Elizabeth Clare Prophet
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spiritual author and lecturer who was the leader of The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse is an international New Age spiritual organization founded in 1958 by Mark L. Prophet. Today it is the outreach arm of Church Universal and Triumphant, founded in 1975 by Prophet's wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet...
and Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
, a New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
religious movement which gained media attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s while preparing for potential nuclear disaster.
During this time, Prophet appeared on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, Donahue
The Phil Donahue Show
The Phil Donahue Show, also known as Donahue, is an American television talk show that ran for 26 years on national television. Its run was preceded by three years of local broadcast in Dayton, Ohio, and it was broadcast nationwide between 1967 and 1996.In 2002, Donahue was ranked #29 on TV Guide's...
and Nightline, among other television programs. Earlier media appearances included a feature in 1977 in "The Man Who Would Not Die," an episode of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's In Search Of... series. She was also featured in 1994 on NBC's Ancient Prophecies.
Early years
Prophet was born Elizabeth Clare Wulf in Red Bank, New JerseyRed Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...
to Hans and Fridy Wulf. She spent her junior year studying French in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and graduated from Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school that serves students in grades nine through twelve in Monmouth County, New Jersey, from the boroughs of Little Silver, Red Bank and Shrewsbury...
second in her class. She attended Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
in Ohio from September 1957 to March 1959, transferring to Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in September 1959. She received a bachelor of arts degree in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in approximately August 1961. From the age of nine, Prophet suffered from absence seizure
Absence seizure
Absence seizures are one of several kinds of seizures. These seizures are sometimes referred to as petit mal seizures ....
s, a form of epilepsy, which worsened to include tonic-clonic seizure in 1988.
After visits to the Catholic Church, the Jewish synagogue and every Protestant church in Red Bank, she attended Methodist Sunday School before finally settling on Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
at age 9, attracted in part by its emphasis on healing and her desire to overcome her epilepsy. She eventually expressed ambition to become a Practitioner.
Mark Prophet
On April 22, 1961, her group invited Mark Prophet, who claimed to be a messenger for the Ascended masters, to speak in Boston. She attended this meeting at which Mark claimed to give a message, from the Archangel MichaelMichael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
; afterwards, she asked Mark to train her to be a "messenger". Mark and Elizabeth were married in 1963, had four children, and together administered The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse is an international New Age spiritual organization founded in 1958 by Mark L. Prophet. Today it is the outreach arm of Church Universal and Triumphant, founded in 1975 by Prophet's wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet...
, which Mark had founded in 1958.
On July 5, 1964, Prophet delivered her first public dictation, purportedly as a messenger for the ascended masters.
In 1965, the Prophet family relocated to Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, and in 1966 to Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
.
In 1970, the Prophet family founded Montessori International, a school based on the principles of the acclaimed educator Dr. Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and educator, a noted humanitarian and devout Catholic best known for the philosophy of education which bears her name...
. "Montessori International" was used by the Prophets for their church/community school, which at various times offered classes for students ranging from preschool age to high school. Although their preschool teachers were trained at official Montessori organizations such as the Association Montessori Internationale and the Pan-American Montessori Society, they were not officially associated with the Montessori umbrella organizations. In the elementary and high school levels, teachers were not Montessori certified.
In 1970, the Prophets went to India with several dozen church members. They toured the country, meeting with Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
as well as the Dalai Lama.
In 1972, the first volume of Climb the Highest Mountain was published, a projected five-volume work, which the Prophets intended to become their central scripture.
On February 26, 1973, Mark Prophet died of a stroke. Elizabeth assumed leadership of their organization, which began an interest in survivalism, based on instructions she said Mark gave her the night before his stroke. She organized survival training on a 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) property outside of Colorado Springs, which they had purchased with the intention of using for a headquarters. In May 1973, the organization entered into a partnership with a member who owned a property near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, and attempted to establish a community there.
Ministry and expansion
Prophet married Randall King, a staff member, on October 17, 1973. They were married for seven years. King later sued Prophet for $16 million, alleging involuntary servitude, among other causes of action. The suit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.In 1974, the headquarters of the Church was moved to Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, where Elizabeth Prophet founded Summit University, a 12 week program of instruction in her teachings. In 1975, she founded Summit University Press.
On May 1, 1975, Prophet established Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
as the religious arm of the organization. She believed her church to be the rightful successor to the Catholic Church and used the title Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ
Vicar of Christ is a term used in different ways, with different theological connotations throughout history...
for the highest spiritual office in the church. (She was the first holder of that office; the church articles and bylaws define processes for future appointments to the office).
The church eventually became the umbrella organization for Prophet's work, with The Summit Lighthouse becoming the publishing arm of the church.
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
. Summit University, Montessori International, and quarterly church conferences were held there. About 300 staff members were then in residence.
In September 1976 and again in January 1978, Prophet returned to Africa. She conducted a conference at the Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
conference center in Accra
Accra
Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous...
which was attended by thousands. She also met with the heads of state of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
(Ignatius Kutu Acheampong) and Liberia (William Richard Tolbert, Jr.).
In 1977, the church purchased a former Claretian seminary in Calabasas
Calabasas, California
Calabasas is an affluent city in Los Angeles County, California in the western United States. It is located in the hills in the southwestern San Fernando Valley and the Santa Monica Mountains between Woodland Hills, Agoura Hills, West Hills, and Malibu, California. As of the 2010 census, the city...
, a 218 acre (0.88221548 km²) campus near Los Angeles, and moved its operations there in 1978. Due to opposition from various governmental agencies, including the California Coastal Commission, the church was never able to build its planned headquarters there. The church sold the property in 1986 to Soka University.
In October 1981, Prophet married Edward Francis, who was at that time a vice-president of the church. They were married for 16 years and had a son in 1994.
Also in 1981, the church purchased the 12000 acres (48.6 km²) Forbes Ranch, just outside of Yellowstone Park, near Gardiner, Montana
Gardiner, Montana
Gardiner is a census-designated place in Park County, Montana, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 851 at the 2000 census....
.
Final years in the ministry
In 1986, Prophet relocated her headquarters to the Forbes Ranch, which she had renamed the Royal Teton Ranch. It was here that she made her more well-known prophecies including the possibility of a nuclear war between the superpowers.Beginning in 1986, as she was leaving Los Angeles, Prophet began predicting a possible first-strike nuclear attack by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and urged followers to prepare for this possibility by building fallout shelters and storing food and other necessities for survival.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in November 1998. The leadership of her church subsequently passed to a board of directors.
Retirement and death
In 1999, deteriorating health led Prophet to retire from the church. In 2000, she entered full-time nursing care for Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
in Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. She died October 15, 2009 at the age of 70. In September 2011, Prophet and several other prognosticators who incorrectly predicted various dates for the end of world were jointly awarded an Ig Nobel Prize
Ig Nobel Prize
The Ig Nobel Prizes are an American parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early October for ten unusual or trivial achievements in scientific research. The stated aim of the prizes is to "first make people laugh, and then make them think"...
for "teaching the world to be careful when making mathematical assumptions and calculations".
Teachings
Both Mark and Elizabeth taught the Path of Personal Christhood, the way of the soul's one-on-one relationship with the god within. Through the practice of the path of "karma yoga" (the path of balancing each and every one of the untoward acts, which one has committed in this and previous lifetimes), and the use of the Science of the Spoken Word, a form of mantra combined with meditation, prayer and visualization, individual souls seek reunion with God, desiring to "Ascend into Oneness with that God", even as Jesus did at the end of his lifetime. They taught that this divine gift (The Ascension) could be earned after many lifetimes, upon balancing 51% or more of the negative karmaKarma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
of the soul.". The key to a more rapid balancing of Karma is the invocation of the Violet Flame, a spiritual light that is closest in its frequency or vibration to the physical octave. The teachings state that the Violet Flame, invoked by specific mantras called "decrees," actually transmutes negative karma, changing it into positive spiritual treasures, which accrue to an individual's heavenly "bank account."
The doctrine brought forth by Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet combines both Eastern and Western religious teachings, and came from divine messages transmitted by the "Ascended Masters"
Ascended master
Ascended Masters, in the Ascended Master Teachings is derived from the Theosophical concept of Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or "Mahatmas", though they differ in important aspects...
, heavenly beings ranging from universally familiar beings such as Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
and Jesus Christ, to lesser known beings such as Ascended Master K-17, the head of the "Cosmic Secret Service".
Innovations in the Ascended Master Teachings
Elizabeth Clare Prophet significantly expanded the use of the concept of "Twin Flames" which had been introduced in previous New Age teachings. A Twin Flame is supposedly the other half of a pair of souls which is always created at the beginning of the incarnation of a human being in the physical realm. The concept of had been included in the teachings of Guy and Edna Ballard's I AM Activity, but the idea of attempting to find one's twin flame had been dismissed by them as a distraction to one's main goal of accomplishing the ascension. Elizabeth Prophet popularized the notion and encouraged it, including it as a major them of one of her quarterly teaching sessions, entitled "Twin Flames in Love."In another break from previous New Age teachings, Elizabeth Prophet promoted the concept of "Fallen Angels" as beings similar to those taught of in evangelical Christian teachings. Previously, in the I AM Activity and Theosophy, it had been stated that angels cannot fall.
Dictations
Both Elizabeth and Mark Prophet took more than 3,000 "dictations" from more than 200 different "Ascended Masters". The messages, which often quoted the Bible or other scriptures, were published as "Pearls of Wisdom," which were mailed to weekly subscribers and later compiled into annual hardcover volumes. Mrs. Prophet described her taking of dictations as a raising of her consciousness to the level of her Higher Self, or Holy Christ Self, whereupon the Ascended Master who wished to communicate would then lower his or her Consciousness from the level of the God-Consciousness, to that level of the Christ Self of Mrs. Prophet. She stated that she was fully conscious and not in a tranceTrance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
when she took dictation.
Previous incarnations
Ms. Prophet said that she was previously incarnated as NefertitiNefertiti
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
, Queen Guinevere of Camelot
Camelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
, St. Theresa of Avila
Teresa of Ávila
Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer...
, St. Catherine of Sienna
Catherine of Siena
Saint Catherine of Siena, T.O.S.D, was a tertiary of the Dominican Order, and a Scholastic philosopher and theologian. She also worked to bring the papacy of Gregory XI back to Rome from its displacement in France, and to establish peace among the Italian city-states. She was proclaimed a Doctor...
, and Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette ; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of France and of Navarre. She was the fifteenth and penultimate child of Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I....
.
Extraterrestrial life
The Prophets believed in extraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
. However, Prophet did not see alien visitors as a benign presence (as did many New Agers) but generally having malevolent intent.
Some of Prophet's ideas are published in her book Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil and in Paths of Light and Darkness, the sixth book in her Climb the Highest Mountain series.
Elizabeth Prophet's family
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
in 1989.
Tatiana Prophet was a reporter for the Victorville Daily Press.
Prophet's grandson Chris Prophet is the former drummer for the post-hardcore group Horse The Band
HORSE the band
Horse the Band is a band from Lake Forest, California who are best known for their 8-bit Nintendo-influenced sound combined with metalcore. Frontman Nathan Winneke once described their sound as "Nintendocore".-Biography:...
.
Additional references
- Roth, Chris (1995) A Prophet in Her Own Compound: The Millennial Angst of Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Secretary to the Gods Steamshovel PressSteamshovel PressSteamshovel Press is currently a zine devoted to conspiracy theories and parapolitics. The magazine is published in St. Louis, Missouri by Kenn Thomas.-Featured authors:* Jim "Sims" Cregan* David Black* Len Bracken* Alexandra Bruce* Alan Cantwell...
, no. 14, pp. 13–19 - Lewis, James R., and J. Gordon MeltonJ. Gordon MeltonJohn Gordon Melton is an American religious scholar who was the founding director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion and is currently a research specialist in religion and New Religious Movements with the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara...
, eds (1994) Church Universal and Triumphant in Scholarly Perspective, Stanford, Calif. Center for Academic Publication - Whitsel, Bradley C. (2003) The Church Universal and Triumphant, Elizabeth Clare Prophet's Apocalyptic Movement, Syracuse University Press
- Erin Prophet (2008) Prophet's Daughter: My Life with Elizabeth Clare Prophet Inside the Church Universal and Triumphant, Lyons Press
- Kenneth Paolini, Talita Paolini (2000) 400 Years of Imaginary Friends: A Journey Into the World of Adepts, Masters, Ascended Masters, and Their Messengers, Paolini International
Publications
Works by Mark and Elizabeth Prophet (See full list of books published by Summit University Press, Corwin Springs, Montana):- (1965, reprinted 1974, 1983, 1991, 2004) The Science of the Spoken Word ISBN 0-916766-07-1
- (1965, reprinted 2005) The Soulless One: Cloning a Counterfeit Creation ISBN 0-916766-43-8
- (1984, reprinted 1986, 1987) Prayers, Meditations, Dynamic Decrees for the Coming Revolution in Higher Consciousness, Loose-leaf Sections I, II, and III, informally known among followers as "The Decree Book"
- (1984) The Lost Years of Jesus"
- (1986) The Path of the Higher Self, book 1 of the Climb the Highest Mountain series ISBN 0-916766-26-8
- (1993) Saint Germain on Alchemy ISBN 0-916766-68-3
- (1999) Saint Germain's Prophecy for the New Millennium ISBN 0-922729-45-X
- (2000) Fallen Angels and the Origins of Evil: Why Church Fathers Suppressed the Book of Enoch and Its Startling Revelations ISBN 0-922729-43-3
- (2005) Paths of Light and Darkness, book 6 of the Climb the Highest Mountain series ISBN 1-932890-00-9
- (2006) The Path to Immortality ISBN 1-932890-09-2
- (2009) In My Own Words, Memoirs of a Twentieth Century Mystic ISBN 978-1-932890-15-0
By Elizabeth Clare Prophet (published independently)
- (2008) Preparation for My Mission: Childhood Recollections Edited by Tatiana and Erin Prophet ISBN 978-0-578-00357-3
By Alex and Margaret Reichardt
- (2009) On Fire for God: Adventures on the Mystical Path with Elizabeth Clare Prophet ISBN 978-1-60530-955-2
External links
- Official Church Universal and Triumphant biography and information about Elizabeth Clare Prophet
- Official Church Universal and Triumphant site of information about Mark and Elizabeth Prophet
- Official Summit University Press site
- Site on Elizabeth Clare Prophet maintained by daughter Erin Prophet This site (ecprophet.info) is no longer being maintained and is up for sale.
- Memories of Elizabeth Clare Prophet and husband Mark Prophet contributed and maintained by followers
- Randall King, Lanello Reserves, and the Tiffany Transatlantic Cable sections