Just Curious

[Jeanne]

In some threads we have been talking about the devil..surprised at some different ideas about this.  Was wondering if any of you had it experiences with the Ouija board in your younger years..out of curiosity or otherwise and your experience and what you might felt about that experience.

I did...as a young teen ...we passed around a coat that belonged to a recent deceased friend who was only 14 and died...Was it our perception..or what we expected??  The chill in the room..the answered questions...and young deacons/teachers present.  It was weird...and yet I never forgot it.

I will understand if this is put into a different forum..or even closed.  Just thought I would try.

Thanks!!

Edited March 1, 2018 by Jeanne

[Jeanne]

By the way...I can spell curious..(arthritic hands)..the devil made do it!!  Okay...fixed it...the angel on my shoulder said I could!!

Edited March 1, 2018 by Jeanne

[hope_for_things]

2 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

In some threads we have been talking about the devil..surprised at some different ideas about this.  Was wondering if any of you had it experiences with the Ouija board in your younger years..out of curiosity or otherwise and your experience and what you might felt about that experience.

I did...as a young teen ...we passed around a coat that belonged to a recent deceased friend who was only 14 and died...Was it our perception..or what we expected??  The chill in the room..the answered questions...and young deacons/teachers present.  It was weird...and yet I never forgot it.

I will understand if this is put into a different forum..or even closed.  Just thought I would try.

Thanks!!

I never did as a kid, too scared of that supernatural bogeyman.  My parents even made me stop playing D&D with my cousins because everyone was scared it was satanic.  

[Jeanne]

Just now, hope_for_things said:

I never did as a kid, too scared of that supernatural bogeyman.  My parents even made me stop playing D&D with my cousins because everyone was scared it was satanic.  

I can understand that...I was scared too.  I always made sure one friend had the priesthood when we tried it.  Only  a couple of times.

[Tacenda]

9 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

I never did as a kid, too scared of that supernatural bogeyman.  My parents even made me stop playing D&D with my cousins because everyone was scared it was satanic.  

What is D&D? To Jeannes request, I remember hearing about a family in my area that played the Ouija board game and then all kinds of bad luck befell them, soon after. But it could have been a lot of gossip, but to this day I won't play it. I don't really believe in a devil, but I do believe in bad spirits that may do damage.

 

[Jeanne]

3 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

What is D&D? To Jeannes request, I remember hearing about a family in my area that played the Ouija board game and then all kinds of bad luck befell them, soon after. But it could have been a lot of gossip, but to this day I won't play it. I don't really believe in a devil, but I do believe in bad spirits that may do damage.

 

I think he means Dungeons and Dragons...I never got into that...I could be wrong though.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Jeanne

[RevTestament]

I played Ouija several times, with the neighborhood kids, and never felt a thing other than that someone was cheating by pushing the thing around the board. I thought it was horribly stupid, and boring. I did play D&D for a little bit, but my friends weren't nerdy enough to get into it I guess, and I was not one to spend a bunch of money on it. I didn't feel it was particularly satanic because the "magic" was all imaginary. In other words we weren't conjuring spells or anything. Many modern video games still operate on the same principles of gaining more powerful weapons, and/or magical tools. I am not saying they are teaching anything worthwhile or commendable, but I've never heard anyone  at church speak out against Harry Potter either - except maybe me. I discouraged our children from watching Harry Potter movies, but my wife did not, so of course they did so. 

Do I believe in Satan or have I experienced what I believe to be demonic presences - yes. I suppose it is possible to invite these types of things in while playing games, but my intentions were for the most part noble. In other words my characters were noble, and didn't try to gain advantage by lying, dark magic, etc, so I think I never invited in any demonic forces that way, and never experienced these feelings while playing games as a kid. I think movies like The Exorcist had a much greater impact on me.

[Jeanne]

4 minutes ago, RevTestament said:

I played Ouija several times, with the neighborhood kids, and never felt a thing other than that someone was cheating by pushing the thing around the board. I thought it was horribly stupid, and boring. I did play D&D for a little bit, but my friends weren't nerdy enough to get into it I guess, and I was not one to spend a bunch of money on it. I didn't feel it was particularly satanic because the "magic" was all imaginary. In other words we weren't conjuring spells or anything. Many modern video games still operate on the same principles of gaining more powerful weapons, and/or magical tools. I am not saying they are teaching anything worthwhile or commendable, but I've never heard anyone  at church speak out against Harry Potter either - except maybe me. I discouraged our children from watching Harry Potter movies, but my wife did not, so of course they did so. 

Do I believe in Satan or have I experienced what I believe to be demonic presences - yes. I suppose it is possible to invite these types of things in while playing games, but my intentions were for the most part noble. In other words my characters were noble, and didn't try to gain advantage by lying, dark magic, etc, so I think I never invited in any demonic forces that way, and never experienced these feelings while playing games as a kid. I think movies like The Exorcist had a much greater impact on me.

Thank you for your response...yeah..other times I thought I was getting fooled by a push on a board. In any case...the exorcist would be enough..you know what?? I still haven't seen that show...saw excerpts..but just wasn't interest. 

[The Nehor]

I dabbled in Satanism once and thought I saw a demonic “miracle” but I do not trust the mindset I was in. Was probably more illusion.

I got attacked by some weird entity once on my mission when some crazy drunk women came to our house and started screaming at us through the windows and mail slot. Went into convulsions for a few minutes before the thing left. Not fun.

Number one conclusion from my experience is that devils are fundamentally boring creatures.

[hope_for_things]

1 hour ago, Jeanne said:

I can understand that...I was scared too.  I always made sure one friend had the priesthood when we tried it.  Only  a couple of times.

Did you ever hear of those stories where a priesthood holder comes into the room and all the sudden the Ouija board stops working, or the people using the board spell out some kind of message that alludes to the presence of this priesthood person in an adversarial way.  I always loved those stories back in the day.  The supernatural battle between good and evil.   Ahh....  

[hope_for_things]

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

What is D&D? To Jeannes request, I remember hearing about a family in my area that played the Ouija board game and then all kinds of bad luck befell them, soon after. But it could have been a lot of gossip, but to this day I won't play it. I don't really believe in a devil, but I do believe in bad spirits that may do damage.

 

Yes Dungeon's and Dragons, Jeanne was correct.  There was a lot of news about that game when I was a teenager.  Some kids in Colorado that killed themselves or something was the rumor I remember my parents saying was the reason why they wouldn't let me play anymore.  Also, I remember a lot of hype about Satanism, and animal sacrifices and all kinds of devil worship scariness back in the day.  

I had a funny experience as a Missionary in Florida.  We had a part member family that had us over for dinner a few times.  It was a husband, his wife and a little baby.  Two things about that family were extremely weird to my young missionary mind.  The husband, was a former Mormon who converted to some occult religion founded by Aleister Crowley.  But he was cool with the missionaries and liked to have us over.  The wife was nursing a baby, and openly nursed in front of us while we were there all the time, she was not discrete about the breast feeding whatsoever.  I think she was trying to intentionally trying to make us uncomfortable.  Between the occult follower and the woman regularly flashing us, I was quite uncomfortable in their home as a shy conservative missionary.  

[Tacenda]

26 minutes ago, hope_for_things said:

Yes Dungeon's and Dragons, Jeanne was correct.  There was a lot of news about that game when I was a teenager.  Some kids in Colorado that killed themselves or something was the rumor I remember my parents saying was the reason why they wouldn't let me play anymore.  Also, I remember a lot of hype about Satanism, and animal sacrifices and all kinds of devil worship scariness back in the day.  

I had a funny experience as a Missionary in Florida.  We had a part member family that had us over for dinner a few times.  It was a husband, his wife and a little baby.  Two things about that family were extremely weird to my young missionary mind.  The husband, was a former Mormon who converted to some occult religion founded by Aleister Crowley.  But he was cool with the missionaries and liked to have us over.  The wife was nursing a baby, and openly nursed in front of us while we were there all the time, she was not discrete about the breast feeding whatsoever.  I think she was trying to intentionally trying to make us uncomfortable.  Between the occult follower and the woman regularly flashing us, I was quite uncomfortable in their home as a shy conservative missionary.  

My husband served in the Jackson Mississippi mission. I think it was recently dissolved into another area, and he told me that one woman they were visiting nursed a 4 or 5 year old child. He thought that was interesting, not his word. But to each their own. And I do think that lady was trying to shock you, haha. 

[hope_for_things]

28 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

My husband served in the Jackson Mississippi mission. I think it was recently dissolved into another area, and he told me that one woman they were visiting nursed a 4 or 5 year old child. He thought that was interesting, not his word. But to each their own. And I do think that lady was trying to shock you, haha. 

Makes for strong young kids.  Puts hair on their chest?  

[Jeanne]

1 hour ago, hope_for_things said:

Did you ever hear of... those stories where a priesthood holder comes into the room and all the sudden the Ouija board stops working, or the people using the board spell out some kind of message that alludes to the presence of this priesthood person in an adversarial way.  I always loved those stories back in the day.  The supernatural battle between good and evil.   Ahh....  

Yeah...that is why I thought it was good to have a Deacon or Teacher friend...(that is how young I was)..I ate up all the 3 Nephite stories too!

 

1 hour ago, Tacenda said:

My husband served in the Jackson Mississippi mission. I think it was recently dissolved into another area, and he told me that one woman they were visiting nursed a 4 or 5 year old child. He thought that was interesting, not his word. But to each their own. And I do think that lady was trying to shock you, haha. 

[CV75]

3 hours ago, Jeanne said:

In some threads we have been talking about the devil..surprised at some different ideas about this.  Was wondering if any of you had it experiences with the Ouija board in your younger years..out of curiosity or otherwise and your experience and what you might felt about that experience.

I did...as a young teen ...we passed around a coat that belonged to a recent deceased friend who was only 14 and died...Was it our perception..or what we expected??  The chill in the room..the answered questions...and young deacons/teachers present.  It was weird...and yet I never forgot it.

I will understand if this is put into a different forum..or even closed.  Just thought I would try.

Thanks!!

The devil has many tools, and he selects to employ those which are most effective for his particular target and objective. So does God for that matter. However, those tools that do not overlap with the ones God uses does not mean the devil is using them for everyone. However, with God, those tools that do not overlap with the ones the devil uses are constantly extended to His children. What kind of devil's prey can discern the difference between a Ouija board and the Liahona, for example, and what tool(s) would the devil use against him? Likewise, what tools does God use to bless His beloved children according to their ability to discern?

[Jeanne]

1 minute ago, CV75 said:

The devil has many tools, and he selects to employ those which are most effective for his particular target and objective. So does God for that matter. However, those tools that do not overlap with the ones God uses does not mean the devil is using them for everyone. However, with God, those tools that do not overlap with the ones the devil uses are constantly extended to His children. What kind of devil's prey can discern the difference between a Ouija board and the Liahona, for example, and what tool(s) would the devil use against him? Likewise, what tools does God use to bless His beloved children according to their ability to discern?

Interesting...this is why I wondered if people had perhaps not evil experiences with the ouija...but something that may have enfluenced a greater faith in the tools of God.  Thank you for response.

[CV75]

15 minutes ago, Jeanne said:

Interesting...this is why I wondered if people had perhaps not evil experiences with the ouija...but something that may have enfluenced a greater faith in the tools of God.  Thank you for response.

My cousin became born again after seeing "The Exorcist" and freaking out over it. Is that what you mean?

How much light does it take to be frightened by a movie like that? How much of the light of Christ shines through that kind of darkness? I would suggest that even a little light is better than none, and this is how God prevails over all.

Edited March 2, 2018 by CV75

[Hamba Tuhan]

2 hours ago, The Nehor said:

Number one conclusion from my experience is that devils are fundamentally boring creatures.

That's because wickedness is fundamentally boring.

I made that point once some years ago in our singles Sunday school class, and a housemate disagreed with me. About five years later, he Skyped me from Dundee to apologise. He's done so a few more times since. 

[Jeanne]

I had a very good friend who went on a mission to Japan...He told me of experiences where they used the priesthood to stop things moving around in their room.  A heaviness of evil..he could not describe. 

[Tsuzuki]

On 3/1/2018 at 1:56 PM, hope_for_things said:

Yes Dungeon's and Dragons, Jeanne was correct.  There was a lot of news about that game when I was a teenager.  Some kids in Colorado that killed themselves or something was the rumor I remember my parents saying was the reason why they wouldn't let me play anymore.  Also, I remember a lot of hype about Satanism, and animal sacrifices and all kinds of devil worship scariness back in the day. 

Were you aware that the creator of one of the most popular D&D game worlds is active LDS?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Hickman

 

On 3/1/2018 at 1:56 PM, hope_for_things said:

I had a funny experience as a Missionary in Florida.  We had a part member family that had us over for dinner a few times.  It was a husband, his wife and a little baby.  Two things about that family were extremely weird to my young missionary mind.  The husband, was a former Mormon who converted to some occult religion founded by Aleister Crowley.  But he was cool with the missionaries and liked to have us over.  The wife was nursing a baby, and openly nursed in front of us while we were there all the time, she was not discrete about the breast feeding whatsoever.  I think she was trying to intentionally trying to make us uncomfortable.  Between the occult follower and the woman regularly flashing us, I was quite uncomfortable in their home as a shy conservative missionary.  

She was probably doing it more for her child's benefit than for you. Speaking of which, did my co-religionists feed you well?

[The Nehor]

5 minutes ago, Tsuzuki said:

Were you aware that the creator of one of the most popular D&D game worlds is active LDS?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Hickman

Yeah, like anything else roleplaying games can be dangerous if played in excess but the same is true of most youthful recreation. It made a nice bogeyman though.

The D&D hysteria came from a couple of fundamentally disturbed kids who played killing themselves. The evidence linking the suicides to the game are dubious at best. I understand why a grieving parent would latch onto any excuse but it was nuts. It came alongside the cult hysteria where credulous Christians were swapping tales of baby-sacrificing Satanists meeting in covens. Every sociologist who wanted TV time was suddenly a "cult expert" warning of the dangers of Satanism, roleplaying games, video games, and all the rest.

I can say that if D&D was half as fun as the Christian fundamentalists made it out to be I would still be playing:

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp

I must have gone to the wrong groups. I was never invited to learn real magic.  

[Rain]

8 minutes ago, The Nehor said:

Yeah, like anything else roleplaying games can be dangerous if played in excess but the same is true of most youthful recreation. It made a nice bogeyman though.

The D&D hysteria came from a couple of fundamentally disturbed kids who played killing themselves. The evidence linking the suicides to the game are dubious at best. I understand why a grieving parent would latch onto any excuse but it was nuts. It came alongside the cult hysteria where credulous Christians were swapping tales of baby-sacrificing Satanists meeting in covens. Every sociologist who wanted TV time was suddenly a "cult expert" warning of the dangers of Satanism, roleplaying games, video games, and all the rest.

I can say that if D&D was half as fun as the Christian fundamentalists made it out to be I would still be playing:

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp

I must have gone to the wrong groups. I was never invited to learn real magic.  

I had a high school friend who was in the middle of this. She committed suicide and an article was written of her experiences. Sometimes coincidences are so strong - someone, on the board, mentioned this the other day and then later the same day, my friend's sister spoke about a book her aunt wrote about my friend and mental illness that comes out next month. I have always wanted to understand better, but never asked because it is still hard on them.

[Bernard Gui]

On 3/1/2018 at 3:37 PM, Jeanne said:

Yeah...that is why I thought it was good to have a Deacon or Teacher friend...(that is how young I was)..I ate up all the 3 Nephite stories too!

A niece and nephew were innocently playing with some friends and a board. According to them, some very weird and scary things started to happen, and my nephew rebuked the evil and it stopped. They were genuinely terrified and never played again. Neither is active today, but they still remember that event.

D&D is a role playing game. The Dungeon Master determines the tenor of the game through his directions and scenarios in manuals. Some may emphasize dark or evil stuff, some will not. Being in the Seattle area, of course our boys got into it. We never observed anything evil in their play. Some even get together for a game with friends today as adults, but there is nothing in their games that would be considered contrary to their beliefs.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Bernard Gui

[Amulek]

On 3/1/2018 at 1:45 PM, Jeanne said:

In some threads we have been talking about the devil..surprised at some different ideas about this.  Was wondering if any of you had it experiences with the Ouija board in your younger years..out of curiosity or otherwise and your experience and what you might felt about that experience.

Never played around with a Ouija board, but I see them at Toys R' Us from time to time. It isn't exactly clear to me how you are supposed to 'win' though, so I usually just go with one of those Euro-style games instead (e.g., Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, etc.). 

 

[hope_for_things]

9 hours ago, Tsuzuki said:

Were you aware that the creator of one of the most popular D&D game worlds is active LDS?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracy_Hickman

 

She was probably doing it more for her child's benefit than for you. Speaking of which, did my co-religionists feed you well?

Yes, I've read a couple Tracy Hickman books, for some reason my parents were ok with me reading Tracy because he's a Mormon, but they were still hesitant.  And yes, the meals were fine, we wouldn't turn down a good meal no matter how uncomfortable the setting was at the time.