The Book of Mormon as Literary Alchemy: Joseph’s Magnum Opus and the Philosopher’s Stone

Joseph Smith's activity in bringing forth the Book of Mormon can be viewed as a project of alchemy, which was influenced by his affiliation with treasure digging, the folk magic worldview, the Hermetic tradition,1 as well as his many mystical spiritual experiences. I suggest he initially sought to bring the “gold plates” of his visions into material reality, and in the process discovered the true “gold” was within himself, the elusive Philosopher’s Stone.

What is the Sacrament, Communion, or Eucharist?

I perceive that when Jesus introduced the "communion" of the bread and wine, it wasn't so that we would remember only the person Jesus, per se, but the whole of God's creation, the Universe, that Jesus realized he was One with. It was all his "body."