PROPHET, Elizabeth Clare

Elizabeth Clare Prophet was an American religious leader who founded the Church Universal and Triumphant and became one of the most prominent New Age figures of the late 20th century. Known to followers as "Guru Ma," she claimed to channel messages from "Ascended Masters" and attracted thousands of devotees to her Montana-based religious community.

Prophet established her church in 1975 with her husband Mark L. Prophet, building upon his earlier Summit Lighthouse organization. After Mark's death in 1973, she assumed full leadership and developed an elaborate theology combining Christian elements with Eastern mysticism, claiming direct communication with spiritual beings including Jesus Christ, Saint Germain, and other ascended masters who had supposedly transcended physical existence.

In the late 1980s, Prophet gained national attention by predicting imminent nuclear war and the collapse of civilization. She instructed followers to prepare for Armageddon by stockpiling food, ammunition, and survival supplies in elaborate underground shelters built on the church's 12,000-acre ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana. Thousands of members relocated to Montana, selling their possessions to fund the preparation efforts.

The apocalyptic predictions reached a crescendo in 1990 when Prophet announced that nuclear war would begin on April 23. Members gathered in underground shelters while media outlets covered the vigil. When the predicted catastrophe failed to occur, many followers left the organization, and Prophet's influence began to decline. She faced legal troubles including weapons charges and environmental violations at the Montana compound.

Prophet continued leading the church until 1999, when she stepped down due to Alzheimer's disease. She spent her final years in assisted care, dying in 2009. The Church Universal and Triumphant continues to operate but with significantly reduced membership and influence.