And we came upon the master loading cases of ammunition into our last working jeep. I showed him the book I had found. Mormon Country by Wallace Stegner(111)
"That's a good one," the master said. "It's about our siblings in Utah a hundred years ago. Written with love. A remarkable event that you found it. I've told you, I think you might be Wallace Stegner in a previous life."(112)
His pronouncement confused me so I said, "Sir. But Wallace Stegner didn't die until well after my birth. I couldn't have been him."(113)
The master tightened down on the cargo straps and shut the rear door of the jeep so that the dust blew aloft in the wind. He looked into my eyes for a moment, then said, "Ah, I see the confusion. You believe that because you were contemporaries you couldn't have shared a life. But haven't I explained to you that all time is an illusion?" (114)
I said, "Surely you mean in the heavenly realm..."(115)
The master put his hand on my shoulder and announced, "Your ego prevents you from believing what you know you see. There is no separation between heaven and earth. My child, you have lived many lives in the past and will have many in the future, and you live many right now. And fear not. For in each of them you are my son, and in each you are granted salvation."(116)
- The Book of Joseph 15:111-116
When the battle ended and we were certain the enemy was inert we counted the dead and burned the bodies in prayer. We found Candace fearful behind a stack of boulders that had been blown from the side of the mountain and so removed her from the list.(10)
That night we made camp in a cave at the base of the mountain range and ate the remainder of our marching rations as we now could take possession of the enemy's provisions as our own. We prayed for our listed dead.(11)
Candace refused to eat when we offered. She said, "I'm sick of this bullshit. When is it over? Why are we even fighting? I can't tell them from us."(11)
"Because they'll kill us if we don't kill them," I said, thinking my statement would please the master, but as usual he grunted and rolled his eyes to proclaim once again that I should spend more time thinking before acting, but only when speaking, not when shooting.(12)
The master said, "My darling there is always war. And there is only war."(13)
Candace said it was bullshit, and I decided to think before speaking which gave the master enough time to reply ahead of me. He stood up so we all could hear. (14)
He said, "The Lord God's most beloved Lucifer turned against his holiness and goodness and created the dissonance we see in this world. He opened first one door to perdition, then within perdition itself, another, and then another deeper, and deeper. And we, every one of us, stepped through. Now, daughter, we spend lifetime after lifetime to undo our mistake." (15)
Candace asked the master. "What if it wasn't a mistake? You yourself said months ago that even Lucifer was doing the work of the Lord. Maybe God wants us in this perpetual hell." (16)
"There's always another door," said the master, pointing to the entrance of the cave to the fires in the valley beyond.(17)
-- The Book of Joseph 3:10-17
The master took a drink from Roger's canteen and rested his head against the litter. And now we all began to feel that we would lose him, and having done so, would be sure to die soon ourselves.(275)
"Say something," I commanded, hoping that if I could keep him speaking he would not perish.(276)
"My son - this world, without end. This life, without end. What God creates such intelligence and then demands surrender? No God, my loves. No God. We exited eternity because we did not accept this idea. God could create an army of robots, but he created us who could love him, and challenge him, and insult him."(277)
"Free will," I said, to reinforce my learning.(278)
"Free will, yes damnable free will. We were not given intelligence and free will simply to surrender. So we entered this hell to fight. It is God's own design. Just as he sent Judas to betray our Lord, so he sent us. There is divine purpose in everything."(279)
"But what is the purpose, Master? What purpose?" I pleaded he take another breath to tell me. (280)
Instead he drew his last breath and I had to put my ear close to his mouth to hear him whisper, "What purpose? What purpose?"(281)
-The Book of Joseph111:275-281
As they were hiking through this desert behind their armor a person asked the master, "Sir, are you a God?"(5)
The master answered, "Soldier, I am no less a god than you, and no more a man."(6)
-The Book of Death 2:5-6
The master had been alone with Candace and so the ranks offered them their privacy until Faith could wait no longer. She stood at the closed zipper to the master's tent and said, "Sir, you have to look at this. Maybe an explanation. Maybe an offering from our Lord."(1)
As they were finished and among their family they opened the tent flap making no attempt to exercise modesty. The master took the documents from Faith, read them solemnly and asked her where she had found it.(2)
"It was just in a desk drawer in an apartment in that building," Faith said. (3)
She motioned to what remained of the basilica and then toward a blocky structure at the side. It was clear to the Master she was referring to the Pope's quarters.(4)
Joseph had been standing watch and the Master called him over and showed him the papers.(5)
"You can read Portugese, right?" the Master asked Joseph(6)
Joseph decoded the documents and read them aloud to the Master. Because it was quiet many of the troops quartered in Saint Peter's Square could hear what was read. Many stood in silence and approached the Master.(7)
"What is this fire of which Lucia speaks? Does she mean the asteroid?" Joseph asked. Others asked what the document was.(8)
The Master said so all who were listening could hear, "My children, behold the third mystery of Fatima. Our plight was prophesied almost two hundred years ago by the Immaculate Heart herself. This is proof we follow in the path of history our Lord has lain before us."(9)
Joseph said, "So the fire from the sky is the asteroid that killed us."(10)
"Yes, little brother," said the Master who often called his favorite that. "But remember that this is a message for this time, now. Your job is to correct the mistakes that were made in all times, past and future. That is the only way we can find the road back to God."(11)
"So, death is inevitable, Father," said Faith, who had been standing quietly.(12)
"Death is always inevitable. Take solace in it my sister and rejoice. It's the only certainty in this mess."(13)
--The Book of Death 200:1-13
We burned the Master atop his favorite red monolith in Zion and prayed in unison for his salvation and ours. When the fire extinguished Roger turned to me and said, "The king is dead. Long live the king."(1)
I told him that while I appreciated his sarcasm we needed to check our perimeter and that included the orbital scanners, especially the ones that had been dropping off line in the earth shadow. I also told him I was going to take Faith as my second in command and him as my son. I realized that Roger would need some time to process his disappointment and loaned him a helicopter and enough fuel to find solitude in the desert to pray.(2)
Faith told me she felt I was the current incarnation of the Master but I assured her that wasn't the case. The Master and I shared no dreams, and we could find no commonality in the akashic record. At best we were brothers, but even that seemed like a reach. I told her I looked forward to fathering her children. She told me she looked forward to having command of her own batallion, and there'd be time later for bringing more souls to our forces.(3)
--The Book of Joseph112:1-3
After the dinner utensils were gathered for cleaning Chin said, "But Sir, surely we could devise a DNA test to detect whether a newly fertilized embryo would become one of our legion or not."(21)
The Master said, "Birth, death, birth, death. Little brother, you are discounting our most valued virtue - free will. No DNA test can predict that. Their DNA is our DNA. We are one family. We have each decided to take this path laid before us by the archangels. That is certain. What is not decided at the time of birth is what choice will be made at that moment of adulthood."(22)
Margaret said, "Then why not just kill those who choose against us? Why send them off to fortify the enemy?"(23)
"Could you have killed your own daughter?" the Master asked. "Your heart is broken now, but bring yourself back to that day and I assure you, my child, you could not. None of us could. We send them to the enemy and wish them long and happy lives, just as they sent you to us. Did they not?"(24)
"This is madness," Candace said. "There is no meaning to this war."(25)
The Master said, "Wife, there is no meaning to any war. We are all born warriors, and so there is only war."(26)
"Then what is the purpose of winning? Tell me that?" she said.(27)
"Because it is what is required of God,"said the Master.(28)
"And what of them," said Candace, pointing to the enemy's fires that could be seen glowing on the hillside beyond. "What does God require of them?"(29)
"The same," said the Master. And Candace threw down her fists in disgust and walked out of the cave and into the desert. The Master sent Joseph to follow her at a distance to keep her safe, and when they were both out of sight he said to the others, "Brothers and sisters, my children, you have read what I have. You have had the same visions. God our father sent the fire from the sky and destroyed our world. Now the living envy the dead as was foretold. I have no answers."(30)
Chin said, "I think we have it mixed up. I think Lucifer is masquerading as God. Why not just throw down our arms and offer to them to do the same? We could simply meet in the desert and shake hands and begin the rebuilding. Why do we have to keep killing each other?"(31)
"Keep your heart pure," said the Master. "Pray the rosary. It's what is required." (32)
"I thought peace was required," said Margaret. "The Bible is full of talk of peace, but all we have is war."(33)
The Master said, "There will be peace, but only when we have killed all of them in all of their lives, in all history from the beginning of our universe to the future end of this one, on every planet and system, and only when they are reborn and join us each and every one - when they decide not to leave, that is when we will have peace. Only then will God allow us to return from his hellish confusion he has constructed. Only then will we be back with our Lord. Only then there will be peace."(34)
--The Book of Death 67:21-34
Ed: The remaining verses are known to be written posthumously as they are not in first person.
The last round was fired. There was no more ammunition on the planet. (23)
Joseph scanned the full circle of the horizon and it was burning. (24)
Joseph looked at the sky and it glowed red from the fires and green from the ionization. (25)
None of the earth could be seen for the enemy lay two and three deep. (26)
And for the first time the guns were silent on earth. (27)
All the warriors awaited his next command. The gaze of thousands of eyes fell onto him, and they saw him begin to cry. (28)
He spoke but the First did not hear him. "Sir?" she said. (29)
Louder, but only slightly she heard him. She echoed his words into the comm, which is why his final order came from Magdaline. (30)
The armies of the Earth lay down their arms. The power was drawn from the particle weapons. The satellites were disabled. (31)
"Glory to God," said Joseph. "Let silence be our new king. From where the sun now stands in the sky, I fight no more forever." (32)
It was only then at the cease fire that they heard the engines of the cruisers in the distance. Then it was known in every man's heart that they had been conquered and salvation was won. (33)
--The Book of Joseph 377:22-33
Charles finished his recitation from the Book and the teacher complimented him on his diction.
When Charles returned to his desk the teacher asked, "Children, who can tell me what other famous Joseph said the words in chapter 377 verse 32?"
Diane raised her hand and was called upon. She rose dutifully and standing beside her desk said nearly in a chant, "Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe of natives of America, Earth."
"Who can tell me the similarities between the two?" asked the teacher.
"That they were both leaders who were conquered?" said Brian.
"Yes," said the teacher. "What else?"
"They were native to the land?" said Elsa.
"Yes. Anything else?"
"Their doom was foretold by their priests?" said Meng.
"Hmm. Well, perhaps," said the teacher, "But we haven't been taught that yet. Anything else? Anyone?"
Linda said, "Their defeat was necessary for salvation?"
"Yes," said the teacher with a smile. "Their defeat was necessary for salvation. Now let's think about that. What is this strange situation where someone has to be defeated in order for the world to be saved? Why does God send these challenges to us? Surely, the people who are being defeated don't think they need to go. In fact we know from the Book that the Army of Joseph thought it needed to defeat our people for salvation. Were they wrong?"
The children nodded, but the teacher stopped them because they were old enough to hold such ideas in their minds.
"Don't be so sure of God's intention," she said, wagging a finger. "No man understands God's intention. What are some of the very confusing things our early soldiers faced when they began the reconstruction of Earth? Who can tell me? Lisa, you've been quiet. What was something our early army faced that they didn't expect?"
Lisa stared at her hands folded on her desk. She looked up and said quietly, "That they had names like ours?"
"Good, yes," said the teacher. "Even though we were from a different world, they had the same names. What else? Anybody?"
"Same God?" said Ahmed.
"Could be. Good. Yes. When we read their texts we found many similarities. Anything else? Anyone? What was Joseph's last command? Why do we think their books are holy? Why do we bother reading their books at all? Who remembers?"
The class sat silently and the teacher pursed her lips.
"Children, this is the most important lesson of all. Despite their own books describing God's will, Joseph's last command was to cease fire."
"But they were out of ammunition, anyway," said Issac.
"And that's why it was so important," said the teacher. "And that's one of the many reasons we have preserved their culture and why you must learn it. Whether we like it or not our souls are linked with theirs. All warriors are related and even death cannot break that bond. This is the most significant learning of the great war."
The bell rang to signify the change in classes. The children gathered their belongings and began dematerializing.
The teacher held her finger on the transport safety so they could not leave, and raised her voice over the din, "Remember you're going to be tested on this on Friday so please study your texts. The next chapter is called 'Integration of the Enemy' and it's very important so start reading now. Don't wait until an hour before class. Have a good rest of your day. Goodbye."
She released the safety. The class evaporated. The afternoon session appeared in their places and as they did she said, "Book of Joseph chapter fifteen verse one-eleven. Janet, will you stand and read for us?"