The Facts on the Mormon Church (The OTHER World Series

…the dead have always played a major role in the practice of Mormonism. Both Smith and many subsequent leaders in the Mormon Church were in regular contact with the spirit world…A sermon delivered by Elder Parley Pratt in 1853 (five years after the celebrated spiritist movement began in America) indicates early Mormon acceptance of Joseph Smith as a “divine” medium…

…the Mormon church erects a false division between ‘godly’ and ‘satanic’ spirit contact. They allege that all Mormon contact with the dead is ‘godly’ practice. But biblically, there is no such division, nor can Mormonism justify one. There is no biblically endorsed practice involving “godly” contact with the dead, “godly” mediumism, “godly” channeling, or “godly” spiritism – it is all classified as an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:9-13)…

Nevertheless, there are a number of books by Mormons that recount temple manifestations of dead family members as truly “faith-promoting” experiences. Joseph Heinerman’s books, Spirit World Manifestations, Eternal Testimonies, and Temple Manifestations details scores of stories of dead family members and other spirits instructing Mormon leaders, missionaries, and laymen…In fact, these and other books reveal that for many Mormons, “true” religion involves not only ministering to the spirits of the dead by proxy baptism, but also receiving guidance and instruction from spirits of the dead for spiritual growth. Heinerman explains,

The inhabitants of the spirit world have received special permission to visit their mortal descendants and assist them and impress upon their minds… It should be gratifying to Latter-day Saints that those in the spirit world have expressed an intense interest in and are increasingly concerned with the activities of God’s people upon the earth…

From pp. 69, 71-72 of book.

From the source: …the dead have always played a major role in the practice of Mormonism. Both Smith and many subsequent leaders in the Mormon Church were in regular contact with the spirit world…A sermon delivered by Elder Parley Pratt in 1853 (five years after the celebrated spiritist movement began in America) indicates early Mormon acceptance of Joseph Smith as a “divine” medium…

To see a link to Parley Pratt's occultic sermon, go here: Journal of Discourses/Vol 2/Spiritual Communication [The OTHER World Series: Lds discourse w/dead]

From the source: …the Mormon church erects a false division between ‘godly’ and ‘satanic’ spirit contact. They allege that all Mormon contact with the dead is ‘godly’ practice. But biblically, there is no such division, nor can Mormonism justify one. There is no biblically endorsed practice involving “godly” contact with the dead, “godly” mediumism, “godly” channeling, or “godly” spiritism – it is all classified as an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:9-13)… Nevertheless, there are a number of books by Mormons that recount temple manifestations of dead family members as truly “faith-promoting” experiences. Joseph Heinerman’s books, Spirit World Manifestations, Eternal Testimonies, and Temple Manifestations details scores of stories of dead family members and other spirits instructing Mormon leaders, missionaries, and laymen…In fact, these and other books reveal that for many Mormons, “true” religion involves not only ministering to the spirits of the dead by proxy baptism, but also receiving guidance and instruction from spirits of the dead for spiritual growth.

Mormon author Duane Crowther is another author who promotes manifestations of the dead.

Mormonism teaches of a very thin veil between the dead and the living:

Joseph Smith:

"The spirits...are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. Enveloped in flaming fire, they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 326)

* Lds “apostle” Parley Pratt said: "...we frequently hold communication with our departed father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter; or with the former husband or wife of our bosom..."

* Lds “prophet” Joseph F. Smith, nephew of Joseph Smith…in a book published by the highest ranking Lds hierarchy, The First Presidency:

* “Sometimes the Lord expands our vision from this point of view and this side of the veil, that we feel and seem to realize that we can look beyond the thin veil which separates us from that other sphere…the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond can see more clearly through the veil back here to us…I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly…beings. We are not separated from them…” (Gospel Doctrine, 2:215, 1971)

* “I claim that we live in their presence; they see us; they are solicitous for our welfare…” (GD, 2:216, 1971) (Original source: CR, Apr. 1916, pp. 2-4)

* “In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends who have passed away from this earth…may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing…warning or reproof and instruction to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh. And so it is with Sister [Elizabeth H.] Cannon. She can return and visit her friends…” (GD, 2:224, Original source: Discourse @ the funeral of Elizabeth H. Cannon, JD 22:351-352]

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