A Rosicrucian Origin For Mormonism?

[bjw]

As both a Mormon and a Rosicrucian I have been very interested in this...

 

I have been doing some research on something that I saw on an anti-Mormon video that was mentioned in passing but they didn't give any references.  When I search for info on the net about it all I get is anti sites or anti literature.  Therefore, I thought I would post about it on here to see if anyone has found any refutations of this or if it has been mentioned before.  If it has, please forgive me and just direct me in the right direction.  

 

Basically, from what I've been able to gather from various websites, a group of Rosicrucians called the Zionitic Brotherhood migrated to Ephrata, Pennsylvania from Mormont (Pronounced "Mormon"), Belgium.  They had a subgroup called "The Order of Melchizedek" and built a temple at a place called "Zion's Hill."  Supposedly, the Whitmer Family were all members of this group.  The anti video claimed that the way we pray in the temple was taken from this group, as well as the Peter, James, and John story of them conferring the Priesthood on Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery by the Susquahanna River.  (They claim it was Peter, James, and John Whitmer.)  The members also wore all white and practiced baptism for the dead.

 

The sites also showed a verse from a book by John Dee called "The Book of Madoc" (some sites have "Madog") that has a verse from the third chapter that is almost word-for-word verbatim from 1 Nephi 1:1, where it ways "I Nephi/Madoc born of goodly parents...etc."  This was allegedly the source for much of the Book of Mormon (complete with gold plate story and everything) and was in the possession of this group of Rosicrucians from the beginning.

 

Later, a group called the "Cochranites" that practiced polygamy, merged with the church and that is what started the practice of polygamy in the church after the death of Jacob Cochran.

 

I will include a few links to show what I'm talking about:

http://alt.religion.mormon.narkive.com/ueQwijs0/the-order-of-zion-the-true-origin-of-the-mormon-faith 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Cochran

http://bahaisofutah.angelfire.com/9.html

 

I didn't want to post the video or first website that got me started investigating this because they contain temple material and would not be appropriate on here.  However, these should give you a little bit of an idea of what I'm talking about.  If you could point me in the right direction on where this has been covered I would appreciate it.  Most of my research on this has just led me in circles.

[Nevo]

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Edited October 1, 2014 by Nevo

[Robert F. Smith]

Dr. John Dee, a great Renaissance scholar and magus, and confidante of Elizabeth I of England, wrote a great many things, some of which can be found in the old British Museum Library.  For example, his Book of Enoch is there.  So Dee may have developed the story from earlier myth to assert prior land claim to America by the British Crown.

 

While the Ephrata Commune and Rosicrucian myth contain a great many interesting parallels with Mormon origins, there is far more of interest within the theories and activities of Renaissance magi in general.  The late and great scholar Frances Yates has a series of books on the Renaissance magi and the Rosicrucians which are quite reliable and informative.  That is the place to start, rather than with the ridiculous rumormongering of Darrick Evenson.

 

Some of the claims are simply overblown.  For example, the idea that the Ephrata Commune claimed the Melchizedek Priesthood is not at all extraordinary since that is the claim also of the Roman Catholic priesthood.

[bjw]

I want to thank Nevo, Nehor, and Robert Smith for responding to me and for the great info!  I had a feeling that with all the searches leading me back to anti stuff that it was pretty much a small group of people perpetuating this.  I will check out the sources you guys talked about and see what all it has.  Again, thanks.

[K-2]

Some of those ideas come from a book called The Widow's Son: The Esoteric History of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Origin of Mormonism by Kerry Ross O'boran. The guy is in prison for murder and his book is a curious mixture of facts and completely fictional imaginings.

[bjw]

Some of those ideas come from a book called The Widow's Son: The Esoteric History of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Origin of Mormonism by Kerry Ross O'boran. The guy is in prison for murder and his book is a curious mixture of facts and completely fictional imaginings.

I'll have to check this out.  It's something that the only two sources I can find for this info have a tainted reputation.  I guess people will say anything in order to be able to sell books or create controversy.

[wenglund]

If you want to get certain former members and wannabe Book of Abraham experts all animated, just mention the possible link between the Rosicrusian Cipher and some of the language characters in the Kirtland Egyptian Papers.

 

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

[mfbukowski]

And of course we can always assume the point of view that Rosicrucianism was a derivative of a still earlier dispensation.

 

That always works as a defense of orthodoxy.  So the gospel is the origin of Rosicrucianism, recovered from fragments of the truth after an apostasy.

 

There is always a way to interpret history the way you want to see it.

[Alvie J]

The following link is a university research paper I wrote concerning the link between Mormonism and the Rosicrucian brotherhood.   Within it you will find the Rosicrucian cipher, in as much as the name “Moriancomur” ciphers to read “Rosicrucian”.

 

Fascinating stuff:

 

https://www.academia.edu/7892970/The_Mormon_Cipher

[JLHPROF]

 

Later, a group called the "Cochranites" that practiced polygamy, merged with the church and that is what started the practice of polygamy in the church after the death of Jacob Cochran.

 

I know little about Rosicrucians, but the Cochranite theory of polygamy has been disproved and discounted many times.  Polygamy did not start because of the Cochranites.

Edited November 10, 2014 by JLHPROF

[The Nehor]

[Robert F. Smith]

The following link is a university research paper I wrote concerning the link between Mormonism and the Rosicrucian brotherhood.   Within it you will find the Rosicrucian cipher, in as much as the name “Moriancomur” ciphers to read “Rosicrucian”.

 

Fascinating stuff:

 

https://www.academia.edu/7892970/The_Mormon_Cipher

Perhaps you could provide a page number reference to that in your vast assemblage.

[Tacenda]

Mind boggling stuff. So you think this church could be pretty much Masonry at its core, with some hallucinations mixed in to get the spiritual side too? Or did I read more into it than what it actually says?

[Alvie J]

Actually what you’re looking at is the fundamental foundations of the original Mormon movement.  Most, if not all ancient, ritualistic spiritual ordinances are connected with a spiritual bridging agent of some sort. 

 

So in short, yes.

 

If you remember you Mormon history it is believed that Jesus Christ appeared to the Mayan Indians as: Quetzalcoatl, and it is historically accurate that the Mayan priest used and ancient form of cocaine as a spiritual bridging agent as part of their rituals.

 

Also, it is noted in modern psychology that this substance can, and often does induce Hallucinations.  But in truth its actually much more than that. 

 

One has to remember that these men, the early Mormon fathers, where highly trained priest versed in the arts ritualistic spirituality and temple worship.  When they claimed that Jesus Christ appeared to them at the Kirtland temple they were deeply involved in temple rituals.  And when you combine spiritual bridging agents with some of the ancient rituals its entirely possible that they encountered some kind of spiritual manifestation.

In ending I would just add that the paper “The Mormon Cipher” is simply an abridgment of a much larger work.  It system really does work, but people are simply unaware of the deeper, more significant aspects of the Mormon faith.

 

I hope this help you… 

[Alvie J]

PS

 

Trace cocaine and other spiritual bridging agents has been found in a number of different mommies throughout the ancient world.  Research it, you might be surprised what you find…

[The Nehor]

PS

 

Trace cocaine and other spiritual bridging agents has been found in a number of different mommies throughout the ancient world.  Research it, you might be surprised what you find…

Note that expectant mommies should NOT use cocaine.

[Alvie J]

Note: cocaine is a highly toxic and addictive substance and should never be used for any reason.

[The Nehor]

Note: cocaine is a highly toxic and addictive substance and should never be used for any reason.

That's fine. LSD is more fun anyways.

[JLHPROF]

That's fine. LSD is more fun anyways.

 

LSD?

LSD?

[bjw]

This seems fascinating, but looks like it would be an awful lot of trouble just to conceal the true origins of Mormonism. I don't know, anyone else look at these theories?

[Kaleb Webb]

 

 

If you remember you Mormon history it is believed that Jesus Christ appeared to the Mayan Indians as: Quetzalcoatl, and it is historically accurate that the Mayan priest used and ancient form of cocaine as a spiritual bridging agent as part of their rituals.

Quetzalcoatl was an Aztec god, not Mayan

[Alvie J]

This is actually a fascinating concept, Its was a tough book to brake open due to the double encryption cipher.  I’ve gotten quite far along and you actually might be astonished at what I have uncovered.  I wrote another paper entitled: “The Book of Mormon and the Westward Expansion” and believe it or not it deals with the transatlantic railroad.

 

Link:

 

https://www.academia.edu/7892970/The_Mormon_Cipher

[bjw]

I think these are good theories, but do we have any more proof, such as other documents or manifestos that use a lodge game cipher. In various occult groups I've been in I've had to learn various ciphers, but none were this mathematically advanced. I have heard that alchemy and dealing with chemicals was practiced, but I'm not that high in Rosicrucianism yet.

Could there really be hidden messages in the BoM? It just seems like so much trouble to include a time bomb that could go off in the future into the very work you plan to con people with. Also, did John Dee actually compose some kind of book of Madog to help secure the British monarchy to the states?

[Silhouette]

We visited a Rosicrucian museum down around San Jose/Cupertino many years ago. I recall being fascinated with it. I remember the feeling, but all I remember visually is that it had mummies. I never got the connection.

Edited November 14, 2014 by Silhouette

[bjw]

We visited a Rosicrucian museum down around San Jose/Cupertino many years ago. I recall being fascinated with it. I remember the feeling, but all I remember visually is that it had mummies. I never got the connection.

This is because Rosicrucians believe much of the modern mysteries can trace their origin to the ancient mysteries, such as Egypt. This was Joseph Smith' belief as well, as evidenced by the Endowment and Book of Abraham. It is also a belief held by some masons. The real debate could probably be how ancient the Kabbalah is, since masonry and rosicrucianism both are derived from there, and Mormonism has paralells with it as well.

As for cyphers, they are usually taught to members as a way to conceal the words of ritual work so you can take it away from the temple and study it before the next meeting. This is why I'm surprised to see someone saying it is being used to cover up the true origins of Mormonism, assuming John Dee is the true author of the Book of Mormon. It just seems like an awful lot of time to be spent by an English government agent who made no profit on the book, and Joseph Smith would have no incentive to use the cypher as it would leave the door always open that Mormonism could be proven a fraud.

If someone could clear this up for me I am still not understanding the theory and it's full implications.