Lost in the teachings of the Prophets

"The lost teachings of Jesus: Keys to Self-Transcendence" is the third volume in a series of four books attributed to Elizabeth Clare Prophet but probably written by Mark L. Prophet, her husband. Mark founded a religious group known as Summit Lighthouse, and after his death, Elizabeth assumed the leadership until her own death a few years ago. The group has also operated under the designation Church Universal and Triumphant. American media know them as "the Montana doomsday cult", after a rather curious incident involving the stashing of firearms and the building of deep air raid shelters at the group's property in Montana.

The message of Summit Lighthouse is a bewildering blend of...well, almost everything. I never came across a religious group this wildly eclectic! The "lost teachings of Jesus" (really the teachings of Mr. and Mrs. Prophet) turn out to be a combination of Christianity, Gnosticism, the New Age, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christian Science, American patriotism, Theosophy, belief in space aliens and...(surprise) one Guy Ballard. Will the real I AM please stand up?

I can't say this is a good book. It sounds like an interminable, rambling sermon. Still, if you manage to get through it (I barely did), you might learn some interesting details about the worldview of this particular group. Mark L. Prophet claims to be a re-incarnation of John Mark, the purported author of the Gospel of Mark. He was Origen and Bonaventure in somewhat later incarnations. Mark also claims that Elizabeth Clare Prophet is a re-incarnation of Martha. The Prophets are on a first name basis with a number of Ascended Masters, including Koot Hoomi (who was St. Francis in a previous life) and St. Hilarion, better known as the apostle Paul (also in a previous life). Another Master, known as Paul the Venetian, turns out to be the Italian Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese! Other historical figures claimed by the Prophets include the Mogul emperor Akbar the Great, Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep III and the Neo-Platonist philosopher Proclus.

But the Ascended Master above everyone else is, of course, St. Germain. He used to be a ruler of a mighty kingdom in the Sahara, a kingdom incidentally unknown to modern historians. He also re-incarnated as Merlin - the Prophets take the legend of king Arthur quite literally. St. Germain is the true founder of the United States, since he was Columbus, Francis Bacon and a close advisor to George Washington. Indeed, he "anointed" Washington the first president. Come again? As Francis Bacon, St. Germain founded modern science, wrote the plays of Shakespeare and created Freemasonry. What I found particularly fascinating about all this, is that the Prophets give a positive spin to events and persons regarded as negative by most conspiracy theorists! Apart from their positive view of Bacon and the Freemasons (they admit that many early American leaders were Masons), they also believe that St. Germain wanted to create a united Europe. Shades of world government?

Once again, this is not a good book. The other volumes in this series seem to be even worse. However, if you want to get lost in the teachings of Mark and Elizabeth Prophet, this is a good place to start as any...