My interest in Alchemy began before I knew much about church history beyond the traditional treatments. I was just looking for a hobby subject to relax my mind from the rigors of my chemistry research, and I figured that at least alchemy would inform me about the history of my science. After very little exposure to alchemical literature, however, I felt inundated with Mormon/alchemical correspondences. There were mysterious illusions to a ‘Book M’ in the Fama Fraternitatis. There was a book in the written by Petrus Bonus called the New Pearl of Great Price, and on the inside cover of The Golden Age Restored, James 1:5 is written out word for word. The verse is also prominently displayed in The Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians. These scattered items were coupled with what felt like were fundamental connections between the alchemical theories and my own understanding of Mormon thought. (more…)

John Dee (1527-1609) has recently become one of my favorite people to read about. He was educated at Cambridge and for a time was known as “The Queen’s Philosopher”. His personal library at one time was the largest in Britain and its holdings were more extensive than any university or college library in the country. He was a well-respected and published mathematician, and in 1558 he was called upon by Queen Elizabeth to choose the appropriate day (astrologically of course!) for her coronation. Later in life he wrote spiritual/alchemical texts that have influenced a variety of esoteric movements.[1] (more…)

One striking feature of early Mormonism is the boldness with which Joseph Smith and other elders re-witnessed ancient sacred events. Through visions, stones and dreams they sought out new insight and interpretation. We take these extended views very seriously; the most obvious examples being the Book of Mormon accounts of Christ’s resurrection, the retranslation of the Bible through revelation, and the Abrahamic texts. A micro-example is from the current New Testament S.S. manual, in which the vision of Orson Whitney is quoted. (more…)

I am currently finishing a PhD in chemistry, with an emphasis on chemical physics. To avoid graduating too soon, I spend my time reading up on the history of science or exploring some new thing.

In 1691 the “Father of Modern Chemistry”, Robert Boyle, passed away leaving behind a legacy of experimental science. Many of you may know him through his much memorized equation for gasses, and fewer of you may know of his canonical text, The Sceptical Chymist. What had been absent from the history books for many years, however, is that he was an enthusiastic practitioner of alchemy. In fact he and other founding members of the Royal Society were actively pursuing the Philosopher’s Stone. Their search was not peripheral, but formed an integral piece of their science and search for truth. One recently reported anecdote is that shortly after Boyle’s death, Sir Isaac Newton wrote an enthusiastic letter to John Locke, who had been given custody of Boyle’s papers and laboratory notes. He demanded that Locke reveal Boyle’s recipe for the philosopher’s stone. Newton was sure that Boyle had the recipe for the “red earth”, and that he had been deliberately keeping it from him.[1] (more…)