Demonic Assault

[SamIam]

We would do better to eliminate the concept of demons from our faith and religion. Stories of such are no more than ghost stories to scare children and adults who are susceptible to such.

I'm not going to add much to this discussion except for two quotes by Brigham Young and a little commentary:

If people could always understand the manifestations of the Spirit upon themselves, they would learn that they can be tempted as well as other people, and that would make them careful to watch against temptation and overcome it. Consequently, I rejoice for them, inasmuch as every individual who is prepared for the celestial kingdom must go through the same things....(THE POWERS OF THE PRIESTHOOD NOT GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD--THE NECESSITY OF LIVING BY REVELATION--THE ABUSE OF BLESSINGS.A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, January 27, 1856.)

...So when individuals are blessed with visions, revelations, and great manifestations, look out, then the devil is nigh you, and you will be tempted in proportion to the vision, revelation, or manifestation you have received. Hence thousands, when they are off their guard, give way to the severe temptations which come upon them, and behold they are gone. (ETERNAL INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE--NECESSITY OF CLEAVING TO EVERY GOOD PRINCIPLE--MEN ARE NOT MADE SAINTS BY MIRACULOUS GIFTS, BUT THROUGH OBEYING THE TRUTH, AND OBTAINING THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, February 17, 1856.)

The first talk is one of the most profound out there and I recommend it. But each is good. If you note the title of the first, it is about his perceptions that the powers of the priesthood are not understood by those who hold that priesthood. The two snippets I pasted from these talks serve as a warning and a notice I believe. If one is not experiencing a degree of opposition from Satan that is increasing in its magnitude then one is also not really growing much in the gospel or experiences with the spirit. There is more specificity to the thought but I'll leave it there. Nonetheless, certain types of spiritual experiences cause Satan such distress that he ceases to hide as he attempts to deceive you and in his anger he will directly attack. And in that day it is wise to not be lacking in knowledge of the powers of the priesthood. It is good to understand that these things can be indicators that you are actually moving towards the celestial kingdom as Brigham indicates and for that reason, while not sought for, should not be unexpected or surprising.

Edited on notice from LOG that I had mis-quoted my sourcing material. Good Catch and thank you.

Edited May 18, 2012 by SamIam

[Avatar4321]

I find ignoring such concepts leads to a much more fulfilling life. No more looking under the bed to see what is there.

And yet but the very act of posting in this thread, you aren't ignoring the concept.

[Avatar4321]

I'm not going to add much to this discussion except for one quote by Brigham Young and a little commentary:

This entire talk is one of the most profound out there and I recommend it. If you note the title, it is about his perceptions that the powers of the priesthood are not understood by those who hold that priesthood. The two snippets I pasted from the talk serve as a warning and a notice I believe. If one is not experiencing a degree of opposition from Satan that is increasing in its magnitude then one is also not really growing much in the gospel or experiences with the spirit. There is more specificity to the thought but I'll leave it there. Nonetheless, certain types of spiritual experiences cause Satan such distress that he ceases to hide as he attempts to deceive you and in his anger he will directly attack. And in that day it is wise to not be lacking in knowledge of the powers of the priesthood. It is good to understand that these things can be indicators that you are actually moving towards the celestial kingdom as Brigham indicates and for that reason, while not sought for, should not be unexpected or surprising.

It's a good talk.

[Log]

If one is not experiencing a degree of opposition from Satan that is increasing in its magnitude then one is also not really growing much in the gospel or experiences with the spirit. There is more specificity to the thought but I'll leave it there. Nonetheless, certain types of spiritual experiences cause Satan such distress that he ceases to hide as he attempts to deceive you and in his anger he will directly attack.

QFT.

Also, your second citation was from:

"ETERNAL INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE--NECESSITY OF CLEAVING TO EVERY GOOD

PRINCIPLE--MEN ARE NOT MADE SAINTS BY MIRACULOUS GIFTS, BUT THROUGH

OBEYING THE TRUTH, AND OBTAINING THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.

A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle,

Great Salt Lake City, February 17, 1856."

Edited May 18, 2012 by Log

[zerinus]

The Topic Title may be an attention getter, but my question has to do with prayer, difficulty praying, and troubling or distracting thoughts while praying.

I was reading Joseph Smith--History 1:15.

Joseph was attacked while praying, and delivered when he exerted all his strength to call upon God.

“Call upon God” is a scriptural idiom which simply means to pray. It takes various forms such as, “call upon the Lord,” “call upon the name of the Lord,” “call upon me,” “call upon my name” etc. It simply means to pray (in faith). What that statement by Joseph Smith means is that he exerted great effort to exercise faith in prayer.

Since this was the first time he had prayed vocally, immediately before the first vision, and when he was very young, I suppose he may not have been praying properly . . .

Now that is silly. He wasn’t praying properly, and he received the greatest spiritual manifestation of all time?

My question is whether it might be expedient to open prayer in the name of Jesus, instead of only closing our prayers in the name of Jesus?

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, . . . (Matthew 6:9).

Could Joseph have avoided this demonic assault by starting "in the name of Jesus"?

That is again silly. Why should that make any difference? God allowed Satan to test Job (Job 1, 2); and He did the same for Joseph Smith. It was a test of his faith; and he passed the test.

Could we avoid demonic assault (and/or distracting, troubling, or worldly thoughts) while praying, if we started with the name of Jesus (instead of just ending with it)?

No!

[SamIam]

QFT.

Also, your second citation was from:

"ETERNAL INCREASE OF KNOWLEDGE--NECESSITY OF CLEAVING TO EVERY GOOD

PRINCIPLE--MEN ARE NOT MADE SAINTS BY MIRACULOUS GIFTS, BUT THROUGH

OBEYING THE TRUTH, AND OBTAINING THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.

A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle,

Great Salt Lake City, February 17, 1856."

Whoops - thanks for the catch. I have edited my comment with corrected information.

[mfbukowski]

I find ignoring such concepts leads to a much more fulfilling life. No more looking under the bed to see what is there.

Goody. Now I know where to hide.

[mfbukowski]

Edited on notice from LOG that I had mis-quoted my sourcing material. Good Catch and thank you.

I'm not surprised that he caught it.

And thanks for the great post. I needed that! +1

Edited May 18, 2012 by mfbukowski

[mfbukowski]

And yet but the very act of posting in this thread, you aren't ignoring the concept.

Great point. The very fact he is on this board proves it!

[DWhitmer]

The Topic Title may be an attention getter, but my question has to do with prayer, difficulty praying, and troubling or distracting thoughts while praying.

Prayer should be a two-way street, with the Holy Spirit helping us in the process. Think of the Spirit as God's gate keeper who is there to assist us in the process:

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities:

for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us

with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because

he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God

. (Romans

Second, there are many voices that one must come to recognize. Your body for example has many voices: hunger, thirst, bowels, bladder, etc., not to mention cell memory; we are creatures of habit and our body remembers repetitious acts, for example, if you normally take the kids to school in the morning and on the day your wife does, you'll be distracted from your morning prayers with "I forgot something," or "I need to do something," etc.

If you can regulate what goes in your mind and familiar yourself with the different voices, 90% of what interfers should disappear. Do not draw attention to the evil one and don't start a thread giving it attention. Evil avoids light, so surround yourself with light. Because most people traverse life along the lines of least resistance, they are no threat to the evil one and subsequently are left alone. J.Smith was a threat and so was attacked.

When the early leaders took the Holy BoM to Great Britain, they were attacked. The BoM is the greatest threat to the devil and thus, he has manuevered it into obscurity using a subtler approach: power, wealth, and women.

Reciting a name to repel demons would be as silly as kneeling in a summoning circle with protective runes and probably as effective.

I'll grant you were not referring to the name of our Lord as being impotent.

Demonic assaults are, I believe, largely unforeseen.

Second that.

The great lessons from both book of scriptures are, if you are a true follower of Christ, and a doer of his word(s), you will be pursued all the days of your life. Good luck!

[The Nehor]

I'll grant you were not referring to the name of our Lord as being impotent.

Absent anything else with said name that is exactly what I am saying.

"And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

If you disagree what potency did the demonic use of the name and title of our Lord in this scripture have?