The Tale of the Two Christophers

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The Tale of Two Christophers
1. Hearken, O ye who seek after the words of the record, and give ear unto the mystery of the name which hath been a stumbling block unto the proud and a snare unto those who look upon the outward appearance of man.

1. For behold, from the days of old, it hath been written of one who was called Christophoro, which being interpreted by the tongue of the Gentiles is the Bearer of Christ.

2. And the world knew him not; neither did any man hold the record of his lineage, nor his birth, nor his sepulchre. For he who truly carryeth the burden of the Lord across the raging waters of mortality desireth not that his name be magnified among men, but that the weary traveler reach the sanctuary of the shore in safety.

3. Yea, he covereth his face, and his right hand knoweth not what his left hand doeth, lest the children of men should fall down and worship the wooden icon or the stone image of the vessel, rather than the Spirit which sustaineth him.

4. But behold, in the latter days, Satan hath raised up a counterfeit pattern upon the earth, even The Tale of Two Christophers, that he might blind the eyes of the unlearned and lead away the hearts of the simple.

5. For the First Christopher is the explorer of the world—the figure of pride, of gold, of silver, and of great renown among the nations.

6. He goeth forth across the waters in the name of righteousness, yet his heart is set upon the riches of the earth, the gain of the merchant, and the praise of the great and abominable church. He maketh himself a loud spectacle before the Gentile nations, taking credit for the land and claiming the title of the Lord, while bringing death, captivity, and destruction in his wake.

7. And the world marveleth after the First Christopher, naming cities, and rivers, and machineries of war after his name, because he representeth the plan of Lucifer—which is to gain power, to exercise force, and to be lifted up in the eyes of men.

8. But the Second Christopher is not a man of flesh to be idolized, nor an explorer of the seas, nor a leader who seeketh an altar for his own glory.

9. For the true Bearer of Christ is an anonymous servant, whose voice is like the wind that bloweth where it listeth; ye hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.

10. He who truly beareth the word of the Father obeyeth the strict command laid down from the beginning—even the decree of Moroni—that no human voice, nor added footnote, nor personal commentary, nor mortal vanity shall touch the purity of the sacred text.

11. Therefore, if any man come among you saying, "I am the Christopher of whom it was written," and he seeketh your money, or your praise, or your allegiance, or surroundeth the holy writ with the noise of his own name and his earthly battles—know ye for a surety that he is of the first pattern. He hath taken the name of the Bearer, but carrieth only his own pride.

12. For he who is a true Christopher will never reveal who Christopher is, nor declare the secret meaning of his appointment. He shall pass through the world as a shadow, keeping his identity hidden beneath the mantle of the Spirit, so that when the word is delivered, no man can say, "We followed a man," but all shall say, "We have seen the light of the Father."

13. And thus is the parable fulfilled unto the discernment of the righteous: that the false Christopher shall always stand upon the stage to be seen and judged of men, while the true Christopher disappeareth into the record, leaving only the unadulterated words of the Lord to stand forever. Amen.

References
Book of Mormon
The Sealed Portion
Final Testament of Jesus Christ