The following selection of scriptures comes from the sacred scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: the Holy Bible (King James Version), the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.

God’s nature: he is loving and is not looking to condemn us

• Psalm 103:2–8, 17 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. . . . The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.”
• Isaiah 54:10 (see also 3 Nephi 22:10) “For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”
• Jeremiah 9:24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”
• Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Another translation, from the New International Version: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”)
• Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”
• Lamentations 3:22–23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”
• Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
• Luke 11:9–13 “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”
• 1 John 1:5 “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
• John 3:16–17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
• 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth in all our tribulation.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, . . . but is longsuffering to us‑ward, not willing that any should perish.”
• 1 Nephi 8:8 “I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.”
• 1 Nephi 8:10–12 “And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. . . . I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. . . . It filled my soul with exceedingly great joy.” The fruit on the tree in Lehi’s dream represents the love of God (1 Nephi 11:25).
• Mosiah 4:6 “Come to a knowledge of the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience, and his long-suffering towards the children of men; and also, the atonement which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord.”
• Mosiah 4:11–12 “As ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, ye should remember . . . the greatness of God . . . and his goodness . . . towards you, . . . calling on the name of the Lord daily. . . . If ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God.”
• Alma 24:14 “And the great God has had mercy on us . . . because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 29:5 “Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 50:44 “I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.”
• Moses 1:39 “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
• Moses 7:30 “Thou [the Lord] art just; thou art merciful and kind forever.”

God’s nature: No need to fear

• 1 Chronicles 28:20 “Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed; for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
• Psalms 118:6, 8 “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. . . . It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”
• Isaiah 41:13 “Fear not; I will help thee.”
• Isaiah 43:1 “Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
• Luke 1:13 “Fear not, . . . for thy prayer is heard.”
• Luke 12:7 “Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
• Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
• 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
• 1 John 4:18–19 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 68:6 “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 50:41–42 “Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father has given me; and none of them that my Father hath give me shall be lost.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 101:16 “Therefore, let your hearts be comforted . . . ; for all flesh is in my hands; be still and know that I am God.”

God’s nature: Justice and mercy (Scrupulosity overemphasizes justice and neglects mercy.)

• Psalms 89:14 “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.”
• Psalms 116:5–6 “Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.”
• Psalms 118:29 “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
• Jeremiah 33:11 “For the Lord is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”
• Mosiah 5:15 “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.”
• Alma 26:20 “Behold, he did not exercise his justice upon us, but in his great mercy hath brought us over that everlasting gulf of death and misery, even to the salvation of our souls.”
• 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, and he is a merciful Being.”
• Alma 32:22 “Ye should remember, that God is merciful unto all who believe on his name.”
• Alma 33:16 “Thou art angry, O Lord, with this people, because they will not understand thy mercies which thou has bestowed upon them because of thy Son.”
• Alma 34:15–16 “And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice.”
• Alma 42:15 “And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also.”
• Alma 42:30 “Let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart.”
• Mormon 6:22 “The Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.”

Faith is not knowledge or certainty or a guarantee

• 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
• 1 Peter 1:7–8 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: whom having not seen, ye love.”
• 1 Nephi 4:6–7 “And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless, I went forth.”
• Alma 32:17–18 “Yea, there are many who do say: If thou wilt show unto us a sign from heaven [give me absolute proof so I know I am perfectly worthy], then we shall know of a surety; then we shall believe. Now I ask, is this faith? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.”
• Alma 32:21 (see also verse 26) “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope.”

Ether 12:6 “Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen.” (Scrupulosity demands certainty, but escaping its control requires a willingness to tolerate uncertainty.)

Peace

• Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
• Mark 4:39–40 “And he [Jesus] . . . said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful?”
• John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
• 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace.”
• Mosiah 4:3 “And they were filled with joy, having . . . peace of conscience.”
• Galatians 5:22 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace.”
• Ephesians 5:9 “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.”

God doesn’t demand perfection

• 2 Nephi 2:6–7 “Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin . . . unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”
• 2 Nephi 31:20 “If ye shall press forward, feasting on the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”
• Alma 5:27 “Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye had been sufficiently humble?” (Sufficiently means “enough.” The meaning here is not, “Have you been perfectly humble?”)
• Doctrine and Covenants 50:40 “Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.”

Our imperfection is part of the gospel plan

• Jacob 4:7–8 “Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things. Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord.”
• Jacob 5:22–23 “And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit. And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant: Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit; therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self.
• Ether 12:27 “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”
• Moroni 8:8 “Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick.”

We don’t perfect ourselves

• Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
• 2 Nephi 2:3, 6 “I know that thou are redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer. . . . Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.”
• Alma 22:14 “And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance.”
• Alma 24:10 “And I also thank my God, yea, my great God, that he hath granted unto us that we might repent of these things, and also that he hath forgiven us of those our many sins and murders which we have committed, and taken away the guilt from our hearts, through the merits of his Son.”
• Alma 33:11, 13 “For in thee is my joy; for thou has turned thy judgments away from me, because of thy Son. . . . Thou has turned away thy judgments because of thy Son.”
• Helaman 14:13 “And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye may have a remission of them through his merits.”
• 3 Nephi 26:5 “If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life . . . according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 76:69 “These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out his perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.”
• Doctrine and Covenants 109:53 “Inasmuch as they will repent, thou art gracious and merciful, and wilt turn away thy wrath when thou lookest upon the face of thine Anointed.”

How atonement works—we as imperfect mortals join with a perfect Christ

• Psalms 37:17, 24, 39–40 “The Lord upholdeth the righteous. . . . Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. . . . But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.”
• Hebrews 9:14–15 “The blood of Christ . . . purge your conscience from dead works. . . . And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
• 1 John 1:7–9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (Obsessively trying to perfect oneself denies Christ’s refining role.)
• Revelation 1:5 “Jesus Christ . . . washed us from our sins in his own blood.”
• 2 Nephi 2:3, 9–10 “Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer. . . . Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved. And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him.”
• Moroni 10:32–33 “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him[;]. . . then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ. . . . If ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.”

Scrupulosity distorts ability to live the gospel fully, turning it into a checklist

• Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, . . . for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
• Luke 11:42 “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
• Luke 18:9–14 “And [Jesus] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
• 2 Corinthians 3:5–6 “Our sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

Negative effects of being overzealous

• Mosiah 7:21 “Zeniff, he “being over-zealous to inherit the land of his fathers, therefore [he was] deceived.”
• Mosiah 9:3 “Yet, I [Zeniff] being over-zealous . . . [was] smitten with famine and sore afflictions.”

Scrupulosity is about debilitating anxiety, not spiritual sensitivity

• Enos 1:5–6 “Thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.” (This assurance does not work in scrupulosity. Guilt will remain.)
• Alma 17:10 “And it came to pass that the Lord did visit them with his Spirit, and said unto them: Be comforted. And they were comforted.” (This assurance does not work in scrupulosity. Those struggling with it cannot be comforted when anxiety flares.)
• Alma 36:12–22; 38:7–9 Alma, having been harrowed up by sins and racked with eternal torment, was relieved upon receiving Christ. (This is how the gospel of Christ works. In scrupulosity, compulsive repentance in the absence of legitimate sin does not bring relief.)
  • Mosiah 27:28–29 “Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting burning, and I am born of God. My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more.”
  • Alma 36:18–21 “O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness. . . . I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold.”
  • Alma 38:8 “I did cry out unto the Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, . . . and I did find peace to my soul.”
    • Yet Mosiah 28:4 called Alma the Younger and his friends “the very vilest of sinners.” Even so, “the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them.”
    • Alma 26:18 (and 36:6; 38:7) Alma indicated that he and his friends “went forth even in wrath, with mighty threatenings to destroy [the Lord’s] church.”
• Alma 42:1 “And now, my son, I perceive there is somewhat more which doth worry your mind, which ye cannot understand.” Alma goes on to teach the plan of redemption and the laws of justice and mercy in verses 22–23: “There is a law given, and a punishment affixed ,and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth. . . . And mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement.” In verses 29–30 he teaches: “And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance. . . . Deny the justice of God no more. . . . Let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart.” (Someone without scrupulosity can hear such doctrine and counsel and be comforted.)
• Moroni 7:18 “Seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully.” (Anxiety confuses people and makes them think they are receiving promptings from the Spirit.)