The Salt Lake Mormon Temple. Designed by Brigham Young. Construction began in 1873, and was completed in 1893. Mormons used to refer to it "The Zion of God". The word "Zion" (zai-awn) means "sacred stone monument" in Hebrew. The Salt Lake Temple faces East, the direction in which early Mormons believed that Jesus would come to them--from the East. They believed that Jesus would come "suddenly" (without fore-warning) as a thief in the night to His Temple, and knock on the East Door. A "thief in the night" does not come riding upon clouds with thousands of angels blowing trumpets! A "thief in the night" comes and goes quietly, without waking up the sleeping inhabitants of the house. Jesus would return not riding "on" a cloud, but "in" a "cloud" (veil).
Mormon Temples are not places for public worship. They are not hollow cathedrals. Rather, they consist of many small rooms where sacred rites are performed, such as Endowments, Sealings, and Baptisms for the Dead. Only faithful Mormons are allowed to partake of the holy rites inside these temples. The Holy Endowment teaches Latter-day Saints the "signs and tokens" they must know in order to pass-by Sentinel-Angels in order to enter the Celestial Kingdom (the Kingdom of Father) on "the other side of the veil" (i.e. after death).
"...the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." (1 Thess. 5:2)
"I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple." (D&C 38:8)
"When the Savior shall appear He will appear as a man like ourselves." (Doctrine & Covenants 1:35)
"And the Lord shall be red in his apparel like him that treadeth the wine vat;...." (D&C 133:48)
Right:The East Door.
LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff, the very last President of the Church who received "Thus Saith the LORD" Revelations, uttered this prophecy in General Conference in Salt Lake City in April of 1898:
"Behold, I come as a thief...." (Rev. 16:15)
"Many sitting in the congregation today will stand in the flesh [still be alive] when the Lord Jesus Christ visits the Zion of God [Salt Lake Temple] here in the mountains of Israel." (Conference Reports, April 1898, p.57).
*Moss, Aenon E. Joseph Smith's 1891 Prophecies FULFILLED! (Salt Lake City, Utah: Millennial Star Publications, 2009). No copyright. 36 pages.
Joseph Smith's 1891 Prophecies FULFILLED!
by AENON E. MOSS
All Mormons (Latter-day Saints) believe that the Holy Ghost is a "Spirit-Man"; meaning He has not yet come to this planet to "get a body". They believe that one day, sometime in the future, the Holy Ghost will "come down to get a body" and perform some great divine mission on Earth. What that divine mission will be, they don't yet know. They trust their leaders will one day tell them.
This article will prove that the 1891 prophecies of Joseph Smith were fulfilled in BAHÁ'U'LLÁH (baw-haw-O-LAH), the Founder of the Baha'i Faith, a worldwide independent religion with over 7 million believers in 120 countries. Baha'u'llah (1817-1892), Whose Name is Arabic means "The Glory of God", claimed to be the Son of Man, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Ghost Incarnate.
Jesus said:
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me..." (John 16:13-14)Baha'u'llah wrote:
"Verily, He Who is the Spirit of Truth is now come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own Self, but as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son and hath exalted His Cause." (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 12)Did Joseph Smith prophesy (praw-fess-sai) of Baha'u'llah in the capacity of a Seer? I believe...he did! His 1891 prophecies were either fulfilled, or they failed! If they failed, then he was not an inspired Seer. But, I believe, his 1891 prophecies were FULFILLED...in every detail...in Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God. But, read for yourself. YOU be the judge!
The Joseph Smith Story
In the year 1820, a 15 year old farm boy in Palmyra, New York, named Joseph Smith Jr., was confused about religion. At that time, in the area in which he lived (Genesee District of New York State), there were many camp-meetings. At these camp meetings the different Preachers (Baptists, Congregationalists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Quakers, Universalists) contended one with another for followers (who would financially support the preachers--the more followers the more financial support). Each said, "Lo, here is Christ!"; each claimed to have "the Truth" and that their church was "true" while the other churches were false. Confused, Joseph Smith decided to go into a grove of trees to ask God which of the contending churches was true. During this prayer he had a vision of "The Father" and "The Son". Jesus told him:
"Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way walk in my statutes and keep my commandments. Behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin and at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments. They [the preachers at the camp-meetings] draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to their ungodliness and to bring to pass that which has been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles behold and lo, I come quickly as it written of me in the cloud clothed in the glory of my Father." (Joseph Smith's First Vision, 1832 account)According to Mormon belief, about 600 B.C., just before the Babylonians marched on Jerusalem, a Jewish prophet named Lehi (lee-high) was shown in vision that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed. He was commanded to flee into the wilderness (desert). Lehi took his sons (Laman, Lemuel, Nephi, and Sam) into Arabia. There he met an Arab named Ishmael, who had daughters. These two families built a ship and sailed to America. Laman and Lemuel split from the family, and their descendants became known as the "Lamanites" (lay-man-ites). Nephi became patriach of the others, and they became known as the Nephites (nee-fights). The Lamanites became "idolatrous" (worshippers of idols) so God cursed the Lamanites with a red skin, so that the white-skinned Nephites would remained separate from them. They had many wars. But Jesus visited the Nephites for three days (after His ascension on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem), and established His Church. Peace reiged for 400 years. But the Nephites became very wicked, more wicked than the Lamanites, and materialistic (worshippers of Mammon), and practiced "whoredoms" so God allowed the Lamanites (the great majority) to "utterly destroy" the Nephites (by then a small minority). This happened at the Hill Cumorah, near Palmyra, New York State, about 430 A.D.; exactly 400 years after Jesus appeared to the Nephites. Only a few dozens Nephites escaped death, including Moroni (mor-row-nai), the son of Mormon (mor-mawn), the last Nephite prophet and general who was killed at the Battle of Cumorah. Mormon had written an abridged history of the Nephite nation on plates (tablets) of gold. Moroni finished the record, and buried the gold plates in a stone box in the Hill Cumorah. About 14 million Mormons believe that the Nephites really existed and The Book of Mormon is literal history of a colony of Jews that lived in ancient America from 600B.C. to 420A.D.
In 1823, the Angel Moroni (more-row-nai), an ancient American Prophet of the Nephites (nee-fights), appears in a vision to Joseph Smith in his bedroom, and told him of the history of the Nephites written on plates (tablets) of gold, hid in a hill nor far from the Smith farm in a hill called Cumorah. Before his death, Moroni had hid this history of the Nephites in the Hill Cumorah, about 430 A.D. Now, in 1823 A.D., Moroni had become an Angel of the Lord. In 1827, Joseph Smith obtained the gold plates, and via a "seerstone", translated them into The Book of Mormon (Mormon was the father of Moroni and chief author of the work). In 1829, The Book of Mormon was published in English. Also in 1829, the angels Peter, James, and John (the three main Apostles of Jesus) appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery (his cousin and scribe) and ordained them to the Melchizedek Priesthood; the very priesthood Jesus and the Apostles held 1800 years before. Joseph and Oliver establish "The Church of Christ" in 1830; which in 1838 becomes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; commonly known as The Mormon Church. It's one divine mission was to prepare the way for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when He comes "in a cloud" clothed in the Glory of His Father. In 1820, Jesus told Joseph "I come quickly in the cloud clothed in the glory of My Father."
The Mormons first gathered in Kirkland, Ohio. Inside the Kirkland Temple, in 1836, Joseph Smith saw Jesus' face for the second and last time. Then the Mormons went to Missouri, but were persecuted and tossed out of the state. They fled to Illinois, and founded the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1840.
In 1840 Joseph Smith sent Orson Hyde to the Holy Land to dedicate the land for the return of the Jews. When Orson Hyde returned to Nauvoo he told Joseph Smith of the fabulous white wines he had drank in the Holy Land. Drinking wine was not forbidden for Mormons in Joseph Smith's day. Only "strong drink" (i.e. liquors such as whiskey etc.) was forbidden at that time.
Joseph Smith then prophesied (praw-fess-side) that "IF" he be allowed to live he would "drink white wine" with Hyde in the Holy Land. (Diary of Joseph Smith, Jan. 20, 1843, LDS Church Archives). This prophecy was never published in the Doctrine and Covenants; the Revelations of Joseph Smith with a few additions by his successor.
In 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois, Joseph Smith owned a red brick store. On the second story, Joseph Smith had his private offices. There, he established a secret organization within the Church he called "The Holy Order". The Holy Order consisted of 9 men; Joseph Smith and his closest friends in the Church. These 9 men were called "The Anointed Quorum"; which ruled the Holy Order. Eventually, the Holy Order grew to about 70 men and women.Joseph Smith designated the second story of his red-brick store in Nauvoo, Illinois, as "The Order Lodge".
In 1843, Joseph Smith introduced a secret Masonic-like ritual for the Holy Order called "The Endowment Ceremony". Joseph also referred to it as "Celestial Masonry". It was a secret rite that most Mormons never knew about. It was revealed only to members of The Holy Order. The rite was somewhat as follows:
*Men and women were taken into separate rooms and washed with water and anointed with olive oil, and dressed in all white clothing.
*They were taken into a room where the Garden of Eden story was reenacted by actors (no nudity).
*They were taught certain grips and gestures called "signs and tokens" and given oaths never to reveal the signs and tokens even under pain of death.
*They were taken to an altar and taught to pray in a circle and learned three Hebrew secret words.
*They were taken to a white veil, and there they had to repeat the "signs and tokens" they learned.
*Once they repeated the signs and tokens they were let into a small "Celestial Room"--symbolic of the Celestial Kingdom, where a man with a crown sat upon a throne. This room represented the Kingdom of the Father.
A meeting of the Holy Order in the Order Lodge
All members of the Holy Order were Mormons, but most Mormons were never members of the Holy Order. In fact, most Mormons knew nothing about the Holy Order. Brigham Young was a member of the Holy Order, but not a member of the Anointed Quorum. He was probably never informed of Joseph's plans to take the Order to Palestine so that Joseph could "see the face of the Son of Man" in 1891 (D&C 130:15).
According to George Adams, the Bishop of Nauvoo, close friend of Joseph Smith, and senior member of the Anointed Quroum next to Joseph Smith, the Seer planned to take the Holy Order with him to Palestine; there to build a colony and await the coming of the Son of Man, Who would appear in the Holy Land in the year 1891, wearing red apparel.
After the assassination of Joseph Smith in June of 1844, George Adams, not Brigham Young, became the head of the Anointed Quorum, and thus the entire Holy Order. George Adams tried to take the Holy Order to the Holy Land as Joseph Smith wished, but Brigham Young excommunicated Adams and those who wanted to go to Palestine as planned. They did eventually go to Palestine, but most left a few years afterwards because life was too difficult for them there. But, about 20 families stayed; eventually settling in the small Arab village of Haifa, next to Mount Carmel. Had Joseph Smith been allowed to live, he would have been among them.
In 1846, Brigham Young dissolved the Holy Order, and excommunicated any member of the Order who wanted to go to Palestine. He changed the Endowment Ceremony (adding many things to it), and made the ceremony mandatory for all Mormons who wanted to go on missions or get married. He told the Mormons that the Endowment was to help them enter into the Celestial Kingdom (the highest heaven) after they died, that the "signs and tokens" were necessary to pass-by Sentinel-Angels on one's journey to the Celestial Kingdom after death.
Mormon Temples are not houses of worship. They are places were sacred ordinances are performed: such as Endowment Ceremonies, Sealings (marriages for eternity), and Baptisms for the Dead (the living are baptized in the name of a dead person so that dead person may join the Church in the Spirit-World).
In the years 1920, 1950, and 1990, Mormon Church leaders removed various "additions" to the Endowment Ceremony that Brigham Young added to it in 1846; without explanation. Latter-day Saints (Mormons) consider the Endowment Ceremony to be very sacred, and not to be discussed in any detail outside of the Celestial Rooms inside Mormon Temples. The "signs and tokens" are considered most sacred, and not to be discussed at all. Various exposé's of the secret Mormon Endowment Ceremony can be found on the Internet, but not all are accurate, and some are very inaccurate and misleading. The Church now has hundreds of temples around the world. The most preeminent is the Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. It faces East, the direction in which Mormons believe Jesus will come "suddenly" (without forewarning) to His Temple.
Haifa in 1891
Joseph Smith planned to take the Holy Order with him to Palestine, and await the coming of the Son of Man, Who would appear in the Holy Land in red apparel when Joseph Smith was 85 years old (1891). But, because he sinned in regards to polygamy (marrying mothers and their own daughters) Joseph Smith was not allowed to live and see the Face of the Son of Man in the Holy Land in 1891. Joseph was assassinated at Hancock County Jail, Carthage, Illinois, on June 27th, 1844, by an angry mob of Anti-Mormons. Joseph fell from the second story window of the Carthage Jail, like a shaft of lightening. A member of the mob then tried to cut off his head with a Bowie knife, but a light from heaven rendered the ruffian motionless and prevented this from happening.
Aeriel view of Haifa (about 1925)
Joseph Smith made plans for living and dying. He planned to make his brother Hyrum President of the Church, and travel to the Holy Land with his Holy Order, to await the coming of the Son of Man, in red apparel, in the year 1891.
It is clear that Joseph Smith never intended to make the Endowment Ceremony mandatory for all Latter-day Saints. He taught it only to the Holy Order; whom he planned to take with him to Palestine "if" he be allowed to live. He wasn't. The Endowment had nothing to do with the Afterlife, but contained "types and shadows" of the coming of the Son of Man in 1891.
Baha'u'llah (baw-haw-ohL-LAW) was a religious prisoner. He was exiled first to Baghdad in 1853, then to Turkey, then finally to the prison-city of Akka, Palestine, in 1868. For many years, in Akka, He lived in a room whose windows and door was covered in white veils. Because of assassination attemps, anyone who wanted to visit Him had to know certain secret words and gestures. They were told to wash and anoint themselves, and to wear white (a symbol of purity) if possible, before entering the "Celestial Room" of Baha'u'llah; Who wore a taj (Dervish crown), and red robes.
The Celestial Room of Baha'u'llah (Akka, Palestine, 1890)
He wrote that He was the promised Son of Man:
In the year 1891 Bahá'u'lláh went from Akka to Haifa. He pitched His tent on on Mount Carmel and recited His Tablet of Carmel:"The Voice of the Son of Man is calling aloud from the sacred veil: 'Here am I, here am I, O God, My God!' The Father hath come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom of God is fulfilled." (The Words of Bahá'u'lláh, p.104)
"Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face and hear the Voice, of the Promised One." (Gleanings 10:vii)
"He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wonderous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." (Gleanings 211:cv)
Just mere coincidence?
Dear Mormon Seeker of Truth, you ask "Why was I never told about this aspect of Mormon history?" The answer is simple: because Church leaders DO NOT want YOU to know about it! We think you should know.
The LORD inspired Joseph Smith to take certain symbols from the Masonic Lodge, and create a ceremony that contained "types and shadows" which pointed directly to Baha'u'llah, the Son of Man and Holy Ghost Incarnate, Who appeared upon Mount Carmel, in 1891, in red robes. Had Joseph Smith lived, he would have seen the Face of the Son of Man.
On the the 6th of April, 1843, Joseph Smith declared:
The Holy Ghost said to Joseph the Seer:There are those of the rising generation who shall not taste death til Christ comes." (Joseph Smith, General Conference, 6 April 1843, quoted in The Words of Joseph Smith, p.179)
"And the Lord shall be red in his apparel like him that treadeth the wine vat,..." (D&C 133:48, RLDS D&C 108:9c)In Nauvoo, Illinois, on August 27th, 1843, Joseph Smith declared:
The term "state of probation" comes from The Book of Mormon, and refers to a mortal life on Earth (1 Nephi 10:21, Nephi 2:2,30, and 33:9, Mormon 9:28). Joseph Smith said that "now" (1843) the Holy Ghost was in "a state of probation" somewhere on planet Earth. Where was He? Who was He?
Joseph Smith never claimed to be the Holy Ghost incarnate (although some "Fundamentalist" Mormons claim it for him). But Baha'u'llah (1817-1892), the founding Prophet of the Baha'i Faith, did claim to be the Holy Ghost Incarnate--the Spirit of Truth!
In 1843 a Baptist named William Miller said he had calculated Bible prophecies and came to the conclusion
that Christ would return in the year 1843 (he made a recalculation later and put it at 1844). Joseph Smith also heard of the claims of Miller, and decided to
inquire of the LORD about this. A Voice told him that if he lived until he was 85 years of age he would "see
the Face of the Son of Man" (D&C 130). Joseph Smith would turn 85 on Dec. 23, 1890. For all but
9 days, he would be 85 years old in the year 1891.
That was not all! He would make several other prophecies that would point to the year 1891.
On April 6th, 1843, Joseph Smith made the following prophecy:
48 years "hence" of 1843 is 1891 (1843+48=1891).
On February 14th, 1835, Joseph Smith gave a speech in Kirland, Ohio, before "Zion's Camp"; a Mormon militia that was going to Missouri to defend Mormons living there from Missouri mobs who believed that the Mormons were trying to free their black slaves. The speech was recorded by Franklin D. Richards; then the personal secretary of Joseph Smith. In this speech, Joseph Smith claimed that the Holy Spirit showed him in vision that the coming of the Lord would be "56 years hence" from 1835 (1891). In the History of the Church for February 14, 1835 (reported by his secretary Franklin D. Richards) it says:
In the Index (vol. 7) of the History of the Church , under "Second Coming", we find the following: "Joseph indicates would be in fifty-six years V2:182"."President Smith then stated that the meeting had been called, because God commanded it; and it was made known to him by vision and by the Holy Spirit***and it was the will of God that those who went to Zion, with a determination to lay down their lives, if necessary, should be ordained to the ministry, and go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, or the coming of the Lord, which was nigh--even fifty-six years should wind-up the scene." (D.H.C. 2:182)
The year 1835 + 56 years = 1891
The early "Brethren" (Mormon leaders) believed that Christ would come and establish His Kingdom in the year 1891; based upon the 1835 and 1843 prophecies of Joseph Smith. A few questions for the Reader:
Q1. When will the Holy Ghost, Who is a Spirit-Man, come down to Earth to get a body?
Q2. Will the Holy Ghost perform some great Divine Mission on Earth, or merely come to Earth to get a body and work at some ordinary job or career?
Q3. Will the Holy Ghost be some great Prophet, or just an ordinary human being like everybody else?
Q4. Was Joseph Smith the incarnation of the Holy Ghost, or will the Holy Ghost be some other Man?
Q5. Do the 1891 prophecies of Joseph Smith (i.e. the Son of Man would come in the year 1891 in red apparel), have to do with the Second Coming of Jesus, or with the coming Incarnation (embodiment) of the Holy Ghost?
I would like to bare you my testimony of the following:
I. The Holy Ghost has already come down to get a body! He was born in Persian (Iran) in the year 1817, and died in 1892 in the Holy Land. He was a direct descendant of King David of Israel and King Cyrus of Persia.
II. He was not an ordinary man, but a Great Prophet Who wrote a number of divinely-inspired books and epistles! Today, He has over 7 million followers worldwide!
III. He was born with the name Mirza Húsein-Ali Núri (Arabic: "Prince Beauty Exalted of Light"). He had Núr ("Light") as a "covering" (sur-name). He took the name-title of BAHÁ'U'LLÁH (baw-haw-ohL-LAW); which in Arabic means "The Glory of God".
IV. He announced to the world-at-large that He was the promised "Son of Man" in the year 1891, wearing red apparel, on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel, in Palestine (now Israel).
V. His Eldest Son, 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dull baw-HAW), Whom many considered to be the reincarnation of Jesus, appeared in Salt Lake City in September of 1912, and knocked on the East Door of the Salt Lake Temple; wearing the glorious red robe of His Father.
Baha'u'llah (baw-haw-ohL-LAW) was a Great Prophet, higher and greater than other prophets (He was the Holy Ghost --the ONE Who inspired the prophets). He is the Founder of the Baha'i Faith (baw-high faith); a world-wide independent world religion with over 7 million Baha'is (baw-highzz) in over 120 countries.
The Baha'i Faith is headquartered at the Baha'i World Center, on the northern slopes of Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel next to the Holy Shrine of The Báb on Mount Carmel (right). The Baha'i Faith is the Millennial Kingdom of God on Earth in embryo. It will not be "born" until after "The Calamity"; an epic worldwide event. Early Mormon apostles believed the Millennial Kingdom would be established, somehwere on this planet, in the year 1891 They referred to it as "THE KINGDOM".
In 1891, in General Conference, Elder Charles W. Penrose (a Mormon apostle) said:
In the year 1890, in Conference, Elder B. H. Roberts (Church historian and Seventy) said:"Did not all the Prophets of old look forward to such a time, and did not our Savior send His disciples to proclaim that THE KINGDOM was at hand? He gave a great many parables concerning THE KINGDOM. He compared it, among other things, to a grain of mustard seed that grew and became the greatest tree on earth. That is, commencing with a small beginning, but, like all God's works, gradually growing and developing until fully complete. The prophet Daniel saw it as the 'little stone', cut out of the mountain without hands, which smote the great image and shattered its remnants to the four winds, and then became a great mountain and filled the whole earth, which is our birthplace according to the flesh and our future home and heaven. The earth fulfills the law of its creation and shall therefore be glorified and become a fit dwelling place for the sanctified, fit for the Presence of God and clothed with His glory. The Church and THE KINGDOM are not identical, although they are closely connected. In the Church is the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is a preparation for that Divine Government. IT will not be fully established until Christ comes, who is the King. As members of the Church we are commanded to be subject to the governments under which we live, as long as they exist, for 'the powers that be are ordained of God,' but we are approaching a time when all things on earth must give way to the HEAVENLY KINGDOM. The kingdom of this world are to become the KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS CHRIST. Let us prepare ourselves for the events that are coming, and when we pray: 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,' do our part in the work to prepare for its advent." (Collected Discourses 2:188-9, emphasis added)
Many of the Mormons in 1890 expected Jesus to return in the clouds of the sky in 1891; with thousands of angels in tow, spitting fire-balls upon the wicked nations of the earth and wiping Jackson County clean of inhabitants so that they could return and build the city of New Jerusalem. Some even prepared hand-carts for the return journey. Elder Roberts told them not to expect such a dramatic occurance, but--like the organization of the Church at Farmington New York in the year 1830--what was going to happen in the year 1891 may even be unnoticed by those right next to the event!"Before another General Conference shall be reached we shall have entered upon the year 1891. In the Book of Doctrines and Covenants, section 130, Joseph Smith was promised that if he lived until 1891, he would see the face of the Son of Man. On February 14th, 1835, at a meeting where certain Elders, they were told by Joseph that they were called to go forth to prune the vineyard for the last time, before the coming of Christ, even 56 years should wind-up the scene. 1835 plus 56 years also brings us to the year 1891! These circumstances have called the Saints to believe that some great epoch will open at that time--the year following the present [1891]. My faith in the matter is whatever the Lord has in mind to accomplish in that year will be performed. It may be something, however, that would scarcely create a ripple. The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was one of the greatest events in the history of the world. It was organized with six members, and but little was known concerning it even in the neighborhood where it occurred, at the time. It may be that the greatness of what shall occur in 1891 will not be comprehended until succeeding years." (Collected Discourses 2:105-6)
Joseph Smith prophecied in the name of the LORD that the Son of Man would UNVEIL HIS FACE in the years 1891! IF even one of Joseph Smith's prophecies were false then he MUST be dismissed as a FALSE PROPHET and the Church false as well! There is no middle-ground! No excuses or explain-aways can be accepted!
Jehovah told Moses that if a prophet appears and prophesies a thing, and that thing come not to pass, then the LORD did NOT send that man, and he is a FALSE PROPHET! The LORD said:
In other words, if a man claims to be a Prophet, and makes prophecies, and those prophecies "fail" to come to pass (fail to occur), then that man is a false prophet, and people should not be "afraid" (subservient) to him; because the LORD has not spoken to him (i.e. he is a false prophet). Did the 1891 prophecies of Joseph Smith "come to pass"? We say THEY DID, but not as Mormons expected."When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of him" (Deuteronomy 18:22)
In 1886, Mormon apostle Moses Thatcher declared before a gathering of Mormons in the Salt Lake Tabernacle:
"Our deliverance will be within 5 years; the time indicated by Joseph's [Feb. 14, 1832] prophecy will be February 14, 1891." (Salt Lake Tribune, 10 April 1886)
In 1887, the LDS Church printed and distributed a book by Elder Robert Smith (a 2nd cousin of Joseph Smith), to be "used by teachers in Sunday Schools" (it was an official Church publication). Elder Robert Smith wrote:
Mormon leaders told rank-and-file Mormons over and over gain to expect "THE KINGDOM" to be established somewhere on Earth in 1891!"Now, we will prove by the prophet Joseph Smith that the same year, 1891, is the commencement of the reign of righteousness. In Section 130, Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph was told that if he lived to be 85 years old he would live to see the scene wound up or the Redeemer on the earth. He was born December 23rd, 1805, and if we give him the 85 years, we could not count the year 1805, we should have to count 1806, as the year 1805 was mostly gone before he was born, therefore, we have 1806 and 85, making 1891; again in the year 1835 Joseph was told positively that 56 years would wind up the scene, which we believe was the reign of iniquity and transgression: 56 and 1835 are 1891. Thus we have abundant proof that that year will begin the reign of righteousness, and God's people be acknowledged, for the earth is to be given to them. He has said: 'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'" (A Series of Lectures on the Fulfillment of Prophecy, 1887, pp.39-40)
On January 1st 1891, Wilford Woodruff (the 4th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) wrote in is diary:
Tens of thousand of Latter-day Saints, from Mormon apostles to rank-and-file Mormons, believed that the "Son of Man" was coming "in red apparel" in the year 1891 to establish "THE KINGDOM"."Jan 1, 1891. This is New Year's Day, and the year that has been looked upon by many as one of the more important years in the world." (Jounal of Wilford Woodruff, Jan. 1, 1891)
What happened?
When Jesus failed to appear in the sky over Salt Lake City in 1891, riding upon a cloud, the Mormons said: "The Lord has delayed His coming!"
Truly did Jesus say, "that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth His coming." (Matt. 14:48)
Truly did the LORD say unto Joseph the Seer: "...and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth." (D&C 45:26)
There are over 7 MILLION people on earth today that believe that Christ did NOT delay His coming, but came on schedule.
The LORD said to Joseph the Seer:
"Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for HE WILL UNVEIL HIS FACE UNTO YOU, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will." (D&C sec. 88:68)Bahá'u'lláh wrote:"Ye were also in the beginning with THE FATHER; that which is Spirit, even THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH." (D&C 93:23)
"The COMFORTER is the promise which I give unto you of ETERNAL LIFE, even THE GLORY which I spake concerning the ten virgins." (D&C 45:56)
"...the Church of the Firstborn are those who have received the fulness of THE FATHER." (D&C 76:70)
"There are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even THE GLORY OF GOD, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as being typical." (D&C 76:70)
In Arabic, Bahá'u'lláh means THE GLORY OF GOD!"Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can BEHOLD THE FACE, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One." (Gleanings 10:vii)
"Verily, He who is THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH is come to guide you unto all truth. He speaketh not as prompted by His own self, but as bidden by Him Who is All-Knowing, the All-Wise." (Lawh-i-Aqdas 11:4-5)
"Say, O followers of the Son! Lo! THE FATHER is come, and that which ye were promised in the KINGDOM is fulfilled." (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh p.12)
"The Voice of THE SON OF MAN is calling aloud from the sacred veil: 'Here am I, here am I, O God, My God!' THE FATHER is come!" (Words of Bahá'u'lláh p.104)
All just mere coincidence?
In 1832, Joseph Smith ordained "12 Apostles"; the most faithful and spiritual Mormon men at that time. Among the 12 Apostles was Lyman Wight; a man who healed others, and spoke in tongues. In 1832, he uttered the following prophecy:
"And the Spirit fell upon Lyman Wight and he prophesied that there were some in the congregation that should live until the Savior should descend from heaven." (The Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet, p.113)
How many Mormons living in 1832 are still alive today? None. That means that Jesus Christ had to return already, before those living in 1832 were all dead, or the prophecy of Lyman Wight, which Joseph Smith endorsed, was false. If the Faith is true, then Lyman's prophecy was also true! Joseph the Seer said:
Yet, Mormons do not believe that! They believe that when Jesus returns, He will be "anything but" a "man" like ourselves. We don't fly around in the sky. He will. We age and feel pain and hunger. He will not. We get old and die. He will not. How will Jesus be "a man like ourselves"? But...perhaps He will be just like us!
The LORD said to Joseph the Seer:
"I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loans and I will suddenly come to my temple." (D&C 38:8)
"And the Lord shall be red in his apparel like him that treadeth the wine vat;...." (D&C 133:48)
Brigham Young prophesied on May 22, 1859:
In other words, when Jesus came to His Temple, only a "few" of the most spiritual Mormons would be able to recognize Him (i.e. He will come in a "cloud"--a veil)."Jesus has been upon the earth a great more times than you are aware of. When Jesus makes his next appearance upon the earth, but few in this church will be prepared to receive him and see him face to face and converse with him, but he will come to his temple." (Brigham Young in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, May 22, 1859, Journal of Discourses 7:142)
Jesus Christ was composed of two Divine Beings in one body: the Spirit of Truth (Holy Spirit) and the WORD of God, which was the "soul" of Jesus. Jesus was the WORD incarnate, and the Holy Spirit entered Him at His baptism. The Spirit of Truth is the Father (D&C 93:23), and the WORD is the Son! He was "the Father and the Son" (Mosiah 15:3, Ether 3:14) in one body. The Book of Mormon teaches this! But would They (the Father and the Son) return in one body, or in TWO?
The Visit of 'Abdu'l-Baha to Salt Lake City in September of 1912
Abbas Effendi (photo left in 1868) was the eldest Son of Baha'u'llah. He took the name-title of 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dull baw-HAW); which means in Arabic "Servant of Glory". He was born in 1844.
Assadullah, the personal secretary of 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dull baw-HAW) wrote of Him:
'Abdu'l-Baha was a Man Who was never known to be angry. He was never known to be dishonest. He was the "Mother Teresa" of His day; famous in Europe and America among the Intelligencia; because of His teachings. He taught the following:"He is the Son of God, the only Door, the Lord of Mankind!" (Assadullah, Sacred Mysteries, p.74)
*Men and women are equal in the sight of God, and women should be allowed to vote and to work at jobs men do and be paid the same amount.
*Russia will become Communist (Russia was not Communist until 1917) and prove a threat to the world for several generations.
*The races are equal in the sight of God, and the Negro is not black-skinned because of any curse of God, but because they lived for thousands of years where the rays of the Sun are strongest. A black skin is a protection from the rays of the Sun; not a sign of any curse from God. NOTE: Mormon leaders taught from 1848 until 1978 that Negroes were the children of Cain, under the Curse of Cain, and a black skin was the "mark" of the curse of Cain. The Church no longer teaches the Curse of Cain Doctrine, and in fact now denies the Church ever taugh it.
*Mankind should think of itself as one family, and should form a league of nations to rid itself of armaments, and to use the money spent on arms to feed the hungry and allieviate the suffering of the poor.
*Resurrection is not of the physical body, but of the heavenly form (ethereal body) which is released at death like a bird from a cage.
*Heaven and Hell are not geographic locations, but are inner conditions of our own souls that manifest themselves in the Afterlife.
*There is no unending eternal Hell; all souls will have an opportunity to progress in the Afterlife.
*Prayers of the living for the dead have a positive effect upon the dead in the Unseen World.
*Baptism was an outward sign of an inward truth, but this ritual is no longer necessary; all that is necessary for salvation is the Baptism of the Fire of the Love of God.
*The more we suffer in this life, the less we will have to suffer in the Afterlife.
*Jesus was born of a real and literal virgin and the Holy Spirit (the Father). NOTE: Mormon leaders taught at the time (1912) that God the Father was a resurrected white man who "came down" and had physical relations with Mary, His spirit-daughter, in order to produce the body of Jesus; that Heavenly Father "begot" Jesus with Mary in the exact same manner that any man begets a son with a woman. This "Heavenly Incest" doctrine was taught until 1972, but is no longer openly taught by Mormon leaders. But The Book of Mormon calls Mary a "virgin" before and after Jesus is conceived and born (1 Nephi 11:20).
*Jesus was the very Saviour of Man, and we are to look to Him for personal salvation.
*He ('Abdu'l-Baha) was not Christ returned! "Christ" refers to the Father (The Spirit of Truth) Who dwelt "in" Jesus 2,000 years ago. The Father (Spirit of Truth) had now come in the Person of His Father, Baha'u'llah. The LORD told Joseph the Seer:
The LORD said to Joseph the Seer that the Father is "The Spirit of Truth"; a title for the Holy Ghost! (D&C 93:23).
In the ancient Gospel of the Hebrews (accepted as Scripture by the early Jewish Christians) the Holy Ghost says:
"And it came to pass when the Lord (Jesus) was come up out of the water, the whole fount of the Holy Spirit descended upon him and rested upon him and said to him: My Son, in all the prophets was I waiting for thee that thou shoudest come and I might rest in thee. For thou art my rest; thou art my first-begotten Son that reigneth forever." (New Testament Apocrypha 1:164)The Holy Ghost is saying to Jesus: "Thou art my rest" (i.e. dwelling place) 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ was a combination of Two Divine Beings: the Father (Spirit) and the Son (flesh). This is what The Book of Mormon teaches in Mosiah chapter 15! Joseph Smith taught that Jehovah is the Father of Jesus (History of the Church 5:127), not Jesus Himself as the Church now teaches.
When Jesus ascended into heaven on the Mount of Olives, He didn't ascended into the sky, but into a cloud. Two men in white appeared and said to the Disciples: 
"Ye men of Galilee, why are ye looking up at Him go up into heaven? This same Jesus shall come again in like manner as ye see Him go up into heaven." (Acts 1:9). Christians believe that Jesus will return riding a cloud, or perhaps hanging in the sky on a cloudy day. Baha'is interpret Acts 1:9 to mean that Jesus will return "in a cloud"; meaning a "veil" as a cloud or clouds "veil" (hide/obscure) the Sun. In other words, by "cloud" it means a new body and a new name that will "veil" the Son, and cause only those with spiritual insight (third eye open) to "see" (recognize) Him.
'Abdu'l-Baha was quite famous in His day. In 1911 He travelled to Europe. British Baha'is bought Him a first-class ticked on the "unsinkable" Titanic in order to go to America, but He refused to take that ship. He took another ship. He was a Mustafa (moos-staw-faw): a "Chosen One" with supernatural insight.
In 1912 He toured Canada and the United States. In Montreal Canada He made amazing prophecies that came to pass only a few years after He made them. He predicted the advent of World War I, and the great Spanish Flu epidemic that killed over 50 million people in 1917-1918. At the time He made His prophecies (1912) there were absolutely no "signs" of the coming war in Europe! The Great War started only after Serbian separatists in Bosnia assissinated the Crown Prince of the Austrian-Hungary Empire while he was visiting Bosnia in 1914. Austria-Hungary then declared war on Serbia, and Russia came to the aid of Serbia, and Germany came to the aid of Austria-Hungary, and, because of treaties, Great Britain and France came to the aid of of Russia (at that time it was ruled by the Tsar Nicholas II, the grandson of Queen Victoria). The prophecies of 'Abdu'l-Baha came true!
In Paris He had told the Jews to become Christians; because that would protect them in the future because Europe would soon unite against them and try to exterminate them (this came true in 1843). He called for the end of racism, the establishment of a universal auxiliary language, the elimination of prejudices of all kinds, a new economic system which eliminates the extremes of poverty and wealth. He always testified that Christ was "the very Savior of Man" (Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.62).
In September of 1912, on His way from Chicago to San Francisco, He stopped into Salt Lake City. He stayed for three days. He knocked on the East Door of the Salt Lake Temple in the red robes of His Father, but was, of course, not allowed to enter.
A Mormon woman named Xorol R. Oliver saw the photo of 'Abdu'l-Baha in The Salt Lake Tribune, and believed that He was Jesus come in a "cloud" (a new body and a new name). She became the first Mormon to become a Baha'i. Months previous to His visit, her deceased mother appeared to Xorol in dreams; telling her that Jesus was soon coming to Salt Lake City "in a cloud". Not "on" a cloud, but "in" a cloud (veil).
In the Book of Acts, first chapter, the Disciples of Jesus are gathered on the top of the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem. Jesus appeared to them, then they see Jesus (His ethereal body) in a vision; ascending into a cloud. Two "men" in white appear, and tell the disciples that "this same Jesus whom you have seen go up into heaven will come again in like manner as ye have seen him go up into heaven." (Acts 1:9) From this Christians expect Jesus to return "in a cloud" or perhaps riding a cloud, or perhaps suspended in the sky during a cloudy day over Jerusalem, or every place on earth where a Christian exists (even ships at sea that have Christians on them). This would mean that Jesus would have to "descend" over hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of cities, towns, villages, and ships at sea; anywhere a Christian might be. Other Christians believe that the Lord will come in the a "cloudy sky" but invisible to all but those "raptured" who will fly up into the sky to meet Jesus in a cloudy sky.
Mormons believe that Jesus will come "in a cloud in the sky" perhaps over Jerusalem, perhaps over Salt Lake City, perhaps over Jackson County Missouri; the place they believe that the City of New Jerusalem will be built during the Millennium (1000-year reign of Christ on Earth).
The Faith teaches there is no "resurrection" of the physical body. Dust returns to dust. What is "raised" is the ethereal body; seen only in visions.
According to the Gospel of Peter, an ancient Christian Gospel once accepted as genuine, the physical body of Jesus was placed in a Garden Tomb, and Roman guards were placed to protect from anyone stealing the body. On Saturday night, two angels came and rolled the stone away. The guards were so afraid they fled. They carried the physical body of Jesus out of the tomb and away. This was hours before Mary Magdalene and the two other women had come to the tomb, at dawn, to wash and anoint the body of Jesus (a Jewish burial rite). When they came to the tomb they found the tomb empty. A man appeared to Mary Magdalen, whom she thought was the gardener, telling her He was Jesus, and not to touch Him for He had not ascended unto the Father.
The Tibetans call the ethereal body the "Bardo" (transitional) body. They claim it lasts for 49 days. Jesus went to the Spirit-World for 3 days. He appeared to His disciples for forty days. The Book of Mormon claims He appeared to the Nephites for 3 days, then to the lost tribes of Israel (presumably for 3 days) for a total of 49 days. What eventually happened to the physical body of Jesus, the Gospel of Peter does not inform us.
Jesus Christ was a combination of two Divine Beings, the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit and the WORD of God. The Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost. And Baha'u'llah (baw-haw-OhL-LAW) was the Incarnation of the Holy Ghost--the Spirit of Truth.
The Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá (awb-dull baw-HAW) are considered infallible Scripture in the Baha'i Faith; along with the Bible, Quran, and the Writings of The Báb ("The Bawb"); a Persian Prophet and Forerunner of Baha'u'llah), as well as, of course, the Writings of Baha'u'llah: He Who inspired the Prophets. Latter-day Saints still await "The Day" that the Holy Ghost will "come down to Earth to get a body" and to perform some Great Mission. Baha'is (baw-highzz) know that "Day" has come and gone!
Before His death in 1921, 'Abdu'l-Baha appointed His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi (shawg-kee ef-fen-dee) to be His successor and "Guardian" of the Faith.
Shoghi Effendi told Baha'is on several occassions that Joseph Smith was a "Seer":
Rawzoolloon (Arabic: "Messengers"): Messengers of God. Major Prophets. Prophet Who bring New Revelations/Dispensations; such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, etc. The incarnations of the Names/Attributes of God. Manifestations of God.
Nawbeeyoon (Arabic: "Utterers"): Minor Prophets. Those "under the shadow" of a major Prophet; such as Jeremiah, Isaiah, etc.
Muhaddathoon ("Those Spoken To"): A "Muhaddath" means "one spoken to" (by an Angel) in Arabic. In English they are called "Seers". A Seer can be male or female, and may prophesy (praw-fess-sai), but they are not "Prophets"; because they are sinful and fallible as any human soul.
The Universal House of Justice, the council of 9 rijals (Arabic: "distringuished gentlemen") who govern the Baha'i Faith worldwide, wrote:
In May of 1843, Joseph Smith preached:
After the death of the Seer, the Church became divided into factions. The family of Joseph Smith followed James Strang, a Mormon who also claimed to be a Seer. His revelations are contained in The Book of the Law of the Lord. He was killed in 1856. Most of his followers then followed Joseph Smith III (eldest son of Joseph Smith), who founded The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS Church); now called Community of Christ with about 250,000 members worldwide. But most Mormons followed Brigham Young, the senior Apostle, who led the Mormons to Utah. He founded Salt Lake City and hundreds of other cities and towns. His successors are the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: also known as "the Mormon Church" or "the LDS Church" with over 14 million members worldwide.
*In 1820, 15-year-old Joseph Smith is confused about religion--which of the many Christian churches is the One True Church. He goes into a grove of trees to pray, and has a vision of the Father and the Son. Jesus tells him:
*In 1827, Joseph Smith is finally shown where the gold plates are buried, by the Angel Moroni, and digs them up. He translate them by using a "seerstone". He places the seertone in his hat, covers his face with his hat (blocking out all light), and dictates to a scribe, sometimes for hours. The translation is called "The Book of Mormon" and is published in English in 1829.
*In 1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery form "The Church of Christ"; later renamed The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
*In 1832, Lyman Wight, an original Mormon apostle, prophesies (praw-fess-size) that some of those living in 1832 will not die until the Savior appears. Joseph Smith endorces this prophecy.
*Joseph Smith prophesies in 1835 that the coming of the Lord is "nigh (near), even 56 years will wind-up the scene" (1835+56= 1891).
*In 1842, Joseph Smith establishes the "Holy Order" a group of Mormon men and women he plans to take with him to Palestine. He introduces the Endowment Ceremony where members of the Order are washed and anointed, dressed in white, and are taught secret "signs and tokens" in order to pass through a white veil and enter a "Celestial Room"; symbolic of entering the Kingdom of the Father.
*In early 1843, a Voice tells Joseph Smith that if he lives until he is 85 years of age (1891) he will see the Face of the Son of Man. (D&C 130:15)
*In early 1843 Joseph Smith "prophesies in the name of the Lord God and let it be written" that the Son of Man would appear "48 years hence" (1943+48= 1891).
*In late 1843, Joseph Smith "marries" mothers and their own daughters--in violation of the Law of Moses. His Revelations cease. He orders The Nauvoo Expositor destroyed. He is arrested.
*In June of 1844, Joseph Smith is killed at Hancock County Jail, Carthage Illinois, by an Anti-Mormon mob. He is killed. But when a member of the mob tried to cut off his head with a Bowie knife, a light from heaven prevents the decapitation.
*In 1844-46, the Church divides into sects. Most Mormons follow Brigham Young, the senior apostle, who disbands the Holy Order, changes and adds to the Endowment, and initiates all adult Mormons into his new Endowment Ceremony in the newly completed Nauvoo Temple. He then abandones Nauvoo and takes the Mormons to what is now Utah and builds many cities and towns.
*In 1847, George Adams, leader of the Holy Order after Joseph Smith, takes a group of Mormons who belong to the Order to Palestine. Most return, but twenty families stay and settle in Haifa, next to Mount Carmel.
*1859: Brigham Young tells the Latter-day Saints that Jesus has been on Earth many times in the past, and then prophesies (praw-fess-size) that Jesus will come to the Salt Lake Temple, but only a "few" of the Saints will recognize Him.
*1847-1891: Many Mormon leaders in Utah tell the Latter-day Saints in General Conference that "The Church" and "The Kingdom" were two separate organizations, and that "The Church" was established to prepare the way for "The Kingdom" which would be established somehwere on Earth in 1891.
*In 1863, in Baghdad, a mob burns the home of Baha'u'llah, including His wardrobe. Baha'i women take red Persian drapes and make Him a new robes. In 1868, He is exiled to the Turkish prison city of Akka, Palestine, and dwells in a room whose windows and entrance are covered in white veils. Believers must wash, anoint, wear white, and know secret passwords and grips before being allowed to enter His Presence. He calls His Cause "The Celestial Kingdom".
*In 1891, Baha'u'llah is released from His white-veiled cell in Akka, and goes to Mount Carmel in Haifa, and from the northern slope overlooking Haifa, announces that He is the promised Son of Man; while wearing His glorious red robes.
*In September of 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Eldest Son of Baha'u'llah, travels to Salt Lake City, and, in the red robes of His Father, knocks on the East Door of the Salt Lake Temple. He is of course refused entry. He tries to meet with Mormon leaders, but is refused an audience. Only one Mormon at the time, Xorol Richards Oliver, accepts the Faith.
*By 2009 A.D. the Baha'i Faith has about 7 million Believers worldwide, 150,000 in the U.S., and about 500 in Utah.
All non-mormon historians who have studied the book have concluded it is not historical, but a product of the early 19th century. They conclude this because all scientific evidence (archaeology, ethnology, linguistics, DNA) declares that the American Indians are from Siberia, and have no Jewish ancestry (DNA) whatsoever. Many of the animals mentioned in The Book of Mormon (oxen, sheep, cows, donkies), did not exist in the Americas before the Spanish conquests. Not one Nephite city or artifact has ever been found. David Whitmer, one of the "Three Witnesses" of The Book of Mormon, once described meeting the Angel Moroni (more-row-nai) on the road to Fayette, New York in 1827, and described him as an old man in a brown suit carrying a U.S. Army napsack on his back. He offered the old man a ride but the man said, "No, I am going to Cumorah!" Joseph Smith, who was also in the wagon, said, "That was Moroni!" (Historical Record 6:207). David Whitmer said that the old man in a brown suit appeared to his mother at the Whitmer barn in Fayette, and took the gold plates out of the knapsack and showed them to her (Historical Record 7:621). In 1827, an old man named Ethan Smith (no relation to Joseph Smith) came to Palmyra, claiming to have authored a book about how the Indians were the descendants of the Hebrews (as does The Book of Mormon). Ethan Smith served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812, and was a Congregationalist minister from Vermont. He was in fact the pastor of the Cowdery family. Oliver Cowdery was Joseph Smith's cousin and main scribe, and co-founder of the LDS Church in 1830. Perhaps the "Angel Moroni" was in fact Ethan Smith! We know that Ethan Smith had contact a group of men called the Zionitic Brotherhood, who had a commune in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. The Zionitic Brotherhood claimed to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood since the time of Jesus.
In my personal opionion, The Book of Mormon is not literal history, but an inspired prophetic parable about the future of America. The Nephites were "utterly destroyed" because they became lovers of wealth instead of lovers of God; proud, arrogant, materialistic, hypocritical, self-righteous. In The Book of Mormon, the white Nephites (nee-fights) were utterly destroyed by the dark-skinned Lamanites (lay-man-nights) exactly 400 years after Jesus visited them for 3 days (about 33 A.D.). In 2312 A.D. (400 years after 1912 A.D.), the whites will be a small minority in America; like the Nephites in The Book of Mormon. Will the fate of white America be the same as the Nephites? Only time will tell.
Dear Seeker of Truth,
Jesus Christ was composed of two Divine Beings, the "Father and the Son" (Mosiah 15:3, Ether 3:14). The Book of Mormon describes "Jesus Christ" as "They" because, 2000 years ago, "They" existed in one body. Christ was the Father (Spirit). Jesus was the Son (WORD). Would They return in "one" body, or perhaps in "two"?
In D&C 93:23 it says that "the Father is Spirit, even the Spirit of Truth"! In 1843, Joseph Smith that the Holy Ghost (Spirit of Truth) was "now" (1843) in a "state of probation" (living a mortal life somewhere on Earth). In that year, Mirza Húsein-Álí Núrí, a descendant of Bostanai (a descendant of King David) and Da'rah (a Persian princess) was living in the province of Núr ("Light"), Iran. In 1863 He claimed to be "the Spirit of Truth" (Holy Ghost) Incarnate. In 1891 He announced He was the promised Son of Man, on Mount Carmel, in red apparel, overlooking Haifa; where the faithful remnants of the Holy Order had settled. Had Joseph Smith been allowed to live until he was 85 years old, he would have been among them. He would have "seen the Face of the Son of Man" (D&C 130:15). But he "fell" and was not allowed to see His Face.
The Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus was begotten by the Holy Ghost (Alma 7:10). Baha'u'llah is the Father of Jesus and our Heavenly Father! He was the Holy Ghost Incarnate (in the flesh)!
The Church was established for one purpose only: to prepare the way for "The Kingdom" which early Mormon apostles knew would be established in the year 1891. The Kingdom of the Father has come! The Baha'i Faith is also known as "The Cause of God" and "The Celestial Kingdom" on Earth. Baha'u'llah wrote:
Brigham Young uttered only one known prophecy, in 1859, in the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, in which he said:
Look into the eyes of 'Abdu'l-Baha for a minute, and ask, "Heavenly Father, Who is this Man?" Listen to the Voice of the Spirit; a shuddering in your soul. Open your spiritual eyes. He who has "spiritual eyes"....let him "see"!
After rejecting 'Abdu'l-Baha in 1912, the "Prophets~Seers~Revelators" of the LDS Church no longer made prophecies, nor saw supernatural visions, nor received "Thus Saith the LORD" Revelations. Can you think of the reason why Revelation ceased among the leaders of the LDS Church? Are "Prophets" who don't "prophesy", "Seers" who don't "see" supernatural visions, and "Revelators" who don't "revelate" really Prophets~Seers~Revelators? Please, do the math.
"And the Lord shall be red in his apparel like him that treadeth the wine vat;...." (D&C 133:48)
Dear Seeker of Truth,
Attend a Baha'i Seekers' Meeting! Hear the beautiful Prayers of Baha'u'llah being recited! Then ask yourself: "Are these the words of a false prophet, or the Words of the Spirit of Truth?" Listen to the Spirit! Call the Baha'is today, they will welcome you with open arms!
I testify to you that these things are TRUE, in the Name of the Father and the Son, even Jesus Christ, Amen!
GO IN PEACE!
1-800-228-6483
Baha'is do not believe that 'Abdu'l-Baha was a Prophet or Manifestation of God. Baha'u'llah referred to Him as "the Mystery of God" and:
"A WORD which God hath adorned with the ornament of His Own Self, and made it Sovereign over the earth and all that is therein." (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p.135)
In the Gospel of John, the WORD is with God, but incarnates (made flesh) as Jesus of Nazareth (John 1:1-2,14). The WORD is not a Name/Attribute of ALLÁH, but His "command". God said "Be!" and the Cosmos was created. The "Be!" is the WORD.Shoghi Effendi Called Joseph Smith a "Seer"
Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) was the Guardian of the Faith and the Interpreter of the Holy Writings. He ruled the Faith until his death in 1957. Shoghi Effendi was NOT a Prophet! But, many Baha'is believe he was a Seer. He prophesied of the Holocaust, the Internet, and possibly the 9-11 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City, years or decades before this things became reality. You can read more about these things in The Prophecies of Shoghi Effendi online.
"Joseph Smith was a Seer, not a Prophet; neither major nor minor. He had a high standard, but the Baha'is have a higher standard coupled with God's power that comes direct from God for this age." (Pilgrim notes of Ramona Browne, in Memories of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p.117)
By "higher standard" Shoghi Effendi does not mean moral standard, but a standard of Revelation. Baha'is have a "higher standard" of Revelation; meaning a Greater Revelation than Joseph Smith received; because while Joseph Smith was a Seer, Bahá'u'lláh was the Holy Ghost incarnate: the ONE WHO INSPIRED the Prophets (and Seers). In the Faith there are three types of Revelators:
A religious fraud or charlatan cannot be "sensitive to spiritual currents". But a Mustafa (moos-staw-faw) can be. Thus, Joseph Smith was not a fraud who invented tales about angels. However, Joseph Smith was a fallible human, like other humans. The LORD gave Joseph the Seer this stern warning in 1832:
"As for the status of Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Faith, he is not considered by Baha'is to be a prophet, minor or otherwise. But of course he was a religious teacher sensitive to the spiritual currents flowing in the early 19th century directly from the appearance of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh and the Revelation of Their Messages of hope and Divine Guidance."
(Lights of Guidance, p. 511)
4 For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.
The year 1843 was a turning point for Joseph Smith.
In 1843 Joseph Smith publicly denied he was a polygamist, but secretly practiced it. He married up to 32 women as plural "wives", including mothers and their own daughters. The LORD told Moses:
9 Behold, thou art Joseph, and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression if thou art not aware, thou wilt fall." (D&C 4:4,9)
The Law of Moses said that a man who took as wives a woman and her own mother must be put to death. That Law of God was never abrogated by Jesus, nor Muhammad, nor The Báb, nor Bahá'u'lláh. Those Divine Laws which are not abrogated, remain part of the Law of God.""And if a man take a wife and her mother it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you." (Leviticus 20:14)
"I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I." (History of the Church: 6:408)
In June of 1844, several Mormon leaders started The Nauvoo Expositor as a way to expose Joseph Smith's secret polygamy, and cause him to repent and resign as Church President. Joseph Smith had the newspaper closed, and its printing plates destroyed in the street. He was arrested in June of 1844 for illegally destroying an opposition newspaper in Nauvoo, Illinois, while acting as Mayor of Nauvoo. He was sent to Carthage Jail, Carthage Illinois, to await trial.
While awaiting trail a mob rushed the jail and killed Hyrum and Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith "fell" to his death (riddled with bullets) from a second story window (Carthage Jail) on June 27th, 1844; in direct fulfillment of Doctrine & Convenants section 4, verse 9! The LORD warned His Seer that if he "boasted of his own strength" and "set naught the counsels on God" to fulfill his own carnal desires he would "fall"! And he did...literally! Joseph Smith became a fallen Seer!
After Joseph was killed, a member of the mob drew a large Bowie knife, and acted as if he intended to cut off the head of the Seer. At that instant, a light descended from the sky and struck the man holding the Bowie knife. He dropped the knife and was unable to walk or speak for some time afterwards. Mormons took it as a "sign" (miracle) from God that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet. Anti-Mormons took it as a "sign" from God that Joseph was a false prophet and that He had approved of his murder. Apparently the LORD allowed His fallen Seer to be killed, but He would not allow the body of His Seer to be mutilated and disrespected.Summary
"Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee. Go thy way walk in my statutes and keep my commandments. Behold I am the Lord of glory I was crucified for the world that all those who believe on my name may have Eternal life. Behold, the world lieth in sin and at this time and none doeth good no not one they have turned aside from the gospel and keep not my commandments. They [the preachers at the camp-meetings] draw near to me with their lips while their hearts are far from me and mine anger is kindling against the inhabitants of the earth to visit them according to their ungodliness and to bring to pass that which has been spoken by the mouth of the prophets and apostles behold and lo, I come quickly as it written of me in the cloud clothed in the glory of my Father." (Joseph Smith's First Vision, 1832 account)
*In 1823, the Angel Moroni (mor-roe-nai) appears to Joseph Smith in his bedroom, in Palmyra, New York, and tells him of a history of the Nephites (nee-fights) on a set of gold plates, buried in a hill called Cumorah, not far from the Smith farm in Palmyra Township.Conclusion and Invitation
1. Baha'is are free to accept, or reject, Joseph Smith as an inspired Seer. He may have prophesied of Baha'u'llah in his capacity of a Seer, but not in the capacity of a Prophet. In the Baha'i sense of the term "Prophet" Joseph Smith was not a Prophet; because Prophets must be infallible, and Joseph Smith was a very fallible man. But, he may have been a Seer. But Baha'is are not required to hold this belief. Shoghi Effendi did believe that Joseph Smith was a "Seer".
2. The Faith does not recognize The Book of Mormon as Scripture, because Scripture in the Faith must be infallible. Even The Book of Mormon itself says that it contains "the mistakes of men" (title page of The Book of Mormon). Some Mormons have become Baha'is. Some believe that The Book of Mormon is literal history. Others believe it is an inspired prophetic parable about the future of America. Still others believe it was written by Joseph Smith in order to make money. All views are accepted in the Faith as "personal views". The Faith has no "official" view of Joseph Smith or The Book of Mormon. Shoghi Effendi was once asked if The Book of Mormon was historical. He replied: "That is a matter for historians to pass upon." (High Endeavors No.93)
They came to America from Europe in the early 1600s, from a village in Belgium, near the Luxembourg border, called Mormont (pronounced "Mormon"). They sometimes wrote in an abbreviated Latin shorthand called "Tironian" whose characters resemble those on the "gold plates" from which The Book of Mormon was translated. They had a round wooden temple in Ephrata, and practiced baptism for the dead. They were very devout and spiritual men (like the Essenes in Jesus' day), and made prophecies and had visions. They believed that the souls of prophets and apostles (Peter, James, John, and John the Baptist) "returned" in their founders and leaders. They believed that they were preparing the way for the Kingdom of God on earth and the City of New Jerusalem which they believed would be built on the American continent. Is ALL this just "mere" coincidence?
3. The Baha'i Faith does teach "Eternal Marriage" for those Believers who reach a very "exalted state" of spirituality in this life. No priesthood or temple rite is needed. The "Sealer" is the Holy Spirit of Promise, Who is Baha'u'llah.
4. The Baha'i Faith has no doctrine of "Exaltation" as Mormonism does, but Baha'u'llah confirmed that those who merit Paradise will inherit it. In the Qur'an, the faithful (mo'men) will be married in Paradise, and recline upon thrones, sip nector, and be served by male and female servants. Baha'u'llah called Paradise "a reality and there can be no doubt about it" (Tablet to Va'fa). According to the teachings of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i (a Shi'ite Seer who prepared the way for the Faith and whose teachings were endorced by Baha'u'llah) anything that a Mo'men (true Believer) can imagine with his mind is created for him in Paradise (Jaw-bawr-root); where the mind of a Mo'men controls ethereal matter.
5. To become a Mo'men (true Believer) and merit Paradise, one has to walk the Path of Holiness which means one has to accept the latest Messenger of God (Baha'u'llah) as well as keep the laws and ordinances He has established. By walking the Path of Holiness one increases his or her own state of spirituality, until finally they reach an "exalted state" of spirituality wherein the Spirit of God transforms their human soul into an angelic soul. This is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or the baptism of the fire of the love of God; when one has been born again from the human kingdom into the angelic kingdom.
6. The Baha'i Faith teaches that Jesus was "the very Savior of Man" (PUP, p.62), the "Lord of the Visible and Invisible" (GWB 57,#23), the "Lord of all being" (GWB 55,#23), the WORD of God (SWA 20:1), the "Son of God" (SAQ 63, WOB 105) Who was born of a literal virgin and the Holy Ghost (LG #1637), whose death on the Cross infused a fresh capacity into all Creation, Who healed the sick, caused the blind to see, the lame to walk, and sanctified the soul of the sinner (GWB 85-86).
7. The Book of Mormon itself teaches that "Jesus Christ" was a combination of two Divine Beings: the Father and the Son (Mosiah 15:3). Jesus Christ says: "I am the Father and the Son" (Ether 3:14). The Father (Holy Ghost) dwelt in Jesus Who was the "WORD" incarnate (John 1:1-2,14). "Jesus Christ" was the Father/Holy Ghost and Son/WORD in one body. But, would They (the Father and the Son) "return" in one body, or in two?
8. The Baha'i Faith teaches that human souls do not return to this material planet. We cannot return to the wombs of our mothers, and in like manner we cannot return physically to this material planet. But other mortal existences on other material planets is possible; one life per planet (in Naw-soot) until we are "born again" and our souls are transformed from human souls into Angelic Souls (in Maw-law-koot). The Prophets and Chosen Ones do not have human souls, but "Divine Souls" (in Law-hoot) and "Powerful Souls" (in Jaw-bawr-root). These three Spiritual Kingdoms exist all around us in Al-Gayb (the Unseen World) in higher dimensions that can only be seen in dreams or visions.
9. The Baha'i Faith teaches that "salvation" is both personal and collective. Jesus came to save the soul of the sinner. This is why Jesus is called "Our Personal Savior". Baha'u'llah came to save the whole of Humanity from self-destruction (the Hour of Doom). This is why He is called "The World-Redeemer".They are "the Father and and the Son" (Mosiah 15:3). If Humanity accepts the Message of Baha'u'llah, it will continue as a living species on this planet and and eventually colonize the Cosmos. If Humanity rejects the Message of Baha'u'llah, then the Hour of Doom will befall us, and mankind will destroy itself. The choice is ours. It can go either way: World-Extinction or World-Redemption.
"We of a certainty, have no intent in the Celestial Kingdom but to exalt His Cause and glorify His praise; sufficient unto Me is God for a Protector." (Kitab-i-Aqdas, p.82)
The Father and the Son have returned "in clouds". They have a Message for you! You are invited to come to a Baha'i Devotion (public meeting). Listen to the Prayers of Baha'u'llah being recited, and ask yourself: "Are these the words of a false prophet, or the Words of the Spirit of Truth?" The Holy Spirit will then tell your spirit the truth of the matter (a burning in your bosom)!
"Jesus has been upon the earth a great more times than you are aware of. When Jesus makes his next appearance upon the earth, but few in this church will be prepared to receive him and see him face to face and converse with him, but he will come to his temple." (A Prophecy of Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, 22 May 1859, Journal of Discourses 7:142) Look into His eyes! Who is He?
Left. 'Abdu'l-Baha,the Eldest Son of Baha'u'llah, Whom He called ""A WORD which God hath adorned with the ornament of His Own Self, and made it Sovereign over the earth and all that is therein." (The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p.135), wearing the glorious red robe of His Father, as He may have appeared on September 29th, 1912, when He knocked on the East Door of the Salt Lake Temple. Needless to say, He was not let in. Mormon Temples are for sacred rituals for faithful Mormons only. The Master tarried in Salt Lake City for three days. He came and went, without barely a notice. Only a "few" Mormons, like Xorol Richards Oliver, took notice of Him. She saw His Face in The Salt Lake Tribune, who did a small article about Him and His visit. Also in The Salt Lake Tribune that same day, was an editorial by a local Protestant minister, titled: "What If Jesus Came To Salt Lake City This Week?" The Mormons built a Temple to their LORD and MASTER, but when He came to them as He promised, as "a thief in the night", they refused to let Him in!
"When the Savior shall appear He will appear as a man like ourselves." (Doctrine & Covenants 1:35)
Aenon E. Moss
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