Posted on 10/24/2013 9:46:20 AM PDT by Colofornian
Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for Suite101.
SNIP
Does the afterlife theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) leave any room for a Mormon belief in ghosts?
The LDS church believes that everyone has a spirit (sometimes called a "soul" in other theologies,) which is believed to continue living independently of the body after its death.
Since a ghost is defined as "a disembodied soul" (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary,) Mormons technically do believe in ghosts. That is, they believe that everyone has a spirit that continues living even without a physical living body.
SNIP
Though it is not doctrinal, non-canonical sources suggest that the spirit world is on this earth but not visible to human eyes most of the time. Early Mormon leaders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young said that the spirits of the righteous departed "are not far from us,"...
Sources:
Brigham Young and Joseph Smith quoted by Dale C. Mouritsen in “The Spirit World, Our Next Home,” Tambuli, December 1977.
(Excerpt) Read more at suite101.com ...
Yet the very "Source" she uses at the end of the article is an "OFFICIAL" Lds.org article!
Sorry...but Lds "prophets" and "apostles" speaking as such on the Lds church published dime is official:
For this Lds church article, see: The Spirit World, Our Next Home
[For previous FR discussions on this article, see: The Spirit World, Our Next Home and The Spirit World, Our Next Home(The OTHER World Series: Mormon beliefs beyond this world)]
Similar thread in The OTHER World Series posted today:
Interesting Similarities between Mormonism and Spirit Release Therapy [The OTHER World Series...]
From the blog thread cited in other FR thread today [see:Interesting Similarities between Mormonism and Spirit Release Therapy [The OTHER World Series...]]
-- citing 2nd Lds "prophet" Brigham Young:
“Where is the spirit world? It is right here. Do the good and evil spirits go together? Yes they do…. Do they go beyond the boundaries of the organized earth? No, they do not…. Can you see it with your natural eyes? No. Can you see spirits in this room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies.”
* 4th "prophet" of the Mormon church, Wilford Woodruff: “If the veil could be taken from our eyes and we could see into the spirit world, we would see that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor had gathered together every spirit that every [sic] dwelt in the flesh in this Church since its organization . . . The eyes of the dead are upon us."
* Woodruff again: "The dead will be after you, they will seek after you as they have after us in St. George [temple]. They called upon us, knowing that we held the keys and power to redeem them. I will here say before closing, that two weeks before I left St. George, the spirits of the dead gathered around me, wanting to know why we did not redeem them." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 19, p. 229).
* 13th "prophet" of the Mormon church: "Visitors, seen and unseen, from the world beyond, are often close to us." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.35)
From Lds.org [official Mormon church Website, citing 2nd "prophet" Brigham Young and Benson and then Parley P. Pratt, Lds "apostle"]:
"President Young confirmed that the spirit world 'Is on this earth.' (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 376.) In a recent general conference, President Ezra Taft Benson declared that 'the spirit world is not far away. Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin. Our loved ones who have passed on are not far from us.' (Ensign, June 1971, p. 33.) Apparently the spirit world is incorporated with the physical world. The earth has a spirit in it just as our physical bodies have spirits in them. Elder Parley P. Pratt wrote that the spirit world 'is here on the very planet where we were born; or in other words, the earth and other planets of like sphere, have their inward or spiritual spheres, as well as their outward, or temporal. The one is peopled by temporal tabernacles, and the other by spirits. A barrier is placed between the one sphere and the other, whereby all the objects in the spiritual sphere are rendered invisible to those in the temporal,'” (Key to Theology, 9th ed., Deseret Book, 1965, pp. 126–27.)
Source: The Spirit World, Our Next Home
[For previous FR discussions on this article, see: The Spirit World, Our Next Home and The Spirit World, Our Next Home(The OTHER World Series: Mormon beliefs beyond this world)]
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…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…
* See: The Facts on the Mormon Church By John Ankerberg, John Weldon, Dillon Burroughs, page 194, Harvest House, 1991
For a previous thread discussion on this, see: The Facts on the Mormon Church (The OTHER World Series - Macabre Manifestations)
I believe in spooks.
The spooks at the NSA are doubtless recording this right now...
What a stupid post. Nobody gives a crap about Mormon ghosts.
You say that now, but when they come around on Halloween wearing magical ghosty-pants you'll sing a different tune.
You say that now, but when they come around on Halloween wearing magical ghosty-pants you’ll sing a different tune.
Your stupid reply proves my point.
What does this constant picking on the Mormons accomplish?
If you want to pick on a completely dorky religion followed only by low IQ types try Scientology.
If you want to pick on a completely warlike religion followed only by tribalists with no morals, try Islam.
If you want to pick on a completely worthless religion with virtually no good attributes at all, try progressivism.
Spoiler Alert! Basher of false isms’ critics post!
Spoiler Alert! Basher of false isms’ critics post!
Spoiler Alert! Stupid post, period.
What does focusing on Mormonism here do?
Well, thus far three Mormons have left the Mormon church and have come into Christian churches (that we know about).
I'm sure others have taken steps toward that as well...perhaps active Lds becoming Jack Mormons, etc.
(They certainly are shadowy entities)
[Thanks for bumping the thread]
When did we have our last Mormon suicide bomber? Remind me.
No problem.
2. Hundreds of thousands of Mormons are third/4th generation Mormons whose grandparents & great-grandparents uttered the following oath in the Mormon temple thru circa 1926/27:
LAW OF VENGEANCE: "You and each of you do solemnly promise and vow that you will pray, and never cease to pray, and never cease to importune high heaven to avenge the blood of the prophets on this nation, and that you will teach this to your children and your children's children unto the third and fourth generation." "All bow your heads and say yes."
This oath was sworn by Mormons during the Mormon Temple Endowment...The above reconstruction of the endowment, drawn upon various accounts of the ceremony, was published in 1931. The text appears to describe the pre-1927 endowment and thus was already outdated by the time it was published. The temple referred to in this text is the Salt Lake Temple.
Source: LDS Endowment: 1931 Account
Haters gona’ hate. What the heck did a Mormon do to you to hate them so much?
There is so much more wrong in this world than worrying about people in white shirts and ties riding bicycles.
Don’t get your magical panties in a bunch about it.
Yours got all wadded up, not mine.
Thanks for pimping.
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