Church Universal and Triumphant

Church Universal and Triumphant – What is it?
Church Universal and Triumphant is a religious organization dedicated to spreading the teachings of the Ascended Masters. It was originally founded as the Summit Lighthouse by Mark Prophet in 1958. At the age of 17, Mark Prophet purports to have received a supernatural visitation from El Morya, one of the Ascended Masters. In 1961, Mark met Elizabeth Clare Wulf who also claimed to have had a supernatural visitation from an Ascended Master by the name of Saint Germain. Mark and Elizabeth were married in 1963. Mark and Elizabeth became messengers by the anointing of the masters -- their role was to deliver divine messages, teachings, and prophecies to guide other religious seekers to their Higher Self or Real Self.

Ascended Masters are persons who once lived on earth. By the experience of Reincarnation, they have, through trial and testing, rid themselves of negative Karma, have become perfected, and have ascended back to their divine source or “God.” The Ascended Masters belong to a larger order consisting of Eastern Masters and Western Saints known as the White Brotherhood. White refers to the aura of white light that surrounds these ethereal beings.

When Ascended Masters find sensitive persons like Mark and Elizabeth, they use these individuals to convey their messages to others. The hearers are thus transformed and placed on the road to ascension.

When Mark Prophet was “called” to be a messenger, he distributed the Masters’ teachings in letters known as Pearls of Wisdom. When he died in 1973, Elizabeth Prophet carried on his works. She renamed the organization from Summit Lighthouse to Church Universal and Triumphant. Elizabeth now receives messages or “dictations” from the Masters and through classes, sessions, and writings, she transfers the “truths” to her hearers.

Church Universal and Triumphant – What are their Basic Doctrines?
Church Universal and Triumphant followers subscribe to many principles of doctrine drawn from Gnosticism, Reincarnation, Gnosticism, Christian Science, and New Age Movement.

• Church Universal and Triumphant disciples believe that there is in each person a higher self and a lower self. The higher self is unchanging, connected to all matter, space, and time. The physical body is the lower changing self. This dual nature reflects the duality of God.
• Church Universal and Triumphant believes that the power of the higher self cannot be transferred to the lower self until the individual has achieved worthiness. This process takes place through multiple lifetimes during reincarnation. Through reincarnation (literally, to come to life again) one may experience multiple rebirths until their soul reaches a state of perfection and becomes one with the Universal Soul or “God.”
• Church Universal and Triumphant believes in the Law of Karma. In each lifetime, a follower accumulates a “debt” depending on whether their deeds are good or bad. If one accumulates bad Karma, they may be reincarnated in an undesirable form. If one accumulates good Karma due to good deeds, they will come back in a good state. The Ascended Masters have reached the end of the process -- the goal of which is perfection and union with “God” the Divine Consciousness.
• Church Universal and Triumphant doctrine includes the “I AM” principles and “decreeing.” These two principles work hand in hand. If someone makes an affirmative declaration such as “I AM lovable and capable,” it is believed by Church Universal and Triumphant that they are invoking the “God” or higher part of their being thus making the declaration come true.
• Another belief of Church Universal and Triumphant is the “violet flame” (a.k.a. the “energy of freedom”). This energy, coupled with a clean lifestyle, will ward off negative Karma thus precipitating their purification and ascension to “God.”

Church Universal and Triumphant – What do they believe about Jesus Christ?
Church Universal and Triumphant believes that Jesus Christ is an Ascended Master, one of many. They do not believe that the Bible contains all of Jesus’ teachings, but hold that many of his teachings have been forgotten and must be revealed to followers by the Ascended Masters.

Church Universal and Triumphant doctrine teaches that by the time Jesus had reached the age of thirty, He had already merged with the Real Self in the Christ -- Jesus had accelerated to the level of the “I AM that I AM” who is the Eternal Presence.

Other biblical and historical figures seen as Ascended Masters include Melchizidek, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster Pythagoras, and Comte de Saint Germain. The “I AM” reference was taken from Exodus 3:14: “God replied, ‘I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, “I AM has sent me to you.”'" Nevertheless, this reflects Church Universal and Triumphant’s use of biblical terminology with meanings contrary to biblical context (what God meant.) This is typical of New Age Movements where Jesus’ revelations contain no parallel to the historical Jesus.

Church Universal and Triumphant believes that the Bible is an important source of information about Jesus, but that it is in no way a final or infallible source. According to Mark and Elizabeth Prophet, “...The bible actually omits some of the most precious facts concerning Jesus Christ and the patriarchs and prophets as well, pivotal truths necessary to the soul’s advancement.”¹ Church Universal and Triumphant does not believe that Jesus was the only begotten Son of God and that He should not be an object of worship.

The Bible is very clear that Jesus is the Son of God and is to be worshiped. 1 John 4:9 says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.