Mark L. Prophet

Mark Lyle Prophet (born December 24, 1918 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin– died February 26, 1973 in Colorado Springs, Colorado) was a controversial American New Age religious figure, self-proclaimed prophet, orator, and husband of Elizabeth Prophet. Prophet claimed to be a Messenger of the Ascended Masters and founded The Summit Lighthouse organization on August 7, 1958 in Washington D.C.

With his first wife Phyllis he had five children. In 1961, he met and married Elizabeth Clare Wulf, who became Elizabeth Clare Prophet. They had four children.

Upon the death of Prophet in February 1973, his widow Elizabeth took over the leadership of the organization, changing its name to Church Universal and Triumphant in 1975, and built the new church into a worldwide movement which continues to the present day.

Elizabeth Clare Prophet taught that her husband Mark, upon his death, became an Ascended Master known as the Ascended Master Lanello (the name comes from the combination of two of the names of his many asserted former incarnations, Sir Launcelot and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). It is believed by those adherent to the Church Universal and Triumphant and other Ascended Master Teachings organizations that the Master Lanello was previously incarnated as a high priest at the Temple of the Solar Logos in Atlantis; Noah, Ikhnaton, Aesop, Mark the Evangelist, Origen, Sir Launcelot; Bodhidharma, founder of Zen Buddhism; Clovis I, first King of France; Saladin, St. Bonaventure, Louis XIV, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; and Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia.

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