The following is an epistle from Apostle Alexei Christopher Mattanovich to nonbelievers. This epistle was voted on and sustained as canon for use in the Church of Jesus Christ in Christian Fellowship by the Assembly of Saints April 6, 2020.
Chapter 1
- From he whom you do not accept as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, your Lord and Teacher, but on whose errand, I serve you, greetings!
- ¶ Come, let us reason together that you may know how the Spirit moves and what the will of the Lord is in these latter days.
- For I am an enemy to no one, though a disrupter of wickedness in high places, though it is not I, but rather I give voice to the Spirit of truth that lives in all creatures, who cannot abide the misery and oppression born of inequalities.
- Though you ask by what authority I do these things, and when I said I revealed the will of the Lord to me to translate ancient scripture, you asked “Who made you God?” as if doing the will of God or carrying his message made me God himself.
- Perhaps you perceive the Spirit of God that is in me. I answered: Who made Joseph Smith God when he did the same as I do?
- But perhaps I should have asked” Who made you God, or by what authority do you forbid me to do these things? For doing is the right of the doer, and forbidding is the privilege of the oppressor.
- ¶ I will tell you so that you understand clearly what the will of God is in these latter days and how righteousness will be established on the earth for the first time,
- For it is given to you and to all to choose for yourselves whom you will serve, and to serve God according to the dictates of your conscience, which is pleasing to God and allows you to come nearer to Him by degree as you are able.
- He says not to delay the day of our repentance, but to offer a broken heart and contrite spirit, and to perform all the labor we are able while the day lasts and then to rest.
- ¶ Only you can determine by whose authority I do these things, and that is how it should be, but I appeal to your sworn belief that God lives,
- And that He is a God of miracles who manifests His will by revelation to as many as call on His name in faith, and who would that we all become a nation of prophets and witnesses,
- To behold visions and dream dreams and speak by the Spirit of prophecy and revelation.
- The power by which I do them is agency, which God gives, and has decreed must exist, and that locomotion by which creatures move upon the earth and the freedom to move unoppressed.
- I have been rendered the power to read and study the scriptures and the voice to seek in earnest prayer, and the soul to receive revelation on that which I inquire with an open mind and the willingness to act upon what I receive.
- I will be judged, surely, if I do them against the will of the Almighty, and lead His children to sin against Him, however if I do sin with my agency, this is unworthy of surprise or remark in this fallen world.
Chapter 2
- It would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father that all His children hearken to the voice of His Spirit and follow the example of Joseph Smith Jr. in receiving revelation to shed light on the ancient writings that have been dimmed by time.
- I honor Joseph to follow his example, which is the end and desire of what he started,
- And I have been empowered by angelic administration and commanded to publish what others receive in private, even now,
- Because the message that went forth in the days of Joseph was not received by the majority, nor welcomed among them.
- The church saw without seeing and heard without hearing.
- ¶ Joseph declared under inspiration that the book that people called the Bible contains many true books and excludes many true books of sacred scripture, and that we believe it to contain the Word of God as long as it is translated correctly.
- His Inspired Translation declared by its very existence that it was not translated and maintained correctly,
- And Nephi testifies that many plain and precious truths were removed by the Great and Abominable Church,
- And it is well known that his restorative work of translation remains incomplete and is not sought after, because the Great and Abominable Church is ever opening missions in the fallen world.
- ¶ Joseph’s translation offers changes to every single book in the Christian Canon, to show unto us the breadth of the problem,
- And only the first book of each testament did he change drastically, to show unto us the depth of the problem.
- This gives us the scope of the work and provides the example of what to do.
- And notwithstanding those changes, he left them all incomplete, as I will also, to leave ambiguity, for without this there is no room for the Spirit to move, and no possibility for the individual to learn line upon line.
- We, in our division, and in our oppression, and in our manifest arrogance are wholly unworthy of a pure record.
- ¶ The Book of Mormon is a great experiment in personal revelation,
- For none of its blessings of knowledge are available to us without the personal witness of its truth, and then a directive to gather into community based upon that same Spirit, with restored rites and ordinances.
- It establishes freedom of faith to grow in the shadow of oppressive religion and persecution.
- Time and again throughout, an individual is called out of fallen society by the Spirit of God and given direct revelation, and preaches,
- And perhaps one person hears the word and is moved upon by the Spirit to abandon false traditions and interpretations of scripture.
- The hearer must decide, are we to be the priests of the wicked King Noah or Alma the Elder?
- Noah’s traditions rewarded him with wealth and carnal pleasure, while often ours rewards our ego with carnal security.
Chapter 3
- If these things were not a clear enough directive from that Spirit who is the giver of all scripture and revelation, the author and finisher of our faith, who is yet to cease revealing His Word line upon line,
- He has given us a direct revelation concerning them through the very prophet you suppose I dishonor by doing His Will.
- He states, knowing that there were many other works outside those that men call apocrypha,
- And leaving it to us to know of Him that His Word has broader applicability than the answer to Joseph’s direct and limited question, that there are many things contained in those books that are TRUE.
- Are we then, seekers of truth? He says that they contain interpolations by the hands of men, which are not true.
- Is this not the case for the books of the Bible that Christendom benefitted from for so long?
- Is it not the case for all books, since the Book of Mormon, though a pure and inspired translation, repeatedly claims to contain errors of men and not God, defying the notion that we may ever consume upon our lusts the purity of the word in written form?
- He says: Therefore, whoso reads it let him UNDERSTAND, for the SPIRIT MANIFESTS TRUTH; and whoso is enlightened by the Spirit SHALL OBTAIN BENEFIT THEREFROM.
- Are we enlightened by the Spirit? Do we desire the benefit of the scriptures?
- He says: whoso receives not by the Spirit cannot be benefited, but not that they should not read it!
- The same can be said of any scripture.
- Look upon the history of bloodshed and chaos caused by a bible reading public, who read it into the darkness of their own minds and proclaimed that it was true and authoritative.
- It is this truth about the scriptures, its ineffectiveness in its current form to transform the minds of fallen humanity, that it is become my mission to carry forth and publish, and to reflect unfiltered light into the darkness.
- Because we are shown the process that Joseph has demonstrated in his translations, and which is given us to practice in obtaining our witness of the Book of Mormon, it is not needful that the apocrypha be translated by Joseph, himself.
- If we were enlightened by the Spirit, we would not need any prophet to reveal or translate anything at all,
- And the object of God by prophets is not to keep us ever dependent upon them, but to transform us into them.
- But I ask you, by what spirit did fallen Mormonism receive these things?
- Were we “enlightened by the Spirit” such that we received the benefit from the ‘apocrypha?’ Did we seek any other books?
- ¶ No, I tell you by the Spirit that is in me, that you are rebuked, O fallen tribes of the Restoration!
- You did not see the purpose for which the Book of Mormon was given, and you sought forever the Sealed Portion to be revealed by your authorities,
- But did not seek the Sealed Portion within that which was already translated and sent forth among you because your minds were darkened by disobedience to the higher laws and the call to be One;
- Not one in thought, because thoughts enter the mind like the winds and travel where they will, but one in Mind, which is ever present and if unified exists in peace and if fractured, produces insanity.
- You read the book of the New Covenant as another authoritative text on which to found a dead religion, or many variations of one, and did not give place that it would transform you.
- You did not see the meaning in the Inspired Translations of the Holy Scriptures and did not understand the Message regarding the books that were not esteemed by Fourth Century apostates to support their dead religion or suit their cannons and creeds, which are abominable, says the Lord.
- They are abominable because it takes no spiritual power to read and agree, no development can take place and no lessons in love and acceptance, so vital for Zion, may be learned by coercing acceptance and obedience.
- So now, because you failed to understand the Restoration, and to understand that Joseph was only called to take the first steps for you to show you the way,
- And that you were to take the next steps on your own, because you cannot be carried all the way to Heaven by Jesus or His messengers, I am sent to repeat this message and become your helper.
- But I too will not carry you far.
Chapter 4
- Absolute authority leads to dead forms of religion, and fundamentalist approaches that worship the letter of the word, but sacrifice the Spirit.
- It reinforces our ego to obtain the word only to abuse it by oppressing others by it.
- This has never been the intention of God or the prophets.
- If you accept my invitation, you will go on to seek the Spirit to deconstruct the scriptures of men and open the Heavenly Book, and suffer each to do likewise.
- This is not adding to or deleting from the Word of God that has gone forth, and which is no longer recorded because of wickedness,
- So long as you do it by the Spirit of Truth and not the Ego, always approaching as a little child, always ready to grow by accepting new and deeper understandings and prepared to receive truth in greater purity, becoming transformed into the very image and person of Christ.
- But even if you do not accept my invitation, I would that you allow others to do so in peace as the Spirit moves them so that the scriptures find fulfillment of their purpose, being a means for revelation and communion.
- We are not called of God to know him though reading, but to come into his presence. Dead scriptures paint a distorted picture of God; living scriptures manifest Him.
- ¶ On the contrary, you have been commanded by God through many scriptures to be at peace with it,
- And to resist not evil, even if it so be that one such as I should truly hearken to the voice of the Fallen One and create something unknown to the revelations of God.
- For God has many times commanded his saints that there should be no contentions, and also directed that all may worship according to the dictates of their own consciences,
- And again that there should be no law against a person’s belief, for it is strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring individuals onto unequal grounds.
- And if there should be no law regarding their belief, then there should also be no persecution because of it. And I tell you that anger is oppression and not of God.
- ¶ I tell you that this is the spirit by which the apostasy happened.
- Their anger and fear was founded in a lack of faith, the fear of interpretations that the oppressors were uncomfortable with and could not control.
- They saw their anger as righteous indignation, and justified it by the scriptures they and their fathers like them had caused to be written that distorted the character and nature of God to make him angry like unto themselves.
- We are never commanded to be angry, and I repeat that anger is a poisonous cup that when drunk gives place in our hearts for the intoxication of Satan,
- And the peace in our minds is replaced with confusion, and the Spirit of the Lord has no place in our hearts from which to guide our thoughts, our words and our deeds.
Chapter 5
- I, as His Apostle, called by the manifestation of his person and the appointment of angelic administration, carry a message that will lay the groundwork for future unity,
- But many are not ready to receive it and it will offend many who are weak in their faith.
- The apostasy of the early church began with disputations and anger among the people of God over points of doctrine and who held absolute authority, and it worked division and led to bloodshed.
- The Restoration through Joseph Smith required the foundation for religious liberty, and an environment where it was safe to bring a new perspective into the world and establish it though peaceable means, which is in opposition to the old paradigm of religious persecution masquerading as the defense of truth.
- Let us not return to former darkness.
- ¶ If your feet are planted on a solid foundation, you need not fear; reason with me, rather.
- There are religions in the thousands, perhaps many points of view that are not rooted in the truth of God.
- Suffer another one that will advocate peace, unity and social conscience and will abandon corruptions that prevent innocents from finding their way to God.
- I would that you be willing to be present with each tradition in peace and love, whether or not they are willing also, for that is the only way to obey the Savior.
- It is the only way to leave the door open to inspire their advocates and adherents and perhaps perform the missionary work of the Lord in them;
- But more importantly, it is an opportunity to put your faith into action, making it more than a personal assurance of correct doctrine and rather making it an opening to be a manifestation of God’s love, as it is incumbent on the ambassadors of Christ to be also ambassadors of world peace.
- ¶ Some of you seek something new in this day by which to unify the schisms, and seek it among ancient traditions now disused.
- I tell you to seek it in life and not death, seek the living Spirit, and not dead forms; you cannot fit that which is new into old vessels.
- Though commandments may have a limited application, God does not vary on Eternal Truth.
- True religion, pure and undefiled, is love, and its application is service, and He demands mercy and not sacrifice. Once we are unified and provided for temporally, we will be endowed spiritually.
- ¶ Before condemning my doctrine, ask if it encourages the hurting of any of the children of God, or of animals or the environment or if it advocates the spreading of animosity and hatred.
- What is the Spirit by which it comes?
- I tell you it is the will of God that total religious and spiritual freedom be established upon the earth,
- Because this is the only environment that will give meaning to the choices made and the witnesses received by the children of God, leading to salvation.
- This is the only atmosphere that supports transformation and ascension.
Chapter 6
- Religious oppression is not of God or Jesus Christ and never has been,
- And all those who persecuted or offended their brothers and sisters in their names will be cast off and declared that they were unknown in his Kingdom and their names were not found in his Book of Life.
- ¶ But you are justified in anger, if that is what you wish, according to human judgment, as it is a human emotion,
- And if you approach as fallen man with a spirit of fear, placing your scriptures upon the altar as an idol as did the ancients, and perceive in my doctrine a threat to the purposes of your god, taking up his defense because his arm is weak, and serve tradition rather than God.
- If so, you are well alerted to attack, because I have come to throw down the god of tradition, \
- Not because his arm is weak, because his arm is flesh and it has always wrought violence against the prophets and saints,
- But because his feet are weak and because he has no foundation to stand on but the backs of the people of God, the True God, who will be both our Redeemer and Avenger.
- ¶ I just now opened the Book of Mormon and laid my eyes on the verse in Alma 3 RAV, 5 OPV which reads:
- [3:61/5:37] O ye workers of iniquity, ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world. Ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness, nevertheless, have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice.
- [3:62/5:38a] Behold, I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ;
- [3:63/5:38b] And if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
- [3:64/5:39a] And now, if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye?
- [3:65/5:39b] Behold, I say unto you that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this?
- [3:66/5:39c] Behold, I say unto you, Whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil;
- [3:67/5:40] For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.
- [3:68/5:41a] Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works, he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd; and he doth follow him;
- [3:69/5:41b] But whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil; for he hearkeneth unto his voice and doth follow him.
- [3:70/5:42] And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.
- [3:71 [5:43a] And now, my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul;
- [3:72/5:43b] For behold, I have spoken unto you plain, that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.
- [3:73/5:44a] For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus;
- [3:74/5:44b] Yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.
- [3:75/5:45a] And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself?
- [3:76/5:45b] Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true.
- [3:77/5:45c] And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?
- [3:78/5:46a] Behold, I say unto you: They are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God.
- [3:79/5:46b] Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself.
- [3:80/5:46c] And now, I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
- [3:81/5:47a] And moreover, I say unto you that, as it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true,
- [3:82a/5:47b] Even so, according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God,
- [3:82b/5:48a] I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you concerning that which is to come is true;
- [3:83/5:48b] And I say unto you that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth.
- [3:84/5:48c] And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
- [3:85/5:49a] ¶ And now, I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called; yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and everyone that dwelleth in the land;
- [3:86/5:49b] Yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.
- [3:87/5:50a] Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion.
- [3:88/5:50b] Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you that the Spirit saith, Behold, the glory of the King of all the earth. And also the King of heaven, shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men;
- [3:89/5:51] And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying,: Go forth and say unto this people: Repent; for except ye repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of heaven.
- [3:90/5:52a] And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire.
- [3:91/5:52b] Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it.
- [3:92 [5:53] And now, my beloved brethren, I say unto you: Can ye withstand these sayings? Yea, can ye lay aside these things and trample the Holy One under your feet?
- [3:93a/5:53c] Yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts? Yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?
- [3:94/5:54a] Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another?
- [3:95/5:54b] Yea, will ye persist in the persecutions of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit? And they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance;
- [3:96/5:55] Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor and the needy and in withholding your substance from them?
- [3:97/5:56] And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, except they speedily repent.
Chapter 7
- Now this is a revelation to you of the will of God, as I opened and began reading, not knowing what I would read.
- The Holy Spirit has taken over this epistle and spoken to you more powerfully through the prophet than I could, and these verses, which are unmarked in my scriptures, have become the essence of my mission.
- There must be a restitution of all things before the return of the Son of Man to sit on his throne in His Kingdom on the earth and reign among us in peace.
- And the faith must be restored, and our hearts must be purified, and we must become empowered by the Holy Spirit to a transformation of ourselves, by denying the flesh,
- That is, denying that spirit which tells us that normal reality is not miraculous, and refusing to exist as individuals in fear, afraid of our neighbors, afraid to speak.
- We must not fear death and persecution, and be committed to both unity, even when it is rejected, and revelation, even when it is denied.
- ¶ So let calm wash over you and let peace reign in your heart, because I perceive a Spirit of wisdom and goodness within you.
- There is nothing that can harm you in my work, for if I serve myself, I shall not have wherewith to reward myself, and if I serve the devil, God help me, that you may be the means whereby I am saved.
- ¶ For truly, this doctrine which has been given me by the Spirit began not with speculation or agenda, but with the anxiety of my soul and the desire for answers,
- And if these revelations give me an unprecedented access to the gifts of God, which were before unavailable to me, they may also give them to others;
- Therefore even if they are not understandable to you, they may do some good in the world, which has fallen below all depths and wanders in darkness.
- And if that good is merely a precursor to a line of the gospel that brings them into the light and closer to the fullness, then be at peace.
- For I am sent to those who are now marginalized and neglected by those who set themselves at the gate of the prophets’ messages.
- But now I feel that the Spirit has spoken in stronger language than I through the scriptures referenced, and I express only my opinion.
- ¶ To you, I am directed to forgive and offer peace, as this message is not only for you; it is a message to all who will receive these things in like manner.
- Though I have experienced many persecutions and tribulations, and expect more, and though I as a human fear death and shame, though in faith I fear nothing, so also I have no faith if it is not founded in love.
- Therefore I love you and call you and all others my brothers and sisters,
- And if it so be that you can give place to the possibility that I have been given a principle of understanding, then call me also a brother in the faith, and be not angry for gentle rebukes as I am not angry for them;
- But if it so be that I am misled, as all humanity is misled, then accept me as a brother the way you accept all as one human family, and one in need of ministry, of which I graciously accept.
- ¶ And remember that the Holy Spirit manifests in power, though it is a still, small voice, and not a forceful spirit.
- And if it so be that you are already under His tutelage and on a difference course from mine, may we all graduate together in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- ¶ May God grant you the grace of his love and wisdom and the fruition of your ministry in His service, and may you be a light to all you touch and a joy to all you serve, in his Holy Name; Amen.
6
6 comments
5 votes yes from South Carolina
5 positive votes from here in California
I vote yes, this is truly inspired.
I approve the scriptures and revelations presented. Yes in all.
My votes from Conference 2020: Pending Scriptures, All listed – yes
Yes to inclusion