Terran Posted June 23, 2016 Posted June 23, 2016 I was wondering if there are any stories of Latter-day apostles casting out evil spirits from people in this dispensation. Are there stories of Joseph Smith doing it? What about in the last 100 years? I can't remember reading or hearing much about this in this dispensation.
Duncan Posted June 23, 2016 Posted June 23, 2016 I know Elder Orson Hyde of the Twelve had an experience in England in the 1830's with devils and he wrote a letter to Joseph Smith about it. I think Elder Marriner W. Merrill had an experience of some capacity while he was president of the Logan Temple. Those are the ones that come to mind
USU78 Posted June 23, 2016 Posted June 23, 2016 My grandfather, no GA but a then 20-something former doughboy in Hawai'i in 1919-22, participated in several castings-out, according to his journal. My father reported before he died that his father had confirmed to him that it really happened ... when they were walking down the street and saw the young elder [then an old man] who had been possessed.
Avatar4321 Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 one of the first miracles of the church was Joseph casting out devils
ERMD Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 1 hour ago, USU78 said: My grandfather, no GA but a then 20-something former doughboy in Hawai'i in 1919-22, participated in several castings-out, according to his journal. My father reported before he died that his father had confirmed to him that it really happened ... when they were walking down the street and saw the young elder [then an old man] who had been possessed. If he could cast out devils, then why couldn't he save 280,000 people???
Eek! Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 I don't know about the experiences of apostles, but my guess is that "casting out evil spirits" is not unknown among the rank-and-file. I participated in or witnessed four such encounters, of which the home team won three and lost one. To the best of my knowledge the one loss was eventually reversed using a different strategy.
VideoGameJunkie Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 Just look at someone who's high out of their mind on drugs or bath salts and look them in the eye. You'll see a possessed soul.
Michael Sanders Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 The earliest account that comes to mind is that of Newel Knight around 1830. There is also the account in the Far West Record at the June 1831 conferences when Harvey Whitlock and Lemon Copely were overcome by evil spirits. Joseph cast them out. An article attributed to Joseph Smith in the Times & Seasons titled "Try the Spirits" speaks to this issue as well. As do several latter-day revelations. Mike Sanders Book of Mormon Believer Independence, MO
VideoGameJunkie Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 I'm telling you people tripping on drugs and having psychosis are possessed by the devil and his angels.
salgare Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 7 hours ago, VideoGameJunkie said: I'm telling you people tripping on drugs and having psychosis are possessed by the devil and his angels. bs
Atheist Mormon Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 20 hours ago, Terran said: I was wondering if there are any stories of Latter-day apostles casting out evil spirits from people in this dispensation. Are there stories of Joseph Smith doing it? What about in the last 100 years? I can't remember reading or hearing much about this in this dispensation. OK, I'm no physician, psychiatrist or hold any type medical diploma,I know this much; Any bishop or clergy under the pretense of casting out evil spirits would be a huge liability for that religious institution.
USU78 Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 16 hours ago, ERMD said: If he could cast out devils, then why couldn't he save 280,000 people???
USU78 Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 16 hours ago, ERMD said: If he could cast out devils, then why couldn't he save 280,000 people??? How do we know he didn't? /potstirring 1
ERMD Posted June 24, 2016 Posted June 24, 2016 4 hours ago, USU78 said: How do we know he didn't? /potstirring
Traela Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 My husband says a bunch of people on his mission experienced possession. This would be Argentina, early 1980s.
boblloyd91 Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 Some apostles I have read about doing this include Heber C. Kimball. I also remember reading in a book by Richard G. Scott about doing this. In fact it's kind of funny how he described dealing with them, where he saw them as more of a minor nuisance then a major threat. I hear much more about this from the rank and file, and know of several people in wards I grew up in who cast out Devils.
Avatar4321 Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 On 6/24/2016 at 11:53 AM, Atheist Mormon said: OK, I'm no physician, psychiatrist or hold any type medical diploma,I know this much; Any bishop or clergy under the pretense of casting out evil spirits would be a huge liability for that religious institution. absurd. There is no law against casting out devils 1
Avatar4321 Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 On 6/24/2016 at 0:18 PM, USU78 said: How do we know he didn't? /potstirring he did. He saved every soul to ever live 1
ERMD Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 5 hours ago, Traela said: My husband says a bunch of people on his mission experienced possession. This would be Argentina, early 1980s. I was in Buenos Aires North 1984-86. We taught a woman who was British by birth, who seemed a bit strange (I have letters she wrote to us telling us of some of her experiences). She related once that a few years before, missionaries were teaching her, and they took her to see their President in San Isidro (neighborhood where the Mission President lived, and offices were nearby). She said he told her she had a devil and cast it out of her. Which mission did he serve in?
JLHPROF Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 On 6/24/2016 at 10:53 AM, Atheist Mormon said: OK, I'm no physician, psychiatrist or hold any type medical diploma,I know this much; Any bishop or clergy under the pretense of casting out evil spirits would be a huge liability for that religious institution. Perhaps if more were cast out we'd have a few less running amongst us and troubling us with all manner of falsehoods. 1
VideoGameJunkie Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 Someone under the influence of a psychedelic drug is possessed by the devil and is not influenced by the spirit.
janderich Posted June 25, 2016 Posted June 25, 2016 1 hour ago, JLHPROF said: Perhaps if more were cast out we'd have a few less running amongst us and troubling us with all manner of falsehoods. The problem is once they're cast out right actions and right thought keep them out. A person who will not do this will have them return again. 1
Eek! Posted June 26, 2016 Posted June 26, 2016 2 hours ago, janderich said: The problem is once they're cast out right actions and right thought keep them out. A person who will not do this will have them return again. On the other hand, right actions and right thought consciously and consistently engaged in will make the person an unwelcoming "host", and over time that will simply wear down the determination of a negative entity. It would be like if your mom played music that you hated 24/7 and you had no earplugs, eventually you'd decide on your own that it was time to move out. Sometimes a single decisive engagement will do it, but sometimes it's more like a war of attrition, for instance in the case of the kind that "goeth not out except by fasting and prayer". 2
Atheist Mormon Posted June 27, 2016 Posted June 27, 2016 (edited) On 6/25/2016 at 2:45 PM, Avatar4321 said: absurd. There is no law against casting out devils Suppose it is you who performed this action (as a church clergy, any church) and gave the person clean bill of health afterwards, and the person did something grave, either to himself or somebody else, wouldn't you think the church would be sued? Edited June 27, 2016 by Atheist Mormon missing sentence
Terran Posted June 27, 2016 Author Posted June 27, 2016 (edited) 7 hours ago, Atheist Mormon said: Suppose it is you who performed this action (as a church clergy, any church) and gave the person clean bill of health afterwards, and the person did something grave, either to himself or somebody else, wouldn't you think the church would be sued? It's highly unlikely that a spiritually mature person, who had genuinely cast out an evil spirit, would tell that person they had a "clean bill of health." They would most likely suggest whatever the best medical help would be as well as spiritual support. Edited June 27, 2016 by Terran 1
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