Rosh Chodesh
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” –Exodus 12:1-2
ראש חודש Rosh Chodesh is Hebrew for “beginning of the Month,” literally meaning “the head of the month.” It is the term used for the minor Jewish holiday marking the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar. The day is set by the birth of a new moon.
Remote Ordinances
Revelation received May 16, 2019. This revelation was voted on and sustained as canon for use in the Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship by the Assembly of Saints April 6, 2020.
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
A Visit from the Divine Mother
Teaching received by Victoria Ramirez from the feminine half of Elohim; our Heavenly Mother, Shekinah: the Queen of Heaven on the morning of May 9, 2019. This revelation was voted on and sustained as canon for use in the Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship by the Assembly of Saints April 6, 2020.
I awoke from sleep at about 3:00 AM and found myself in the Presence of the Divine Mother. As I was passing through that semi-lucid state, in my third eye I saw beautiful, sparkling crystalline forms, quite translucent, around Her. As I gained consciousness She introduced me to the Five Divine Graces who were with Her. I was immediately filled with excitement and amazement, and also gratitude at receiving a new revelation.
The Atonement
“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, through his mercy and Grace, which leads us to obey the laws and principles, and obtain the ordinances of the Gospel.” -Article of Faith 3
By reading the Letter of the Bible alone (without the input of the Holy Spirit of Truth) and accepting it as the authority rather than God, men have formed a variety of erroneous ideas regarding the atonement. The Spirit of Truth alone can reveal the true meaning of Jesus Christ’s mission and work. The understanding of the Atonement has been corrupted over time. Some have supposed that once we have accepted Christ, we are fully saved and no there is further need for growth. Looking at history it is clear that merely accepting Jesus as one’s personal Savior has not taken sin, suffering, and death from the world. Therefore it must be that this understanding of being “once saved, always saved” has fallen short of the Truth.
Pardes and the Orchard of Kabbalah
“Happy are the poor in spirit, for in them is the Kingdom of Heaven.” -Matthew 5:3
Perhaps the most interesting perspective to come from Kabbalah is the idea that heaven isn’t a far away place. It’s not something to look forward to eventually, but rather something here and now, if we will open our eyes and see it. This is because Kabbalah is about perception. “Change perception, change reality.” This is the last of the Seven Principles of Mormon Kabbalah. Heaven is in us and around us, if we will but see it. How then do we find heaven? We start with a walk in the orchard.
Chesed
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” –Book of the Law of the Lord 1:4/3 Nephi 5:56 RAV, 12:9 OPV
The 10 Sefirot (Hebrew for “emanations”) are the 10 attributes of God in Kabbalah, through which Ein Sof (the Everlasting name of God) reveals Himself/Themselves to humankind. There are a few different ways of using the Sefirot. Some Kabbalists study and grow from attribute to attribute, while others see them as an urim and thummim. As an urim and thummim, the right and left sides create a series of “lenses” for the natural eyes, while the center creates a series of “lenses” for the third or spiritual eye. Through this urim and thummim, God helps us see both the physical realm and the chain of higher metaphysical realms.
Keys
When I was very young, my mother was always at home; and on special occasions, my brother and I could stay up and greet our father when he came home from the paper mill. My brother and I would wait for our father to come through the door, reeking of the awful smell of the paper mill, and then run away, laughing and giggling. Our father got a laugh out of this as he put down his briefcase and unlatched his enormous keychain from his belt and set it on the counter right next to our very 20’s style oven.
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.
Come Ye apart and be a Peculiar People
We must evaluate whether we are more concerned about being seen as normal by society or whether we are concerned about fulfilling our Divine plans.
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.”