On a recent livestream, Shane Baldwin of Zion Media publicly recounted what he describes as one of the defining events of his life. According to Baldwin, he was visited by none other than John the Beloved while serving time in the Salt Lake County Jail where he was serving time for committing investment fraud.
According to LDS belief, John remains alive today, continuing his ministry on the earth until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The belief comes primarily from an interpretation of John 21:20-23 and is expanded in the Mormon scripture of Doctrine and Covenants 7, which teaches that John requested the privilege of remaining on the earth to continue bringing souls to Christ until the Second Coming.
But John is not alone. The Book of Mormon also describes three disciples, commonly known as the Three Nephites, who were granted the same blessing. Together, these figures have become central to a long tradition of Mormon faith-promoting stories involving mysterious strangers who appear to rescue travelers, bless the sick, or offer divine guidance before disappearing without explanation.
Baldwin has alluded to this experience before, but this time he shared pages from handwritten notes he says were recorded immediately after the encounter. He also read them aloud for his audience, offering the most detailed account yet of what he believes happened.
If Baldwin's account is accurate, John the Beloved has spent the last two thousand years walking the earth, teaching scripture, visiting prisons, and, more recently, helping develop an AI-powered application called Oracqel.
It is an extraordinary claim, and Baldwin presents it without hesitation.
A Visitor at the Jail
According to Baldwin, the experience began on November 1, 2015.
"This wasn't in my mind's eye. This wasn't in some vision. This was a person wearing a black shirt, black slacks, black shoes."
As Baldwin tells it, a man knocked on the door of his jail cell carrying a set of scriptures. The visitor wore a badge identifying him as "Judon," but introduced himself simply as John.
"I saw a name badge on him and that name badge said Judon... but he called me by name and said his name was John."
Baldwin says he immediately recognized who stood before him.
"I instantly knew it was the same John we call John the Revelator."
The man, Baldwin says, explained that he had come for a specific purpose.
"He told me I have a great work to do and that he was here to teach me the book of Revelation."
Baldwin compared his own imprisonment with John's exile on Patmos, recalling that John allegedly told him:
"When he was on the isle of Patmos, I came to him. Now it was his time to visit me while I was on my own isle of Patmos."
For roughly ninety minutes, Baldwin says the two worked through the Book of Revelation verse by verse. Afterward, a correctional officer allowed Baldwin, his cellmate, and the mysterious visitor to move into another room where they prayed together.
Baldwin addressed skepticism surrounding the account by emphasizing that the visitor was physically present.
"He was definitely flesh and blood... tangible."
He then added an important qualification.
"What kind of flesh? What kind of blood? I don't know because he clearly has been here for 2,000 years."
According to Baldwin, the conversation quickly moved beyond the Book of Revelation.
He says John identified him as a central figure in God's final work, telling him that he was "the son of Jehovah," "the 12th Adam," and the individual holding "the keys of death and hell." Baldwin also says John confirmed that he would serve as an Elias preparing the world for the Second Coming of Christ.
Among the statements Baldwin says affected him most was one simple remark.
"He said he had been waiting 2,000 years for me to get here."
Baldwin recalled that they both laughed.
The visitor also allegedly shared new interpretations of Revelation, explaining that the seven churches represented dispensations, that Revelation chapter nine is almost universally misunderstood, and that Baldwin had been specifically prepared to receive these teachings.
Before leaving, Baldwin says John gave him several personal promises:
1. He would remain in prison for five years.
2. The first woman he dated after his release would become his wife.
3. He should continue studying "every good book" from every religion.
4. And perhaps most interestingly, John told him they would not meet again until the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acquired the Kirtland Temple.
Dressing Like John
While recounting the story, Baldwin paused to explain why he almost always wears black clothing as viewers, he said, frequently ask about it. His answer was surprisingly simple.
"I wear black because I saw John, who's been on this earth for 2,000 years, wearing black."
He explained that John arrived wearing black shoes, black slacks, and a black shirt, and that he eventually adopted the same style himself. Baldwin even encouraged viewers to study Jewish traditions surrounding black clothing as part of the explanation.
Waiting for Kirtland
Baldwin says years passed without another encounter. Then, in March 2024, the Church announced its acquisition of the Kirtland Temple. Five days later, he says, contact resumed.
The story takes an unexpected turn at this point. John was no longer simply teaching Baldwin scripture. According to Baldwin, he had become actively involved in a much larger project.
Building the Oracqel App
Much of the livestream was devoted to promoting Baldwin's Oracqel app, a subscription service offering personalized "birthright blessings," dream interpretation, healing blessings, AI-generated music, and conversations with deceased historical figures. All for the low price of $79/year.
Explaining the connection to John the beloved, he stated:
"John's team has helped in the development of this app."
Later he elaborated further.
"There are people that are in the North Country that are assisting us in the development of this."
According to Baldwin, once someone begins using the app, these translated beings become aware of them personally.
"Once you come into the app, they know who you are. They know what's going on in your family... and they can help guide you."
That claim serves as the foundation for Oracqel's most distinctive features. Personalized blessings, dream interpretations, and even conversations with historical figures are presented not simply as the output of a sophisticated language model, but as guidance facilitated by heavenly messengers.
Near the end of the livestream, Baldwin reflected briefly on John's ongoing involvement in the modern world. He remarked almost casually:
"John owns a lot of Bitcoin... might be a good thing to... especially right now."
It is a throwaway line, delivered with a laugh, yet it neatly captures the world Baldwin describes throughout the presentation.
In Baldwin's telling, John the Beloved is not a distant biblical figure quietly awaiting Christ's return. He is an active participant in modern life. He teaches scripture, visits prisons, guides software development, counsels believers, follows financial markets, and apparently owns enough Bitcoin to make the subject worth mentioning.
See John's full video below
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