omg the extraordinary attorney woo tag has been overrun by p*rn bots. That’s it. I’m taking a break from tumblr. I can’t do this.

Happy Restoration Day! Here is my Book of Mormon Testimony

Blessings everyone, I am @not-so-superheroine, and this is my testimony of the Book of Mormon.

I am a convert to the restoration. So the Book of Mormon was new to me. I had heard about it. I had held one before that I saw in the drawer of a Marriot hotel room, I didn’t open it until I took an interest in the Restoration. 

At that time, I was sort of agnostic. I grew up in a mainline protestant denomination but had grown disillusioned. I was introduced to Mormonism through people who were deconstructing from the belief. Naturally, the first things I saw about it were debunking it’s location and historicity. But my mind was being opened to possibilities I hadn’t considered before. When I was younger, it didn’t make sense to me that there would be no more scripture from God. That the author of Revelations could say “that’s it.” for scripture, as I heard some argue. I wondered why God interacted so directly with those in ancient times and why such things wouldn’t occur with us now.  

Eventually, I was curious enough to acquire a Book of Mormon. I was admittedly cautious. I knew what the book said about a “skin of Blackness” and how that had lead to mistreatment of Black and Indigenous persons in different parts of the Latter Day Saint Movement. I was also fairly certain it was a 19th century text. I knew neither of these things discounted the Book as scripture. 

So I went into the scripture without the burden of historicity or author authenticity.  Not to see if the book was “true”, but to seek after the truths within. I approached the text and I looked for the presence of God. I prayed and asked God to guide me in my reading of the scriptures. Millions before me found these precious truths and Divine Inspiration in this book and I thought perhaps, if i went in openly, I could find it myself. 

And did I. And I am glad that I did. 

The Book of Mormon provides further light on issues the Christian community was facing at the time. It seeks to heal and to unify. A theme throughout the scripture and the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon speaks of Continuing Revelation. The heavens were open then and are open now. From what I learned, there is no reason why God wouldn’t provide us further light or would limit who God delivers Divine knowledge too. In fact, I learned that God does just that. It’s just up to us to ask, listen, and discern. 

The Book has also strengthened my relationship with my Creator. When I was a child, I thought deeply about, and questioned, the theology and doctrine I was taught in Sunday School. Sometimes this questioning was not always welcomed. I learned that for some, Ignorance is preferable to doubt. That doesn’t work for me. The Book of Mormon encourages me to be a diligent seeker. My time spent studying the Book of Mormon has been filled with questions. Questions without shame that I encourage to seek after God’s truth. 

Much like Nephi, I Was desirous also that I might see, and hear, and know of these things, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God to all those who diligently seek him, as well in times of old as in the time that he should manifest himself to the children of men; for he is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(more from 1 Nephi 3) 29 For he that diligently seeks shall find; 30and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded to him by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in this time as in times of old; 31and as well in times of old as in times to come.

This scripture inspires me and shows me that God wants me to seek after God’s mysteries and the mysteries in the universe God created for us. That thought is absolutely liberating. We should not fear knowledge, God wants us to grow and understand. And my faith is stronger now with this understanding. Questioning and Seeking is needed for spiritual growth.

I find the Book of Mormon to be empowering in reminding me of my moral agency, encouraging me to grow my faith, and work with God to hone my Spiritual gifts to be used in service to the Divine and to my community. The Book of Mormon affirms the Living Christ, Christ’s love for all humankind, no matter where and who they are, and that people of all nations receive light from the Divine and are a part of God’s sacred story. And there is so much more. The Book of Mormon speaks to me about the effects of poverty and addressing wealth inequity. This matches with Christ’s mission to tend to the poor. The Book of Mormon goes into how we should live amongst each other and on building sacred community, on how to be Zion as a people. There are so many lessons packed in there that I believe God wants us to ponder on and to take action with. The Book of Mormon is responsible for changing the way I read and apply sacred scripture to my life. This has changed my life for the better and changed my life outlook. I see myself as an active part of God’s plan carrying out Christ’s mission. 

I thank God for the Restoration

I thank God for continuing revelation and the Book of Mormon

And I thank God for my community, the people of Zion

People say “phase” like impermanence means insignificance. Show me a permanent state of the self.

something about foreshadowing being more prominent the second time around reading a story but in a way that the meaning is changed forever and you can never view a story the same as you once did before. do you know what i mean.

REBLOG IF THIS RELATES TO YOU:

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick PSA, if you get one of those "Work scanned, AI use detected" comments on AO3, just mark them as spam.

Some moron apparently built a bot to annoy or prank hundreds of authors.

There is no scanning process, your work doesn't actually resemble AI writing, it's all bullshit. Mark the comment as spam (on AO3, not the email notification you got about the comment!) and don't let it get to you.

Am I getting a good grade in tumblr mutual?

I'm curious. Reblog this if you know how to cook

I don’t even care if it’s macaroni, ramen or those little bowls you stick in the microwave. Please, I need reassurance that most of the population on tumblr WOULDN’T STARVE TO DEATH if their parents couldn’t fix them food or they couldn’t go out to eat. 

I absolutely can't stand people who use disabilities as insults, they think it's so funny but it's not. It's mean, insensitive, childish and ignorant, imagine if you had a disability and people used that to make fun of other people. Also mimicking a disability, like when was it ever acceptable to do that? When is it ever acceptable to make fun of totally innocent people just trying to live their lives. If you do this, stop. Your not funny your just a jerk

Barbie's being iconic as always, outstanding.

Link

Happy disability pride month! I decided to draw some disabled Barbies, most, if not all, from the fashionista line!

note: I'm not fluent in Brazilian Sign Language, please let me know if I messed this up in any way!!

[ ID: a digital, stylized drawing of five women sitting around a brown table and talking to each other. The background is transparent, and there's some shading. The women are, from left to right:

A woman a wheelchair and has dark skin, black eyes and long, coily, black hair, and wears pink heart glasses and a short, sleek, rainbow striped dress. Then, a woman with Down Syndrome with tanned skin, hazel eyes and long, wavy, blonde hair, and wears a white dress puffy sleeves, pink, yellow and purple flowers, a pink necklace and pink orthopedic shoes. They both smile.

Then, a Deaf woman with pale skin, green eyes and long, straight, red-ish brown hair in a high ponytail, and wears hot pink hearing aids, a short, black dress with a white collar and hot pink, white and purple flowers and dark hot pink shoes. She does the sign for bus in Brazilian Sign Language, her two hands close to her chest, curved inwards, then going forward, breaking apart, like a bus door opening.

Next to her is a woman with vitiligo with dark skin, dark brown eyes and long, dark brown, coily hair in a large bun, wearing a long, pink, yellow and white striped dress and white shoes. Finally, a woman with alopecia with medium tone skin, brown eyes and no hair, wearing a hot pink dress with puffy sleeves and purple flowers, golden hoop earrings and white shoes. They both have neutral expressions. /End id ]

Rosa Flamingo

still practicing from photo references, but something a little different this time since my sister modeled for me ❤️

I really don't like the "Everyone should be forced to work with autistic kids\down syndrome people at least once in their life to gain understanding" because no, there are a lot of people who really *shouldn't*. I know a LOT of people who just don't have the temperment or patience to deal with someone with acute autism. And you do need patience, a lot of it. Someone who's frustration response is to start screaming, swinging, or making comments design to 'shame' someone into behaving (which is a LOT more common than you think) is NOT something autistics or Downs people need.

Kids of any kind don't deserve to be exposed to a carousel of abusive idiots just so that person can 'learn a lesson'. Disabled people are not your teaching moment.

PSA: Please for the love of God stop using the word "cretin". It's a slur for people born with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT, that used to be called cretinism) that causes physical and intellectual disability.

I think it's unrealistic to expect a blanket moratorium on insults about intelligence, but words like "mong/mongoloid" (anti-Asian slur later applied to people with Down Syndrome), "spaz", "downie", "midget" and "cretin" refer to people born with specific developmental disorders. If you care enough not to use the "r–word", please steer clear of these as well.

the ballad of songbirds and snakes having a down syndrome actress play one of the tributes is so so special to me.

sofia sanchaz you will always be famous.