Where Prophecies Run Together, The Seven Fires Prophecy: Part 1

The Anishinabe people have a set of seven sacred prophecies they call the Seven Fires. They explain that seven prophets came to them and delivered the prophecies at a time they were living peacefully on the shores of north-eastern North America. Each of the prophecies given by the Anishinabe prophets is referred to as one of the seven "fires."



Below I will compare passages of the Anishinaabe Seven Fires Prophecies to other scriptural prophecies. The versions of the Seven Fires that are quoted below all came from The Mishomis Book, by Edward Benton-Banai. I'll link online sources for the Seven Fires at the bottom. All the red highlighting in the quoted material is added by me. Other than that, the quotes should be the same as the materials they were taken from.

*A description of the people that the Covenant of Christ refers to as "gentiles" in the quoted material below:
  • They were originally divided by "many waters" from the people in the American continent.
  • They would cross the "many waters" and inherit the continent, and those who were already living here would be "scattered" and "smitten" by them.
  • This land would be a land of freedom for these gentiles, where they would prosper for a time. 

 This description fits the European colonists, immigrants, and pioneers that were first called Americans. The continuation of their legacy remains in modern day Americans.*

Karma Prophesied for Americans

From the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"It is at this time that the Light-skinned Race will be given a choice between two roads. If they choose the right road, then the Seventh Fire will light the Eighth and Final Fire -- an eternal Fire of peace, love, brotherhood and sisterhood. If the Light Skinned Race makes the wrong choice of roads, then the destruction which they brought with them in coming to this country will come back to them and cause much suffering and death to all the Earth's people."
From the Covenant of Christ:

"Now this blessing to you is to keep the Father’s covenant He made with Abraham, saying: Through your posterity all the families of the earth will be blessed. The Holy Ghost will be poured out on the Gentiles through Me, and this blessing given to the Gentiles will give them power to scatter My people, the house of Israel. However after they receive the fullness of My gospel, then if they harden their hearts against Me, I’ll cause them to experience the same fate of being scattered, says the Father." Covenant of Christ 3 Nephi chapter 9, paragraph 8

 Again, from the Covenant of Christ:

"You Gentiles, have you remembered the Jews, My ancient covenant people? No, on the contrary, you’ve cursed and hated them and haven’t tried to recover them. But I’ll turn all these things back on your own heads, because I, the Lord, have never forgotten My people." 2 Nephi 12, paragraph 9

Two Nations joined in One

From the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"You will know the future of our people by what face the Light-skinned Race wears. If they come wearing the face of nee-kon'-nis-i-win' (brotherhood), then there will come a time of wonderful change for generations to come. They will bring new knowledge and articles that can be joined with the knowledge of this country. In this way two nations will join to make a mighty nation. This new nation will be joined by two more so that the four will form the mightiest nation of all. You will know the face of brotherhood if the Light-skinned Race comes carrying no weapons, if they come bearing only their knowledge and a handshake."

From the Covenant of Christ:

"Don’t you know there are more nations than one? Don’t you know that I the Lord your God have created all people and remember those on islands of the sea, and that I rule in the heavens above and on earth beneath, and I bring forth My word for mankind, for every nation of the world? So why do you complain that you receive more of My word? Don’t you know that the testimony of two nations is a witness to you that I Am God, and I remember one nation like another? That being the case, I speak the same words to one nation as I do to another; and when the two nations unite, their testimonies will also unite. I do this to prove to everyone that I Am the same yesterday, today, and forever, and I deliver My words according to My own pleasure." 2 Nephi 12, paragraph 9

Again, from the Covenant of Christ:

"I command all people — in the east, the west, the north, the south, and on the islands of the sea — to write the words I speak to them, because I’ll judge the world from the books that will be written, each person according to what they do measured against what’s written. I’ll speak to the Jews, and they’ll write it; I’ll also speak to the Nephites, and they’ll write it; I’ll also speak to the other tribes of the house of Israel I’ve led away, and they’ll write it; I’ll also speak to every nation on earth, and they’ll write it. The Jews will have the Nephites’ records and the Nephites will have the Jews’ records; and the Nephites and Jews will have the records of the lost tribes of Israel, and the lost tribes of Israel will have the records of the Nephites and the Jews. And My people who belong to the house of Israel will be gathered home to their own lands. And the testimonies of Me will also be united as one, and I’ll show those who fight against My word and against My people who belong to the house of Israel that I Am God, and I covenanted with Abraham to remember his descendants forever." 2 Nephi 12, paragraph 10

A Return to Lost Knowledge

From the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"You will know the future of our people by what face the Light-skinned Race wears. If they come wearing the face of nee-kon'-nis-i-win' (brotherhood), then there will come a time of wonderful change for generations to come. They will bring new knowledge and articles that can be joined with the knowledge of this country. In this way two nations will join to make a mighty nation. This new nation will be joined by two more so that the four will form the mightiest nation of all. You will know the face of brotherhood if the Light-skinned Race comes carrying no weapons, if they come bearing only their knowledge and a handshake."

Again, from the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"In the Confusing times of the Sixth Fire, it is said that a group of visionaries came among the Anishinabe. They gathered all the priests of the Midewiwin Lodge. They told the priests that the Midewiwin Way was in danger of being destroyed. They gathered all the sacred bundles. They gathered all the Wee'-gwas scrolls that recorded the ceremonies. All these things were placed in a hollowed-out log from Ma-none' (the ironwood tree). Men were lowered over a cliff by long ropes. They dug a hole in the cliff and buried the log where no one could find it. Thus the teachings of the elders were hidden out of sight but not out of memory. It was said that when the time came that Indian people could practice their religion without fear that a little boy would dream where the ironwood log full of sacred bundles and scrolls was buried. He would lead his people to the place."

Again, from the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"In the time of the Seventh Fire a Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg' (New People) will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the elders will be silent out of fear. Some of the elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the elders. The task of the New People will not be easy. 
"If the New People will remain strong in their quest, the Waterdrum of the Midewiwin Lodge will again sound its voice. There will be a rebirth of the Anishinabe nation and rekindling of old flames. The Sacred Fire will again be lit."

From the Covenant of Christ:
"Now I wish to prophesy a little more about the Jews and Gentiles. After the book I’ve mentioned appears, and is set down in writing for the Gentiles, and is sealed up again to the Lord, there will be many who will believe the words that are written. And they’ll take the words to the remnant of our descendants, who will then know about us, that we came from Jerusalem, and they descend from the Jews. And the gospel of Jesus Christ will be taught to them; so they will be restored to the knowledge of their forefathers and also to knowledge of Jesus Christ, knowledge that their ancestors had among them. Then they’ll rejoice since they’ll know it’s a blessing to them from the hand of God." 2 Nephi 12, paragraph 12

Again, from the Covenant of Christ:

"And I’ll give you a sign to identify the time when these things are about to happen, when I will gather My people, the house of Israel, from their long-scattered state, and will again establish My Zion among them. This is the sign for you: When the things that I’m declaring to you now and after this by the power of the Holy Ghost that are given to you by the Father are then revealed to the Gentiles, and taken as a message through them to you, that is when the Father’s covenant is being fulfilled. You are descendants of Jacob and will be scattered by the Gentiles. But the Father will reveal these things first to the Gentiles, then from them to you. It’s the Father’s plan for the Gentiles to be established in this land as a free people through His power, to allow the history and prophecies to come from them to a remnant of your descendants. That vindicates the Father’s covenant with His people, O house of Israel. Therefore the record of these events, and the events that will take place among you after this, will come from the Gentiles to your descendants. But your descendants will first fall away in unbelief because of iniquity. That’s an essential part of the Father’s plan. The covenant requires this record to come from the Gentiles, so the Gentiles will understand His direct involvement. Then the Gentiles, provided they don’t harden their hearts, will be able to repent and come to Me and be baptized in My name and know the true points of My doctrine, so they can be included with My people, the house of Israel. When these things happen, and your descendants begin to know these things, it will be a sign to let them know the Father’s work is underway, to fulfill the covenant He made to everyone who’s part of the house of Israel." 3 Nephi 9, paragraph 11

Elders and Fathers

From the Seven Fires Prophecy:

"In the time of the Seventh Fire a Osh-ki-bi-ma-di-zeeg' (New People) will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail. Their steps will take them to the elders who they will ask to guide them on their journey. But many of the elders will have fallen asleep. They will awaken to this new time with nothing to offer. Some of the elders will be silent out of fear. Some of the elders will be silent because no one will ask anything of them. The New People will have to be careful in how they approach the elders. The task of the New People will not be easy."

From the Covenant of Christ:

"Now I wish to prophesy a little more about the Jews and Gentiles. After the book I’ve mentioned appears, and is set down in writing for the Gentiles, and is sealed up again to the Lord, there will be many who will believe the words that are written. And they’ll take the words to the remnant of our descendants, who will then know about us, that we came from Jerusalem, and they descend from the Jews. And the gospel of Jesus Christ will be taught to them; so they will be restored to the knowledge of their forefathers and also to knowledge of Jesus Christ, knowledge that their ancestors had among them. Then they’ll rejoice since they’ll know it’s a blessing to them from the hand of God. Their blindness will begin to be removed from their eyes." 2 Nephi 12, paragraph 12

From Teachings and Commandments:

"After telling me these things he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi [Mal. 1:6 –8], and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy [Mal. 1:9 –11], though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as reads in our books, he quoted it thus: For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble; for they that cometh shall burn them, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And again he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." [Taken from Joseph Smith History, Part 3, in this part Joseph is quoting an angel that appeared to him.]

Online sources for the Seven Fires Prophecies:




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