Prophet Onias

Prophet Onias is a pseudonym used by Robert C. Crossfield, born in 1929 in Canada.

Naming

Taking a pseudonym is similar to the early Mormon practice used in the Doctrine and Covenants of assigning scriptural code names to church leaders. The name Onias was a family name of Crossfield; several of his paternal ancestors had it as a first name. Throughout the early revelations, he is called the Prophet Onias, rather than Robert. When this collection of revelations was renamed "The Second Book of Commandments" in 1989, the term "Prophet Onias" was no longer used.

First Revelation

In 1961, while living near Edmonton, Alberta Canada, Onias received the first of a number of revelations. This first revelation stated that the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would not receive Word of the Lord oracles from God until the church resumed living all of the instructions in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132 [1] of "the new and everlasting covenant of Marriage", which includes the observance of plural marriage, which is a doctrine teaching men to be polygamous, which is technically called polygyny. Verse 44 of D&C 132 is specifically mentioned as being a necessary part of this law.

This revelation was directed at Mormon church officials, and included the instruction to "marvel not how these revelations come," referring that the revelations were coming through Onias, who was only an Elder in the Priesthood.

This revelation was critical of Mormon church leadership, stating they needed to "speedily repent," and stated that the work of God would continue in spite of the wicked. These revelations eventually reported many other errors that had crept into the Mormon church since early Mormon leaders had died.

Onias received this revelation unexpectedly, and he sent it immediately to the President of the Mormon church. No one in the Mormon church, including the President, responded directly him AbOUT the revelation. The Mormon church did not reinstate plural marriage when necessary as dictated by the revelation, and have continued to ignore the revelations of Onias.

History

In 1950 Crossfield converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon church), and was ordained into the Melchizedek Priesthood of the church.

After his first revelation in 1961, he continued to receive further revelations, but did not show them to anyone except church leaders until, as instructed through a revelation, he published them in book form in 1968. This volume was called Book of Onias.

During this time, Onias remained alone. He sent free copies of the Book of Onias to many libraries in the United States and Canada. For six years after the book publication, Onias received almost no new revelations.

In 1972, Onias was excommunicated from the Mormon church, because of his beliefs and claims to revelation. No one in the church formally talked with him about his claim, and he did not attend the excommunication trial.

Soon afterwards, in 1974, he received a revelation concerning the nature of God, now known as Section 23 of the Second Book of Commandments. This clarifies that the Old Testament terms of God, Jehovah, and Michael refer exactly to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. God is Elohiem in the Hebrew.

This revelation provides a resolution to scriptural contradictions with the Adam-God theory which was publicized by Brigham Young. This same revelation also reported a few significant errors in Young's Adam-God teachings.

In 1975 a long revelation (Section 24) was received containing the Parable of the Pear Tree which showed that the Mormon church would be cleansed and not destroyed by the Lord. This, with Sections 25, & 26, were published and mailed to most of the local leadership of Mormon church as a tract. There was hardly any response.

During this time Onias remained alone except for a few people who sought him out on their own. During his solitude, he received additional revelations concerning the setting up of Zion, but they were not published until later. Onias also received personal revelations for himself and others. By 1980, Crossfield received revelation ordering a move to the United States from Canada.

On March 6 1982, in Boise, Idaho, Onias and others followed a revelation and set up the School of the Prophets. The revelations declared that the School of the Prophets was not a church, and was not to do missionary work. Its purpose was to become the educational arm of Zion. Church members could not appoint themselves to the school or to offices in it, but were instead called by revelation. The School was given the work to compile and study Onias's revelations and to search out truth in all areas of knowledge and to teach this truth to those who come to the School to be taught.

A School of the Prophets for the whole world was set up first, consisting of a President and six counselors. President Crossfield with six counselors continues to direct the School since it was set up in 1982.

The revelations reveal that a School of the Prophets is to be set up in every Stake of Zion, each with a President and six counselors. The full duties and calling of the members of the School are found written in various revelations.

In 1984 the headquarters of the work of the School was relocated to Salem, Utah. At first many began to investigate the School, including Ron Lafferty and Dan Lafferty and three of their brothers. They were not called to the World School, but to a Provo, Utah School of the Prophets. After only two and a half months, Ron and Dan were removed from the School for several reasons. Four months later they were involved in a high-profile [...], and interest in the School of the Prophets was drastically reduced. Some of this story is detailed in Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith.

In 1986, Onias reported a revelation that the times of the Gentiles had come to a conclusion. From that time revelations have come forth identifying Israel and the different tribes. The School was instructed that from this time forth those with the signs of Israel would have precedence in the School of the Prophets and in Zion (Latter Day Saints).

Onias received additional revelations, which instructed that the New World Zion in Missouri will be set up in a "Four-square" manner. This refers to having four separate organizations with priesthood authority: 1) the political Kingdom of God, 2) the educational School of the Prophets, 3) the economic United Order, and 4) the missionary Church of Christ.

In 1988 members of the School set up the United Order Society of Utah in order for them to begin living by the principles of the economic laws of Zion.

Because an anticipated gathering together of the faithful had not come about, Onias reported a revelation directing him to leave the Salem, Utah area. This happened in 1997.

Onias and a few others have continued to do the works of the School, and another temporary gathering place in Texas has been set for gathering the Prophet and those that support him. Those in the United Order have set up businesses to support themselves, and preparations are being made to set up a political party in line with the revelations. An endowment house was also prepared in Texas and dedicated.

The Second Book of Commandments

The Second Book of Commandments is a sequel to the Mormon church's Book of Commandments, which is an early version of the Doctrine and Covenants. The original Book of Commandments was published in 1835. The Second Book of Commandments begins with a revelation in 1961 and continues to the present day.

The Second Book of Commandments set of revelations was originally named The Book of Onias and was published in 1969 by Philosophical Library. This contained revelations 1 through 22, plus a Preface revelation.

Onias's revelations were recompiled in 1985, and have been continually updated with new revelations since.

Book of Onias was again republished in 1988. This EDition contained revelations 1 through 45, with the first 23 revelations preserved identically. It was published by United Order Publications. United Order Publications is a publishing company that mainly publishes the Second Book of Commandments, and has published The Second Book of Commandments since 1988.

In 1989, the name of Book of Onias was officially changed to The Second Book of Commandments at the dictate of a revelation.

In 2005 it had 235 sections, and currently in 2007 it has 237 sections.[1]

Revelatees

Onias received revelations that referenced famous people and that were directed at famous people.

People referenced in Onias's revelations:

   * Joseph Smith
   * John Koyle
   * Brigham Young
   * David O. McKay
   * D. Michael Quinn
   * Mark E. Peterson
   * Spencer W. Kimball
   * Hugh B. Brown
   * George Bush
   * Henry D. Moyle
   * John Taylor (1808-1887)

People that Onias's revelations are directed at:

   * J. J. Dewey
   * Leroy Johnson

References

  1. ^ The Second Book of Commandments. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.

Sources

   * Second Book of Commandments website
   * School account of Lafferty experience