Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00689)

On Sun, 31 Aug 1997 ramadoss@eden.com wrote:

> It is reported in HPB's biographies that during her travels in 1855 in the
> US, she travelled to Salt Lake City to meet the Mormons. In a recent
> coverage of Mormons in Time/Newsweek, (commemorating the travel of Mormons
> from Illinois to Salt Lake City) one of the things that I noticed was their
> belief in the second coming of Christ.
> 
> In Key to Theosophy, HPB mentions about coming of Messenger from the Great
> White Lodge and I am wondering whether there was some connection between
> what she knew or was told by her Guardian and her trip to Salt Lake City and
> their belief in second coming. One thing worth noting was that the founder
> of Mormons was not a scholar or a PhD, just a common man (who was assasinated).
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> mkr

I don't really have any ideas, but I do have a little info.  Joseph Smith
Jr., the Mormon founder/First Prophet, had his first vision in 1823, after
he had read James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that
giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given
him", and acted under its direction.  A messenger, named Moroni, was "sent
by God" to tell Smith of two golden plates which were buried underneath a
rock in Manchester, New York.  After a series of visions, he went there,
lifted up the stone, and found the items.  Two golden tablets, two stones,
and a breastplate.

I don't know much else, but I do have the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and
Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price in my possession.  I haven't gone
too deeply into them, but if anyone has any questions about anything, I
can try to look up the answers.  In the PGP, there is a short
autobiography of Smith.  I may read that tonight.  It was mainly written
as a means of countering false accusations in much the same way that HPB
had done in her introduction to the SD, and of which Sinnet wrote in the
Occult book (I can't remember the title, but I know it had the word
"Occult" in it.)

Oh, and the two stones were called Urim and Thummim.  Perhaps someone with
a better knowledge of language than I could discover the meanings of these
names.  (They are probably in one of the mormon books, but, like I said, I
haven't really read them yet.)

---
Jaqi.