How Were the Nemenhah Sacred Records Translated?
How Were the Nemenhah Sacred Records Translated?
Five translators. Different languages. A Translation Council. The Way. And one question that still must be answered personally.
After writing recently about the question, “What if the Nemenhah Sacred Records were made up?”, another question surfaced almost immediately:
How were these records actually translated?
It is a fair question.
And before going any further, there is something important to understand.
This did not begin yesterday.
The modern translation story of the Nemenhah Sacred Records goes back more than twenty years. This was long before ChatGPT and today's generative AI made it possible for someone to produce enormous amounts of polished material with a computer.
According to the history preserved by those involved, this was not simply one person sitting at a computer and writing a huge religious book.
There was a Translation Council.
There were multiple translators.
They came from different families and different parts of the world.
They spoke different languages.
And that creates a fascinating question:
How did translators speaking different earthly languages work together on the same record?
Recently, a dear friend asked that very question directly.
The answers from Wellamotkin and then Cloudpiler opened a window into the translation story that I had never understood this clearly before.
But before telling that story, let's establish something important.
Let's Be Honest About What We Can Prove
Wellamotkin is often asked:
“What can you produce to prove the Sacred Records aren't made up?”
His answer is remarkably straightforward.
At present, we cannot prove their ancient provenance using the normal scholarly methods for authenticating ancient documents.
The original artifacts are not presently available for independent scholars and linguists to examine, establish provenance, date, translate, and critique.
Therefore, some of the usual tools available for authenticating ancient documents simply cannot presently be applied to the Nemenhah Sacred Records.
I appreciate that admission.
We should never claim evidence that we don't have.
But neither does the absence of presently available artifacts establish that the record was fabricated.
It simply means:
The historical question remains open.
So what do those involved in the translation say happened?
A Translation Council
My dear friend asked a simple but excellent question.
If the translators spoke different languages, how could they possibly work together on the same translation?
And why do most of us have an English version?
Wellamotkin explained that Cloudpiler's family edition is the edition that has been publicly published.
According to his account, other translators produced versions associated with their own families and languages, but those versions have remained private family or community records rather than being published for the general public.
But here is where the story becomes especially interesting.
The translators apparently weren't simply working independently.
They compared their translations.
They discussed difficult passages.
When their interpretations differed, they debated the meaning.
And according to Wellamotkin, they sought consensus as a council, even using the ancient Nemenhah pattern of a “thumb vote” when deciding between translation possibilities.
That means the reported process looked something like this:
Translate → Compare → Question → Discuss → Seek understanding → Reach consensus.
That sounds remarkably Nemenhah to me.
Even the Word “Lord” Became a Debate
Wellamotkin gave one specific example.
The translators reportedly disagreed over the use of the Christian word:
“Lord.”
That may seem like a tiny issue.
It isn't.
Words carry centuries of culture and assumptions with them.
According to Wellamotkin, Meneme Shen objected strongly to using “Lord” for the Peacemaker because the English term carried hierarchical and feudal ideas that didn't accurately reflect the concept being translated.
Most of the translators were Christians at the time and ultimately accepted the term, although Meneme Shen apparently believed they would eventually return and reconsider it.
Think about that.
They weren't merely asking:
“What English word sounds religious?”
They were wrestling with:
“What idea does the original language actually communicate?”
That is what serious translation requires.
But it still leaves us with the biggest question.
How Did People Speaking Different Languages Understand One Another?
This is where the account moves beyond something historical scholarship can presently test.
Wellamotkin explained that much of the Translation Council's work occurred upon the Way.
Then Cloudpiler himself entered the discussion and clarified what he meant.
Different languages exist here, he explained, but not necessarily there.
The translators could consider different translation and interpretive possibilities together and determine as a council which rendering came closest.
Then Cloudpiler described the experience in a remarkable sentence:
“You speak in your tongue and understand in the tongue of Angels.”
Now let's be careful.
That is a spiritual claim.
I cannot prove it archaeologically.
I cannot put the Way into a laboratory.
I cannot demonstrate Cloudpiler's experience to another person.
But what fascinated me was what I found when I went back to the Nemenhah Sacred Records themselves.
The Records Themselves Speak of This Gift
In The Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10, the record gives a remarkable warning about prophets.
It says that a prophet may receive great gifts through the Haymehnay—including speaking with the “tongues of Angels” and, when possessing the gift of a seer, translating “strange languages.”
But immediately afterward comes the warning:
The prophet is fallible.
And because prophets remain human, the Nemenhah say they feel constrained to subject even the words of a prophet to confirmation through the Haymehnay.
— Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10:38–43
That principle matters enormously to me.
The Records don't appear to say:
“A translator said it, therefore don't question it.”
They teach almost the opposite.
Seek confirmation.
Even when dealing with a prophet.
Even when dealing with somebody possessing spiritual gifts.
Even when dealing with translation.
The measuring rod ultimately isn't the greatness of the translator.
It is confirmation through the Haymehnay.
Don't Make Gods of the Translators
That same passage becomes even more direct.
The record warns:
“Make not gods of your Prophets!”
Why?
Because even someone called by the Peacemaker remains human.
— Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10:41–44
I love that.
And I think it protects us from making a serious mistake with the Nemenhah Sacred Records.
My testimony should never become:
“Cloudpiler said it, therefore it must be true.”
That's no better than doing the same thing with any other religious leader.
Cloudpiler can be questioned.
Wellamotkin can be questioned.
The translators can be questioned.
I can certainly be questioned.
The Records themselves teach us to seek confirmation through the Haymehnay.
The Nemenhah Actually Teach This to Their Children
Then I found another remarkable passage.
The Book of Tsihmlayi 5 teaches parents to give their children good books, the writings of their ancestors, and the words and revelations of the Peacemaker.
But then comes an important safeguard.
Parents are told:
Teach your children to confirm all things through the manifestation of the Haymehnay.
Why?
Because even teaching can become a form of compulsion when an older or more knowledgeable person tells a younger person what to believe.
The solution isn't:
“Believe me because I'm your teacher.”
The solution is:
Seek your own confirmation.
— Book of Tsihmlayi 5:23–28
That principle is embedded right in the Records themselves.
And that is exactly how I believe we should approach the Nemenhah Sacred Records today.
The Records Even Say They Would Come Forth Again
There is another passage that caught my attention.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 11 describes a future time when people who believed themselves religious would become caught in traditions and lose sight of actually coming into the presence of the Peacemaker.
Then comes this statement:
The Peacemaker would bring preserved records “again into the light.”
And some people would take those teachings and use them as an ensample, helping bring Enduring Peace again.
— Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 11:25–30
The passage doesn't tell us to worship the records.
It doesn't tell us to worship their translators.
It points toward what people might do with the teachings.
That distinction is important.
“When These Writings Shall Come Unto You Out of the Dust”
Elsewhere the Records speak directly to future readers.
They describe a day when “these writings shall come unto you out of the dust.”
Then comes the instruction.
Read them.
Ponder them.
And:
“Let the Haymehnay teach you how that they may become a chart unto you.”
The purpose is not merely accumulating another set of scriptures.
The purpose is learning how to establish Enduring Peace.
The passage even says the Haymehnay had testified that a people would again build Enduring Peace in the land.
That is an extraordinary claim.
But notice again where the Records send us.
To the Haymehnay.
Not merely to the translator.
And What Does the Haymehnay Do?
The Book of the Tuhhuhl Nuhmehn describes Haymehnay influencing men and women who listen to His whisperings while respecting their progression rather than simply controlling them.
That image has become important to me.
The Haymehnay teaches.
Whispers.
Confirms.
Guides.
But we still must choose.
That sounds remarkably similar to Moroni's invitation:
“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
— Moroni 10:5
Maybe Moroni gave us the pattern long ago.
What About the Other Translations?
My dear friend pressed the question further.
If several translators were translating the same source material into their respective languages, where are those other versions?
Wellamotkin explained that they do not possess those versions themselves.
According to what they have been told by the translators or surviving family members, those records are being preserved privately as family records.
Cloudpiler added that some material has remained within particular families or communities rather than being published publicly.
Would I love to see those versions someday?
Absolutely.
Imagine what could be learned if independently preserved versions could someday be compared.
Do difficult passages correspond?
How were Nemenhah concepts rendered into Mandarin, Spanish, English, and other languages?
How similar are the narratives?
Where do translation choices differ?
Those would be legitimate and fascinating questions.
But until such materials become available, we should say exactly what we know:
We cannot presently make that comparison ourselves.
And that's okay.
Truth doesn't need us to exaggerate the evidence.
So What Do We Have?
We have a modern translation story extending back more than two decades.
We have accounts of multiple translators working in different earthly languages.
We have the testimony of those involved that they compared interpretations in council.
We have Cloudpiler's description of communicating upon the Way.
We have reported private translations that aren't presently available for public comparison.
And we have a very large body of writings now called the Ayahtkuhyaht Nemenhah.
Does that prove ancient provenance?
No.
But neither is that the only question worth asking.
Look at the Fruit
Jesus taught:
“By their fruits ye shall know them.”
— Matthew 7:20
So I began asking:
What fruit does this enormous body of writings actually produce?
Again and again I encounter:
Humility.
Stewardship.
Consecration.
Service.
Personal revelation.
Care for the poor.
Peace.
Unity.
And Jesus Christ—the Peacemaker.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:46–47 describes the Nemenhah hungering and thirsting after righteousness because the Peacemaker is with them.
Then comes one of my favorite descriptions in all these Records:
They sit at the feet of the Peacemaker and learn wisdom like a little child sitting at the feet of a grandparent.
That's where these Records keep taking me.
To His feet.
Stewardship Instead of Dominion
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:51–53 gives another example.
It says the Creator gave humanity dominion over creation and then immediately explains that dominion as:
Stewardship.
Then discipleship itself is compared to becoming an apprentice to a master.
That changes the whole picture.
The goal isn't power.
The goal is becoming.
Learning.
Practicing.
Serving.
Growing into the kind of person capable of greater stewardship.
Again, I find myself asking:
What kind of person is this book trying to make me?
The Question Has Changed for Me
Years ago I might have wanted somebody to hand me the proof.
Show me the artifact.
Show me the archaeology.
Show me the linguistic analysis.
Then I could decide.
I still welcome those things.
If more evidence becomes available, let's examine it.
If contrary evidence becomes available, let's examine that too.
But I have realized that the Nemenhah Records themselves don't ask me to surrender my discernment to a translator.
They repeatedly send me somewhere else.
To the Haymehnay.
That is remarkably close to what Moroni taught.
Read.
Remember.
Ponder.
Ask God.
Receive through the Holy Ghost.
Maybe That's the Greatest Safeguard
Perhaps one of the greatest safeguards in all of this is contained in Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10:
Even a prophet is fallible.
Even his words should be confirmed through the Haymehnay.
Don't make gods of prophets.
That means I don't have to make a god of Cloudpiler.
I don't have to make gods of the Translation Council.
And I certainly don't have to make a god of a book.
There is only One toward whom the book should ultimately point.
The Peacemaker.
Study These Scriptures Yourself
Nemenhah Sacred Records
Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10:38–44
The people fail to seek confirmation through the Haymehnay; prophets may possess spiritual gifts, including tongues and translation, but remain fallible. Even their words should be subjected to confirmation through the Haymehnay.
Book of Tsihmlayi 5:23–28
Parents are instructed to teach from good books, ancestral writings, and revelation—but also to teach their children to confirm what they are taught through the Haymehnay.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:46–47
The Nemenhah hunger after righteousness and sit at the feet of the Peacemaker, learning wisdom as little children.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:51–53
Dominion is described as stewardship, and discipleship is compared to apprenticeship under a master.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 11:25–30
A latter-day people become caught in religious traditions; preserved records are brought again into the light, and some use them as an ensample toward Enduring Peace.
Bible
Matthew 7:15–20 — By their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 18:1–4 — Become as little children.
John 14:26 — The Holy Ghost teaches and brings truth to remembrance.
Book of Mormon
2 Nephi 31–32 — The Doctrine of Christ and receiving the Holy Ghost.
3 Nephi 11:31–40 — Christ declares His doctrine.
Moroni 7:13–19 — A pattern for discerning good from evil.
Moroni 10:3–5 — Read, remember, ponder, ask God, and receive truth through the Holy Ghost.
So, Were the Nemenhah Records Really Translated This Way?
That's the question, isn't it?
I wasn't there more than twenty years ago when this work began.
I wasn't sitting with the Translation Council.
I haven't examined the original artifacts.
I haven't compared all the reported translations.
And I haven't walked another person's experiences upon the Way.
So I cannot honestly say:
“I can prove this happened.”
But I can say:
I can investigate it.
I can read what was produced.
I can compare it with the Bible and Book of Mormon.
I can question the translation story.
I can examine the fruit.
I can listen to those who were there.
And most importantly:
I can ask God.
That is where this journey keeps bringing me.
Not to blind belief.
Not to blind rejection.
To discernment.
The translator may be questioned.
The Translation Council may be questioned.
The history may be investigated.
The Records may be tested.
And according to the Nemenhah Records themselves, even the words of a prophet should be subjected to confirmation through the Haymehnay.
Maybe that's the point.
Don't take Cloudpiler's word for it.
Don't take Wellamotkin's word for it.
And please—
Don't take my word for it.
Read.
Compare.
Ponder.
Pray.
Look at the fruit.
And then ask:
“Haymehnay, is this true?”
Because after all the translators, all the languages, all the questions, and all the history have been considered—
Jesus Christ, the Peacemaker, must still be the measuring rod.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Perhaps Translation Is an Ongoing Stewardship
There is one more part of this story that has helped me understand the Nemenhah Records.
The translation didn't simply appear one afternoon as a finished book.
This work stretches back more than twenty years, through the early Mentinah Archives and successive volumes, revisions, compilations, and editions of what we now know as the Ayahtkuhyaht Nemenhah.
In that sense, perhaps “translation” is bigger than converting one ancient word into one English word.
It is also a stewardship.
Preserving.
Comparing.
Correcting.
Clarifying.
And continually asking whether the words we choose actually preserve the meaning that was intended.
I have seen firsthand why that matters.
At one point, someone who appreciated the Nemenhah Records produced another version called The Book of the Nem, replacing much of the unfamiliar Nemenhah terminology with more familiar English.
I understand the attraction.
When first opening these Records, words such as Haymehnay, Ayahtsuhway, and Tuhhuhl Nuhmehn can feel foreign.
But after spending time with them, something interesting happens.
The words themselves begin teaching you.
They carry concepts that aren't always perfectly contained in an English substitute.
Think again about the Translation Council's disagreement over the word “Lord.”
A familiar English word may actually introduce ideas that weren't present in the original concept.
So perhaps making the Records easier to read isn't always the same thing as making them more accurate.
And today AI makes this even more important.
A computer can rewrite an entire religious text in seconds.
It can simplify unusual words.
It can paraphrase difficult passages.
It can even make the language sound smoother.
But AI cannot answer the most important question:
“Did I preserve what was actually intended?”
That requires discernment.
And strangely enough, the Nemenhah Records themselves provide the safeguard.
Second Book of Tsi Muhayl 10:38–43 teaches that even a prophet may possess remarkable spiritual gifts—including the ability to translate strange languages—and still remain fallible.
Therefore the people are instructed to subject even the words of a prophet to confirmation through the Haymehnay.
What a remarkable principle.
It means we don't have to pretend translators are perfect.
We don't have to pretend teachers are perfect.
We don't have to pretend religious leaders are perfect.
And we certainly shouldn't assume that because technology can rewrite sacred material, technology understands what the Spirit intended.
Everything remains subject to the Haymehnay.
That may be one reason the role of a keeper of sacred records matters.
A keeper isn't merely guarding paper.
He is guarding a stewardship.
The words.
The meaning.
The history.
The integrity of the record.
And ultimately the sacred purpose for which the record was preserved.
So perhaps the translation continues in another sense.
Not because everyone should create another translation.
But because every generation has to learn how to hear what the Records are actually saying.
And that requires more than intelligence.
It requires humility.
It requires patience.
It requires questioning.
And according to the Records themselves:
It requires the Haymehnay.
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