We Started As A Single Community of Humans

The Blonde Stranger and The Creek: 5 The Unity of Sects

On 5/6/1426 a series of ideas came to me:

All religions are true;
Atleast in the metaphorical sense.
This being that, they all stem from the same truths.
In their myths, they strive to represent that truth;
Even if not true in a literal sense.
However, literally most religions are true and this we cannot deny, if we know anything about religion.

KONX AM REJS (Extended Light in Ruling), as he was called was twenty-five now and his conversations with LVX AM HEIC (Light For This Occasion/Place). This time the conversation turned to Mormons. She knew a Latter Day Saint as they called themselves. Some of those she knew said they were Christians, some said they weren't as well as other things she was unsure of. Now, on a two nights previous there was a two part documentary on Oregon Public Brodcasting called The Mormons. Although, I had no indication that she saw it, I used it as a centering point. It started on the day of the thirteenth and went into the fourteenth night of the fourth month in the year fourteen hundred and twenty-eight. The next day which was May first had the second part of the program on in that same 8-10 P.M time slot.
"They said they don't believe in the Bible, because they have The Book of Mormon, so how can they be Christian?" asked LVX AM HEIC.
"First of all that is a major misconception," said KONX AM REJS. "Any person who thinks that Jesus is divine in some way, is Christian. As far as the bible, not only is it by definition a collection of books that do not contain the original of any of the books therein, but there too many versions over the past seventeen hundred years to relate. Do you think it is fair to consider someone non-Christian, just for picking a different bible to read?"
"No, but don't they have a different one then other churches?" said LVX AM HEIC.
KONX AM REJS continued: "Yes and no. In general one may say they read the King James Version. They are one particular church that won't even switch to a newer bible, no matter what is brought for or against it. I'll tell you why people think that. Their Article Of Faith 8 says, 'We believe the Bible to be the word of word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.' First of all belief that there is a revealed book after The Bible doesn't negate belief in it. Second, Joseph Smith set out to divine a new translation of the entire Bible. This was largely paraphrasing and some sections even brought reference to older Biblical texts. In theory they did nothing but take the whole bible as truth. That hardly leaves them in denial of the bible."
"I agree, but why are they so separate?" replied LVX AM HEIC.
KONX AM REJS continued: "Like all reform movements, they improve situations in some matters. However, almost all reformers make things worse in some way. I'll talk from the verses upon the subject of sects. Within any of the Faiths, the differences between the sects tend to be based upon the same knowledge (See Al Qooraan 45.17). It is wrong to break up the community over a difference in wisdom (See Al Qooraan 43.65). One may say that this occurs in any faith community, the Fire Beings or Jinn are divided into sects (See Al Qooraan 72.11). Each group just celebrates holding a slightly different view (See Al Qooraan 23.53). No person or sect ever has the complete wisdom or even knowledge in a subject (See Al Qooraan 30.32). To sum up we may say that only one religion was endowed upon God's Messengers (Avatari in Saamskrita and rasoowl in Arabic both mean sent one.) and prescribed through those revelations, but the divisions were never a part of it (See Al Qooraan 42.13). Sects don't form until after knowledge and this always leads to doubts about what is called scripture (See Al Qooraan 42.14)."
LVX AM HEIC responded, "If that is the rhyme and reason for sects, why did Joseph Smith want to start one?"
KONX AM REJS answered, "Joseph Smith is what I would call a prophet of a sect. This is made clear by Joseph Smith History 1.5-10 & 18-20. In 1820's Palmyra, New York, the perception that nothing outside of Christianity was valid in religion. Out of that assumption, he sought "which of all the sects is right." He didn't seem to think for a second that maybe Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and some of the other founding fathers were right with the thought of the Bible as full of nice symbols and teachings, but not something to take word for word, particularly with the identity of Jesus as Divine. The next century with figures such as Aleister Crowley, Carl Gustav Jung, Joseph Campbell, and Mircea Eliade made clear to much of the world that there were no wrong sects or necessary divisions, for that manner. As Allen Watts would have said, "They only hold as much authority as you deem them to have." By April 5, year 1829 of the Common Era; the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Mormons was completed according to the authority placed upon the visionary accounts of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery."
"Why do they call them Mormons?" said LVX AM HEIC. "Is the Book of Mormon story kind of like the South Park?"
It was obvious she had not read the Book of Mormon her prospective boyfriend had given her.
KONX AM REJS continued: "They are called Mormons after the Book of Mormon. It was so named, because in it says Mormon decided to make a summery of the records of former peoples he acquired. The first print of the Book of Mormon says Joseph Smith is the author."
LVX AM HEIC asked, "If he is the author, then it must have started with him."
KON AM REJS replied, "One may say it started with biblically based people trying to explain how there were people native to the Americas here when the Europeans arrived. Joseph Smith at the very least went along with that consciousness and gave people hope for answers. Three of the eleven people from the three and eight witnesses did not renounce their testimony in Joseph Smith's claims. We may then say that there is a chance that there really was some gold plates, for which he arrived at an interpretation."
"Isn't there no proof for Ancient Israelites in America? Who are the Elemental Beings you speak of."
"There has only been found truth against it in blood and artifacts. Other information in the Book of Mormon was proven wrong, but there are many metanomial and metaphorical truths therein."
"What am I supposed to learn then?"
KON AM REJS responded: "You are to learn that God will allow the important details of history and science to be known. Also that no people is left out in being able to receive Gods words (See Al Qooraan 2.213 & 16.36). As for your question on the accuracy of the cartoon. South Park in general makes fun of certain beliefs, so you shouldn't take what entertainment shows say about any idea to literally. South Park:All About Mormons minus its mocking tone would be considered rather accurate by any Latter Day Saint, regardless of the particular church they belonged to. If we take Joseph Smith literally in what he says, we don't have to accept him or his new teachings. Yes, he did claim that God and Jesus looked exactly like they did in drawings and paintings he must have seen growing up. You'd think God would be the transcendent being talked about by Jesus. Jesus would likely be of the Semite race as it says in the Book of Revelations. The fact that it was just like the stories and images meant it was something thought about enough to project it spontaneously in their dreams or in regular life. Real transcendental experiences are at the very least more so or beyond what is expressed in thoughts and words. This is true whether of only one's own soul and the world (Naasoowt), Fire Beings or Fallen Angels (Jinnoowt), Light Beings or Unfallen Angels (Malakoowt), or the Realm of Direct Manifestation of God (Laahoowt)."
"People sometimes see what that want when they wish hard enough?" asked LVX AM HEIC "Can that be controlled?"
"Yes. People attract people, forces, and experiences to themselves based on their innermost nature, intentions, feelings, thoughts, and bodily acts. There are too many different methods to discuss and keep in mind the idea of sects. With this we may refer to what Joseph Smith said about how he received the text of the 1830 Book of Mormon in the Messenger and Advocate, Volume 1 of 1834: 'No men, in their sober senses could translate and write the directions given.' The method was not that of prior knowledge, but of seeing the words of translation."
"How is looking at stones in a hat translating though?"
"It is not. What Joseph Smith said about the translation of the Book of Mormon is called divining. The practice of divination by skrying into shiny surfaces that are dark or darkened, is an effective method of producing both simple and psychedelic visions. This is particularly true when accompanied by altering ones physical and mental states through techniques such as praying and chanting aloud." replied KONX AM REJS.
"Why couldn't Joseph Smith come up with the same passages twice?" asked LVX AM HEIC.
"The Fire Beings he claimed to be dealing with said he failed the test he had been given by letting Martin Harris borrow the plates. Joseph Simth could have been afraid he would loose the privilege of further spiritual encounters. This 116 page manuscript written by Martin Harris of the Book of Lehi was hidden by his wife and as far has anyone knows, stayed the same until it was aquired by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."
"There are some things about it that don't make sense."
"If Joseph Smith was being honest about what he saw, we may say that he was told exactly what would be believed by a person in that culture. As for the source he claimed we may think there is something real to that. Plato and other Greek Philosophers said three things of those called Fallen Angels, Fire Beings, and by them Elementals: 'They are beings occupying a place between men and spirits, resembling men and spirits.' 'They are so tremendous in their wisdom and power, that they are mistaken as gods.' 'These metaphysical beings have a choice in their thoughts and actions, like unto a sane adult.' Based on this last point, we should take lessons from such encounters with them. Since they have free will, we cannot pretend that all encounters with them contain perfect messages. We should take note of our experiences, going along with what we hold as right and good. As for the reality of what any one claims we have the words of Carl Gustav Jung about a patient of his who thought a spirit snake was in her belly."
LVX AM HEIC questioned, "What did he say?"
KONX AM REJS gave an answer, "It was something similar to: 'I have no authority to say whether or not the snake exists, but we can't let her try to cut it out.' Don't you agree that the mental and metaphysical can not be a reason to be a harm to oneself and others? "
"Yes," she said. "I agree with that."
KONX AM REJS went on: "The metaphysical reality should be interpreted through the physical reality of body and mind. When they are bluntly as previously described or no more then can be expressed about them, the transcendent realty of that truth has been closed off. Then they are really experiences of the mind and body, without awareness of the soul and spirit. We should be careful of confusion. What ever type of experience, holy or mundane, it makes it no less real or valid. We should not let our experiences jeopardize or damage our relationship with ourselves, everything in the material universe, other souls, or The God. We should be trying to bond peacefully with all living and nonliving in the righteously and in good conscious."
LVX AM HEIC said, "I'll try."
The subject of that sect that took part of several conversations disappeared and hasn't reemerged in the year and a half since. Indeed the issue of sects has had little hearing in our discoursing. She was advised to not let those differences created antisocial situations. After all when it came to belief and practice, it all starts from the same path and how alike we are depends on how much we believe or follow or orthodoxy & orthopraxy. I hereby leave you in peace like I left her: "ShLM ALKY-Peace upon you (This is the Ancient Aramaic hi and bye).."

On 12/6/1428 these ideas came in a different form:
There is only one religion. There are only different inflections from the different places and times. There are also the deviations from this uniting with The God and the created.