Btw...All this occultic stuff didn't "Die off" with the 19th century... Examples:
October, 1918: The Haunting of Lds 'prophet' Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Smith has dozens of accounts of the dead appearing to him. The Lds church thought so much of this that they put most of them in a 2007 book on the series of Lds "Presidents" ("Prophets").
A follow-up Lds "prophet" -- Joseph F. Smith -- claimed 91 years ago this month to see the hosts of the dead, both small and great...an innumerable company of the spirits of the just (D&C 138:11-12) -- and these spirits were just waiting for Mormon missionaries to come their way to be redeemed -- as JF Smith said that the Mormon jesus had prepared "the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh; That they might carry the message of redemption unto all the dead, unto whom he could not go personally, because of their rebellion and transgression, that they through the ministration of his servants might also hear his words. (D&C 138:37-38) Lds thought so much of more dead appearing to their "prophet" in 1918 that they added it to their "Scriptures"...(I think the occult world likes October for some reason)
Late 1970s or 1980-1981: The Evil Spirit Haunting of the Lds Brazilian Mission
"A few years ago while touring the missions of South America, I heard President William Grant Gangerter of the Brazilian Mission make some interesting comments. He reported that there had been a wave of incidents in which evil spirits were afflicting the missionaries and the Saints. At every conference the missionaries were relating experiences they were having with evil spirits. The intensity of their influence was frightening."
Come Unto Christ, Melchizedek Priesthood Personal Study Guide, for 1984, 1988 published 1983, 1986 p. 109
And, just posted this thread: The Haunting of a Mormon Missionary in Ecuador [The OTHER World Series]
Typical anti-Mormon tactic, when you lack substance; lie.
Everyone has their free agency, you can lie and choose evil and you can can fight against God all you want. You can try to deceive people all you want too.
God allows that...for now.
Let's start at the top. The use of hyperbolic terms and guilt by association tactics to try to discredit the subject of your essay is unsophisticated and low. Walter Martin, John Smith, Fawn Brodie, et all would be proud.
Trying to drum up visions of Hollywood horror movies by stringing together words like "occultic", "Mormon phenomena", "Paranormal intermingling" (been watching the sci-fi channel I'm guessing), and "demonic possession"
This is exactly the tactic the democrats use on conservatives all the time.
"Hate the poor", "Homophobic hate mongers", "domestic terrorist", "War on Women", etc... we're all familiar with this kind of nonsense.
Half-truths, out of context quotes and outright lies. Congrats Colofornian, you've out done yourself.
I won't go through your entire post... I don't need to. Here's an example of a lie that the reader can easily.
Joseph Smith uses macabre setting – a funeral sermon – to first introduce the doctrine of necro-baptism
"macabre setting", really? Necro-baptism? No where in the LDS scripture does the word "necro" appear anywhere. Mythical "Necromancers" handle dead bodies. "Necro-baptism" refers to actually baptizing an actual corpse. We do not baptize corpses, this is a lie.
”...who can drag into daylight and develop the hidden mysteries of the false spirits that so frequently are made manifest among the Latter-day Saints?”
You just loooove snipping little phrases that add to your over all nasty and unkind theme.
You've cheated your reader from seeing some of the wisest instruction ever given to man.
Here's an excerpt. You can find the whole thing
here Under the heading: A Mason's Estimate of Nauvoo and the Prophet—Organization of the Female Relief Society—"Try the Spirits"—The Prophet's Editorial.
A man must have the discerning of spirits before he can drag into daylight this hellish influence and unfold it unto the world in all its soul-destroying, diabolical, and horrid colors; for nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God. -Joseph Smith, 1842
Joseph Smith becomes obsessed with the dead:
Joseph pondering on dead, in your words makes him "obsessed with the dead".
Innuendo and false dilemma are forms of lying.
Is the temple haunted? Were these indeed ghosts of the signers? Could they have been demons in disguise as ghosts?
Hollywood again "haunted", "demons", and "ghosts". It would be comical if it weren't so insulting to my intelligence. Take your pick in this false dilemma, it has to be evil, noooo other explaination exists, noooo siree. Key the creepy music "OOOOooOOO".
Maybe the God of Heaven, Isaac and Jacob, who is the Father of all, both the living and the dead, sends any messenger He wants depending upon His need.
1. Was Siani haunted with ghosts and demons when Moses talked with the burning bush?
2. Was Job communing with ghosts and demons when he heard the voice from on High?
3. Was it really God who told Abraham to go kill his first born son? Is that really what God would want him to do? Or using Colofornian's words, was Abraham a necromancer and talking with evil spirits?
4. When Eldad and Medad (Numbers 11)had a spirit rest on them and they prophesied.. we're they in a haunted place filled with ghosts and demons? Was it a demon that landed on them???
5. When David said God spoke to Him, how do we know it wasn't ghosts?
6. Jesus Himself met evil spirits face to face many times and so did the original Apostles. Were they necromancers and occultists too?
The OP is Colofornian's own work and it shows. It's filled with half truths, logical fallacies, insults, lies, and low brow scare tactics all to ensnare the reader.
What's worse it's an insult to the evangelical community as a whole.