My Testimony of the LDS Church & Religion (Part 2. My Beliefs)

This article is a continuation of the article, My Testimony of the LDS Church & Religion (Part 1. Supernatural Experiences)

My Faith in God

As I’ve tried to explain in my article on Eternal Progression and Comparative Cosmology, I believe as Hindu, Buddhist and Biblical & LDS verses suggest, that the Most High God IS essentially an infinite intelligence which permeates the universe (ie. see D&C 88:6–13,47. see also Oahspe & The Law of One); or in other words the incomprehensible intelligent aspect of creation or the whole of the infinite Universe of which we are all a part—like individual cells in a body; but I also believe there is a lengthy hierarchy of higher & lower extra-dimensional beings or mediators who are responsible for most of the religious and spiritual accounts of god (ie Mormonism’s “Father” & Son. see D&C 121:28,32. also see divine investiture of authority). I also believe in a sort of global and universal shared subconscious, which mystics are able to tap into (see akashic records, Rev 5:4). I believe the Most High God’s law IS the natural law and is thus impossible to break; and that the assorted laws of religion and state are the laws of mediators who simply try to mimic the unsurpassable harmony and symmetry of the natural law. I believe the highest religion is the one that best explains and mimics nature. My personal religion is based on the idea of doing the most good to others and understanding the natural law. My cultural religion is Mormonism and my life’s work is to bring the two into harmony. I believe Christianity and Mormonism are “types” or copies of more perfect extra-dimensional social systems which seek to mimic the natural law with their ordinances, doctrine and systems. I believe revelation doesn’t work at all like most people think.

Because I believe the Most-High God IS creation and his law IS the natural law, then all my descriptions of him or his law are basically me trying to scientifically or religiously describe nature and reality. And it is obvious that my perspective, compared to the whole of creation, is narrow and my language is partial and limited. I do my best to describe my beliefs of God in culturally accepted religious terms but I could just as easily use detached scientific terms— I  believe the truth encompasses all worldviews and descriptive languages (D&C 93:24–30). The way I would describe my beliefs to a Mormon is far different than the way I would describe them to a Catholic or a Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist and I believe angels and God’s do the same (1 Cor 9:20).

I sense the truth behind the idea that the world we collectively deem as reality is really just a shared illusion of sorts, and that things are not what they always seem and there are aspects of reality beyond human comprehension (1 Cor 2:9). The question of whether or not we are alone in our galaxy and whether there are transdimensional beings who watch over the earth seems logically necessary to me. From the evidence I see in the fractal patterns our galaxy (see Eternal Progression and Cosmology) it seems illogical to think it would be any other way. But arguing over the afterlife or things which aren’t really provable seems even more silly and illogical. To me, the highest questions of religion are… what is the highest ideal? What’s the best way to avoid social revolt or collapse? What system of morality is best for each society. It is less important to figure out exactly who, if anyone these religious icons or “prophets” are interacting with. I believe, like the movie Avatar tries to depict, that if higher “Gods” are interacting with mankind, they would not take sides– they would simply protect the balance of life–in the same way a good biologist works to preserve fragile ecosystems.

Just as our current world is a product of our ancestors which came before us, I believe that our lowly earth is predominantly led, instructed and influenced by beings who are just a little further ahead in their eternal progression than us. In essence I believe that when a person dies they pass into another dimension of sorts, and that these dead ancestors are able to randomly communicate through transient holes in the dimensions to those who have unlocked certain metaphysical abilities; and that these communications form the basis of most the world’s religions (1 Ne 32:3).

In this next section, I’m going to use Mormon language and concepts as much as possible to describe my idea of the afterworld….

My Belief in the Purpose of Life

I believe a cohesive purposes of life is hidden with most the world’s religions. I have done a lot of searching in the world’s religions for the purpose of life & existence–which I believe is self realization by eternal progression (struggle/evolution) or movement through the divinely created stages of life. I try not to speculate too much on questions of first cause, but I believe that the progression and existence of mankind is a microcosm of the three stages typified by the stages of the stars and the cosmos. We originate at some distant pre-existent state from an eternal sea of unity, infinite intelligence, uniformity and equality. Through a long evolutionary process of division/separation we are made self-aware and later are born  to a telestial (3rd density) earth to be repeatedly reincarnated (see my article) until we are individualized by experiences and forced into ego-driven groups which continue the ‘dividing process’ as a group.

This separative stage of “becoming” is made possible and accelerated by pain, struggle, ignorance & division. It is often symbolized by concepts such as “polarizing”, “the fall”, “dividing”, “separating”, “creation”, “agency/ free-will or willfulness”, “ego”, “power”, “kingdom building”, “pioneering”, “potentiation”, “temple/nation building”, etc. It is typified by prophetic archetypes such as Moses, Brahma, Adam, Mohammed and Elias.  The most important aspect of this stage of progression is the creation of potentiated & opposing desire—because it is desire that makes free will possible and sets the stage for our next phases of evolution.

Next, in the terrestrial or 4rth density, we enter a stage of harmonization or atonement (at-one-ing), where all within the group find their chosen location within that framework and use up their polarity to experience every desire of their own creating. This occurs in after harvest or resurrection into the more fluid higher dimensions of the earth where abilities of group consciousness are developed and harmonization and communication are made possible to a degree hardly fathomable in our present state. It is symbolized by words such as “love”, “atonement”, “harmony”, “gathering”, “significator”, and “sacrifice at the cross or hindu swastika”; and is typified by prophetic archetypes such as Jesus, Isa, Vishnu and Elijah. I believe each primary division of the earth (China/SE Asia, India/Middle Asia & Africa/Europe) take turns being the spiritual leaders of the world and housing the Messiah figure. Hindu religion being distorted version of the primary world ‘gospel’ of a previous cycle. But Jesus being the exalted archetype for our cycle–the being in whom God most fully indwelled to spiritually lead the world for this ~4000 year yuga/cycle.

Lastly, after what might be termed as millions of years according to our present accounting of time (Celestial or 5th density), and after every-one in the group has experienced, dropped or risen above every desire, external forces begin to divide, destroy, absorb or break up the group’s material form. An eternal “copy” or memory of the group’s “spirit” is integrated and saved within the galactic memory (true Nirvana). This exaltation of essence and fall of form from harmony (ie. creating “spirit children”) and perfect unity is the death which sets the stage for the whole process to begin again. It is symbolized by archetypes such as Messiah, Shiva, Eve, Buddha, or Maitreya and words such as “eternal exaltation”, “redemption”, “salvation” “ONE”, “the Dao”, all in preparation for some aspect of this unity to repeat the cycle of division and fall.  Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Islamic and modern mystical works each emphasize different fractal aspects of this grand wheel, circle or cross of eternal life. (or circles within circles or times & seasons within years) They often use differing classifications and break points to divide and describe the endless circle but in the end are describing parts of the same phenomena.

My Faith for the LDS Church

I try (oft times poorly) not to pretend to know what I don’t know. But these are my beliefs or speculations based on my spiritual experiences and the writings of many, many others who’ve had visions or purportedly interacted with spiritual beings (see my channeled texts section for some of my favorites). I believe Joseph Smith was a prophet/clairvoyant and really did have angelic visions. But because of my own metaphysical experience and the accounts I’ve heard first-hand from others who have claimed to see spirits or light-beings, I believe that visions are far more subjective than most LDS people would think. Although I’m not dogmatic about it, I believe many of Joseph Smith’s (and most other religious mystics) visions were in fact subjective visions, instead of objective physical events. In other words these “visions” would not be verifiable by an unbelieving or disconnected second earthly observer (which is why Joseph’s siblings were not awoken during Moroni’s visitations, and why the accounts of the three witness state the “witnessing” was done only by faith in “vision” with “a spiritual eye”). In my opinion, it seems that Joseph Smith and other clairvoyants interact with extra-dimensional beings (or their “thought-forms” in the mental realm–see the law of one for details on thought-forms) in a way where much of what is communicated is telepathically transmitted to the brain or memory across dimensions (through a spiritual eye/third eye, not physical eyes) and received in a state of altered consciousness which must be interpreted through and distorted by the recipient(s) particular cultural lense(s). [This could be explained as just another way of saying these people “imagined what they saw”, except that this type of subjective imagination originates from without the mind instead of within it, often occurs to groups of individuals collectively, has a much higher degree of perceived reality than simple imagination and produces results which often end up affecting the course of human history. In my opinion, higher dimensional beings are subtly communicating to people through their imaginations]. I also believe Joseph Smith (like all mystics) was allowed to be influenced equally by both negative and positive higher beings and thought-forms.

Channeled books such as The Law of One, explain in some detail the supposed rules that guard the agency of man, concerning higher-dimensional groups (both on or off-planet) which seek to interfere with the self-determination the mortal dimension of our planet. Going one step further from the prime directive rules of star command in the opening scene of Star Trek Into Darkness, these texts explain that higher beings have emplaced rules which prohibit “interference with the normal and healthy development of 3rd Density life and culture”. These higher beings have the means to appear subjectively to mortals (as thought-forms within their minds) as well as materialize objects and “move mountains”, but are restricted from doing so unless the “faith or pre-existing belief” of those affected is strong enough that the occurrence does not affect the seeking group’s normal evolution and self determination.

Impressive works like The Law of One and John Newbrough’s Oahspe give accounts of the physical barriers that separate the different dimensions, as well as the cosmological phenomena which periodically create holes in these veils—causing curiously similar religious movements to pop up on opposite sides of the globe, seemingly out of nowhere (the global Second Great Awakening of Joseph Smith’s day being the most recent example, with numerous religions beginning not only in America but theophanies like Hong Xiuquan’s Taiping Movement and the Bab’s Middle Eastern Bahai movement occurring with a decade of each other.)  After reading these accounts and noting all the subtle references to similar periodic mystical phenomena found in most major religions, I am left to conclude that it’s completely illogical to suggest that Joseph Smith, Hong Xiuquan and Siyyid Shírází (The Bab), all just “made up” their theophany experiences, nor can I believe that their expansive religious writings and scripture are devoid of supernatural influence.

But whose influence? That is the question! Once again, many esoteric books offer deep insight here by suggesting that people’s emotional and spiritual reactions to the works produced by these religious founders are not necessarily a testament to their absolute “truthfulness” as many suppose, but a testament to the fact that they are associated with higher dimensional groups (both good and bad) which have the ability to affect the consciousness of mortals who have the appropriate faith and receptivity. Furthermore, other texts suggest that many of the details of these mystic’s visions (and even theophanies) are actually the result of these individuals projecting their own biases onto the divine consciousness. The idea is, that when a mystic/prophet is able to break into the highest and most unified levels of consciousness, their worthiness (existing biases) will color everything they see (thus the necessity of worthiness to see the metaphorical “face” or presence of God). This could be what Paul is getting at in 1 Cor 13:12 when he says “Now [in veiled mortality] we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then [after exaltation] we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.” (NLT)

Because of the interesting similarities mixed with the stark differences of these people’s experiences, I believe most prophetic visions are almost like connecting to a computer mainframe of consciousness where the prophet is in charge of translating, culturalizing and “humanizing” all that is perceived through the spiritual/psychic organs of the revelators mind. I believe the Book of Mormon & Pearl of Great Price were channeled from a heavenly group (not “translated” per se), and are an often loose, somewhat distorted and westernized/christianized rendition of the history of an actual Native American group.  (Scores of other channeled works I’ve read as well as Books like Oahspe, The Urantia Bible, The Kolbrin, The Sealed Portion, The Aklatan, The Metinah Papers, Kinderhook Plates, etc.. might be of interest in a discussion of accuracy, purposes and truthfulness of all these channeled works.)

[Note: I can value the more agnostic perspective where the heaven seen by prophets, mystics and those having near death experiences is actually just a shared imagination of cultures. The idea that there is some type of shared consciousness which is not actually real or inhabited by dead ancestors (except as they exist in the group memory), but a shared dreamworld of sorts that is accessed by these individuals. Thus the more broad or encompassing an individual’s perspective or a culture’s perspective, the closer to a true reality their visions become. However, although there may be some truth to this I think reality is far more complicated, and I truly believe the dead do live on after death in a far more real way—guiding mankind from an unseen realm.]

Through the process of translation I believe Joseph became the mouthpiece primarily for one of these terrestrial heavenly groups—and highly influenced by several others (see D&C 76:86–88). I believe religions, much like nations are subject to evolution and survival of the fittest to an enormous degree. And that most religions (and even nations) are started when cosmologically induced “holes” open between the dimensions, allowing heavenly groups to channel information to receptive individuals—the Father (heavenly groups) impregnating the Mother (earthly groups) with truth and knowledge, which then gives birth to a Son (new nation, religion or influential ideology). I believe the opposing groups which communicated to Joseph did so with an important purpose which pertains particularly to the restoration of Israel, the future of the United States of America, the coming breakup of Medieval Christianity–and eventual transmutation of this planet by cosmic forces.

I believe as Joseph (like other mystics) grew older and the will of his followers became more integrated into his psyche, he became increasingly vulnerable to the negatively polarized groups who constantly seek to inject bias within all heavenly revelations. This revelatory bias (largely stemming from the negative desires of the early saints) was not enough for him to be rejected as a channel by the primarily heavenly group which he received revelation from, but was directly responsible for introduction of polygamy, many imperialist and cult-like doctrines, the subsequent breakup of the church and the succession crisis which ensued. I think it’s obvious from things like the Kinderhook plates, that as Joseph grew older he himself sometimes had a hard time differentiating between his own imagination and actual revelation. I believe that Brigham Young and other subsequent LDS presidents have continued and amplified that bias to the point that they have trouble overcoming the stumbling blocks which separates their own beliefs from the philosophy of the original heavenly group which appeared to Joseph. (see this article for some examples–realizing I certainly don’t have all the answers either.)

But I believe these terrestrial groups are highly intelligent and anticipated what occurred (since it is invariably the case with every heavenly revelation). I think current LDS leaders are good men, doing their best despite the assorted sources of their spiritual light (most of which I think appropriately come from Brigham Young and the Mormon Church in the highest level of the telestial level of the Spirit World–who in turn get inspiration from Terrestrial heavenly groups–who in turn are inspired by the group associated with Christ). As was the case with both Israel, Catholicism, and other major religions the church serves its purpose of exalting groups, and is used by higher beings to do their work. I believe that higher beings are adamant about guarding free will and the right to self determination and the heavenly silence occurs in order to give churches (and people) the right to figure out on their own who they are going to be. It is my hope that the church decides to be an organization which promotes agency, freedom and ecumenical democracy and not divine dictatorship (which is the hallmark of the archetypal Church of the Devil). It is also my hope that the church will continually repent of its pride and eventually play a key role (if not a central role) in gathering “all things in one”—as well as playing a key role in the creation of one of the five nations which will spring from the breakup of the United States in the next five generations (see prophesy in the Book of Ben Kathryn).  But my beliefs are increasingly less Mormon-centric than they once were. I see Israel and the church as a type of symbol of what God is doing globally. I see it as a shadow and school-master for far more perfect government organizations which exists in the heavens–which are designed to help people find unity and oneness, which is the gateway to harvest into the complex systems of higher dimensional life which I attempt to explain in my article Eternal Progression, Degrees of Glory, and the Resurrection: A Comparative Cosmology.

My Faith in Historical Religion

I don’t like to demonize or vilify things. I believe that all things have their place and time and fit together into one beautiful whole. I believe that the lower one descends through the planes of eternal existence, the more polarized (ie. disharmony in good vs. bad) things become; but that eventually people are redeemed from division when they learn to at-one or unify/harmonize all polarity. I think this same principle is taught in the LDS temple ceremony. That the archetypical “lucifer” unknowingly is fulfilling the Father’s will as he uses the world’s religion to polarize and divide people (giving them the fruit of the knowledge of good vs. evil). I think many people in the earth’s religions are actually being divided and polarized as they follow lords of force & division, instead of actually following Christ the western archetype of unity in love and equality.

I believe the highest extra-dimensional beings who watch over our galaxy (symbolized by the Father & Celestial kingdom in Mormonism), exist outside of space and time as we know it. They watch over earth’s progression with a full knowledge of every possible outcome of evolutionary experimentation. Although they control the natural law and know the end from the beginning, they avoid determinism and instead guard agency wherever possible and maintain the balance of dualities and opposing forces making global self-determination possible.

I believe in the cosmologies promoted by books like Oashpe and the Law of One which detail the partial and cryptic explanations of the afterlife given in most of the world’s organized religions. I believe that even though major religious founders interact with inter-dimensional beings, their words and teachings are almost immediately corrupted after their deaths by negative forces originating the earth Spirit World and global mind. These corruptions are anticipated by the higher beings, and the mixed messages and distorted religions which evolve from these revelations become a powerful cultural influence which creates an environment of “opposition in all things” which is necessary for mankind to exercise free will. I believe each religion has a multi-leveled counterpart in the earth’s 3rd density spirit world. These organizations seek to funnel people up to a state of consciousness where they can interact with the higher physical densities (resurrections)

I believe that being raised in this highly polarized environment of a religion which teaches love and acceptance and absolute truth but more often than not practices control and narrow mindedness, has been a highly effective catalyst in aiding my spiritual and intellectual progression. The polarization and conflict has left me seeking knowledge and prizing the answers. I believe most of the great minds on earth were grown in this environment (esp. Judaism in the Western world). Because of this I do not demonize negativity in my religion. I see it as effective, valuable, and useful. I plan to raise my children beneath the auspice of its mythos. I try to promote the good it it, and transmute the bad.