Written by Lee Ellingson

Bookstores

I like bookstores. I like electronic bookstores, and I like brick-and-mortar bookstores. But I especially like the bookstores you can walk into and browse all you like, perhaps have a cup of tea, and look at all of the latest magazines.

When I was quite a bit younger, I often gravitated to the “new age” section. I knew I was missing something, but I did not know what. I thought the “new age” section was most likely to display some clue pointing me in the right direction. Naturally, there was a lot of nonsense and worse, but now and again, I would find something curious and fascinating—like the geometry of the Great Pyramid and evidence of prehistoric civilizations. I thought James Churchward’s books about lost continents were especially compelling. What I liked most were books that challenged my world view. I had a very strong sense that orthodox explanations were incomplete if not wrong. There was something missing.

Changing My Worldview

Your worldview is whatever you think is real. It is comfortable. It is reassuring. Scientists call it a paradigm. A paradigm shift is when you change your belief in what is real. Orthodoxy is a worldview that is sanctioned by the authorities. Our current worldview (or paradigm) is primarily informed by science, history, and religion.

I sensed that the orthodox paradigm was correct in many ways, but not all. Today, you hear rumblings in all of the sciences about a crisis in their disciplines. Too much evidence does not fit the model and the predictions. For instance, photographs from the Webb telescope are astonishing scientists because they defy their expectations. Cosmology is in the throes of a paradigm shift. Archeology and history are also experiencing profound changes. The belief that civilization began in Sumer 6000 years ago can no longer be sustained. There is too much evidence to the contrary.

A similar paradigm shift is happening in religion and spiritual studies. Many people are abandoning the orthodox churches because the orthodox churches no longer meet their needs or aspirations. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi library have created a storm of controversy about early Christianity and Christian scholarship. What really happened back then? For the first time in more than a millennium, we have evidence that the orthodox narrative may not be entirely correct. So, what are the true teachings of Jesus Christ? That is what I was looking for.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

One day, as I was browsing the shelves of the “new age” section, I saw two books with the titles, The Lost Teachings of Jesus Christ, Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Mark L. Prophet. What a title! This was going to be a bust, or it was going to be fascinating. Something told me to buy those books. I bought Volume 1. It was not that expensive, so I was not risking much. I took it home and began to read. Oh my! I had never read anything quite like it. Mark Prophet’s style was very casual and spontaneous. It sounded effortless. I later learned that the books were a transcript of some of Mark Prophet’s lectures or sermons, which were usually unrehearsed.

Some ideas were new to me. I did not know quite what to think about them, but I liked the speaker, and I decided to trust him for the moment. The next day, I bought Volume 2. This was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship with Mark Prophet and the ascended masters. The new ideas in those books became a part of a new paradigm that informs all of my beliefs. The more I learn, the more impressed I am with the teachings of the ascended masters and Mark Prophet. They get better with age. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mark Prophet, but I did meet Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Read on.

Meeting My Guru

Mark Prophet had made his transition a decade before, I read the Lost Teachings of Jesus. This book inspired me to learn more. The book was published by the Summit University Press, which is the publishing arm of the Summit Lighthouse. After communicating with the Summit Lighthouse, they informed me of a meeting of local students of the Teachings in my city at the time, which was Austin, Texas. I learned that the messenger, Elizabeth Clare Prophet was active.

I attended that meeting and began a series of friendships that have lasted over the years. We later founded the local “study group,” which is still very active. I learned that the Summit Lighthouse hosted four conferences a year near a small town in Montana named Corwin Springs. Corwin Springs is located at the northern entrance to Yellowstone National Park in an area called Paradise Valley. The land is spare but beautiful. The most popular conference occurred in the summer celebrating the fourth of July and our country’s independence.

Even though my funds were limited, I made up my mind to attend one of these conferences come what may. I remember thinking that if I missed an opportunity to see the Messenger, I would regret it for the rest of my life. It would be like having the opportunity to meet John the Baptist long ago and not taking it. A friend said I could ride with her and help pay for gas. I could save more money by taking a sleeping bag and camping out on Summit Lighthouse property. Motel rooms were limited during the tourist season, so many people did this.

Attending that conference, meeting many new people, and seeing live dictations was one of the most exciting events of my life. Attending summer conferences became an annual event for me. I began to think it would be wonderful to actually meet the Messenger, Elizabeth Claire Prophet. I just wanted to shake her hand and say hello. I began to resign myself that that would never happen. She was always surrounded by a retinue of people and very busy delivering dictations from the Ascended Masters. She was like the Pope or the Queen Bee.

A few years later, I attended a summer conference in San Diego. This was the first conference where I had a hotel room with a warm bed. Very nice. One day after lunch, I was on my way to a workshop in the hotel. I was walking across a large empty lobby when I saw Elizabeth Claire Prophet entering the lobby door and walking towards me. We were the only people in the room. I was amazed and a little apprehensive. We met in the middle of the lobby and came to a stop. She looked up at me and asked me my name and where I was from. We exchange a few more words, and then we went our separate ways. I was elated. It made my day. I have no doubt that meeting was no accident. She has been my guru ever since!