Dear Mormon Seeker of Truth,
THE BAHA'I FAITH is an independent World Religion, with over 6 million Believers in 120 countries. It was founded in 1863, in Baghdad, Iraq, by a Persian nobleman named Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri ("Prince Beauty-Exalted of Light"), a direct descendant of King Cyrus of Persian, and King David of Israel. In 1844, He took the name-title of Baha'u'llah (baw-Haw-Oh-LAW), which means "The Glory of God" in Arabic. He claimed to be the incarnation of the Holy Ghost. In 1843, Joseph Smith declared that "the Holy Ghost is now in a state of probation". The term "state of probation" comes from The Book of Mormon, and means "a mortal life" on Earth. Joseph Smith never claimed he was the Holy Ghost in the flesh. Baha'u'llah, Who was living in Iran in 1843, did claim it. Mormons are still awaiting for "The Day" that the Holy Ghost will come to Earth to get a body and perform some holy mission for God.
In 1852, Baha'u'llah was exiled from Iran to Iraq. In 1863, He founded the Baha'i Faith. In 1868 He was exiled to Akka, Palestine (now Israel). His true station was known only to His followers until 1891; when He announced to the world-at-large that the Promised One of all religions had come. He did that on Mount Carmel. In 1892, Baha'u'llah died and was buried near Akka.
The successor of Baha'u'llah was His Eldest Son, Abbas Effendi, who took the name-title of 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dell baw-HAW); which in Arabic means "Servant of Glory". He was born in Iran in 1844. He was exiled with His Father. He became the Interpreter of the Writings of Baha'u'llah. In 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha traveled to Europe, and then to the United States. In September of 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha appeared in Salt Lake City, Utah, and knocked on the Door of the Salt Lake Temple. Needless to say, He was not let in. He returned to Palestine, and died there in 1921.
Many early Baha'is believed that 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dell baw-HAW) was "Jesus" returned. Baha'is believed that Jesus Christ was composed of two Divine Beings in one body: the Father and the Son. The Book of Mormon teaches that Jesus Christ was both the Father and the Son in one body (Mosiah chapter 15, Ether 12:8, etc.). In other words, according to The Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ consisted of the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the flesh, the Son, in one body. The Holy Spirit entered the body of Jesus at His baptism in the Jordan river. Joseph Smith taught in his Lectures on Faith that the Father was "a personage of spirit" and the Son a "personage of flesh" (Lecture Fifth). The Father was a Spirit, and did not yet have a flesh and bone body, but this Spirit could "overshadow" (enter) flesh and bone bodies; as He did with Jesus. Thus, Jesus became "the Father and the Son" in one body. Baha'is believe that the Father, the Spirit, became "flesh" in Iran in 1817, as Prince Husayn-Ali of Nur.
The successor of 'Abdu'l-Baha was Shoghi Effendi (show-gee ef-fen-dee), who was the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Baha. He was the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. Shoghi Effendi believed the Joseph Smith was a "Seer"; meaning a non-prophet who sees angels. He is purported to have told a number of Baha'is that "Joseph Smith was a Seer, not a Prophet minor or otherwise."(Pilgrim notes of Ramona Browne, in Memories of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p.117)
Shoghi Effendi (show-gee ef-fen-dee) was the "Guardian" of the Baha'i Faith; not a "Prophet" but, we believe, an infallible Guide. But, his comments regarding Joseph Smith are considered "second hand". Only the writings of Shoghi Effendi are considered infallible; not his verbal statements called "Pilgrim's Notes".
In Baha'i terminology a "Prophet" is an infallible Revelator and a "Seer" is a fallible Revelator. In Arabic, the term for Seer is Múhdaddáth (moo-haw-dawth); which means "One Spoken to [by an Angel]". It refers to anyone who has been spoken to by an Angel, but who is still not a "Prophet". For example, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was visited by the Angel Gabriel. She had a "vision" and her "Revelation" was that she would be the mother of the Messiah. But, she was not a "Prophet" (at least not in the Baha'i sense of that term). Baha'is believe that Prophets are not ordinary humans, but the Incarnations of the Names/Attributes of ALLÁH. But Seers, on the other hand, are ordinary men or women who "see" Angels. They can prophesy (praw-fess-sai) of future events. They can receive "inspired" Revelation, but their revelations are not considered by Baha'is to be "infallible" as are those of the Prophets. Baha'is are free to accept, or reject, Joseph Smith as an inspired Seer.
(only known photograph of Joseph Smith, circa 1844)
Baha'is cannot recognize Joseph Smith as a "Prophet", but they may accept him as a "Seer"
Baha'is believe that one such Infallible Prophet was Muhammad, the Prophet of Islaam. Over a billion people on Earth believe He is a Prophet; including the Baha'is. Joseph Smith once purportedly told his good friend George Hinkle (commander of the Mormon militia in Missouri):
"Muhammad was a true Prophet, and a good man." (reported by George Hinkle in Correspondance and Orders, 1841, p.128)
Years later Joseph Smith's cousin George A. Smith (a Mormon apostle) said in General Conference in Salt Lake City:
"About six hundred years after Christ a Prophet arose in Arabia by the name of Mahomet [Muhammad]...Now this man was descended from Abraham and was no doubt raised up by God." (Journal of Discourses 3:28)
The Prophet Muhammad uttered 114 poems called "Al-Quran" (al-khoor-rawhn) which means "The Recital" in Arabic. These were God-inspired poems. He was an archer Who wrote a white horse; He smashed idols and battled pagan Arab tribes. Muhammad was nicknamed "Ameen" (Arabic: "Faithful and True"--see Rev. 19:11-16).
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Muslims divided into two factions: the Sunnis (sooneezz) and the Shi'ites (shee-ights). The Shi'ites followed Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin: Ali ibn Talib who became the first "Imaam" (Arabic: "Leader") of the Shi'ites. The son of Ali became the "Imaam" (leader) of Shi'ite Islaam, and every worthy eldest son of the Imaam became the next Imaam. The last Imaam was the Imaam Mehdi, who "disappeared" as a young boy about the year 260 A.H. (847 A.D.). Shi'ite Seers arose claiming that the Imaam Mehdi was not dead but in "occultation" (God was hiding him), and that the Imaam Mehdi would return in the Last Days to prepare the way for the return of Isa (Jesus) to the Earth. Muslims also await the Second Coming of Christ.
In 1820, there arose a Muslim Seer named Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i, (sheygkh aw-mawd-dee aw-saw-ee). He was from the island of Behrain in the Persian gulf. He spoke with Angels. Shaykh Ahmad was not a Prophet lesser or otherwise. But, he had divine visions, and made prophecies. He prepared the way for the coming of The Báb in 1844. Shaykh Ahmad taught many doctrines which were at variance with orthodox Islaam. He taught that there is no resurrection of the physical body (which returns to dust) but the "subtle body" (ethereal body) which is released at death like a bird from a cage. He also taught that the spirits and souls of the Prophets "return" in every Dispensation; sometimes as two people. The Ruh (spirit) of a Prophet returns as a Prophet, but the Nafs (soul) of a Prophet returns as a "Chosen One". All souls don't "return"; just the souls of the "Manifestations of God". He also taught that the Imaam Mehdi would "return" in the year 1260 A.H. (1844 A.D.)--the "ruh" (spirit) of the boy would return as a Prophet, born of a woman, in Persia.
The Prophet Muhammad purportedly said:
"The Mahdi is of my lineage, with a high forehead and a long, thin, curved nose. He will fill the earth with fairness and justice as it was filled with oppression and injustice, and he will rule for seven years." (Sunan Abi Duwud 11:375)
In 1844, a Prophet arose in Iran named Seyyed Muhammad Ali Shirazi. He was a direct descendant (seyyed) of the Prophet Muhammad. He claimed to be the Imaam Mehdi; the "Rightly-Guided Leader" of Shi'a Islaam. The Seyyed (descendant of the Prophet Muhammad) took the name-title of Báb'u'lláh ("The Gate of God"). Today He is known simply as "The Báb" (bawb). Baha'is see Him as a Prophet like "John the Baptist". In 1850, The Báb told His followers that God was going to sent another Prophet after Him, Whom He called "He Whom God Shall Make Manifest".
The Báb (bawb) was a disciple of a Shi'ite Muslim Seer named Seyyed Kazim Rashti, who himself had been a disciple of Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i. In the year 1260 A.H.--exactly one thousand lunar years from the "occultation" (disappearance) of the young boy named Imaam Mehdi--The Báb proclaimed that He was the "return" of the Imaam Mehdi. Many of the followers of Seyyed Kazim Rashti accepted this claim; because they believed that the souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones, whom they called "Manifestations of God, could "return" in every Dispensation. The first disciple of The Báb was a Shi'ite cleric named Mollah Husayn Bushru'i, who claimed to be the "return" of the Prophet Muhammad.
But the Orthodox Shi'ites leaders rejected The Báb; because they did not believe in the doctrine of "return". They believed that the Imaam Mehdi would be the same boy who disappeared in 260 A.H. (847 A.D.), the same boy with the same body born of the same mother would return, not as a boy but as a man. So, they declared The Báb to be a "heretic" (false teacher) and "false Mehdi".
In 1850 (seven lunar years after His anouncement in 1844) The Báb was arrested for being a heretic (false teacher) and claiming to be a Prophet. Orthodox Islaam teaches that Muhammad was the "last" Prophet for all time. The Báb was taken to Tabriz, Iran, to an Army barracks. He and one of His disciples named Awniece were suspended by ropes from a beam junting from a barracks wall. The Báb protested that He had not finished His final instructions to His disciples. He was ignored. A regiment of 750 rifles lined up and fired a volley of bullets at The Báb and Awniece. When the smoke cleared, Awniece was standing alone unharmed and The Báb was missing. The 750 bullets had severed their robes! A crowd of onlookers shouted "A miracle! God is Great! A miracle!" but the Mollahs ran among them with the charred piece of burnt rope saying: "See, the bullets severed their ropes--not God--there is no miracle!".
The crowd went silent! Shi'ites had been taught since birth that white-turbaned Mollahs (Arabic: "Learned Ones") were "men of God" and would never lie to them! So, if the Mollahs said "There is no miracle!" then there was no miracle. They trusted their leaders.
After the smoke clearned, and The Báb was gone, there was a frantic search for Him. He was found back in His cell finishing His final instructions to a few chosen disciples. He was brought out again, and He and Aw~niece were once again put against the wall. The second volley of bullets found their mark--mangling the bodies so that both became as one body. The remains were cast into a sewer, but they were soon retreived by His followers and put into a sealed lead coffin. The remains were eventually taken to Palestine (now Israel) and buried on a "Sacred Spot" on Mount Carmel; now called "The Shrine of The Báb".
Two Mollahs (Shi'ite clerics) look on in shock as the smoke of 750 rifles clear and they see Awniece standing alone unharmed, and The Báb was gone, but was found later back in His cell.
In 1856 Baha'u'llah and many other followers of The Bab were exiled to Baghdad. In 1860, Baha'u'llah retreated for two years into the mountains of Kurdistan to become a Sufi (Soofee); a Muslim mystic. He takes the name Dervish Muhammad Irani. The name "Dervish" means "Begger" in Arabic, and it means a man who has renounced all wordly attachments (family, money, position, employment, wives, etc.) in order to study, pray, fast, and medidate until He "dies in God" (fana'i'Alláh); which means he "kills" his own ego and becomes "One" with the Divine. The Naqshbandi Súfís consider Him to be a Holy Man, and give Him a taj (tawzh) (hat of a Sufi Master) to wear. He wears this taj the rest of His life.
In 1863, Baha'u'llah leaves His exile in Kurdistan ad returns to Baghdad, and one of His wives notices His clothing is old and very tattered. So she makes for Him a new glorious blood red robe from Persian Tirmih (red cloth). In a Revelation to Joseph Smith in 1832 it says:
"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)
There have been many Muslim Seers. One such Seer in India, in the 8th century, made this prophecy:
"In that day the Holy One will be found abiding in a land called Karkh. He will walk beside the river, wearing the dervish turban, and wrapped in a red robe. He will be teaching His followers on the banks of the river. Would that I might be privileged to enter His Presence, and to shed my life-blood in His Path." (The Chosen Highway, p.242)
In 1863, in the Khark District of Baghdad, Baha'u'llah, wearing a glorious red robe, made His first annoucement to the followers of The Báb that He was "He Whom God Shall Make Manifest". Most of the Babis accepted this, and called themselves no more "Bábís" (followers of The Gate of God) but "Bahá'ís" (followers of The Glory of God).
There is no official Bahá'í doctrine that says that Joseph Smith was a "Seer". But, Shoghi Effendi apparently believed that he was.
Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) was the Guardian of the Faith and the Interpreter of the Holy Writings. He is not considered to be a Prophet lesser or otherwise. But he was the "Guardian" and his teachings are considered infallible. 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 and the Internet many years, or decades, before these things became realities. In March of 1936 he wrote:
"A mechanism fo world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness adn perfect regularity." (World Order of Baha'u'llah, p.203)
On May 25th, 1941, he wrote:
"The persecution of world Jewry....are but manifestations of the fear and trembling that has seized humanity in its hour of unprecedented turmoil and peril. On the high seas, in the air, on land, in the forefront of battle, in the palaces of kings, and the cottages of peasants, in the most hallowed sanctuaries, whether secular or religious, the evidences of God's retributive act and mysterious discipline are manifest. Its heavy toll is steadily mounting--a holocaust sparing neither prince nor peasant, neither man nor woman, neither young nor old."
(Messages to America: Selected Letters and Cablegrams Addressed to the Bahá'ís of North America 1932-1946, Wilmette: Bahá'í Publishing Committee, 1947)
The Holocaust did not begin until 1943, and the term "Holocaust" was not first used used until after the war was over in late 1945.
Only the writings of Shoghi Effendi (either written in his hand or dictated to his secretary) are considered "infallible" and "binding" upon Believers (i.e. things that Baha'is must accept as true). But his verbal statements (called "Pilgrim's Notes") are not considered "binding". Baha'is can accept them, or reject them as they see fit.
Shoghi Effendi purportedly told Baha'i Pilgrims on several occassions that Joseph Smith was a "Seer":
"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).
Shoghi Effendi died in London, England, in 1957. After his death, the Faith was ruled by nine "Hands of the Cause" (similar to apostles) called "The Custodians". Then, in 1963, the first Universal House of Justice was elected.
The Universal House of Justice is not a building, but a council of 9 rijals (Arabic: "distringuished gentlemen") who govern the Baha'i Faith worldwide. This council of nine elected men is referred to as "The House".
The "Members of The House" are not considered to be Prophets, nor are they are recognized as Seers. Yet, their collective decisions are believed to be "under the shadow of Baha'u'llah" and thus divinely-inspired. Individually they are merely Baha'is, but "The House" (collectively) is "under the shadow of Baha'u'llah". In regards to inquiries concerning Joseph Smith, they sent this reply:
"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)
Please remember, the Baha'i Faith recognizes four types of Revelators:
*Raw-zool-oon (Major Prophets) Who receive Infallible Revelation and inaugurate "Dispensations"
*Naw-bee-yoon (Minor Prophets) Under the shadow of Major Prophets and receive Infallible Revelation
*Moo-staw-feen (Chosen Ones) The 12 Imaams of Shi'ite Islaam, and the Seven Incarnations of the WORD of God Who receive Infallible Revelation
*Moo-haw-daw-thoon ("Seers" who are non-prophets who see Angels and receive a lesser form or fallible Revelation
Only Razooloon and Nawbeeyoon are called "Prophets" in Islaam and the Baha'i Faith. Chosen Ones are not Prophets, but they are also Manifestations of God. Seers are never referred to as "Prophets" in Islaam nor the Baha'i Faith; although Seers (called "Moo-haw-dawth-thoon" in Arabic) also see Angels and they may also make prophecies and write a lesser form of divine revelation. Seers are not Manifestations of God. They are subject to sin and human error just like any human being is.
Joseph Smith Planned to go to Palestine
In the year 1843, Joseph Smith prophesied (praw-fess-side) that "IF" he be allowed to live he would "drink white wine" with his apostle Orson 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 successors in Utah. Most Mormons have never heard of this prophecy; nor of the Holy Order. Mormon historians are well aware of both.
The Holy Order
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".
A meeting of the Holy Order in the Order Lodge (second story of Joseph Smith's red-brick store in Nauvoo, Illinois, circa 1942-1844)
Joseph Smith designed a ritual for the Holy Order in which men and women were washed and anointed with oil (in separate rooms), dressed in all white, and taught certain secret "signs and tokens" then taken to a white veil. They had to repeat the secret signs and tokens, and then the white veil was parted and they entered a room. Within the room sat a man in a red robe with a crown on his head who represented God the Father. The "Celestial Room" symbolically represented the "place" where the Father was--seated behind white veils wearing a crown and a red robe.
Mormons today go through an "Endowment Ceremony" based upon the original one authored by Joseph Smith in 1842 for his Holy Order. But, there is no "king" in the Celestial Rooms of Mormon temples today. The "red-robed king" was removed from the ceremony by Brigham Young in 1847 without explanation.
The Incarnation of the Holy Ghost
On August 27th, 1843, Joseph Smith declared:
"The Holy Ghost is now [1843] in a state of probation which if he should perform in righteousness he may pass through the same or a similar course of things that the Son has." (Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith, p. 245; Sabbath address, 27 August 1843)
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. Joseph Smith never claimed to be the Holy Ghost incarnate. But, there was a Man living in Persia (Iran) in 1843, Who later did claim that station!
Around the year 650 A.D., there was a Jew named Bostanai who lived in Iraq. He was a descendant of King David of Israel. He married a Persian princess named Darah, a descendant of King Cyrus of Persia. Their descendants settled in Elam and became Shi'ite Muslims. They went on to conquer Iran and southern Iraq:
"And I will set my Throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and officials, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 49:39)
In 1843, there was a direct descendant of Bostanai and Darah living in Iran. His name was Mirza Husayn-Ali Noori ("Prince Beauty-Exalted of Light"). He had "Noor" (Arabic: "Light") as a covering or sur-name. He was a Davidic Prince. In 1863 in Baghdad, He claimed to be "He Whom God Will Make Manifest". In 1891 on Mount Carmel, in red robes, He claimed to be the "Son of Man" Who had come to establish His "Celestial Kingdom" on Earth. Baha'u'llah wrote:
"The Voice of the Son of Man is calling aloud from the sacred veil." (The Words of Baha'u'llah, p.104)
George J. Adams (left), the Presiding Bishop of the Church in 1844, and a close friend of Joseph Smith, claimed that Joseph Smith 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"! (D&C 133:48). Joseph was promised that "if" he lived until he was 85 years of age (1891) he would "see the face of the Son of Man." (D&C 130:15).
In 1846, George J. Smith told Brigham Young (the senior Apostle at that time) that he wanted to take the Holy Order to Palestine as per the wishes of Joseph Smith. Brigham Young refused, and he took the secret rite of the Holy Order and changed it and added to it, and made it mandatory for all Mormons who wished to marry or go on a mission. The new altered rite became known as the "Endowment Ceremony". Mormons are told that they must learn "the signs and tokens" in order to by-pass Sentinel Angels on the way to the Celestial Kingdom (highest heaven) after death.
Brigham Young refused to let the Holy Order go to Palestine, so he excommunicated George J. Smith and all the members of the Order who refused to go with him to Utah. He removed the "red-robed man with a crown" from the Endowment Ceremony in 1847. Brigham Young received one "Thus Saith the LORD" Revelation in 1947 (D&C 136), and then none ever again. In 1848, Brigham Young banned all black Mormons from the Mormon priesthood and Mormon Temples. This "priesthood-ban" lasted until June 8th, 1978. Young introduced new doctrines into the Church such as the Adam-God Doctrine, the Curse of Cain Doctrine, and the Doctrine of Blood-Atonement. In the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City he told the Latter-day Saints in General Conference:
"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, General Conference, Salt Lake City, 1857, Journal of Discourses 7:142)
Mormon Temples are supposed to face East--in the direction that Jesus will come, from the East to the West. Brigham Young and other early Mormon leaders believed that Jesus would "suddenly" (without fore~warning) come to the Salt Lake Temple. Young believed (probably based upon something Joseph Smith told him) that "few" in the Church would recognize Jesus when He "suddenly" comes to His Temple.
The family of Joseph Smith did not follow Brigham Young to Utah. They called him a "usurper" (false successor). Rather, they followed James Stang; a man who claimed to be Joseph Smith's rightful legal successor as well as a "Seer". George J. Adams became one of Strang's apostles. James Strang was assassinated in 1856, and some of his followers formed the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, with Joseph Smith III (Joseph Smith's Eldest son) as President. The "RLDS Church" is now called "Community of Christ" and they have about 250,000 members worldwide. They have one "Temple of Peace" located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri--just east of Kansas City. They don't call themselves "Mormons" but "Latter Day Saints" and they are very Baha'i-like in their thinking and general world-view.
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, his assasination in June of 1844 prevented this from happening. 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.
George J. Adams did take many members of the Holy Order to Palestine in 1860. They settled in Jaffa (Tel Aviv), but water was scarce and their crops failed. Most of the members of the Holy Order returned to the States, including Adams. However, twenty members remained and settled in Haifa among a a society of German Christians who had settled in Haifa in 1868 called "The Society of the Temple". Joseph Smith was not the only Seer preparing the way for the coming of the Son of Man in the year 1891!
In 1860, a Lutheran minister in Germany named Christoph Hofmann was told by the Spirit that Christ was returning soon, on Mount Carmel, and to raise a "spiritual Temple" of true Christians to meet Him. So Hofmann and others formed a "Society of the Temple" and founded a colony in 1868 in Haifa, Palestine, at the foot of Mount Carmel. From the sea to the foot of Mount Carmel they built "The Way of the Lord" (now "Ben Gurion Street"), and over the doors and windows of their red-roofed homes they wrote "Die Herr Ist Nahe" ("The Lord is Near").
By 1891, 15% of the Society of the Temple in Haifa converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and are members of the Palestinian Branch of the Turkish Mission. Hofmann dies in 1888; two years before Baha'u'llah sets His Feet on Mount Carmel~in His red robe~in 1891.
"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)
The remnants of the Holy Order settled in Haifa, next to Mount Carmel, because they believed this would be the "Sacred Spot" that Christ would descend:
"As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them." (D&C 128:19)
But, Joseph Smith did not live until he was 85 (1891). He was assassinated at Carthage Jail (Carthage, Illinois) at age 38 on June 27th, 1844, by a mob of Anti-Mormons. His brother Hyrum Smith was also killed.
The Shrine of The Báb on the Sacred Spot on Mount Carmel overlooking the red-roofed houses of the Templars and "The Way of the Lord" (Ben Gurion Street). From this Sacred Spot, Baha'u'llah recited, in a thunderous Voice and wearing His red robe.
Joseph Smith was a Freemason~a Master Mason. He took Masonic symbols and with them constructed an "Endowment Ceremony" for his Holy Order; "signs and tokens" that would help them recognize the Son of Man when He appeared, in red apparel, in 1891. The white clothing, secret words, and white veils, the man in red robes with a crown sitting on a throne in the Celestial Room, were all sacred "clues" to His secret identity. His true Name and Station were secret from the World-at-large until 1891.
Baha'u'llah (baw-haw-oh-LAHHH) was a the leader of what was considered a "heretical" sect (i.e. "cult"). So, He was exiled to Baghdad, and then to Turkey, and finally, in 1868, to the Turkish prison city of Akka, in Palestine.
In Akka, He lived in a room whose windows and door was covered in white veils. Baha'u'llah referred to Himself as "He who sheltereth himself behind curtains" (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.85). Because of assassination attempts, 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 a red robe.
The white-veiled Celestial Room of Baha'u'llah in Akka, Palestine (Photo: April, 1890)
Baha'u'llah wrote:
"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)
In the year >>1891<< Bahá'u'lláh went from Akka to Haifa. He pitched His
tent on on Mount Carmel on a Sacred Spot overlooking "The Way of the Lord" and the German Templar Colony. It was from this Sacred Spot that He recited His Tablet of Carmel:
"All glory be to this Day, the Day which the fragrances of mercy have been wafted over all
created things, a Day so blessed that past ages and centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day
in which the Contenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the voice of
all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on high, were heard calling
aloud: "Haste Thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the Countenance of God, the Ruler of
the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.'***CALL
OUT TO ZION, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal eyes
is come!" (Bahá'u'lláh--The Word Made Flesh, p.64)
In 1891, twenty original members of the Holy Order and their descendants were living in Haifa, and, thanks to Mormon missionaries of the Turkish Mission, 15% of the Society of the Temple converted to the Church and were members of the Palestine Branch. Had Joseph Smith lived until he was 85, he would have been in Haifa with his faithful Holy Order in 1891.
On the the 6th of April, 1843, Joseph Smith declared:
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)
How many of the "rising generation" (children) living in 1843 are still alive today? Was Joseph Smith mistaken? Or, did Christ come before the children living in 1843 had all died? Baha'is believe that Christ returned before all those living in 1843 were dead.
A "Voice" told Joseph Smith on April 6th, 1843 that if he lived until he was 85 years of age he would "see
the Face of the Son of Man (D&C 130:14-15).
Joseph Smith had already seen Jesus' face in a vision 1820 in Palmyra, New York, and again in a vision in the Kirkland Temple in Kirland, Ohio, in 1836! Obviously, the "face of the Son of Man" can't be Jesus' face; which Joseph Smith had already seen twice. The "face of the Son of Man" would be the Face of the Spirit of Truth~Holy Ghost incarnate.
The First 1891 Prophecy
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:
"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)
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".
The year 1835 + 56 years = 1891
That's right, the Index of History of the Church, published by the Church, declares that Joseph Smith prophesied that Christ would come in the year 1891!
The Second 1891 Prophecy
On April 6th, 1843, Joseph Smith made the following prophecy:
"I was once praying earnestly upon the subject, and a voice said unto me, My son, if thou
livest till thou art 85 years of age, thou shalt see the Face of the Son of Man--I was left to
draw my own conclusions concerning this & took the liberty to conclude that if I did live till
that time He would make His appearance or I shall go where He is--I prophesy in the name
of the Lord God--& let it be written, that the Son of Man will not come in the heavens
till I am 85 years old, 48 years hence or about 1890." (Diary of Joseph Smith, April 6, 1843, quoted
in The Revelations of Joseph Smith, p.345)
48 years "hence" of 1843 is 1891 (1843+48=1891).
Mormon Apostles Look To 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.
Early Mormon apostles believed the Millennial Kingdom would be established, somehwere on this planet, in the year 1891 by "the Son of Man" Who would appear "in red apparel". Mormon Apostles did not know "where" this would be. But the Holy Order believed THE KINGDOM would be established upon Mount Carmel, as the LORD told the Seer:
"As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them." (D&C 128:19)
In 1891, in General Conference in Salt Lake City, in the Tabernacle, Elder Charles W. Penrose (a Mormon apostle) 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)
In the year 1890, in Conference, Elder B. H. Roberts (Church historian and Seventy) said:
"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)
Mormon Seventy B.H. Roberts said that the Latter-day Saints would not understand what happened in 1891 for many years to come. 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:
"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)
Mormon leaders told rank-and-file Mormons over and over gain to expect "THE KINGDOM" to be established somewhere on Earth in 1891! The Church did not know "where". But the Holy Order did know where! The LORD told the Seer: "As the dews of Carmel, so the knowledge of God shall descend upon them." (D&C 128:19). But what year?
On January 1st 1891, Wilford Woodruff (the 4th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) wrote in is diary:
"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)
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".
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.
Baha'u'llah~the Promised Comforter
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)
"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)
Bahá'u'lláh wrote:
"The COMFORTER Whose advent all the Scriptures have promised is now come that He may
reveal unto you all knowledge and wisdom. Seek Him over the entire surface of the earth, haply
ye may find Him." (Words of Bahá'u'lláh pp.104-5)
"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)
In Arabic, Bahá'u'lláh means THE GLORY OF GOD!
All just mere coincidence?
Eternal Union (Baha'i Eternal Marriage)
The Baha'i Faith does teach the doctrine of Eternal Union; that Baha'i couples who become "one" physically and spiritually will be married in all the Worlds of God. The Eldest Son of of Baha'u'llah was Abbas Effendi (1844-1921). Abbas took the name-title of 'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dell baw-HAW) which means "Servant of Glory" in Arabic. 'Abdu'l-Baha taught:
"In a true Bahá'í marriage the two parties must become fully united both spiritually and physically, so that they may attain eternal union throughout all the worlds of God,..." (Bahá'í World Faith, p.372)
"Baha'i marriage is the commitment of the two parties one to the other, and their mutual attachment of mind and heart. Each must, however, exercise the utmost care to become thoroughly acquainted with the character of the other, that the binding covenant between them may be a tie that will endure forever. Their purpose must be this: to become loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and eternity....
The true marriage of Baha'is is this, that husband and wife should be united both physically and spiritually, that they may ever improve the spiritual life of each other, and may enjoy everlasting unity throughout all the worlds of God. This is Baha'i marriage.
(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 118)
No priesthood sealing in a Mormon Temple is needed for Eternal Union, because all true Belivers in Baha'u'llah are "sealed" by Him, because He is the Holy Spirit of Promise!
In 1912 'Abdu'l-Baha came to North America, and while in Montreal He prophesied of World War One and the Spanish Influenza that killed over 50 million people from 1914 to 1919.
Many early Western Baha'is believed that 'Abdu'l-Baha was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ. They wrote:
"He is heir and Master of the Kingdom; He was on earth 1900 years ago as the Nazarene." (Louis Getsinger, Notes at Acca, p.14)
"He is the Son of God, the only Door, the Lord of Mankind!" (Assadullah, Sacred Mysteries, p.74)
While He was in Boston in 1912 a Syrian woman came up to Him and bowed at his feet saying, "I confess that in Thee I have recognized the Spirit of God and Jesus Christ Himself." (God Passes By, p.291).
But 'Abdu'l-Baha was NOT "Christ"!
Baha'is do not refer to 'Abdu'l-Baha as "Christ" because "Christ" is the Spirit of Truth Who dwelt "in" Jesus from His baptism to the Cross. Christ is the Father (Mosiah 7:27). The Book of Mormon itself teaches that "Christ" refers to the Father Who dwelt "in" Jesus:
This is why Jesus said, "The Father is in me." (John 14:11). The LORD told Joseph the Seer:
"Ye were in the beginning with the Father, that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of Truth." (D&C 93:23)
Jesus Christ was a combination of two Divine Beings in one body: the Father (Christ~Spirit) and the Son (Word of God). The Father (Spirit) and the Son (flesh) became "one" in Jesus Christ (Book of Mormon: Mosiah 15:1-5). The Father is the Holy Spirit Who dwelt "in" Jesus for three years. Christ (the Holy Ghost) was born of a woman in 1817 in Iran with the name of Mirza Husayn-Ali Noori ("Prince Beauty-Exalted of Light"). He became known as Baha'u'llah (Arabic: "The Glory of God").
'Abdu'l-Baha was never known to lie, or even get angry. He spent His time as secretary to His Father, then when Baha'u'llah died in 1892, He became the Exemplar (example of what every Baha'i should be). Baha'is refer to Him as "The Master".
'Abdu'l-Baha spent His days in Haifa welcoming Baha'i pilgrims. He served them personally, and if they had black servants (many wealthy British and Americans had black servants in those days) He served the black servants first. He spent the rest of time in charity among the poor (of whatever religion) in and around Haifa and Akka, and also in cleaning and nursing the sick and dying with His own hands--those who could not afford to go to a hospital and did not have family to care for them. Because of His great charity work, the British Crown made Him a Knight of the British Empire in 1920. He became Sir Abbas Effendi 'Abdu'l-Baha.
In many places where He went, 'Abdu'l-Baha saw racialism, classism, and nationalism. To combat these He taught "Race Unity". He declared:
Praise be to God, the hearts of the friends [Bahá'ís] are united and linked together, whether they be from the east or the west, from north or from south, whether they be German, French, Japanese, American, and whether they pertain to the white, the black, the red, the yellow or the brown race. Variations of color, or land and of race are of no importance in the Bahá'í Faith; on the contrary, Bahá'í unity overcomes them all and doeth away with all these fancies and imaginations." (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'-Baha, pp.112-3)
In 1911 'Abdu'l-Baha travelled to Paris, France. The Baha'i historian H.M. Balyuzi writes that at the time a woman in New York City was having dreams in which Jesus told her that He had returned, and to look for Him. Balyuzi writes:
"At home her little daughter had asked her what she would do should the Lord Jesus return to the world. She would rush to seek Him, she had said, only to be told [by her child] that "Lord Jesus is here!" [the girl's finger was on France on a globe they had in their living room]. How did she know, the mother had inquired. Twice the Lord Jesus had told her that He was here [in France], the little girl insisted. But she did not know where to look, the mother told her child. That afternoon, on a walk, the little girl suddenly stopped and, excited and ecstatic, pointed to a kiosk where magazines were displayed. Prominent there was the photograph of 'Abdu'l-Baha. "There, there!" the child shouted, was the Lord Jesus. The magazine which contained the photograph of 'Abdu'l-Baha [a French magazine] led the way to Paris, and the American lady, taking the first avaiable boat to cross the Atlantic, sailed that very night." (Balyuzi, 'Abdu'l-Baha, p.109)
In Paris, in 1911, 'Abdu'l-Baha was invited to a Jewish Synagogue. There He told the Jews that soon there would be a great persecution of the Jews throughout Europe but that if they became Christians they would be protected from this. Twenty-nine years later, in 1940, the Nazis invaded France, and all Jews who were not Christians were shipped off to concentration camps.
'Abdu'l-Baha then went to England. While in London some wealthy British Baha'is bought 'Abdu'l-Baha a first-class ticket to America on a new steam-liner, the H.M.S. Titanic. But He refused to take that ship, and told other Baha'is not to take the Titanic to America. He took another ship. He travelled to New York City, Boston, Green Acres Maine, Montreal, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
While in Salt Lake City, 'Abdu'l-Baha visited the Utah State Fair, sat in the Tabernacle during the National Irrigation Congress, and knocked on the East Door of the Temple (D&C 38:8). But, of course, not being a faithful Mormon, He was refused entry. He wanted to speak with the President of the Church at that time, Joseph F. Smith (nephew of Joseph the Seer), but He was refused. At that time (1912) the Church was still teaching that Negroes were the "cursed" children of Cain, and that the "Mark of Cain" was a black skin, kinky hair, and a flat nose (the Curse of Cain Doctrine). 'Abdu'l-Baha taught that a black skin was not a sign of a curse of God, but rather was a natural protection of the skin from the harsh rays of the Sun for peoples who evolved near the equator. Mormon leaders at the time did not want the white and black races intermingling; so 'Abdu'l-Baha was not allowed to speak on Race Unity before Mormon congregations.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called "the Word" which became flesh (John 1:1-2,14). In the Holy Qu'ran, ALLÁH said "Be!" and Jesus was created (2:116). The "Word" is the "Be!" or the "Command" of ALLÁH. The Word is not a Name/Attribute of ALLÁH, but His "Command". Jesus Christ was a combination of the Holy Spirit (the Father) and the Word (the Son) in one body (Ether 3:18). Jesus Christ was "unique" in that He was really Two Divine Beings in one body: the Spirit and the Word. The Ruh (Spirit) of Christ made Him a Prophet. But His Nafs (soul) was that of a Chosen One. The Spirit (Father) "returned" and was born of a woman in Iran in 1817 with the name Mirza Husayn-Ali Nuri ("Prince Beauty Exalted of Light"); Who became known as Baha'u'llah ("The Glory of God"). He referred to His Firstborn Son as:
"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)
Rejected by Mormon leaders, 'Abdu'l-Baha returned to Palestine. He died in 1921, and was succeeded by His grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957)~the first and last infallible Guardian of the Baha'i Faith.
"I Am the Bread Which Came Down From Heaven"
When Jesus appeared 2,000 years ago He claimed to have descended from Heaven:
41 the Jews then murmured at him because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven,
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it that he saith, I came down from heaven? (John 6:41-42)
The Jews expected the Messiah to descend from Heaven, to literally come riding upon the clouds of the sky. But Jesus said "I came down from heaven". He did so via the womb of His mother Mary.
'Abdu'l-Baha explains:
"For when Christ appeared, He came from heaven, although He was outwardly born from the womb of Mary. For He said: "No man hath ascended into heaven, but he that came down from heaven'. He aid: "I came down from heaven and likewise I will go up to heaven.' By 'heaven' is not meant this infinite phenomenal space, but 'heaven' signifies the world of the divine kingdom which is the supreme station and seat of the Sun of Truth." (Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p.192)
Mormons expect Jesus to come in a "cloud" with thousands of angels in tow blowing trumpets. But, maybe Jesus will "come down from heaven" the second time as He did the first--via the womb! The Spirit told Joseph the Seer:
"When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves." (D&C 130:1)
We don't sit upon a cloud. We don't fly in the sky (at least not without a plane). We get hungry. We sleep. We feel pain. We are born. We age. We die. The Savior will be a man--like ourselves in every way.
Reincarnation Vs. "Return"
Baha'is do not believe that human souls reincarnate on this planet. Mortal lives on other material planets (one life per planet) is possible, but human souls do not "reincarnate" on this material planet. But the Souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones are not "human". Their Souls are the "Perfections" and "Qualities" of God: His Names and Attributes. These "Perfections" return in every Dispensation. This is why The Báb (a Prophet) could claim to be the "Return" of the Imaam Mehdi (a young boy who disappeared in 847 A.D.~a Chosen One) and His disciple Mollah Husayn Bushru'i (who was not a Prophet but a "Chosen One") could claim to be the "Return" of the Prophet Muhammad Who died in 632 A.D. Mollah Husyan Bushru'i died in 1850 in Iran.
Jesus Christ has a unique station among the Manifestations of God. He was both a Manifestation of God, because the Father (Holy Spirit) dwelt "in" Him, and He was also the incarnate "Word" of God. The Word of God is the "Be!" when God said "Be!" and the Cosmos left into existence. Jesus Christ was the Father and the Son in one body; because the Father (Spirit) entered Him at His baptism. He was both a Manifestation of God and the WORD of God in the flesh. No other Prophet can claim that dual station.
'Abdu'l-Baha (awb-dell baw-HAW) was not a Manifestation of God. He was not a "Prophet" based upon how Baha'is interpret the term "Prophet". But, some of us believe He was an incarnation of the WORD of God; based upon the words of Baha'u'llah.
Jesus is described as the "Lamb of God" with seven horns and seven eyes, in the Book of Revelation. What do these seven horns and eyes "mean"? Bible scholars cannot tell you. Mormon apostles cannot even venture a guess. But, we known what the "seven horns and eyes" mean! The Lamb of God will not incarnate (become flesh) only one time, but seven times on this planet. Jesus is called the Word become flesh (John 1:1-2,14). The Imaam Ali, the son-in-law and cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, claimed to be the "Word" incarnate. About seven million people on Earth today, called the Awalites of Syria, the Alevis of Turkey, and the "People of the Truth" (Ahl-i-Haqq) of Iraq and Iran, believe that the Imaam Ali was the "return" of Jesus, and the Imaam Ali made this very claim himself, saying:
"I am the WORD through Which all things are consummated and through which the Universes are brought into being.
I am the Jesus who heals the blind and the leprous, creating birds and dispersing clouds. Christ is the Qa'im bi'l-haqq, and the king of this world and the next. The Qur'an itself confirms this in the verse: Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day that I die, and the day that I am raised up alive. [19:33] I am the Resurrection of the dead." (quotes from Sermon on the Gulf by the Imaam Ali)
The Imaam Ali (610 A.D.~670 A.D.)
The WORD of God will incarnate seven times upon this planet as seven different Men, with different names, born of different mothers. In Hebrew, and Aramaic, the word for "cloud" is also the word for "veil" or "covering". Jesus would "return" in "clouds"; not the clouds of the sky, but He would return in "veils" or "coverings"; meaning new human bodies that would "cover" or "veil" His true identity.
Baha'u'llah referred to His Eldest Son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, as the "WORD" of God:
"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 Hebrew, and also in Aramaic, the language which Jesus spoke, the word "cloud" can also mean "veil" or "covering". Jesus said He would return in "clouds". Did He mean the white-puffy clouds of the sky? Or did He mean "veils"? Baha'is believe He meant "veils". He would "return" in new bodies, which would "veil" His true identity. Only the Pure-in-Heart would be able to "see" (recognize) Him, because only the Pure-in-Heart would be "worthy" to recognize Him. He would be "veiled" (unrecognized) by the wicked, the sinful, the selfish, and the hypocrite.
'Abdu'l-Baha came to Salt Lake City, in September 1912. He came to the Salt Lake Temple, but was not let in. He is purported to have said: "They build a temple to their Lord, but when He come to them they do not let Him in!" He tried to meet with the President of the LDS Church at that time, Joseph F. Smith, but was rejected. After that time, no President or Apostle in the LDS Church received any further Revelation from God. Today, the "Prophets/Seers/Revelators" of the Church do not prophesy, nor see, nor revelate. They are "prophets/seers/revelators" in name only.
Jesus has been on this Earth many times, one time as Jesus of Nazareth, and other times in "clouds" (veils/coverings); meaning new bodies, born of different women. Jesus will not return riding upon a cloud, or suspended in the air in a cloudy sky, but in "veils". This is why Brigham Young declared in 1857:
"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, General Conference, Salt Lake City, 1857, Journal of Discourses 7:142)
'Abdu'l-Baha said that the Kingdom of God, the Celestial Kingdom of God on this planet, would not be fully established until the coming of the Seventh Angel sometime in the future (Some Answered Questions p. 56). The Seventh Angel will be the last and final incarnation of the WORD upon this planet.
Human souls have only one mortal life per material planet. There is no reincarnation for human souls on this material planet. Other mortal lives on other material planets are possible, but there is no reincarnation for human souls on this material planet. However, the Souls of the Prophets and Chosen Ones are Divine. Their Souls are the very Names and Attributes of God. These Names and Attributes, also called the Qualities and Perfections of God, "return" in every Dispensation.
The Spirit of Truth Has Come!
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)
Bahá'u'lláh 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-Wise. Say, this is the One Who hath glorified the Son and hath exalted His Cause. (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p.12)
The LORD said to Joseph Smith:
"The Comforter is the promise which I give you of Eternal Life, even the Glory which I spake concerning the ten virgins." (D&C 45:56)
"Seek Me diligently and ye shall find Me." (D&C 88:63)
Baha'u'llah wrote:
"The Comforter whose advent all the Scriptures have promised is now come that HE may reveal unto you all knowledge and wisdom. Seek Him over the entire surface of the earth, haply ye may find Him." (The Words of Baha'u'llah, p.12)
Dear Seeker of Truth,
The terms "Prophet" and "Seer" are different in the Baha'i Faith than they are in the Mormon Faith. In the Baha'i Faith a "Prophet" is an infallible and sinless Revelator, while a "Seer" is an ordinary man or woman, who is fallible and sinful, who nevertheless sees Angels. Joseph Smith is not a "Prophet" in the Baha'i sense of the term "Prophet" but he "may" have been a "Seer" who prophesied of Baha'u'llah in the capacity of a Seer. Shoghi Effendi (show-gee ef-fen-dee), the great-grandson of Baha'u'llah, the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and the inspired Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, believed that Joseph Smith was indeed a "Seer"; but he did not require the Baha'is to also believe that. Baha'is are free to accept, or reject, Joseph Smith as a Seer. Baha'is are free to be:
*Pro-Joseph Smith (accept him as a Seer who prophesied of Baha'u'llah in the capacity of a Seer)
*Anti-Joseph Smith (view Joseph Smith as a fraud)
*No-opinion Joseph Smith (have no opinion either way)
Most Baha'is are "No-opinion Joseph Smith". They do not believe he was a Prophet, but do not know if he was a Seer or not. Certainly, Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith, believed he was a "Seer". Also, the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member-council that is the Governing Body of the Faith worldwide, has declared that Joseph Smith was "sensitive to spiritual currents". How can a fraud be "sensitive" to spiritual currents? Anti-Joseph Smith Baha'is, and they do exist, have no answer to that question. Baha'is "may" accept Joseph Smith as a Seer, no Baha'i can accept Joseph Smith as a "Prophet" in the Baha'i sense of that term: meaning an infallible and sinless Revelator, a Manifestation of God. Joseph Smith "may" have been a Seer, like Shaykh Ahmad-i-Asa'i or Siyyid Kazim Rashti, the two Shi'ite Muslim Seers who prepared the way for the Ministry of The Báb, but he was not a "Prophet" in the Baha'i sense of the term "Prophet".
Why would a Mormon wish to become a Baha'i?
Ask them! As for me, I became a Baha'i because I knew that if Joseph Smith's 1891 prophecies failed, then he was not inspired of God. I had to become a Baha'i, or cease believing that Joseph Smith was inspired of God! I came to realize that the prophecies of Joseph Smith concerning the coming of the Son of Man, in red apparel, in the year 1891, have been fulfilled in Baha'u'llah, and the prophecies concerning Jesus suddenly coming to His Temple "as a thief in the night" (i.e. unrecognized) have been fulfilled in 'Abdu'l-Baha, when He visited Salt Lake City in September of 1912. The Father and the Son have returned in "clouds" (new bodies which obscure their true identities).
I also came to realize, though my studies of early Mormon history, that the Endowment Ceremony, with its washings and anointings, its secret gentures and passwords, and its white veils, was created not to help us enter the Celestial Kingdom in the Afterlife, but was created by Joseph Smith in 1842 for his Holy Order in Nauvoo, Illinois, which he planned to take with him to Palestine, to await the coming of the Son of Man, Who would be wearing a crown and a red robe, and walk upon Mount Carmel, in the year 1891. The Endowment has nothing to do with the Afterlife, but everything to do with helping us recognize "The Lord Behind the Veil".
If I become a Baha'i, must I give up the hopes of Exaltation and Eternal Marriage?
The Baha'i Faith also teaches Exaltation under the name "Sadratu'l-Muntaha" (Arabic: "The Uttermost Lote Tree"), and it also teaches Eternal Marriage under the name "Eternal Union". There is no Exaltation nor Eternal Marriage for those who reject the Father and the Son. Joseph Smith never said that a "sealer" seals us to Eternal Life. We are "saled" by the Holy Spirit of Promise. Baha'u'llah is that Spirit.
Baha'u'llah is the "Lord behind the Veil". The very Endowment Ceremony was created by Joseph Smith for His Holy Order, whom he expected to go to Palestine with to await the coming of the Son of Man in 1891. But, because of personal sin, Joseph Smith "fell" and was not allowed to go to Palestine with his Holy Order. In Akka, Israel, the entrance and windows of the "celestial room" of Baha'u'llah was covered with whites veils. Nobody could enter unless they washed, anointed themselves with oil, wore all white, and took off their shoes. They had to know secret passwords and gestures to enter. Baha'u'llah sat inside, wearing a Dervish crown, and a red robe.
I also knew from my studies of early Mormon history, that early Mormon leaders taught and believed that the Church was not an end in itself, and that the Church and the Kingdom were two separate organizations. They believed that the Church was established to "prepare the way" for the Kingdom of Heaven, which would be established upon this Earth, somewhere on the planet (they did not know where), in the year 1891. It was.
If Baha'u'llah is the Holy Ghost incarnate, why haven't the Brethren told us?
When the LORD came to His Temple, as a thief in the night, in 1912, the Brethren rejected Him. After that time, it was "AMEN" to any divine revelation that the Brethren would receive. They claim to be Prophets/Seers/Revelators. Very well then, where are their prophecies? Where are accounts of their supernatural visions? Where are their "Thus saith the LORD" Revelations? Where? Where? The answer is: nowhere! The LDS Church is run by "Prophets" who don't prophesy, "Seers" who don't see visions, and "Revelators" who don't receive Revelation. Why do you expect them to reveal to you if Baha'u'llah was the Holy Spirit Incarnate or not? Attend a Baha'i Public Information meeting, and listen to the Words of Baha'u'llah being recited in prayer, by a Baha'i Orator. Then, ask God, in sincere prayer, with real intent, nothing wavering, "Are these the Words of a charlatan, a false prophet, or are these the Words of the Spirit of Truth?" Listen to His Words being recited, during a Baha'i Prayer, being given by a Baha'i Leader of Prayer, and ask God silently to yourself, if the Words you hear are of God or the Devil, and GOD HIMSELF will reveal the truth unto you.
Baha'u'llah referred to the Baha'i Faith as "the Celestial Kingdom". It is the Millennial Kingdom of God, in embryo. It will not be fully established until the coming of the Seventh Angel; sometime in the future. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was never meant to be the "end" it itself, but was raised to "prepare the way" for the coming of the Millennial Kingdom. The lesser always prepares the way for the greater; like John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. The Father and the Son are infinitely greater than the Seer Joseph Smith or any his successors!
Baha'u'llah wrote:
"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)
Joseph Smith said:
"Obtain that Holy Spirit of Promise~then you can be sealed to Eternal Life." (The Words of Joseph Smith, p.15)
I testify to you that these things are true, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen! Thank you. Go in Peace!
Aenon E. Moss
"Aenon E. Moss" (1960~) is a former Mormon Elder and missionary. He resigned from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became a Baha'i in 1994.
Public Information Meeting
To attend a Baha'i Public Information Meeting near your home call 1-800-228-6483 anytime. Public Meetings are free--no donation can be accepted. Dress is casual. Refreshments are served. There are Baha'i Centers all across the United States: including Salt Lake City Utah, Logan Utah, Tempe Arizona, Tucson Arizona, and most U.S. cities. Baha'i Public Information Meetings are often called "Firesides". They are informal events. If you need a ride or directions, just ask. The Baha'is will welcome you with open arms! Call them today!
1-800-228-6483
Free Literature Mailed To Your Home
If you would like a free Baha'i Information Packet mailed to your home (via the US Postal Service), then please click HERE!
Your address will NOT be sold nor used for any other purpose than a FREE one-time mailing of a Baha'i Information Packet. No Baha'i missionaries will ever knock on your door. If you want to attend a free Baha'i Publication Information Meeting at a Baha'i Center, then call 1-800-228-6183 anytime day or night and say: "I am a Seeker, and I want to attend a Baha'i Public Information Meeting near my home. I live in ______________ and my zip code is ____________. My telephone number is _______________. Thank you". Someone will call you back.
Website of the Baha'is of Utah is located HERE.
Website of the Baha'is of Arizona is located HERE.
The Baha'is are very friendly and welcoming people. We refer to each other as "The Friends". We will welcome you with open arms!
GO IN PEACE!
