In fact, KUTV out of Utah (Sept. 16, 2005), said in an article entitled “Joseph Smith's Arrest Record Surfaces In New York”:
… The documents include arrest warrants, court transcripts and legal bills from four separate charges filed against Smith. Storms said the cases involved Smith's involvement in glass looking, or treasure seeking, and being a disorderly person.…One of the documents includes a bill from then-South Bainbridge Justice Albert Neely to the county for services rendered. Included in the bill is a $2.68 charge for fees in examining the case of ``Joseph Smith, the glass looker.'' Joseph Smith's Arrest Record Surfaces in New York
Smith was convicted of "glass looking" in 1826, and these charges referenced were from the years 1826-1830.
Now why is this relevant to "familiar spirits"?
(a) Smith, a ground money digger, was certainly an expert in describing his observations about the "ground" and "dust."
(b) But more importantly, as I mentioned, Smith's reputation was covered in the regional newspapers.
Less than three years after Smith published the Book of Mormon, The Rochester Liberal Advocate ran the following article in their Jan. 12, 1833 edition. It was entitled, "Fortune Telling" and it references "familiar spirits" linked with Mormonism:
Jan. 12, 1833 Rochester newspaper article from the Liberal Advocate: It must be quite amusing to a laughing philosopher, to observe with what pomposity and arrogance, we boast of the "march of intellect," in this Paradise of the West, and hear young " springs of nobility," with faces as smoothe [sic] as vellum parchment, and something of the same color, gravely inform their companions in folly and ignorance, how long it has been " since they have finished their studies."
The mere learning to read, write and enumerate figures; which is pretty much all we acquire at school, simply fits us for a more laborious course of investigation, and mental improvement and our studies can never be said to be completed, so long as there is any thing to learn, which will never cease to be the case, so long as weak human nature is subject to its present infirmaties,[sic] and our lives are limited, to the short period of three score and ten.
It is humiliating to think that we are approximating, those ages of darkness and ignorance, when the priest, prophet and witch held the minds and bodies of mankind, in the most abject slavery; -- when the imaginations of the ignorant, were peopled with supernatural beings, & while the angels of light & darkness, waged bloody and exterminating war with each other, for the purpose of gaining supremacy.
In proof of our assertions, we shall mention the ridiculous farce of the mormonites; -- an imposition that had its origin in "money digging," fortune telling, and an acquaintance with, and a belief in "[familiar] spirits," & without detailing many other equally ridiculous and absurd impostures that have had their origin in times of excitement among us, we shall briefly remark, that in addition to the many villainous schemes pursued in our own pious and enlightened village, for the purpose of gulling the simple, and filching money from the pockets of the ignorant and credulous; -- two or more regular Juggling shops are established, where fools are made to tell their own fortunes, at the moderate price of two shillings each. Would not more of our well dressed females, who wear white feathers, [and] are continually dancing attendance upon some of our magistrates, in charge of a Constable, save themselves a great deal of trouble, and live more respectable, by setting up the profitable trade of fortune telling.
Was it eisegesis which led to Isaiah 14:12 evolving into the whole mythos of Lucifer?
The only familiar spirit I am familiar with is Balvenie 12yr old Scotch.
2 Nephi 26:16 is at odds with it self, conjuring up an evil spirit whose existence would be wholly at odds with God.
Oil and water as it were.
***In proof of our assertions, we shall mention the ridiculous farce of the mormonites; — an imposition that had its origin in “money digging,” fortune telling, and an acquaintance with, and a belief in “[familiar] spirits,”***
There must have been something in the water of western NY at that time. Not long after the death of JS, the FOX sisters began to have “table rapping” and started the “spiritsism” movement in America. It was found later that the rapping came from them poping their toes.