Behemoth

I am taking it slow because of my back. But here's a first bit:
1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.
The Hebrew word for "east" is the word מזרח (mizrach) is also the root for the word להתמזרח (lehitmazreiach) which means to be orientated or guided. Now with that in mind notice how Nephi says that they traveled in such a way from that time forth. In other words from that time forth they were guided by G-d and the rebellious attitude of their party no longer prevented them from keeping on the path.
2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.
Raw meat: Why does Nephi seem to say that despite the raw meat they had plenty for their children? It is because in ancient Jewish tradition the only meat that was proper to eat raw was that of kosher birds. For example the Talmud says:
"Raba retorted: But that I am a person of importance, would I need a knife on a young dove? surely it is fit for me as raw meat. Thus the reason is because it is fit as raw meat; but if it were not fit as raw meat it might not [be handled]: shall we say that Raba agrees with R. Judah? But surely Raba said to his servant, Roast me a duck and throw its entrails to a cat" (b. Shabbat 142b)
Now this is particularly relevant because birds in those times were considered to be the food of the poor. It comes as no surprise that the Torah-Law when listing sacrifices says to us:
"But if he is poor and his means are insufficient, then he is to take one male lamb for a guilt offering as a wave offering to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil, and two turtledoves or two young pigeons which are within his means, the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering." (Leviticus 14:21-22)
So if they were eating raw meat it is likely that they were eating birds. It also makes sense because it would have been the easiest meat to find in such a place. Now if they were eating birds and even without cooking then they were having one of the poorest kinds of meals there is. And even so their women were bearing strong children. Again this indicates that Nephi was indeed living in a Jewish community. It also contains a possible spiritual lesson: That if they had faith then the little they had would amount to much.
3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.
4 And we did sojourn for the space of many years, yea, even eight years in the wilderness.
Number eight in gematria is particularly relevant because it represents the beginning of a new cycle. Number seven represents a full cycle so eight years means that they completed the cycle that was before them for their spiritual maturity and were ready for a new cycle.
In ancient Kabbalah it is also relevant because it is associated with the Messianic Age. While the universe will last for a period of six epochs then the seventh epoch will be the Messianic Age which will be an age of abundance. And if we look at the next verse we see that the land which Nephi finds is exactly that: abundance after a cycle of spiritual trials.
5 And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters.

What is interesting about the name "Bountiful" is that in Hebrew it would be שופע (shofeia) which has the gematria value of 456. This is also the gematria value of the biblical name יותם (Yotham - Jotham) which means "The L-rd is perfect". So it could be that the name Nephi gave was intentionally meaning that the place was a reflection of G-d's perfection.
Name etymology: Irreantum could come from ירה-אמתם - Ireh (He shall see) - Amtem (their truth/truthfulness). Alternatively, it could also be תם-ים-ירה - Ireh (He shall see) - yam (seas) - tem (end).
6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.
7 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.
8 And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.
Pitching the tent is a sign of confidence that the place is safe and it was often used in ancient times as an allegorical way of expressing trust. Now what is also important is that Nephi says that they pitched their tents by the seashore. The biblical word for shore is the word שפה (shafah). This word can also mean "voice".
Is it then a coincidence that from a deeper level of understanding Nephi's text can be read that they found confidence in the voice of G-d, and then immediately afterwards G-d begins speaking to them?
It is also interesting that the word ship in Hebrew is the word (אניה - oniyah) and it has the gematria value of 66 which is also the gematria of the word (גלגל) galgal which appears in Ezekiel 10:13 referring to the chariots of G-d:
"The wheels were called in my hearing, the whirling wheels." (Ezekiel 10:13)
Now this word also means "cycle" and it is an indication that Nephi's family was about to begin a new cycle just like the number eight mentioned a few verses above. This cannot be a coincidence.
9 And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me?
10 And it came to pass that the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools.

There is more to Nephi's sentence than meets the eye. The Hebrew word for ore is עפרה (afrah). Now the root of this word is עפר (afar) which means dust or dirt. This is a common term for humility in Hebrew thought and a way to say that one is uncapable or unworthy. So Nephi's sentence is more than simply finding the materials. He was anguished because he didn't feel worthy of the task that G-d had laid ahead of him. This is why G-d comforts him and says that he will show him what he needs to find. This Hebrew word-game is naturally lost in the translation process but is nevertheless very interesting.
11 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make a bellows wherewith to blow the fire, of the skins of beasts; and after I had made a bellows, that I might have wherewith to blow the fire, I did smite two stones together that I might make fire.

Please refer to our comment on the significance of the word "beasts".
Also it is important to understand that if Nephi didn't have much space to write why would he bother giving us the details about how he made fire? And why make a point out of saying that he had two stones?
The interesting part of this is that the word "stones" is the Hebrew word אבנים (evanim) which has the gematria value of 169. That is: 13x13.
Two very important Hebrew words have the gematria value of 13. One of them is the word אהבה (ahavah) which means love. The other of them is the word אחד (echad) which means one or unity. This shows the great lengths that Nephi was going in order to keep love and unity in the family. But it is also important to notice that we have twice the number 13 and that this would add up to 26 which is the Holy Name of G-d in Judaism that is the Tetragrammation. So Nephi was doing all of this for G-d and through G-d's power.
12 For the Lord had not hitherto suffered that we should make much fire, as we journeyed in the wilderness; for he said: I will make thy food become sweet, that ye cook it not;
This is a fantastic verse to prove the Hebrew origin of the text. How come G-d says that their food would become sweet? Raw meat would taste rather strange if it became sweet! But in Hebrew the word for sweet is the word מתוק (matok) which doesn't mean only "sweet" as in having a sugary flavor but it also means "pleasant" or "desireable". So G-d was saying that their food would taste pleasant even though they couldn't cook it. This sentence that may sound a bit odd in English makes absolutely perfect sense in Hebrew which is why it proves its Hebrew origin.

A while back I created a blog with a few people from the Mormon-nets and personal acquaintances one of those including Rameumptom of this forum also Tephrochr who is on this forum (along with myself).
Anyhow one of the Authors is Jewish born Elder Raymond Besse, a former Jewish Rabbi with a Bachelors in Judaic Studies from American Jewish University, he continued studying in Jerusalem becoming a Rabbi, he later converted and is currently serving as a part time missionary for the LDS church. Ray here gives an authoritative firsthand religious comparison between Mormons and Jews. He will be posting ever month and a half on this weekly posting blog for those who are interested in Jewish/Mormon studies, a great guy for questions.
The Sign of Jonas: Jews and Mormons: Similarities and Differences
As a plug we have openings coming up for authorships on the Sign of Jonas as one of our members is going on a mission in the future. If you are interested check out this thread:
http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/32188-new-academic-blog.html
Or just message me.

While I trust that God will always tell the truth, I agree with you, we can't know any more than our children can know that we aren't lying.
At best we can simply have faith that whatever our loving Heavenly Father does (whether telling the truth or lying) it will be for our best. Hopefully, our children can have similar faith in us.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-

This is an incorrect perception of Outer Darkness.  
And?  What are you going to do about it?  Is there any benefit to understanding this possibility?  If it were true, then He could be lying about anything.  Would you want to risk disobedience to what He has revealed?  Would that somehow make you unique and deserving of some reward from Him because you were the lone genius who figured out the secret that God could lie?  Even if He could lie, since you don't know and yet still believe He actually exits, then it is probably better to obey Him anyway.
And?  So what?  Then it is boring.  Is that going to all of a sudden make Hell really fun?  Only if God is lying about it!  
If he is and you know about it, is it going to somehow stop him from doing it to you?
They didn't, there was never a moment when they were not there, and there will never be such a moment.
Would it be bad enough to where it would be better to not have exaltation?  If you are in Hell, and more and more people come join you there, would that somehow be better than not being in Hell and watching other's go there on occasion?
Good that I made the right decision, sad for the ones who did not.

C.S. Lewis thought so: https://www.millennialstar.org/c-s-lewis-on-mourning-with-those-who-mourn/
Alternately, authors such as Terryl Givens suggest that part of God’s greatness is His  ongoing willingness to make Himself vulnerable to rejection by His children—but that the pain makes the joy all the sweeter.

Wind currents tend to follow ocean currents, or vice versa. Here are the wind currents for the Mediterranean Sea:

While I suppose it is possible for God to work in defiance of his own creation (causing the winds to change general direction and blow consistently in the opposite direction to the ocean currents),over the 2,300 miles across the Mediterranean sea. These opposing forces over that distance would indeed create enormous waves, which would toss vessels-- the Apostle Paul's travels is a testament to that (Act 27 and 2 Cor 11:25)
The question, however, isn't whether God had the ability to do as you suggest, but whether or not Ether 6:5 supports your conjecture about the Jaredite journey as opposed to other theories. Given that God can cause the wind to blow just as easily in the Indian and Pacific oceans as the Mediterranean and Atlantic oceans, It doesn't lend credence either way., thus leaving us with the natural forces weighing much more heavily in favor of the Indian and Pacific Ocean direction of the journey.
Thanks, -Wade Enlgund-

Actually, the open seas are far more safe than the southern southern tips of Africa and America.
Thanks, -Wade Englund-

You bring up a good point Wade and I think I agree with you.  When it come to the word "know" in this scriptures I will often check to see how it is translated in Spanish because in Spanish there are two words for know:  conocer (which is to have familiarity with....like, "I know him very well") or saber (which is like knowing a fact:  "I know his name").  Occasionally I have seen "know" translated as "discern" (discernir)
So, for example, in Moroni 10:5 it states "by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things".  In Spanish it uses the verb "conocer".
The other thing I think that is interesting is that I hear the word "know" more during a ward sacrament meeting than I do in General Conference...it seems the apostles and church leaders tend to use the word "testify" more than using these common phrases "I know without a shadow of a doubt with every fibre of my being..."  
I had a Bishop that when he shared his testimony would say, "I believe..."  On the other hand, I knew another gentleman, who would get up and say, for dramatic effect: "I don't believe the BOM is true, I don't believe the church is true, etc.  and then when everyone was sufficiently confused or shocked he would say, "I KNOW the BOM is true.  I KNOW the church is true..."  Strikes me as showmanship and not a genuine testimony...and it seems to belittle those that sincerely believe but don't KNOW.
I really enjoyed your post and fully agree.  The Greeks have a phrase:  Hope is the last to die.  And I've arrived at the same conclusion:  Hope is the obvious choice.

...that, or you my have an overly narrow,  rigid, and formal interpretation of the word "know.".  
Whereas, Webster's dictionary provides an interpretive range, from awareness of truth  to awareness of factuality, and from convinced to certain.  In other words, if someone  is convinced of the truth of the Church, etc., they can, according to the dictionary,  legitimately say "I know." 
Thanks, -Wade Englund-

I think the answer is because our glory adds to his glory.  It is pyramid scheme....except that it is built on righteous principles and all are elevated up.
To me this is one of the most amazing things about the gospel:  that God yearns to share his glory with us.  That he condescends to lift us to his level...which in turn elevates Him even higher.  The gospel is 100% win-win.

1) You use the word “logically” a few times in your question to disprove the idea of multiple generations of gods. That is your problem. Our ways are not gods ways. He comprehends all and we only comprehend a small fraction of that.
- Alma 26:35 “my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for he has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding; he comprehendeth all things”
- Isaiah 55:8-9 “8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
- D+C 93:36 “The glory of God is intelligence”
The eternal glory we will receive cannot be comprehended by our little minds.
 
Other things that don’t logically make sense:
- eternal damnation
- splitting the red sea
- healing an ear that has been cut off by simply touching it
- walking on water
  2) The definition of eternity is to have no beginning or end
 

Zil, to be more specific, I am not challenging that someone can know with absolute certainty that the Holy Ghost testified to them that something is true.  What I am saying, is that I don't see a way that anyone can be absolutely certain that what the Holy Ghost communicated is absolutely true.  God could appear to you and tell you something is true and you could know for certainty it was God and you could be absolutely clear about what he was communicating...but I don't think you can know for certainty that what He said was true....I don't see how you could until you yourself have the veil completely removed and arrive to a level of intelligence on the same plane of God...an intelligence that encompasses and perceives everything.  I can accept that you can know the identity of the messenger, you can know what the message was that was delivered, but I do not see ,and so far no one's explanation or logic shows how we could know that the messenger is honest.  Hmm, I guess what I am saying (and I am coming to this realisation as I write this) is that I think you cannot know anything for absolute certainty until you know everything...since all truth is part of one great whole.
Science, for example, can never come to absolute truth because you can never test every possible scenario in the universe...

This is why I recommended Lectures on Faith.  It goes through a series of logical proofs regarding God, the nature of God, and how it is that we can have faith in him that he is what he says he is and does what he says he does.
IMO, Alma 32 would help you here too - not just understanding what it says, but implementing it.
It is my experience that these principles, acted on in faith, will lead one to complete confidence that God is what he says he is, that the truth is as he has presented it.  It will lead us to an ever-increasing understanding of truth (see below), and ever-increasing faith.  God himself acts in faith, despite having all knowledge and power (or so teach those lectures, and I find this empowering).  At the end of the day, you must reject the doubts, the Satanic1 (yes, I mean that) voice which whispers "What if God's a liar?  How could you ever know?", and instead act in faith, test the theory (as Alma instructs) that God is what he says he is.  Nothing else can bring you to an answer.
Is it lying to explain things to a child's understanding and then later, after they have grown (up), to explain the details?  Is it lying for the Savior to teach in parables and symbolism so that as the reader matures and gains experience he learns more and more at each reading?
We are infants, being fed milk before meat.
And then in verses 10-12, he explains how it should have been obvious all along:
...it's a parable moment, an instance of "I presented this as milk and now I shall explain the meat - which you could have figured out on your own at any time, had you put forth the mental effort".
I see all these things as mercy - the Lord could have dumped all eternity on us from day 1 and it would have crushed us like ants under a big old block of gold the size of the universe.  In mercy, he presented a tiny nugget and said, "here, taste this".
The simple fact is, we have no choice in the matter of reality (beyond what we will think, feel, speak, and do) - if God is true (and I testify he is), then our options have been outlined by him; if God is not true, then nothing matters - do what you will (I will note here, however, that it is my experience that the Nephite promise - obey and prosper - works on an individual level as well as a national level, so it would be wise to choose God's will either way).
1It has been suggested that among Satan's hosts are those who knew us well before this life.  Whether that's the case, or whether they have been carefully observing us since our births, I don't know, but I believe that they know or figure out our weakest spots, to a T (so to speak).  I believe they then wait for the "'right" moment to begin using these weak points against us, and that often, these weak points are little more than whispered ideas - ideas that will pester us, make us doubt or fear, depress or frustrate us, blind or deceive us.  I believe these can present some of our most difficult battles in mortality.  This is why I said earlier that you must control these thoughts and not allow them to control you.
(PS: Thanks for sticking around - it's frustrating the number of drive-by posts we've had lately which could have initiated a discussion with the OP, but instead fizzled when the OP never returned.  Glad yours wasn't one of those.)

Welcome, @Behemoth!

No....but perhaps that is because of the veil.
 
Hi Zil.  I have trouble with the idea of "complete confidence" or claims of absolute surety....other than the proverbial "I think therefore I am".  I feel I have a testimony, but I cannot claim to KNOW 100%....and I don't see how anyone can as long as they are mortal and have a veil placed over their mind.  When I hear someone say "I know..." during a testimony meeting I cringe a little and think "you are cheapening the word 'know'"
btw, I'm now working my way through Lectures on Faith....thanks for the recommendation.
I agree with what you are saying.  That is why we start out talking about heaven/hell and then progress to understanding the degrees of salvation and damnation.  But I do think D&C 19 is different....the way I read it God was intentionally misleading....perhaps for benevolent, fatherly reasons...but still it is lying.
I definitely agree with this approach...to me this is the primary difference between spiritual knowledge and other types.  Faith/action required to unlock & understand spiritual knowledge
 
Agreed!  And one thing I have figured is when I get lax with living the gospel these types of doubts tend to grow.  And when I'm living the gospel they don't seem as important....or when I'm going through moments of real struggle, these types of questions take a back seat.  I was in a bishopric and the bishop came back from a training with Elder Bednar.  He recounted how Elder Bednar had agreed to meet with a group of disgruntled LDS that were protesting some policy of the church.  He started out the meeting asking the group questions like:  How many of you read from the BOM everyday?  no hands go up.  How many of you pray at least twice a day?  almost no hands go up.  etc.  After a few questions like that with similar responses he said something to the effect:  So you walked into a room and turned off the lights and then you are surprised that you've bumped into a wall. 
 
100% agree!
 
Traveler....you blew my mind with your post.  I'm convinced your right.  In many ways, mortality is a superficial virtual reality....but on the other hand, these new mortal bodies actually adds a dimension of "reality" we had not experienced before.   I liken our mortal experience to our ability to see light....visible light is only a small sliver from the entire electromagnetic spectrum.  I heard a general authority warn about social media and virtual reality entertainment saying that Satan wants us to give up our physical reality for a virtual reality that does not include our bodies...and thus traps us in the same reality he is eternally damned to live.
 
Regarding your 2nd paragraph, I have a different understanding.  I don't think they were deceived.  I think God can forgive people that act wrongly due to deception.  I think it was Joseph Smith that described sons of perdition and the denial of the HG like looking directly at the noonday son and denying its existence.  To me it is PRIDE plain and simple.  I don't think if they were pulled out of outer darkness after a billion years would they repent or say "uncle".  They hate God and His authority that much!
Again, I'm going to partially disagree (or should I say partially agree to sound more agreeable)...yes, there are a lot of bad choices due to incorrect or incomplete info, but I know that I have made bad decisions knowing that I was sinning, knowing it was wrong, knowing the consequences....but still choosing wrongly. ( I do this every time a Krispy Creme donut is put in front of me.)  This is the most dangerous type of sin and I would guess most common among LDS (due to our correct knowledge).  I think a lot of bad decisions are also the result of immaturity (which I define as overvaluing present pleasure/happiness compared to future pleasure/happiness).
BTW:  Do you by chance come from a Jewish or Muslim background?  Just curious why you write "G_d"
 
Hmm....that gives even more weight to the statement "I think, therefore I am"...interesting
 
Well, I think the conclusion of all this is that there is no way to know if God is lying or if there is a fact of reality which dooms us....at least not while we have a veil placed over our spirit and mind.
 

If G-d lies he is not all that intelligent, good, honest, just or worthy of worship.  If there is no source of truth in the universe - then seeking truth is both useless and foolish on our part.
 
The Traveler

@Luke
I am an engineer working in the field of industrial automation, robotics and artificial intelligence.  Because of my scientific background, I am rather attached to empirical evidence as a means for discovering truth.  And yet I have a couple of sons working on pushing the threshold of virtual reality.  The more it is possible to stimulate the senses the more it is difficult to distinguish between reality and a virtual reality.  I have had many discussions about this.  For example, it would be much easier to create our universe (and the vastness of it) as a virtual reality than to create a real one.  G-d could have control and still allow individual will and agency.   Certainly, our experience would be easier to explain in so many ways – even things like a resurrection become simple and the notion that G-d thinks and declares something and it is; would make a lot more sense.  It also means that our suffering and other concerns are not as “real” as we may think.  Finally, or sins and transgressions against others in a virtual reality can easily be mitigated and resolved.  The sins are no longer as bad – what is bad is a refusal to address our attachment to sin not the problem we superfically cause others.  It is very possible we are in a Matrix reality.  But the reality is that we must deal with current circumstance.  We cannot deal with that which we cannot interface.
I also want to address your concern over the rebellious sons and daughters of G-d in our pre-existence.  I have wrestled with this conundrum for many years.  My concern is a little different.  I have resolved that in the full light of understanding and knowledge (including consequences) – Satan and his followers rebelled against G-d and chose darkness over light.  But this make almost no sense to me.  It seems to be to be both foolish and stupid – that they would someday regret such a choice.  But a someday regret would require that something happened that they did not foresee.   And if they did not foresee or understand – how could they have made a choice and exercised agency?  How is it that in the very presents of G-d that they could be deceived?  Not that G-d would be the deceiver but how could he allow them to deceive themselves?
In all cases that I have observed myself and others making bad choices – it has been because something was missing from understanding – thinking the results would be for the benefit and different that what was real.   Thus, if something was selected such that we would discover that it really was not our choice but was forced upon us by some outside force taking advantage of our ignorance – how can it be said that there was a choice to rebel?   The only resolution I can imagine is that Satan and his followers knew the results of their choice and that the result was their choice.  I have come to understand that I do not understand others very well – if they do not think and conclude as I do – I cannot relate very well if at all.  I just do not usderstand what Satan and his followers were thinking.  I am not sure I even want to try very hard to do so.  I have kind of given up resolving why or how they made their very silly and stupid choice.
 
The Traveler

You've asked multiple questions, so I'm making a secondary post on this question.  I think that you are missing something.  There is a PURPOSE to the plan of salvation, and there is a PURPOSE for this mortal life.  This purpose is for us to show whether we will choose good or evil and to have joy (as per the scriptures above).
Now, the following is my personal thoughts rather than from scripture.
In eternity things are set and unchangeable to a degree.  That means things that can be done in mortality cannot be done in eternity.  Eternity is where things are set in stone, things are unchanging and time does not exist.  By this, I mean certain covenants and other articles we need for exaltation cannot be achieved in the eternities.  Thus, it is in this mortality where sealings are needed to be done, baptism and all other ordinances are needed to be completed in this world rather than the next.  This is why we do temple work.  This life sets the stage for where we will be in the next.
In this same light, because of the malleability of our souls in this mortal life, we also are faced with challenges that will determine whether we choose the light or the darkness.  It is here that the TRUE nature of ourselves, without the knowledge of what our life was prior to influence us, can be seen.  IF our nature is to be those who would follow the Lord, then it will be shown in our nature here.  If our true nature is to choose darkness, it will also be seen here. 
Finally, we also can obtain control over these physical bodies we have in our desires.  IF we choose to follow the light we can gain self mastery and control via lessons that we probably have determined we wished to go through in the life prior.  If we choose darkness we can allow ourselves to experiences that which may not bring us happiness even if it brings us a temporary feeling of exhilaration or other temporary feeling. 
Thus, this mortality is essential for us to get our ordinances completed and to gain bodies.  Not all will have the challenges of this world and die shortly after birth, but they still gain that short period of joy or pain or both as well as an opportunity at that point for the atonement and it's ensuing coverage of the ordinances to be an effect upon them and their exaltation.  For the rest of us, it is a proving period, not just to the Lord, but to ourselves and for us to gain knowledge and experience as well as the saving ordinances and to make choices.  We also can become like the Lord in the temple and perform the saving ordinances for others so that they can gain the full benefits possible for this life.

Is it possible to feel sadness in Heaven...It may be if you ascribe to the principles found in the gospel...but at the same time great joy as well, beyond what we may experience even in this life I think.
From 2 Nephi 2
 

Nature is designed to be malevolent towards humans.  Progress requires it.
Dr. Jordan B Peterson provides some excellent explanations as to why this is so during his Biblical Lectures series--see the podcast towards the bottom of the page
Thanks, -Wade Englund-

So far as I can tell the universe acts according to set laws. Laws that govern how all matter interacts.  There is nothing I have seen that contradicts nature. 
I would think that if God lies, you'd see unnatural things. But you don't. He follows his laws. Perfectly consistent. 
If he wanted to doom us to an eternity of torment, why go through all the effort? Sounds pointless. It would be far easier just to torment us from the get go. 

Fullness. Of. Joy.
 
Ponder what that means. 
 
D&C 101:36 Wherefore, fear not even unto death; for in this world your joy is not full, but in me your joy is full.

D&C 88 offers a structure for reality (centered on verse 37). "And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." (verse 125). Charity is is own reward, no matter how badly things can get for objects (rather, recipients) of charity.

Ok, let's address some points in here:
No one's getting tortured.
LDS don't believe in the idea of a eternal burning fiery Hell.  No no.  Even the Telestrail Kingdom is a place of glory and happiness beyond our mortal imagination.  God is beyond generous.  The people there are there because it is the place they themselves will be the most happy and living the life they want to live.   There is nothing to be distraught about here.
@Luke, are you a parent?
Being a parent opens a person up to both joy and sorrow greater than anyone else can experience.  You want the best for your children, and hope they will make the right choices.  But you also know you can't force them to make the right choices-- love doesn't cage another person.  A parent feels both deep joy and sorrow from their children's choices.  When a child does go off the deep end, you cry.  You cry tremendously with a soul piercing ache.  But you don't stop loving them.  And neither do you stop rejoicing in the good choices other children make.  I have no doubt our Heavenly Parents have a a much greater knowledge of sorrow and pain than I --a mortal parent-- do.  I have no doubt that they have both wept more than I could ever fathom.  I also have no doubt that they have also rejoiced more than I could ever fathom.   Their love is everything
 
 
{Replying to rest of your post}
Have you asked God "can I trust you?"   What answer did He say?  Did you ask Him "is this all-- the universe, the logic, the things that cannot change-- are they for my good?"  What answer did He say?  
 

I'm guessing that heaven includes the strength and wisdom to not let other's choices remove our joy.
Actually, that's possible here on earth too.