What If the Nemenhah Records Were Made Up?
What If the Nemenhah Records Were Made Up?
A Personal Note Before We Begin — Why I Share This
I probably ought to say where I'm coming from.
I'm still an active member of the LDS Church. I love the Church, and I love its people. There are wonderful, Christlike people everywhere in it.
But I also believe things have crept into our religion that deserve an honest look. The Book of Mormon warned us about pride, wealth, inequality, priestcraft, and forgetting the poor.
And I keep coming back to an uncomfortable question:
If we've got it all figured out, where is Zion?
Why are there still poor among us? Why aren't we one heart and one mind? And why aren't we living the kind of society described in 4 Nephi?
The Lord placed the Church under condemnation for treating the Book of Mormon and the former commandments lightly (D&C 84:54–57). I personally have never found a revelation declaring that condemnation removed.
That's one reason the Nemenhah Records have affected me so deeply.
To me, the Book of Mormon gives the warning and shows us what Zion looks like. The Nemenhah Records go further into the practical question of how a people might actually learn to live it—through humility, stewardship, consecration, service, caring for the poor, personal revelation, and sitting at the feet of the Peacemaker. That's exactly the pattern I found throughout these records.
And I have nothing to sell here.
I receive no money from the Nemenhah Records or from Cloudpiler. Nobody pays me for these blogs or videos. When they cost money to produce or promote, it comes out of my own pocket.
I'm not trying to build another church or gather followers.
I'm just looking for truth—and trying to follow Jesus Christ wherever that truth leads.
So don't believe the Nemenhah Records because I do.
Read them. Compare them with the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Ask the hard questions. Pray. Look at the fruit.
That's what I did.
And if all this work helps even one soul come closer to Jesus Christ, it was worth every penny and every hour.
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Let the Scriptures Speak
There is a question I have finally become comfortable asking about the Nemenhah Sacred Records:
What if somebody made them up?
That may seem like a strange way to begin an article about records that have become so important to me.
But stay with me.
Because after studying these records, I have discovered something that may be even more important than proving their origin.
I have discovered where they are trying to take me.
And they keep taking me back to Jesus Christ.
I Wanted Them to Be True
I love the Book of Mormon.
It has been one of the great spiritual anchors of my life. My own spiritual experiences have given me a deep conviction that it is true and that its central purpose is to bring us to Jesus Christ.
So when I discovered records claiming to continue portions of that history, naturally I was excited.
Hagoth.
Corianton.
Moroni.
The descendants of Book of Mormon peoples.
Could there really be more?
Part of me immediately wanted the answer to be yes.
But wanting something to be true doesn't make it true.
So eventually I had to face the harder questions.
What if the history surrounding the Nemenhah Records isn't exactly as I understand it?
What if some claims about their coming forth can never be historically proven?
What if Cloudpiler misunderstood something?
And let's take the question all the way to the end:
What if somebody simply made the whole thing up?
Something very important would still remain.
The words themselves.
Then I Started Reading What the Records Actually Teach
At some point my question changed.
Instead of asking only:
“Where did these records come from?”
I began asking:
“Where are these records taking me?”
And that is where things became fascinating.
Because I kept encountering the same themes I had already found in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the earliest teachings of the Restoration.
Humility.
Revelation.
Stewardship.
Consecration.
Service.
Caring for the poor.
Unity.
Becoming like a little child.
And above everything else:
Jesus Christ — the Peacemaker.
Sit at the Feet of the Peacemaker
One passage particularly captures what I have found throughout these records.
The Nemenhah describe themselves as hungering and thirsting after righteousness “because the Peacemaker is with us.”
Then they describe their relationship with Christ:
“We do sit at the feet of our Peacemaker and we do learn wisdom, even as a little child…”
— Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:46–47
That is remarkable to me.
The destination isn't an institution.
It isn't a man.
It isn't a translator.
It is the Peacemaker.
The record describes disciples sitting at His feet and learning from Him like children.
Compare that with Christ's teaching:
“Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 18:3
And King Benjamin:
“Become as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love…”
— Mosiah 3:19
That is the same road.
Humility Instead of Religious Greatness
The Nemenhah account even describes Moroni as a man who had to overcome his own natural tendencies.
It says that although he had been trained to lead, he worked throughout his life to overcome arrogance:
“He did practice humility… and he did earnestly work to nurture kindness in his heart.”
— Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:3
That sounds very much like the gospel I find in the Book of Mormon.
“None is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.”
— Moroni 7:44
Zion cannot be built by people trying to become important.
It must be built by people trying to become humble.
Stewardship Instead of Ownership
Then I found another principle that changed how I think about Zion.
The Nemenhah Records speak repeatedly about stewardship.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:51 explains that the Creator has given humanity dominion over creation and immediately defines that dominion differently:
“Or in other words, the stewardship of them.”
That little distinction is enormous.
The question changes from:
“What belongs to me?”
to:
“What has God entrusted to my care?”
My land.
My money.
My abilities.
My time.
My family responsibilities.
My knowledge.
My opportunities.
They become stewardships.
That sounds very much like the Savior's parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14–30.
Everything ultimately belongs to the Master.
We are stewards.
Sounds very American Indian! Right?
And Then Comes Consecration
This is where the Nemenhah picture of Zion becomes extraordinarily practical.
In The Book of Ordinances and Ceremonies 3:44–45, every Nemenhah man and woman is described as covenanting to sustain the community.
But notice how.
Each person is expected to work in a useful stewardship, provide for the needs of his or her family, and then create a surplus that can be freely given to those in need.
And the record gives the result:
“It is because of the surplus that there are no poor among the Nemenhah.”
— Book of Ordinances and Ceremonies 3:45
Now compare that with the Book of Mormon:
“They had all things common among them; therefore there were not rich and poor…”
— 4 Nephi 1:3
And Acts:
“Neither was there any among them that lacked…”
— Acts 4:34
Suddenly Zion isn't mysterious.
People work.
People steward.
People produce.
People share their surplus.
People care for one another.
And there are no poor among them.
That is not merely theology.
That is a way of life.
The Nemenhah Even Warn Against a False Version of Consecration
This was one of the things that impressed me most.
The records don't simply say, “Give everything to religious leaders and call that consecration.”
They actually warn against confusing institutional control with true consecration.
In Maymihts Ahkehkt 10:15–21, the record asks a piercing question:
“But unto what do they consecrate? Is it unto the Peacemaker or the worship of wealth?”
Then it contrasts a system based upon money and institutional valuation with the true Pillar of Consecration.
And the chapter concludes that understanding the true law is one means by which “Enduring Peace may be brought again into this land.”
That is an extraordinary distinction.
Consecration isn't about making an institution wealthy.
It is about making a people whole.
This Is Why I Call the Nemenhah Records a Blueprint for Zion
The more I studied, the more I realized these weren't merely interesting stories supposedly continuing Book of Mormon history.
Taken together, they were showing me something.
How a Zion people might actually live.
Christ at the center.
Humility instead of status.
Stewardship instead of ownership.
Consecration instead of accumulation.
Service instead of domination.
Revelation instead of merely following programs.
Community instead of isolation.
Enough surplus that the poor are cared for.
And peace as the fruit.
That is why I began thinking of these records as:
A Blueprint for Zion
But What If Somebody Made It Up?
Now we can return to the uncomfortable question.
Suppose somebody proved tomorrow that the history surrounding the records wasn't what I thought it was.
Suppose some artifact didn't check out.
Suppose some translation claim couldn't be demonstrated.
Take it all the way.
Suppose somebody said:
“The entire thing was written by one very clever person.”
I would still have a serious question.
How did that person put all of this together?
Because the teachings would still be sitting there.
Christ.
Humility.
Stewardship.
Consecration.
Personal revelation.
Service.
Community.
Care for the poor.
Enduring Peace.
And the repeated invitation to become disciples of the Peacemaker.
Someone would have constructed an enormous spiritual narrative that, in so many places, fits remarkably beside principles already found in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
That doesn't prove ancient origin.
But it certainly makes the writings worth examining.
Jesus Told Us to Examine the Fruit
This is where I come back to something Jesus Himself taught:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
— Matthew 7:20
That doesn't mean historical questions don't matter.
They do.
It doesn't mean we accept every supernatural claim.
We shouldn't.
It means I am allowed to examine fruit.
So I ask:
What are these teachings doing to me?
Do they make me want to worship Cloudpiler?
No.
Do they make me want religious position?
No.
Do they make me want power over other people?
No.
They make me want to become more humble.
More forgiving.
More generous.
More willing to serve.
More willing to listen to the Lord.
More conscious of my stewardship.
More concerned about the poor.
And most importantly:
They make me want to know Jesus Christ better.
That fruit matters to me.
Moroni Already Told Us How to Approach a Record
Moroni never taught blind belief.
His invitation was:
Read.
Remember.
Ponder.
Ask God.
And then:
“By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”
— Moroni 10:5
That is exactly how I believe the Nemenhah Records should be approached.
Don't believe them because I believe them.
Don't believe them because Cloudpiler translated them.
And don't reject them simply because their origin story sounds unusual.
Read them.
Compare them.
Study them beside the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Pray.
Ask questions.
Look at the fruit.
And above all:
Measure them against Jesus Christ.
My Testimony Does Not Rest on the Nemenhah Records
This may be the most important thing I can say.
The Nemenhah Records are not the foundation of my testimony.
Jesus Christ is.
That means I don't need to be afraid of questions about the records.
I don't need to defend every claim.
I don't need to prove every artifact.
I don't need to convince anybody.
Truth can withstand investigation.
My responsibility is simply to continue studying and asking:
Does this lead me toward Christ or away from Him?
So far, the answer for me has been remarkably consistent.
Toward Him.
Study These Scriptures Yourself
Nemenhah Sacred Records
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:3
Moroni practices humility and nurtures kindness rather than allowing leadership to produce pride.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:46–47
The people hunger after righteousness, honor the Peacemaker, and sit at His feet to learn wisdom as little children.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:51–53
Dominion is described as stewardship, and discipleship is compared with becoming an apprentice to a master.
Book of Ordinances and Ceremonies 3:39–45
The people declare themselves servants of the Peacemaker, covenant to sustain their community, labor in useful stewardships, and freely give surplus so that there are no poor among them.
Maymihts Ahkehkt 10:12–21
A warning against counterfeit consecration based upon wealth, control, and institutional valuation, followed by an invitation to understand the true law through which Enduring Peace can return.
Bible
Matthew 5:9
Matthew 7:15–20
Matthew 18:1–4
Matthew 25:14–30
Acts 4:32–35
Book of Mormon
Mosiah 3:19
2 Nephi 31–32
3 Nephi 11:31–40
4 Nephi 1:2–3, 15–18
Moroni 7:13–19, 44–48
Moroni 10:3–5
Where Has It Taken Me?
After all my studying, that may be the simplest testimony I can give.
Where have these records taken me?
Back to Christ.
Back to humility.
Back to stewardship.
Back to consecration.
Back to caring for one another.
Back to personal revelation.
Back to the possibility that Zion is not merely a city we are waiting for God to build.
Zion is a people God is waiting for us to become.
So I will continue asking questions.
I will continue investigating.
I will continue comparing these records with the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
But I am no longer frightened by the question:
“What if somebody made them up?”
Because even that question leaves me staring at the teachings themselves.
And those teachings keep pointing me in the same direction:
The messenger can be questioned.
The history can be investigated.
The records can be tested.
But Jesus Christ remains the measuring rod.
And for me, the Nemenhah Records continue pointing:
Back to the Peacemaker.
Back to Zion.
Back to Jesus Christ.
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Look at the Fruit
So before you decide the Nemenhah Records are strange...
before you decide they're dangerous...
or that they couldn't possibly be from God...
just listen to what they actually teach.
The Nemenhah teach:
Sit at the feet of the Peacemaker and learn wisdom as a little child.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:46–47
Practice humility and nurture kindness in your heart.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:3
What God gives us is not really ownership. It is stewardship.
Tsihohnayah Ahkehkthihm 1:51–53
Work. Care for your family. Create a surplus. Then freely give to those in need—until there are no poor among you.
Book of Ordinances and Ceremonies 3:39–45
Consecrate to the Peacemaker—not to wealth, power, or institutions.
Maymihts Ahkehkt 10:12–21
Become humble.
Serve one another.
Care for the poor.
Seek personal revelation.
Become one heart and one mind.
Walk with the Peacemaker.
Build Zion.
And learn to become like Jesus Christ.
Now I have a simple question:
Does that sound evil to you?
Does that sound like bad fruit?
Jesus said:
“By their fruits ye shall know them.”
Don't take my word for it.
Read the Nemenhah Records.
Compare them with the Bible.
Compare them with the Book of Mormon.
Pray about them.
And then look at the fruit.
Because the fruit I keep finding...
points me back to the Peacemaker.
Back to Zion.
Back to Jesus Christ.
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But Good Fruit Is Not the Same as Proof
After I published this article, Wellemotkin, the son of Cloudpiler and someone who has spent many years studying and living the Nemenhah Way, responded with an important observation.
He said he is often asked a very straightforward question:
“What can you produce to prove the Sacred Records aren't made up?”
His answer was refreshingly candid:
At this point, we simply can't prove it through the normal scholarly methods used to authenticate ancient documents.
The original artifacts are not available for independent scholars and linguists to examine, establish provenance, date, translate, and critique. I think that honesty matters.
Wellemotkin then described two tests that remain.
First, examine the fruit of the text itself. Does it endorse dominion, injury, abuse, or unrighteous control over ourselves or others? If it does, we ought to be extremely cautious about accepting it as scripture.
Second comes a question scholarship cannot answer for us:
Has the Haymehnay—the Holy Ghost—personally confirmed the truth of these records?
That distinction helped me.
Good fruit alone does not prove ancient origin.
Good fruit gives me a reason to keep reading.
For someone who does not believe God reveals truth through the Holy Ghost, these writings may remain apocrypha—and I can respect that.
But for someone who believes God still speaks, another test remains.
And isn't that exactly where Moroni sends us?
Read. Remember. Ponder. Ask God.
The fruit may open the door.
But confirmation belongs to the Haymehnay.
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