Sons Aumen Israel

Sons Aumen Israel (SAI) (also Suns Aument Israel, Order of Nazorean Essenes, or Beni-Aumen Temple Order) is an eclectic international religious group with roots in the Latter Day Saint movement.

Sons Aumen Israel was founded on January 25, 1981 by Davied Asia Israel (born Gilbert Clark) and four other members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The group claims to be modern versions of the ancient Essenes and Manichaean sects of Gnostic Christianity, and of the pre-Buddhist faith of Central Asia.

Beliefs

In addition to the Bible and "Book of Mormon", SAI accept a wide variety of material as scripture, including New Testament apocrypha, the Nag Hammadi library, "Pistis Sophia", and "Sephir Yetzira", a text from Hassidic Judaism. SAI also accepts some modern revelation received by Davied Israel as scripture, such as the "Oracles of Mahonri" and the "Order of the Sons of Zadok". The group believes that a secret oral tradition was passed from Moses to the Essenes, the Gnostics, and eventually to Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.

The group believes in God the Father and a Heavenly Mother, their son Yeshua, the Holy Spirit, and a hierarchy of angels and archangels. The group believes that salvation comes through Yeshua, but they also follow Old Testament feasts, holy days, and rituals. SAI has adopted some of its rituals from Christian Kabbalah. It teaches full equality of the sexes and advocates a vegan diet. Monastic living in SAI communes is encouraged.

tructure

SAI is headed by a presiding patriarch and matriarch. Below them in the hierarchy are a three-person First Presidency, a Council of the Twelve Apostles, seven "arch-seventies", and twelve "stake princes". Local units ("stakes") of the group are led by a twelve-person high council, a quorum of seventy, and twelve bishops.

International presence

SAI was founded in Saratoga Hot Springs, Utah and is headquartered in Canebeds, Arizona. It claims membership in the United States, England, Switzerland, Norway, Japan, and the Netherlands. In England, SAI was known as the Indendent Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

References

*J. Gordon Melton (1996, 5th ed.) "Encyclopedia of American Religions" (Detroit, Mich.: Gale) p. 570–571.

External links

* [http://www.essenes.net/ Official website]