Edification, The Fellowship of Christ

Category Archives: Scripture Study

“The Nephite people, taking then, by their highest sentiments, banished from their midst all resentment that came from the evil one, beginning with sorrow and rancor, then anguish and fear, anger and covetousness, lasciviousness, and many others derived from Satan; and whenever an adverse feeling to the Heavenly gifts was identified, a record was made of it for the purpose of being worked out at Church meetings in general, for the purpose of being replaced by the noble sentiments derived from the greater Gift, coming from the name of our God, one at a time, until he strife between the brethren ceased to exist, and there were no more quarrels among the Nephite people… Therefore, it became necessary to keep a record of those who have the desire in their hearts to fulfill this Law, and after, to be individually analyzed in relation to the spiritual state and faith of each one to the promises of God and the building of Zion.”  Acts of the Three Nephites (A3N) 8:1, 11a

As I read this scripture, my comment here is that I know that with God all things are possible. The United order will not succeed, as have so many attempts have failed. This is due to the necessary revelation regarding the spiritual psychology that is not clear or understood. The personal psychology of every individual needs to be evaluated, not just in men but also in women and in families, for the issues regarding the individuals and families to be resolved.

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The following is is from The Mormon Yeshiva, reprinted with permission.

“And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure (white) and a delightsome people.” (2 Nephi 30:6)

It still amazes me at how often this subject comes up. The other day I was talking with a young man who was struggling with certain subjects in regard to the Book of Mormon. He stated that the Book of Mormon was “racist” and as such could never believe in a God who is a racist.

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“I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go…” -Songs of Solomon 3:4

Many people avoid the topic of soul mates because it can be problematic. What happens if one’s “soulmate” isn’t the individual we marry? What if our “soulmate” rejects us? Looking at soulmates like this debases the true definition of the term.

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Vayeitzei 2020
Genesis 28:10-32:3

The Sages teach us in this parasha story which refers to events that transpired with Jacob: in Ecclesiastes there is a verse that talks about the sun rising and setting. The sun set early so that Jacob would have to sleep in Beth-El on his way to Haran, and it rose early on him in order to heal him on his journey to Haran. Upon reading this report by the Sage I could see that Jacob’s story is about our own soul’s life journey.

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“And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said: Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.” -Genesis 32:29

There are many names for the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. God, Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Awmen, and Allah are just a few. Which names come from the Torah? And, what do these names mean? Why are they used? In this article we will briefly cover seven of the names of God used in the Torah.

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“Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord.” 1 Samuel 10:25a

In Lost Christianities page 9, Bart Ehrman begins by stating, “Almost all of the lost scriptures of the early Christians were forgeries.” He goes on to state, “Scholars have long recognized that even some of the books accepted into the canon are probably forgeries. Christian scholars, of course, have been loathe to call them that and so commonly referred to them as pseudonymous writings.”

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Many say that the greatest gift God has given us is the Atonement of Christ. This makes sense, as it is this atonement that grants us the Grace that offers us salvation. However, until we accept it, this grace is merely that⁠—and offering. Perhaps then, the greatest gift God has granted us is the freedom to choose for ourselves.

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To understand God’s view of fornication, we must understand the relationship between God and the Church. In the Scriptures, God is the Groom. The Church (all of us) is the Bride.

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“And he said unto me, Nephi, what beholdest thou? And I said unto him, A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.” -1 Nephi 3:54b-55, 11:14b-15 OPV

Mother Mary represents the feminine aspect of the Godhead. For Mary as well as Jesus, their lifetimes were their final initiations for the ascension. Both Jesus and Mary attained Godhood at the end of their lifetimes and took their places in the Spiritual Hierarchy as well as leaving a record in the etheric realms of this event for posterity.  Jesus reminded us throughout his ministry he  was the way shower, to remind us that we could do all that he could and more if we followed in his footsteps.

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Polygamy (used here to describe polygyny, a marriage in which one man has multiple spouses; polyandry, a marriage in which one woman has multiple spouses; polyculy, those having more than one husband and wife, or a group marriage) are ways some relationships are enjoyed. They aren’t for everyone and not every person that identifies as “poly” is in a polygamous relationship. And that’s okay. There is a misguided idea floating around that choosing to make another person’s feelings and desires a priority in any way somehow makes that other person selfish. This is an extremely pessimistic and self-serving point of view.

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“Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” -Luke 16:29 KJV

Of the many great mysteries posed by the bible, the attitude of the Jews toward the Samaritans is not one. Perhaps no other explanation need be sought as to why the  proceeding work was not considered for inclusion in the Hebrew Canon of scripture, notwithstanding their having preserved the oldest manuscript of the Torah available for centuries. Had relations been better, we all may have grown up revering the present work. It is therefore a delight to find the diamond that they overlooked.

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In the Latter Day Saint movement, the terms “Zion” and “Israel” come up a lot. Sometimes they are even used interchangeably. But what do these words mean? And what do they have to do with us, today?

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