Overview
Made with passages from Doctrine and Covenants!
Explanation of Sources Cited
Alongside the King James Version of the Bible, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes three other sources as inspired (i.e known through revelation) scripture and part of their open canon. These works are collectively referred to as the Standard Works.
- The Book of Mormon is one the missionaries always offer you.
- Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) is a series of revelations. It has had three revelations since 1847.
- The Pearl of Great Price has five books varying from revelation, an autobiography, and a creed. Not accepted as canon by the Community of Christ and the source for most of the “science fiction” divergence from mainstream Christian theology (e.g trinitarianism, creation ex nihilio, creation of the Son, consubstantiality)
In addition, these non-canon works are cited: - Journal of Discourses is a twenty-six volume collection of public sermons from early leaders of the Church. Brigham Young’s racist remarks are often sourced from here.
- Race Problems – As They Affect The Church is a racist sermon delivered by Apostle Mark E. Petersen from 1954.
- “For the Strength of Youth” is a pamphlet targeted toward an audience of the Latter-day Saint youth, although its principles are applicable to adults and its wording is unambiguous enough for non-members to understand.
Character Creation
The naming formula is simple: Duosyllabic forename derived from Hebrew or English, monosyllabic surname derived from English.
- The stereotypical idiosyncratic naming of Latter-day Saint soccer moms is because naming ceremonies and family history/genealogy are important, so it might be underwhelming or confusing to have tens of thousands of people named Joseph Smith.
Official Declaration 2 of Doctrine and Covenants was established as late as 1978 and removed the priesthood ban for black men. Priesthood in Mormonism differs from priesthood in Nicene Christianity (Section 107 of Doctrine and Covenants), being more akin to being confirmed at the age of reason. Besides this specific ceremony, church leaders have uttered numerous racist sermons and remarks against black people. As late as 1954, Apostle Mark E. Petersen criticized racial integration. Critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints note that this revelation from God to remove the priesthood ban for black men coincided with a material desire to expand or maintain profits (by dedicating temples in Brazil, where most of the population north of the South Region is mixed with black blood, and by a protest by athletes at Brigham Young University).
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I’m not so irreverent as to stereotype an entire religious group, but Latter-day Saints place an importance on outward appearance, virtue (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45), and purity, which is my excuse for tagging Guns and Speech.
- Homosexuality is forbidden by the Church, but don’t hesitate choose Confirmed Bachelor/Cherchez La Femme because being gay isn’t a choice lmao
Locations of Interest
- Aerotech Office Park: Location of the only practicing Latter-day Saint in the base game.
- Old Mormon Fort: Obviously.
- Harper’s shack: The Followers safehouse is appropriate considering the above, but it lacks a campfire or reloading bench and doesn’t let you hunt unbelieving Vipers whenever you try to harvest prickly pear cacti.
Dealings and Behavior
Ordered by frequency in an average playthrough. Health code and dietary restrictions are dedicated their own separate section because consumables represent the most significant change.
- Verse 16 of Section 27 of Doctrine and Covenants quotes Ephesians 6:15, so evade unjustified violence as an option.
Section 59 of Doctrine and Covenants contains instruction on the Sabbath. Fallout New Vegas begins on a Wednesday (October 19, 2281), so plan accordingly:
- “Offer up thy sacrifices” (59:9)
- “Rest from your labors” and “pay thy devotions unto the Most High” (59:10)
- “Offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High” (59:12)
- “Let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full.” (59:13)
Traditionally, these practices mean:
- Attend Church meetings
- Don’t go shopping or making purchases
- Don’t seek entertainment
Thankfully, the Courier doesn’t have a 9-5, but he also doesn’t have a Church. What I usually do is spawn in a container (usually a refrigerator (base ID 000a2825) or grave (base ID 0011e667) for the sake of distinction) on either Interstate 15 or Route 95 and deposit an offering there. [link]
Closely related to observance of the Sabbath is Sunday Fast, which traditionally occurs on the first Sunday of each month. In game, these dates are November 6 and December 4. Any game that reaches beyond December 4 on the in-game calendar is moving at a glacial pace, which is why I stop there.
- “You know that the first Thursday in each month we hold as a fast day.…Let it be sent forth to the people, that on the first Thursday of each month, the fast day, all that would be eaten by husbands and wives and children and servants should be put in the hands of the Bishop for the sustenance of the poor, I am willing to do my share as well as the rest, and if there are no poor in my ward, I am willing in divide with those wards where there are poor.” (Journal of Discourses, Volume 12, Pages 115-116)
The instruction of an annual tithe is found in Section 119 of Doctrine and Covenants:
- “Pay one-tenth of all their interest annually” (Doctrine and Covenants 119:4)
Because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints doesn’t exist to build temples, I just drop one-tenth of my caps in the aforementioned container immediately before the second battle of Hoover Dam. No sense waiting for an actual in-game year to pass.
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- Do not listen to the radio, as these songs glorify immorality and distract from the voice of the Spirit. (Doctrine and Covenants 25:11-12)
Word of Wisdom
The Word of Wisdom is found in Section 89 of Doctrine and Covenants and “contains the dietary restrictions and health code followed by faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” The most relevant passage is Doctrine and Covenants 89:5-17. Applied as per tradition, the Word of Wisdom forbids the following in-game items:
(traditional interpretation of “hot drinks” 89:9)
- Black coffee
(89:5-7)
- Absinthe
- Battle Brew
- Beer
- Dixon’s whiskey
- Large wasteland tequila
- Moonshine
- Rum & Nuka
- Scotch
- Sierra Madre martini
- Vodka
- Wasteland tequila
- Whiskey
- Wine
(89:8)
- Coyote tobacco chew
- Addictive recreational chems (LDS convert JeffersMorning clarifies that medical use of drugs, even addictive ones are permissible)
- Meat (89:12 “flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air”)
- Broc flower
- Xander root
Factions
- The NCR is the default choice, with it’s bureaucracy and embodiment of Old World values inspired by the Constitution of the United States, which Joseph Smith describes as “founded in the wisdom of God.”
- Mr. House funds Vegas with gamblers and prostitutes. That money is better collected as a tithe.
- Allegiance to Caesar’s Legion is forbidden. Brigham Young only justified slavery on the racist doctrine that black people were immoral in the pre-existence and marked with the curse of Ham. The Legion is nothing but an undeveloped system of slaves and illiterate conscripts.
- Boomers: A bunch of heavily-armed self-sufficient isolationists isn’t too far from the foreign policy of the United States throughout the 19th century.
- Kings: A steadfastly independent anarchist greaser gang that keeps order in the streets of Freeside is respectable The School of Impersonation is a temple for an idol, as noted by EvilTheDC.
- Khans: A gang of drug traffickers is unethical, but so is being a thuggish leg-breaker for the NCR. Resort to diplomacy
- Omertas: Their casino is named Gomorrah, so it’s only appropriate to rain fire and brimstone out of heaven unto Big Sal and Nero. They, too, keep slaves in the form of indebted prostitutes.
- Destitutes, squatters, refugees, ghouls, and mutants: Presumably to be treated well, after all Jesus forgave the sinners of his time, preached among lepers, widows, a pair of convicted thieves, and the sick, and told a parable about a man helping a “half dead” man with each belonging to ethnic groups that mutually hated each other.