And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.
13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
14 Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives.
15 And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger;
16 And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity.
Welcome this should help out. WNW.tradwicca.org WNW.sacred-texts.org to find others go to WNW.wichvox.com Last and best is WNW.wiccantogether.com I go by the same name there. Send me an email and I can guide you around the site and recommend some great reads.
http://www.magickaschool.com/index.php
http://www.paganspace.net/ (not a study site, but a good Pagan social networking site...may get some help there)
http://www.wiccantogether.com/ (forum)
http://wicca.timerift.net/ (good informational site)
http://www.witchvox.com/ (contains good articles and may assist in finding a study group in your area)
If you are interested about learning more about Wicca and/or Witchcraft here are a few legitimate sources to glean knowledge from. First being Witchvox at http://www.witchvox.com/. Here you will gain knowledge through fellowship with other of like mind and knowledge through the countless articles posted. If this is not enough one could look into getting on line training through the Sacred Mists athttp://www.sacredmists.com/ or OZ Wicca at http://www.ozwicca.com/, and Witch School at http://www.witchschool.com/ has some really good resources plus they have a free first degree program. All are pretty decent for learning the Craft on the Web though like any site they have some issues, take what you can and leave what does not work. Also if you are close enough to an active group that specializes in education and development like the SCWF try and join them even if it?s on a limited capacity.
Not all DVD?s are equal, but if that?s what you like to use to learn try Witchcraft Rebirth of the Old Religion by Raymond Buckland (DVD), Discovering Witchcraft by Janet and Stewart Farrar (DVD), Ancient Mysteries Witches by A&E (DVD), Craftwise Volume 1: Candle Magick by Peter Paddon (DVD), Craftwise Volume 2: Cord Magick by Peter Paddon (DVD), Wish on a Spell, Vo. 1 by Deborah Gray (DVD), Practical Magick (DVD), The Craft (DVD).
I also suggest that you get your hands on Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin and/or The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan. Both of these books are very good reading and both will give you some deeper insight to the Craft and how it relates to you. Also you cannot go wrong with anything by Scott Cunningham. Try your local public library for resources and recommendations, many people donate directly to them for the community to use.
If you are a teen, Elements of Witchcraft: Natural Magick for Teens by Ellen Dugan, and Teen Witch by Silver Ravenwolf is also good. But neither is completely accurate in regards to history, but they will help you out nonetheless. Also check out http://www.teenwitch.com/ for more information, it?s a pretty good site for base information.
Study as much as you need to before deciding that you are Wiccan. Find those near you who are reputable and knowledgeable. Also stay away from those who are playing Wicca if you are serious about the religion and the craft, they will only slow you down and/or mislead you. Also, read all the books you can get your hands on, the good ones as well as the bad ones. Ultimately, study, study and then study some more. Find all you can and definitely cross reference whenever possible, this way you can get the best out of all you learn.
Remember, you are the only one that decides what?s good for you, not someone else because. Because as far as I am concerned, every author in has something to offer, all you have to do is ignore the information that is not accurate and/or wrong and keep the good information. Oh and I suggest staying away from groups and/or web sites that slander other people?s names, because they tend to generate and cultivate an atmosphere of negativity and that will start your walk in the path with a biased light and you would miss out on some good information and resources.
Just my thought on the issue, take from it what you wish and leave what you don?t like.
I hope my blurp helps out.
Blessed Be
Nyjh
Links for more information:
http://www.cuew.org/whatiswicca.html
http://www.ozwicca.com/whatis.htm
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/?once=true&
what are some good websites to study wicca and peganism?
