Matthew 16:15-20, BHT: Jesus asks “Who I AM?”

An addition to the BHT, when Jesus and Simon/Peter converse about the identity of Jesus and of inner revelation. 15 Jesus then said to his followers, "But who do you say that I AM?" 16 Simon replied saying, "You are Christed, the anointed One, an incarnation of the living and breathing God." 17 Then Jesus [...]

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.