The Summit Lighthouse is an international New Age

New Age

The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...

 spiritual organization founded in 1958 by Mark L. Prophet

Mark L. Prophet

Mark L. Prophet was an American born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He claimed to be a Messenger of the Ascended Masters and founded The Summit Lighthouse organization on August 7, 1958 in Washington D.C..-Family life:...

. Today it is the outreach arm of Church Universal and Triumphant

Church Universal and Triumphant

Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...

, founded in 1975 by Prophet's wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet

Elizabeth Clare Prophet

Elizabeth Clare Prophet was an American spiritual author and lecturer who was the leader of The Summit Lighthouse and Church Universal and Triumphant, a New Age religious movement which gained media attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s while preparing for potential nuclear disaster.During...

. The stated mission of The Summit Lighthouse is to "publish and apply the teachings of the ascended masters

Ascended master

Ascended Masters, in the Ascended Master Teachings is derived from the Theosophical concept of Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or "Mahatmas", though they differ in important aspects...

 as taught by Mark and Elizabeth Clare Prophet." Ascended masters are believed to be individuals who have lived in physical bodies, acquired the Wisdom and Mastery needed to become Immortal and Free of the cycles of "re-embodiment" and karma, and attained their "Ascension". The "Ascension" is considered to be the complete permanent union of the purified inner self with the "I AM" Presence - that True Identity that is the unique Individualization of God of each person.

The group gained media notoriety when Elizabeth Clare Prophet

Elizabeth Clare Prophet

Elizabeth Clare Prophet was an American spiritual author and lecturer who was the leader of The Summit Lighthouse and Church Universal and Triumphant, a New Age religious movement which gained media attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s while preparing for potential nuclear disaster.During...

 made predictions of an impending nuclear holocaust

Nuclear holocaust

Nuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....

 that was prophesied to occur on April 23, 1990. When these predictions failed to come true, Elizabeth Clare Prophet reiterated her statements of impending doom, stating to her congregation: "We need your sacrifice. The world is about to fail. I don't know where the bombs are coming from. But we must be ready." The group had stockpiled their shelter with military-grade weaponry, and members of the organization were later arrested on federal weapons charges. After Elizabeth Clare Prophet was diagnosed with epilepsy

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...

 and Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

, the group's leadership has attempted to draw the focus of its work away from doomsday predictions. They believe that their messengers are the continuation of prophetic dispensation from God, for the type of people mentioned in the "Bible."

Branches

The Summit Lighthouse is part of an organizational structure that includes:

• Summit University Press is a publisher of books, audio and video on spirituality and personal growth. Founded in 1975, it has been a pioneer in practical spirituality.

• Church Universal and Triumphant
  Church Universal and Triumphant
  Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
  
   was founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet when the board of directors for The Summit Lighthouse incorporated the church to meet the religious needs of an expanding body of spiritual seekers.

It is a worldwide organization; branches of Church Universal and Triumphant appear in many cities across the globe. The headquarters of The Summit Lighthouse are based in Gardiner

Gardiner, Montana

Gardiner is a census-designated place in Park County, Montana, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 851 at the 2000 census....

, Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

, USA.

• Summit University is the educational branch of The Summit Lighthouse. Founded by Mark Prophet in 1971, it offers online courses for personal growth, spiritual retreats, and seminars in locations throughout the world. Its mission is to organize the teachings of the ascended masters into a practical course of study for seekers on the spiritual path.

• Keepers of the Flame Fraternity is a non-denominational fraternity
  Fraternal and service organizations
  A "fraternal organization" or "fraternity" is a brotherhood, though the term usually connotes a distinct or formal organization. Please list college fraternities and sororities at List of social fraternities and sororities.-International:...
  
   in the tradition of ancient spiritual orders. It was founded in Washington, D.C.
  Washington, D.C.
  Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
  
  by Mark L. Prophet in 1961 as a way of uniting warriors of light who pledge to see this earth through a golden age of freedom, peace and enlightenment by keeping the flame of life.

Summit University Press

The goal of Summit University Press is to make the teachings of the Ascended Masters, as delivered through the messengers, available to all seekers. They have published many books over the years, among them are:

• The Shakespeare Code (July 2006)
• Maitreya on Initiation (July 2006)
• The Age of the Divine Mother (July 2006)
• The Path to Immortality (January 2006)
• Mary Magdalene and the Divine Feminine (September 2005)
• Paths of Light and Darkness (January 2005)
• Everything is Energy (July 2005)
• The Masters and Their Retreats
• The Chela and the Path
• Climb the Highest Mountain
• The Science of the Spoken Word
• The Human Aura
• Walking with the Master
• Community
• The Creative Power of Sound: Affirmations to Create, Heal and Transform
• How to Work with Angels
• Soul Mates and Twin Flames: The Spiritual Dimension of Love and Relationships
• Creative Abundance: Keys to Spiritual and Material Prosperity
• Access the Power of Your Higher Self
• Violet Flame to Heal Body, Mind and Soul
• Wanting to be Born: The Cry of the Soul
• Wanting to Live: Overcoming the Seduction of Suicide
• Alchemy of the Heart