I, Nephi
“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore, I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days–nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days, yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore, I make a record of my proceedings in my days; yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.” -1 Nephi 1:1-2 RAV, 1:1-3 OPV
Rechilus
Slander, gossip, talebearer; these are all types of lashon hara (Hebrew: “evil speak”) that fall under the sin of rechilus. The word rechilus comes from the root “rachil,” Hebrew for “a peddler.” This is because a rechilus act is just that: peddling gossip, or ill will towards another.
White Pen
One of my friends (a crazy, energetic girl who showed me what living for Christ really meant) used to have this little, interesting thing she did. There were many fascinating sides of the world she helped me see, and what I am about to tell you was just beautiful. She told me that she always wanted to focus on the optimistic, inspiring parts of the Bible but not take away or ignore the Bible as a whole, because―you know―God is perfect and shouldn’t be subtracted from.
The Holy Bible
“And what thank they the Jews for the Bible which they receive from them? . . . Do [the Gentiles] remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?” – 2 Nephi 12:27-29 RAV, 29:4b-d OPV
The Holy Bible is a collection of the oldest of God’s words to mankind. It consists of the writings of the ancient Jews, including the Christian Jews that followed Christ and their message to the gentiles. “Bible” is a plural Greek word meaning “Books.”
The Word Explaining
I read The Book of Remembrance three times now, and I have to say that it’s wrong. But, it’s not wrong in the way you might assume.
The Four Levels of Pardes
Pardes is like climbing Jacob’s ladder. An extended meaning never contradicts the base meaning, but rather expand our understanding.
Meeting God Upon Mount Sinai
“And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” -Exodus 24:17
It had only been 3 months since the people had watched in awe and fear as God smote the Egyptians–throwing down their gods with demonstrations of terrifying power. Now He was calling upon them prepare themselves so that they could “see” the Lord when planned to come down on Mount Sinai in three days to meet with them.
Yod Hei and the Priesthood
“Trust ye in the YHVH forever: for in YH, YHVH is everlasting strength.” -Isaiah 26:4
There is a two-letter name for God: YH (יה), or Yod Hei, pronounced “Yah.” There is a misunderstanding that this is a shortened form of YHVH or Yahveh, more commonly Jehovah. However, this name of God is actually the lost teaching of the Parent Gods, Elohim: Avinu (God the Father) and His wife Shekinah (the Queen of Heaven). To some this will mean the male and female portions on the one divine being. To others, it will refer to two separate Gods, equals in all things, sealed as one for eternity.
Zohar 68a-69a: Why the Animal was Destroyed by the Deluge
A translation of an exert from the Zohar.
The Everlasting Covenant
“And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.” -Genesis 17:7
When the Lord makes a covenant with is, he makes eternal covenants. For this reason, they are called an “everlasting covenant.” When God made a covenant with Noah that he wouldn’t flood the earth ever again, he made and everlasting covenant (Genesis 9:16). This means he will never break it.
Born that Way
“And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil.” -2 Nephi 1:120 RAV, 2:27b OPV
I was talking to someone once about a sin they were trapped in. They stated that they were “born that way,” that God had made them with that sin (think lying, stealing, etc.) and so they didn’t need to repent of it. The idea was that if God is perfect, then His creations are perfect, and there is no sin in what they were “born to do.”
Love Thy Neighbor
The following is based on a portion of a transcript from a sermon from November 21, 2015.
In the Torah, in Leviticus 19:18, the Lord says, “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord” (Holy Bible, KJV). This is an interesting concept, love thy neighbor as thyself. Sure, it’s not unfamiliar to Jews, Christians, or really any religion. This statement reflects the point of all world religions.