Nephite Priesthood

The Nephite Priesthood was an apocalyptic order of Mormon sorcerers who seem to have vanished after the turn of the millenium.

History
According to the Priesthood, Nephi was a great sorcerer as well as a prophet and king. Shortly after the revelation of the Books of Mormon to Joseph Smith, Nephi personally appeared to a man named Uriah Spence in Deseret and laid hands on him, teaching him sorcery. Spence then taught these arts to others, and these sorcerer-priests played a key role in the Utah War.

The Priesthood regarded themselves as the secret protectors of the Mormon faith to the present day, though they accepted the necessity of staying secret until the Second Coming. At a meeting of the Priesthood in Salt Lake City on January 4, 2000, something wiped out the entire order; accounts are vague and contradictory, so it is unclear whether their Second Coming actually occurred, or whether they simply confronted a force greater than their combined faith could master. Rumor has it that one single priest survived to carry on the traditions of the order.

Practices
The Nephites rejected the designation of "sorcerer," as they felt their powers were diving in origin, no different from examples in the scripture of holy men performing miracles. These gifts were only suitable for the most devout and righteous among the faithful to wield, and thus even fellow Mormons were to be kept at arm's length lest a priest be tempted to misuse his powers. They frequently prayed for the intercession of spiritual beings, many known only among the Priesthood, to accomplish their ends.

Unlike their parent church, the Nephites had little in the way of central organization, the better to respond flexibly to threats as they arose. Many members engaged in regular periods of fasting in the wilderness in order. Others with a more radical bent considered that the United States government would have to be destroyed in order for New Zion to arise; these individuals were actively monitored by the FBI.