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BYU is cancer ridden and I continue to be surprised there has not been some serious chemotherapy.

Yes and no. We believe he was changed somehow. But Jesus pointed to the fact that the claim "he would never die" is not entirely accurate. We all will have to die at some point. But he was allowed to "tarry". We know of a state called Translation. This means that a mortal man will be raised to a Terrestrial state of being. We don't really know what this is. But it is a higher state than we now experience. Yet it is not a resurrected Celestial state. They have not actually died. The spirit never separated from the body. But at some point they will have to experience death "in the twinkling of an eye." So, essentially, an instantaneous death (separation of spirit from body) followed by a reuniting of the spirit and body with a Celestial glory. What some debate is this additional state of tarrying. Some say this is translation. Some say otherwise. We, today, live in a mortal telestial world. Those that tarry live in an immortal state with Telestial glory so they can wander on this earth and blend in. We don't know if John tarried or if he was translated. I don't know if it really matters. For all practical purposes, they seem to function the same as far as we know. They are ageless Don't need food or rest. They are free from disease or physical harm. They feel no pain except sorrow for the sins of mankind. So whether that is two states or the same state doesn't really make much of a difference.

I expect it depends on what "die" means. The three disciples are promised they won't "taste death" but will be changed from mortal (though translated) to immortal (resurrected) in the twinkling of an eye. Does that mean they won't die? I don't know. Can you be resurrected without dying first? Perhaps they'll die and be resurrected in said twinkling. Perhaps that will be fast enough that they don't "taste death". Whatever the case, we believe John and the three disciples were translated - changed to a mortal form that doesn't suffer (as described in 3 Nephi 28). As to John 21:23: What does it mean that John will "tarry till [Christ] come[s]"? And how could he do that unless translated? But this verse reads to me like John was correcting the rumor - perhaps people thought that "should not die" meant he would remain as he was for eternity - that wasn't possible. Perhaps it was something that wasn't supposed to be talked about. I also note the link to Luke 9:26-27: v26 = Second Coming. v27: some standing there won't die until the Second Coming. We know of John. Whether there were any others (not the others of the 12, that's pretty clear), we don't know. Anywho, we believe that John, like these three disciples (commonly called "the three Nephites") was translated into a state as described in 3 Nephi 28 and that they minister among mortals unknown to said mortals.

And one is from Brazil.

Holy understatement, Batman! Ethnic German family that had been in Czechoslovakia for some time, kicked out after WW2, then had to flee eastern Germany because his dad opposed Stalin— (oh—wait—maybe THAT’s why the proggies have soured on Uchtdorf!) . . . Given that West Germany’s second chancellor was the son of a shopkeeper and its third chancellor was the son of a factory clerk (not to mention the failed artist son of an illegitimate customs clerk who had been running the show in Germany a few years before), I’m going to assert with some level of confidence that mid-20th century German society wasn’t quite as rigid as you seem to suggest here. It seems that we have no grounds for asserting that Uchtdorf’s “privilege” amounted to anything more than being middle class and ethnically German in a country that even today is 88% ethnically German.

As I was transcribing this into my journal, I got curious. Lehi and family left during the time of Jeremiah and the brass plates had "many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah." So of our Old Testament books, the Lehites would not have had: Jeremiah (partial) Lamentations (partial?) Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi And of these, the Lord gives them only Malachi, and only two chapters. IMO, that should be like getting smacked upside the head by a 2x4 of Malachi 3 & 4.

3 Nephi 23 v4: "Therefore give heed to my words" = "Give heed to my words because [v1-3]": great are the words of Isaiah (so great that we ought to search them, so great the Lord commands us to search them diligently) Isaiah's teachings address everything related to the House of Israel Which means he also spoke to the Gentiles And everything Isaiah spoke has been and will be as he spoke "my words": Are these what's about to come, or the words given in previous chapters? Of course, it doesn't really matter, just give heed to all of Christ's words, whenever, wherever, and to whomever they were spoken. v6, 14: I'm sad that we get the scriptures but not the expounding. Something to look forward to - the expounding. v7-13: Records are important. Keep records! v14: "all the scriptures in one" - the scriptures do not contradict. They are one, just as the Godhead is one. If it seems otherwise, it is due to man's weakness or sin. Work hard to receive the Holy Ghost so that you can overcome your own weakness and sin, and learn in spite of others'. I also note that they were taught from their own records. It is therefore reasonable to believe that when the Lord teaches us more, he will use our own records (scriptures and General Conference talks) to do it. It is therefore reasonable to think that studying the scriptures and GC talks now will facilitate your further learning when the Lord "expounds all the scriptures in one". (Sidenote: Oh, if only the entire loaf of zucchini bread1 could be the top crust - holy yummy crunchiness, Batman! Yes, I'm having zucchini bread for breakfast. Sue me. ) 3 Nephi 24 v1: More expounding that we don't have. Footnote b is interesting - "messenger" doesn't have to be a person, it can also be God's "everlasting covenant". (Interesting that this is circular - the covenant prepares us for the Lord's return, but the Lord is the "messenger of the covenant" who brings and restores his covenant so that it can then prepare us for his return. ) v2-3: Resolve to get refined, cleaned, purified, and purged, however painful it may sound. v8-9: Failure to give tithes and offerings is to rob God - that's pretty serious language, worth pondering: what does it say about God? About the things we possess, about us? v10: What blessings come from "the windows of heaven"? Revelation. Truth. Light. Need those in your life? Pay tithes and offerings (sincerely, willingly, not begrudgingly). v11-12: More blessings - a form of "obey and prosper" (a group blessing). v14-15: Sounds very like our day. I often think we believe these lies - that it doesn't "profit" to obey God, and that the proud are happy, the wicked prosper - because we lust after the vain things of the world (and therefore don't pay tithes and offerings because we need that money to pay for the vain things of the world). v16-18: But when Christ comes, the truth will be known, and all will understand. Seek to overcome greed and lusting for the vain things of the world so that it's not so painful later. 3 Nephi 25 v1: Pains to be avoided. v2: Healing awaits. Fear God. v4: Keep the commandments. v5-6: @Jamie123, in case you don't already know, we believe that this is a reference to family history and proxy temple work so that our ancestors have the opportunity to progress in the gospel through covenants (made by proxy in the temple) and so that we are sealed together in an unending family line all the way back to Adam. 3 Nephi 26 v1, 3: Having had all the scriptures expounded, and the "critical missing" scriptures added, the people were now prepared to learn "all things". This is something we all should work toward. Whenever the equivalent might happen in any of our lives (mortal or post-mortal), we should continually see greater knowledge and understanding from the Lord. As @askandanswer pointed out, this appears to be a rare privilege indeed. v2: It's given to the people of that time so that it could be given to future generations (ours). Another thing worthy of pondering. v5: I would suggest, @askandanswer, that "everlasting life" means more than the dictionary definitions of the words would suggest, and that only a resurrected being can experience what God means by "everlasting life". (And given that the Book of Mormon peoples seem to have known nothing about the three degrees of glory2, knowing only the two extremes, it's reasonable to assume that in this context, it means the highest degree of the Celestial kingdom.) 2Though if Christ expounded all things from the creation up through judgement day, you'd think that at least these people knew about the three degrees of glory, but who knows - it doesn't say anything about after judgement day, so maybe this knowledge was still kept from them - perhaps due to their tendency to flip flop to extremes. v6: Apparently we have a lot to learn. v9-10: Strive to live up to what we have received. It's the only way to receive more. v14: "...even greater than he had revealed unto the people..." Now there's a thing. Truly, the Lord is humble beyond imagining. We should strive to be humble as we can manage. v19: Deal justly. v20: Do as Christ commands. 1For the record, zucchini bread is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. I like to double the amount of nuts. You can use pecans if you prefer. Technically, you could leave out the nuts, but that would make you nuts - unless you're allergic to nuts, in which case, this is me, mourning with those who mourn: .

Here are the relevant facts as I see it: 1. God, who is omniscient, loves his children and does those things He knows will best further His work in saving them. The end.

This expounding of all things is a rare event. From what I recall, I believe it is only to a very small group of major prophets, for example, Moses, Abraham, John the Revelator, Enoch and Nephi and a few others, to whom all things are revealed. And just as those prophets were commanded not to reveal what they had been taught, it seems clear, from later verses, that these people were also commanded to not reveal what they had been taught 1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small. Taking a negative view of this experience, we could conclude that the positive benefits of having these scriptures was withheld from these people up until this point. 3 Nephi 26:2 And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; There are suggestions that the Earth might become similar to the sea of glass referred to in Revelations and Doctrine and Covenants 130. Great heat is required to produce glass, I think it involves the melting of silica which is composed of the two elements oxygen and silica, and once its melted you can shape and blow and wrap it into any form you want. 3 Nephi 26:3 even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, I wander if it will be the case that an action which was deemed as good at one time or place will be deemed as bad at another time. Two people from different times and cultures may have committed the same act but be judged differently for it. It was once thought to be a good thing to burn alive people who were thought to be witches but that would be frowned upon now. 3 Nephi 26:4 And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil— I believe that as spirits and as intelligences we already had everlasting life and that no resurrection was needed for spirits because they had not died. Abraham taught part of this in Abraham 3:18. I'm not sure of the nature or extent to which the resurrection had any effect on the longevity of spirits but I understand that it made possible the resurrection of the body. If the resurrection applies only to the body being restored to life - the spirit having never lost its life - then the relationship between justice and the resurrection becomes less clear because all bodies will be brought back to life, unconditionally, with no regard to righteousness or wickedness. 3 Nephi 26:5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; I'm reminded of the system Joseph Smith set out in Doctrine and Covenants 128, probably through inspiration, for recording baptisms for the dead. That system made possible the recording of enormous amounts of data from multiple locations in one "book." So first we have the teachings of Jesus in their totality. Then a small part, perhaps less than a hundredth, of those teachings recorded on the plates of Nephi. Then Moroni abridges those plates, leaving out even more of Christ's teachings. We are left with about 16 chapters of Christ's direct and personal teachings in this other Testament of Jesus Christ - 3rd Nephi 11 - 27 compared to 15 chapters of political intrigue and wars between the Nephites and the Lamanites in Alma 47 - 62. 3 Nephi 26:6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

Dunno, not my job description to know. But, if you look through the history of apostle appointees, the vast majority come from the Presidency of the Seventy or Presiding Bishopric. All of these men look distinguished and bright eyed. Im not sure that we should be applying affirmative action policies to the Lord… Calling the Lord’s anointed is a bit of a slur.

Alum. No, not the hydrated salt of aluminum. The word that used to be an abbreviation for alumnus, alumna, alumni, alumnae. Now "Alum" is the standard, gender-neutral word for individual alumni of all stripes. I found this out because the BYU Alumni financial aid office is using this word in their application process. My family then informed me that several professors have been openly preaching that the Book of Mormon is not meant to be taken literally. It was basically just a huge metaphor. None of that stuff really happened. I've already heard of certain professors advising all students to get with the woke program or they'll be fired from their jobs. But it seems to be getting into personal lives and testimonies now.

That's the part that stopped me dead. Really, you guys are so stupid that you need nine such committees, and we let you carry guns!? :SMH: Pretty sure we're gonna need more than 12...

With everything I keep hearing, if I had a kid, I certainly wouldn't send them to BYU.