Trapped Ghosts

[heartbroke37]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

[Kenngo1969]

It would help me to answer the question if I knew a little more about your background, e.g., whether you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whether you are a basically contented member, whether you are a disaffected member, whether you are faithful-but-curious, skeptical-and-verging-on-leaving, skeptical-but-content-to-stay-for-now, and so forth.

I don't know that the spirits necessarily are "trapped" here. I don't have a reference, but I believe President Brigham Young taught that if the veil were to be lifted, we would see that there are spirits all around us. I'm not necessarily prepared to back this up, but provided my memory of what President Young said is accurate, it would make sense to say just as there are a variety of people of varying temperaments around us in the flesh, if we could see those spirits, we would probably see spirits of every stripe: contented and happy, sad, angry and vengeful, et cetera. We do know that that same spirit which possesses a man when he leaves this life goes with him into the eternities: if he was happy and well-adjusted in mortality, he will be happy and well-adjusted in postmortality, et cetera. (Eventually, once every knee has bowed and every tongue confessed that Jesus is the Christ, I believe His power will work within us such that once we've received our postmortal reward, we will be content ... whatever our lot happens to be. But Joseph Smith taught that there will be a great deal of work yet to be done and lessons to be learned in the world of spirits before we receive such a reward.

I'm not prepared to comment in detail on the doctrinal ramifications of so-called "hauntings," possessions, evil presences, et cetera, except to say that I do believe the Adversary is hard at work putting his long-held grudge against Heavenly Father's embodied children into practice. The Adversary and his minions were so eager to have bodies that when the Savior cast a group of them out of a young man, they requested to be allowed to inhabit the bodies of a herd of swine, all of which then plunged to their deaths. In general, a disembodied or unembodied spirit will never have ultimate power over an embodied one. The Priesthood, God's power among men, is real. The Adversary may have power to bruise my heel, but I will always have power to crush his head.

Hope this helps.

[Messenger]

Alright I'll jump in .... Spirits trapped? I'm not sure what that means. Those that are in the spirit world (both in paradise and those in prison) are there by the choice of their actions. There are good spirits that are doing their work, which is similar to the work we do when we do our callings. They are there, no doubt, and when the veil is thin, we can see them under certain circumstances. I suppose there are the ones from the Spirit Prison as well, but if we generally are doing good they don't tend to hang around us. Are there exceptions? That's a good question.

[heartbroke37]

i grew up in the church untill i was 17.like the dumb kid i was i left home and the church as well. im 37 now and still believe that the church is true but im not a faithful member in good standing. the reason for my question comes from the "ghost hunting" shows on t.v. that i watch and i was curious if someone died violently could they actually be trapped here living the same day over and over or something to that effect if you can understand what im asking...lol

[Messenger]

i grew up in the church untill i was 17.like the dumb kid i was i left home and the church as well. im 37 now and still believe that the church is true but im not a faithful member in good standing. the reason for my question comes from the "ghost hunting" shows on t.v. that i watch and i was curious if someone died violently could they actually be trapped here living the same day over and over or something to that effect if you can understand what im asking...lol

Heartbroke,

I would say those shows are probably all fake. However, I do have some experience with a rather comical spirit when I was on my mission. But that's a different story!

[guitarist]

I think the only position you'll find from the church about hauntings is that they discourage you from making attempts to contact the dead (as it invites evil spirits), and instead prefer you focus on Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. That said, having had experiences of my own, I do believe "hauntings" exist. The question though, is what we see/hear/feel during said hauntings actually representative of what we think is going on? I think when someone experiences something genuinely "paranormal", that you are getting but a small cross section of what's going on "on the other side". And who's to say that these hauntings aren't just some sort of prank by enterprising ghosts on the other side?

We know that Satan & his angels were sent to Earth (& presumably other worlds as well) to tempt us & try us. Also, as Kenngo said, we know that BY has said that were the veil taken from our eyes, we would see all those who passed on in this life, and here they wait until the day when they are resurrected & brought up to the judgement seat of Christ to be judged. So it sounds like spirits are everywhere on this Earth. I don't know that that means that they're "trapped" though...

I find it hilarious when ghost hunting shows ask the ghosts if they know they're dead, or act as though the ghost may have as difficult a time seeing them as they are seeing the ghost. Granted, we don't really know what it's like on the other side, but given what we do know in the church about our spirits, I would venture to guess that seeing a physical body is not a problem for a ghost, and that it's pretty obvious that you're without your physical body the first time you try to pick something up, or walk through a wall, etc.

[Messenger]

I think the only position you'll find from the church about hauntings is that they discourage you from making attempts to contact the dead (as it invites evil spirits), and instead prefer you focus on Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. That said, having had experiences of my own, I do believe "hauntings" exist. The question though, is what we see/hear/feel during said hauntings actually representative of what we think is going on? I think when someone experiences something genuinely "paranormal", that you are getting but a small cross section of what's going on "on the other side". And who's to say that these hauntings aren't just some sort of prank by enterprising ghosts on the other side?

We know that Satan & his angels were sent to Earth (& presumably other worlds as well) to tempt us & try us. Also, as Kenngo said, we know that BY has said that were the veil taken from our eyes, we would see all those who passed on in this life, and here they wait until the day when they are resurrected & brought up to the judgement seat of Christ to be judged. So it sounds like spirits are everywhere on this Earth. I don't know that that means that they're "trapped" though...

I find it hilarious when ghost hunting shows ask the ghosts if they know they're dead, or act as though the ghost may have as difficult a time seeing them as they are seeing the ghost. Granted, we don't really know what it's like on the other side, but given what we do know in the church about our spirits, I would venture to guess that seeing a physical body is not a problem for a ghost, and that it's pretty obvious that you're without your physical body the first time you try to pick something up, or walk through a wall, etc.

I totally agree. You know, I think that people get scared and what can they do? I mean, they are on the other side of the veil in spirit, what are they gonna do..... bleed on me! LOL They cant even do that!

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

No

[HiJolly]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

This reminds me of the 'hungry ghosts' spoken of in Hindu and Chinese religions.

HJ

[Kenngo1969]

i grew up in the church untill i was 17.like the dumb kid i was i left home and the church as well. im 37 now and still believe that the church is true but im not a faithful member in good standing. the reason for my question comes from the "ghost hunting" shows on t.v. that i watch and i was curious if someone died violently could they actually be trapped here living the same day over and over or something to that effect if you can understand what im asking...lol

This may derail your thread, but you opened the door. If you'll pardon a comment on your personal situation, I would invite you to ponder the miracle of the Atonement. Although our acquaintance is recent and is limited to cyberspace, I'll go out on a limb and aver that Alma the Younger and the four sons of Mosiah did things that are far worse than you've ever thought of doing. Notwithstanding his sins, Alma the Younger testified to his son, Helaman, of his conversion, that it was his hope in the Atonement which helped him turn the corner from a former life of sin and begin the journey of repentance (see Alma 36:15-21 in the Book of Mormon). Enos had a similar experience (see Enos 1:3-8 ). Nephi, too, had a similar experience (see 2 Nephi 4:18-21, 27-30, 34-35). Through the Atonement, you can have "a perfect brightness of hope" (see 2 Nephi 31:20). Even if all you can do is "desire to believe," that's a good start (see Alma 32:27). Remember the interaction between the Savior and the father of the young man vexed by an evil spirit: "Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24).

None of us can make it through this life, or halfway into the next, without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As the executive secretary in my ward, I have a testimony that the Atonement changes lives. I'm not sure where you live, what contact you've had with the Church recently, or how extensive the Church is in your area, but if you have not already done so, I would encourage you to look up the Church in your local phone directory and to pick up the phone. I wish you well.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Kenngo1969

[guitarist]

I totally agree. You know, I think that people get scared and what can they do? I mean, they are on the other side of the veil in spirit, what are they gonna do..... bleed on me! LOL They cant even do that!

In general, I agree that they don't really do much to you... but they still aren't to be trifled with... Tempting & prodding Satan & his angels can quickly give you a metaphorical black eye. That's another thing I shake my head about on Ghost hunting shows, when they try to goad the spirits into doing things to them... If you think about when Satan met with Moses, and demanded Moses worship him, he caused earthquakes and things to the point that Moses was shaken with fear, and it was only calling upon the name of Christ that made Satan depart. Similar with Joseph Smith just prior to his first prayer. Personally, I wouldn't want to tempt an evil spirit into doing things like that to me. My experiences were harmless, but still frightening; no need to remove "harmless" from the equation.

[Messenger]

In general, I agree that they don't really do much to you... but they still aren't to be trifled with... Tempting & prodding Satan & his angels can quickly give you a metaphorical black eye. That's another thing I shake my head about on Ghost hunting shows, when they try to goad the spirits into doing things to them... If you think about when Satan met with Moses, and demanded Moses worship him, he caused earthquakes and things to the point that Moses was shaken with fear, and it was only calling upon the name of Christ that made Satan depart. Similar with Joseph Smith just prior to his first prayer. Personally, I wouldn't want to tempt an evil spirit into doing things like that to me. My experiences were harmless, but still frightening; no need to remove "harmless" from the equation.

I agree with you there, that there was some issues with Joseph Smith just prior to the first vision. And, thats not totally out of the ordinary, as the house I was staying in just before my mission had issues that we both witnessed. It just boiled down to that they didnt want me on a mission. But I think fear is the thing that they draw strength on, so, if you dont fear them, there is no power that they have. The power of the Preisthood always nixes the power of Satan. So, those that wish to call them, well thats just dumb. Wouldnt it be better to call on the Lord who will send the spirits in Paradise? They have much greater power to bless someone to what they need to have done.

[boblloyd91]

All the stuff I've read (in regards to what general authorities have said at least) tends to blame evil spirits for hauntings.

I agree with Messenger on this one. When I was younger I used to watch ghost shows alot. During this time period I would hear knocking at my bedroom door and find no one there. At first I thought it was obnoxious siblings, but this would happen while I was home alone as well. which was harder to explain. this of course freaked me out, and the knocking would continue. Well we moved, and I stopped watching ghost shows. One night I heard a knock at my door, and for some reason i just said "go away, I want to be left alone". And sure enough those strange knockings haven't happened since. I hope I'm not coming across as crazy, but that was my experience. I really do feel that the more you focus on things the more you can attract them. There were a few times when I would tell ghost stories with friends and then would feel odd and creepy afterwards. Of course this is because we were telling ghost stories and deliberately trying to scare each other, but I really do think we may have invited some unwanted attention ( to a degree) by telling those stories. Again, I'm not sure but that has been my experience.

[boblloyd91]

I think fear is the thing that they draw strength on, so, if you dont fear them, there is no power that they have

Ha ha I forgot how to quote people, here is the quote I was referring to in my previous post

[boblloyd91]

I still did it wrong how do i properly quote other posters?

[Log]

Why does this thread remind me of this?

Then that one reminds me of this...

and it all goes downhill from there...

Edited April 5, 2012 by Log

[Messenger]

I still did it wrong how do i properly quote other posters?

Click the Quote button on the bottom right hand side of the post you want to quote. It will open up a reply box at the bottom of the screen. Then you type your comments below the text already in the box. Then click post.

[zielkee]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

It isn't good to speak much of evil. No, people who have passed away don't get trapped here. Will Satan exploit any avenue he can? Sure.

[DrTerminus]

I agree with Zielkee that it isn't good to speak much of evil. On the other hand, learning as much as you can while remaining firmly rooted in your testimony of Christ, will empower you. A talk by Pres. James Faust in 1995, "Serving the Lord and Resisting the Devil" included this statement by Brigham Young: "it is important to “study … evil, and its consequences." The more we know about the strategies, the nature of evil, the better equipped we'll be to oppose it.

When we consider the fact that 1/3 of Heavenly Father's spirit children followed Satan we naturally wonder "where are they now?" Since "1/3" designates a certain number, and since we don't know exactly how many of us were gathered in the great pre-mortal Council in Heaven, let's suppose there's 100 billion people. 2/3 followed the Savior. 1/3 followed Satan. That would put roughly 33 billion evil spirits who followed Satan here on earth to cause as much mayhem as possible from the days of Adam and Eve to now. If its not 33 billion, still, its a huge number of bad guys (evil spirits) to try every which way imaginable to wreak havoc upon the children of men here on earth.

The next scenario revolves around the familiar statement of modern prophets that "those who have bodies have power over those who do not." If a person is involved in any activity whatsoever that invites Satan's influence, he is in bondage to that evil. (Study such things in the BoM on "awful chains" and "bondage" and you'll get an idea as to how powerful Satan's grasp is.)

However, if a person chooses the right path, follows the Savior, strives earnestly to keep God's Commandments, etc., Satan has NO power over that person. That's significant.

Now, we move on to the subject of death. You're either going to the spirit world where all the generally good people reside or you're going to the spirit prison where the bad guys are. From all my studies I don't see anything about anyone "hanging around" as a ghost to spook or haunt us mortals here on earth. It is my opinion that anything dealing with ghosts, ouiji boards, seances, sorcery, black magic, etc. are all habiliments of Satan's domain here on earth and we should thus treat it accordingly. Shun it.

Many years ago, a friend of mine came over to visit. As the conversation went on we ended up telling "ghost" stories. The atmosphere of that evening took on an oppressively dark, evil feeling. It departed after he left and we had our prayers. We learned a sobering lesson from that.

Years later, I was involved in scouting. One of the favorite pasttimes of scout camps was to tell "ghost" stories around the campfire. I wasn't there but on one of these campouts, one boy I knew was so traumatized over the stories of evil being recited that he never went to another campout.

The influence of Satan is very real. His helpers, i.e., "ghosts" or "evil spirits" are actively engaged in inflicting horror and evil upon mankind. On the other side of the spectrum, we have a pretty clear understanding about "good spirits" and "ministering angels" who are actively engaged in looking over us and protecting us.

The tie-breaker is the word "choice." It is said that the road to heaven and the road to hell are the same road; its merely a matter of which direction we're facing. We can freely choose works and places of evil. Conversely, we can also choose to stand in holy places: go to church, attend the temple, and serve our fellow men, and keep God's Commandments, etc.

We can choose to influence others to engage in good or evil activities too. The power of example cannot be underestimated.

To answer your question: yes, spirits...more specifically, "evil" spirits are "trapped" or assigned to haunt us, scare us, bewilder us, and confuse us.

This is a great subject to learn more about. I'd encourage you to do so.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

We don't teach it or believe it. In Ecclesiastes it states that every spirit who dies (or morals as the spirit never dies) is taken home to that God which gave it life. (To paraphrase) I think that is the last vs. in the entire book which is also called "The Preacher'.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Can anyone tell me if they've heard anything from the church about spirits being trapped here or if "hauntings" are real?

How about an introduction? I like introductions.