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Spirits Of The Dead


Cold Steel

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Can anyone document the church's beliefs that the spirits of the wicked can tarry for an unspecified time after death?

President Heber Q. Hale, of the Boise, Idaho, Stake, was asked by the First Presidency to recount his "after life" experience. He recorded: "The wicked and unrepentant have still, like the rest, their free agency, and applying themselves to no useful or wholesome undertaking, seek pleasure about their old haunts and exalt in the sin and wickedness of degenerated humanity. To this extent they are still the tools of Satan. It is these idle, mischievous and deceptive spirits who appear as miserable counterfeits at spiritualist seances, table dancing and Ouija board operation. The noble and great ones do not respond to the call of the mediums and to every curious group of meddlesome inquirers. They would not do it in the world of mortality, certainly they would not do it in their increased state of knowledge in the world of immortality. These wicked and unrepentant spirits are [tools] of Satan and his host, operating through willing mediums in the flesh. These three forces constitute an unholy trinity upon the earth and are responsible for all the sin, wickedness, distress and misery among men and nations."

I've heard similar accounts, but can't document them. Can anyone help me out?

What are the views of some of the Catholic/Protestants here?

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I've always wondered about this.

It is hard to imagine that the righteous people who have passed on need "permission" or are directed on a mission to visit the living. Why would the wicked be able to go about wherever they may?

And how do we distinguish if those "ghost stories" are from the 1/3 cast out of Heaven and not those who passed on from this life?

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Can anyone document the church's beliefs that the spirits of the wicked can tarry for an unspecified time after death?

President Heber Q. Hale, of the Boise, Idaho, Stake, was asked by the First Presidency to recount his "after life" experience. He recorded: "The wicked and unrepentant have still, like the rest, their free agency, and applying themselves to no useful or wholesome undertaking, seek pleasure about their old haunts and exalt in the sin and wickedness of degenerated humanity. To this extent they are still the tools of Satan. It is these idle, mischievous and deceptive spirits who appear as miserable counterfeits at spiritualist seances, table dancing and Ouija board operation. The noble and great ones do not respond to the call of the mediums and to every curious group of meddlesome inquirers. They would not do it in the world of mortality, certainly they would not do it in their increased state of knowledge in the world of immortality. These wicked and unrepentant spirits are [tools] of Satan and his host, operating through willing mediums in the flesh. These three forces constitute an unholy trinity upon the earth and are responsible for all the sin, wickedness, distress and misery among men and nations."

I've heard similar accounts, but can't document them. Can anyone help me out?

At first, I thought this thread was, "Spirit of the deed."

IMO, (& I think Joseph Smith's opinion too) the spiritual realm is not much different than life among us.

Those who are engaging in positive pursuits tend to gravitate toward others who are also.

Those who are engaging in negative pursuits tend to gravitate toward others who are also.

Negative spirits only have the power we relate to. This is why it's so important to be aware of our psychology (study of the soul) so we can be as pure in though, feeling & action as possible. If there is an unhealed part of us, then a negative spirit could gravitate toward it & we could be influenced - through fear, lust, anger... etc.

About the part of your post I bolded... That's a good point. I believe Jesus had psychic abilities - to discern others thoughts & to speak to those in spirit. Yet, Jesus had overcome the negative aspects of him & didn't mess around with curiously entertaining, but dangerous aspects of spirituality. He focused on his spiritual goals.

I've had beautiful experiences with spirits who've passed on... & I know many others have too. I think it just depends on how they come about & the intent.

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I see that as more of a statement of his distaste for seances than a doctrinal statement about the status of the spirits of the dead. Maybe spirits of wicked people can tarry for a while (or more than a while?), and maybe righteous spirits can, too. Why not? I have heard tales of people's (righteous) dead relatives communicating with them, sometimes in the temple, sometimes elsewhere. I remember myself feeling the presence of my dead wife, when I was riding the bus, of all times! I expect that the dead have other things to do than just "hang around" observing us, but I see no reason why they might not visit from time to time.

Anyway, what about the spirits of regular people, who are neither "wicked" nor totally righteous? You know, normal people? Sometimes people talk as though there are only two clearcut categories of people or spirits, and I don't buy it. People are more complex than that.

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Can anyone document the church's beliefs that the spirits of the wicked can tarry for an unspecified time after death?

...

Hi,

Go to this google book (Life Everlasting by Crowther)

Go to the "Contents" pull down menu right above the top of the page image.

Go to "Spirit Beings Visit the Earth" on page 229

Read from there if you find it interesting. Beginning on page 236 it talks about evil spirits from spirit prison coming to earth.

Richard

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