “a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:33). Satan, on the other hand, would have us be miserable like he is. We have the ability to choose whom we follow. When we follow Satan, we give him power. When we follow God, He gives us power.

....

"Can you imagine how overwhelming it would have been for our young grandson Aaron to assume he had to understand and perform all the medical procedures associated with his transplant himself? We should not assume we need to do what only the Savior can do in the miraculous process of our perfection.

"As Moroni concluded his record, he taught, “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, … and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ” (Moroni 10:32). What a comforting and powerful truth! His grace is sufficient for me. His grace is sufficient for you. His grace is sufficient for all who “labour and are heavy laden" (Matthew 11:28).

"With medical treatments like Aaron’s, there is always some uncertainty of the outcome. In fact, Aaron needed a second transplant when the first one had complications. Thankfully, with a spiritual change of heart, we don’t have to wonder if it will happen. When we live according to His will, “relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save,” (2 Nephi 31:19) there is a 100 percent guarantee of being cleansed by the Savior’s blood and eventually being perfected in Him. He is “a God of truth, and [cannot] lie" (Ether 3:12).

"There is no question that this process of change takes time and will not be completed until after this life, but the promise is sure. When the fulfillment of God’s promises seems far off, we still embrace those promises, knowing they will be fulfilled.

"The miraculous change in Aaron’s health has brought great joy to our family. Imagine the great joy in heaven as mighty changes happen in our souls."