\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLos Angeles birthed Pentecostalism and America barely even notices that it has a new religion running free taking over continents
\nLA was a hot scene in the 20th Century that gave us the Foursquare Church, Objectivism, Scientology and EST, also The Source Family, The Manson Family, Tensegrity, Esalen, New Age cults, UFO cults, Nazi cults, Nazi UFO cults
\nThat\u2019s how these things go, in waves like any other industry, Mormonism was only the most famous thing to come out of the Burnt-Over District in the Third Great Awakening
\nChristianity was only the most famous thing to come out of Jerusalem of the period, that\u2019s the deepest joke of Life of Brian, that it\u2019s not a joke
\nHave I mentioned my theory that we\u2019re just waiting for a Mormon Constantine to retake and reform this shuddering American Empire before it collapses entirely, giving it just enough juice to last for another century or so? (I mean, that\u2019s what the first Constantine did, the Empire was dying when he got to it, but he managed to kick the can down the road in the west for another 150 years, which ain\u2019t nothing, and also have you heard of this place called Constantinople? It lasted ~a while~ longer.)
\n\nMormonism has everything that a future Emperor could want: it\u2019s hierarchical, virtuous, enthusiastic, growing, and just old enough. New cults do take a little while to work out the kinks and create a form that can last for centuries, and the Mormonites seem to have reached that age. Also, and this is very important for any American Emperor, it\u2019s extremely American. Much more American than regular Christianity, which is actually mostly European.
\n\nSLC is the new Byzantium, is what I\u2019m saying.
\n\nIn hoc signo vinces
\n
You know about the White Horse Prophecy, right?
\n\n"}\u201cI want to tell you something of the future. I will speak in a parable \nlike unto John the Revelator. You will go to the Rocky Mountains and you\n will be a great and mighty people established there, which I will call \nthe White Horse of peace and safety.\u201d When the Prophet said, \u201cYou will \nsee it,\u201d I said, \u201cWhere will you be at that time?\u201d He said, \u201cI shall \nnever go there. Your enemies will continue to follow you with \npersecutions and they will make obnoxious laws against you in Congress \nto destroy the White Horse, but you will have a friend or two to defend \nyou and throw out the worst parts of the law so they will not hurt you \nso much. You must continue to petition Congress all the time, but they \nwill treat you like strangers and aliens and they will not give you your\n rights, but will govern you with strangers and commissioners. You will \nsee the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed. It will hang\n like a thread as fine as a silk fiber.\u201d At that time the Prophet\u2019s \ncountenance became sad, because as he said, \u201cI love the Constitution; it\n was made by the inspiration of God; and it will be preserved and saved \nby the efforts of the White Horse, and by the Red Horse who will combine\n in its defense. The White Horse will find the mountains full of \nminerals and they will become rich (at this time, it must be remembered,\n the precious metals were not known to exist in either the Rocky \nMountains or California). You will see silver piled up in the streets. \nYou will see the gold shoveled up like sand. Gold will be of little \nvalue then, even in a mercantile capacity; for the people of the world \nwill have something else to do in seeking for salvation. The time will \ncome when the banks of every nation will fall and only two places will \nbe safe where people can deposit their gold and treasure. This place \nwill be the White Horse and England\u2019s vaults. A terrible revolution will\n take place in the land of America, such as has never been seen before; \nfor the land will be left without a Supreme Government, and every specie\n of wickedness will be practiced rampantly in the land. Father will be \nagainst son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter\n against mother. The most terrible scenes of bloodshed, murder and rape \nthat have ever been imagined or looked upon will take place. People will\n be taken from the earth and there will be peace and love only in the \nRocky Mountains. This will cause many hundreds of thousands of the \nhonest in heart of the world to gather there, not because they would be \nSaints, but for safety and because they will be so numerous that you \nwill be in danger of famine, but not for want of seed, time and harvest,\n but because of so many to be fed. Many will come with bundles under \ntheir arms to escape the calamities for there will be no escape except \nonly by escaping and fleeing to Zion\u2026