Embaye Melekin

So, today a book I had ordered through Interlibrary Loan finally arrived. It took a while -- and I was fortunate to get my hands on it -- because only two libraries in North America had a copy. This obscure book is titled Manifestations Mysteries Revealed by Embaye Melekin.

Melekin is a very interesting character in the Latter Day Saint Movement, though his current whereabouts and involvement in the Latter Day Saint Movement are unknown. Melekin claims the Book of Mormon is, in fact, an African book about African people. He refers to white people as "Gentiles." Here is a quote from the book's forward:

"This book is a fulfillment of the prophesies of our forefathers. It analyses the Book of Mormon in its entirety and proves that the provisions in the book were exclusively written by our African ancestors and were meant to reach us through the Gentiles or white people.

"The contents of the Book of Mormon, the Abyssinian Book, are so revealing and very easy to understand. The book covers about a thousand years of our existence in the continent, where we originated from and how we spread to the entire continent of Africa.

"This book reveals the hidden revelation that were expected in the end of time. Africans were not meant to know ourselves until the ripe time of the Lord. Our fate was meant to be gloomy until the Lord manifested this knowledge unto us. After this revelation, we shall know that we are indeed, the authentic Israelites and our fates and our destinies were predetermined by God and recorded by our ancestors.

"The history of the African people was prophesied and the various stages we went through are testimonies to these facts. We were expected to stray away from God, and we did. We were slaved by the Gentiles, and we were. The Gentiles were meant to bring the word of God back unto us, and they did. We are expected to return to our God and ascertain our positions as the very elect of the Almighty. We shall do so when we come to the knowledge of ourselves."

A review of the book can be found on the FARMS website.

Here is another quote from Melekin that I located online:

"I never said I am a Mormon. I never joined the Later Day Saints Church ever. I am aware of the history of the Mormon Church. All I did is that I proved the Book of Mormon to be a MensA history book. It is an African book and all the stories could be traced to Africa and Eritrea, in particular. The Mormon Church is studying my book and it shall soon acknowledge its authenticity. It can be proven that we Africans are the authentic 'Remnants of the house of Israel.' We are the descendants of Manasseh, Son of Joseph, Son of Israel, Son of Isaac, and Son of Abraham. I have proven this fact beyond reasonable doubt."

Though Melekin was apparently active on the internet from 2000-2004, I have been unable to locate an active address or email to contact him for additional information. He used to have websites located at http://www.embayemelekin.com and http://www.eritrean-n-d-p.com/.

An archived version of Melekin's site can be accessed here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20050901010804/http://www.embayemelekin.com/

An archived version of the Eritrean National Democratic Party (which I believe was a political party of some sort formed by Melekin to espouse his beliefs about the African origins of the Book of Mormon) is located here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20041031074210/http://www.eritrean-n-d-p.com/

Please let me know if you are aware of a current website or contact for Melekin or for any affiliates or followers of his message.