#Mormon Scripture

[mindfulldsliving]

Striving for Spiritual Perfection: Lessons from 3 Nephi 12:48

In the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 12:48 stands out as a pivotal scripture, calling individuals to pursue the ideal of spiritual perfection. Understanding its context within the larger narrative of the Book of Mormon helps illuminate its profound significance

Spiritual Perfection: Understanding 3 Nephi 12:48 in Modern Life How can we strive for spiritual perfection in a world full of distractions? 3 Nephi 12:48, “I would that ye should be perfect,” challenges us with this profound question. This call to spiritual and moral perfection resonates through history and remains relevant today. By aiming to become more like Christ, we’re urged to live a life…

[herrevivalblog]

Buddha, Muhammad, and Joseph Smith are dead. JESUS IS ALIVE

[roses-red-and-pink]

Lolol sometimes it’s so funny reading peoples posts about “Mormon” theology that is based on Exmo stories, tradition/culture but not doctrine, and like random statements by some church leader 200 years ago that was not put into doctrine/canonized, or that he was corrected/reprimanded on, and all of us look back on like “well that guy was racist/sexist. Anyways moving on…” like tbh it just makes me laugh. Like I know our theology is a bit different than mainstream Christianity but y’all don’t need to make it sound like we are out here truly believing half the stuff you say about us.

[bombalurinaxdemeter]

Samuel the Lamanite, proving since 6 B.C. that walls don't work

[churchsideblog]

reminder that there is book of mormon precedent for disavowing your family if they're terrible!

Mosiah 25:12 And it came to pass that those who were the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had taken to wife the daughters of the Lamanites, were displeased with the conduct of their fathers, and they would no longer be called by the names of their fathers, therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who were called Nephites.

[lovingldsconvert]

“Ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”

Mosiah 24:14

[delightintruth]

“All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.”

Alma 30:44

[vendimeyers]

And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

- 2 Nephi 4:19

[bildswoman]

Mosiah 4: 17-18

17 Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just—

18 But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God

Hmmmm. This verse speaks to me.

[heathersdesk]

Confession Time:

I don't like Come Follow Me and never have. And I haven't been able to articulate why until I tried to buckle down and start with the Book of Mormon this year.

The first paragraph of the first section for 1 Nephi 1-5 ends with this sentence:

"Overall, there is power in this imperfect family’s examples of faith."

I was rocked by that a little bit the first time I read it.

I thought to myself, "Wow. Are we really going to confront the hero worship and unhealthy worldviews our community has internalized about this book because of the way the negative behaviors of the characters are never challenged or confronted for what they are? That many of the details are included because they're cautionary tales about what NOT to do, but you'd never know that based on how the material is presented and talked about by our people at large because the conversation is driven by the needless compulsion to focus on the same tired perspectives of faith promotion that the subjects sometimes don't deserve?"

*reads the section, which is full of the same "I will go and do" about Nephi that they always do, without once confronting the conflicts, doubts, and struggles of anyone but Nephi in any serious way, some of which are exacerbated (if not cause) by Nephi being insufferable and self-righteous to everyone around him*

Nephi is an unreliable narrator, y'all. You're not supposed to believe everything he says, thinks, and does. Especially when he's younger. His view of the people around him and their motivations lack depth because he was totally unconcerned with their feelings and struggles. He was bad at helping and honoring people in their darkest moments, having nothing better to offer them for support than glib and shallow assertions that they would be struggling less if they were more like him. An attitude he learned from his father's blatant and unapologetic favoritism.

Nephi is not an example of what to do when there is conflict in your family. And it takes him until "O wretched man that I am" to realize he's not the most important man in every room. His disrespect for other people in his leadership is the reason they want nothing to do with him, and it takes him a lifetime of chasing people away from God to realize he's not as good of a person as he thinks he is. He has failed people from his need to be seen as being better than he is, better than everyone else is at loving God and knowing what that means. And this becomes a cultural artifact, a baked-in foregone conclusion in the minds of his people that ends up shaping their self-perceptions until it destroys them. His personal failures, viewed for their long-term ramifications and consequences, is part of what this book is supposed to be about.

But sure. Let's do "I will go and do" again, without pondering in any serious way if Nephi's interpretation of his interaction with the Holy Ghost might be lacking in credibility because the alternative is to say something closer to "We really botched this job and killing Laban was not a forgone conclusion or a necessary evil that I can acquit myself of because God said it was okay."

Maybe we don't have to believe that. Maybe we can examine how our culture in the modern church has perpetuated this same logical fallacy with vigilante violence, justified by appeals to this exact story.

Point being, never read the story of Nephi without keeping it firmly fixed in your mind that he's going to regret and repent of most of this later. That cross reference to 2 Nephi 4 is probably the most important thing you can have in your margins every time he says or does something totally uncalled for. 🖖

[myexmosafespace]

I don’t mind if people are religious. They can believe what they want. But WHY must they make it their entire personality?!

[theknightandhersteed]

Remember that Jesus went through every pain imaginable. He knows exactly what you're going through. When he heard that Lazarus had died he wept, even through he knew it would all end up okay.

Jesus is crying with you. He understands you.

[askamemberofthechurch]

FAQs about the Book of Mormon

What is the Book of Mormon?

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ! It is a record of a people who were told by God to flee Jerusalem before it was besieged by the Babylonians (the same event that brought Daniel to the court of Nebuchadnezzer), and who eventually ended up on the American continent. I know, it sounds kind of miraculous, but as we know, "...with God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). The Book of Mormon talks about their lives, the doctrine and prophecies of Christ, and records the visit of the resurrected Christ to these people. In short, the Book of Mormon "...is to the convincing...that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations..." (Title Page of the Book of Mormon).

So does the Book of Mormon replace the Bible?

Definitely not- the books of the Bible and the books of the Book of Mormon are meant to be used together- they are both testaments of Jesus Christ! In fact, there's a scripture in the Old Testament that is a prophecy of the Book of Mormon being used to teach Christ's Doctrine- Ezekiel 37:16-17

16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

The stick of Judah in verse 16 is the Bible- the Old Testament and New Testament- which was written for and by the descendants of Judah (aka the Jewish peoples) and the Book of Mormon, which was written by the descendants of Joseph (aka the Nephites- the people who left Jerusalem). But don't forget verse 17- which says that both sticks shall become one- they are meant to be used as one and have the same purpose, which is to bring everyone to Christ.

Can you prove the Book of Mormon is really scripture?

I can't, no. But you can find out for yourself- just like you know the Bible is true scripture. When you read the Bible, you do so prayerfully and thoughtfully, trying to learn what God wants you to do. Remember how you came to know the Bible is true, and apply that same process to the Book of Mormon. In fact, there is a "how to" in the last chapter of the entire book (Moroni 10: 4-6)

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. 6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

In other words, just because a person says the Book of Mormon is true doesn't mean it is... which also means just because a person says the Book of Mormon isn't true doesn't mean it isn't. There is nothing that makes one person a better authority on it than the other. That is why you need to ask God- He knows all things, wants the best for you, and will not lie to you!

So remember- nothing that is good denies Christ, and the Book of Mormon acknowledges and testifies of Christ- give it a shot!

What other FAQs about the Book of Mormon do you want addressed? (Just a reminder from my pinned post: only good faith questions- I'm not here to argue or debate with anyone, but here to explain where we're coming from!)

[bearsbeetstextposts]

there needs to be a name for the trio of musicals that is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Book of Mormon. This is my SuperWhoLock.

[lovingldsconvert]

“Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men”

2 Nephi 26:27

[wizardly-weirdo]

I’m not a religious person, I’m an ex cult member (I was raised in the Mormon tax grab faith)

I am in no means a Christian and in no way do I follow the Bible, yet I will share with you all my favorite verses.

Numbers 5: 16-31

16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord:

17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:

18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:

19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:

20 But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:

21 Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;

22 And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.

23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:

24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.

25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar:

26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.

27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

29 This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;

30 Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.

31 Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.

If you haven’t picked up on it, the priest is performing an abortion.

So, Christians, hate mongers, republican assholes: stop using the Bible to justify your hate if you have not read it. The Bible doesn’t say what you think. The Bible supports abortion and GIVES YOU A RECIPE TO RECREATE!!

Jesus wasn’t a MAGA gun toting, confederate flag wielding mongrel. He was a pacifist hippie who hung out with 12 dudes and a hooker, he has a kind soul who loved EVERYONE, not just whites and republicans.

I know someone is going to bring gays into the discussion because of Leviticus 18: 22.

It was purposefully mistranslated. It originally detested pedophilia, not homosexuality, originally translating roughly to “man shall not lie with BOY” not “man shall not lie with man.” Also, Leviticus doesn’t apply to modern Christians or else we wouldn’t be eating pork and shellfish or cutting our hair.

Plus, in Matthew chapter 19, Jesus states that eunuchs, castrated men (also at the time meaning gay and/or celibate men) are to be revered in the eyes of heaven.

So god never said you could strip women of their bodily autonomy and medical rights, nor did he ever say to hate anyone, not even the queer community.