The Upper Room

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GratefulDisciple

12:52 PM

@kutschkem Does LDS believe that demons have a role in leading people astray when they engage in occult practices? Or how does LDS explain what's going on when people engage in occult practices? Or does LDS discount the existence of demons altogether? Sorry, I'm very ignorant about this aspect of LDS; could have googled it, but since we're on the topic ...

@kutschkem A related question: based on your assertion, is it then true that LDS doesn't teach that there are preternatural forces that people using occult practice can harness?

In contrast, some charismatic groups make this area their predominant concern. They would routinely encourage individuals to make a "spiritual inventory" of ways that someone would unwittingly allow "entry" of a demon (through activities ranging from explicit occult practices to unforgivness / cursing) to control his/her psyche and comes into bondage to the demon.

kutschkem

1:21 PM

LDS acknowledge the existence of evil spirits, is the easiest answer I can give to that, for anything more I would have to research a bit. Occultism hasn't exactly been a big concern during my lifetime. Personally I don't see why any specific occult practices should attract more attention from evil spirits than others, other than the fact that you are doing occult stuff in general, showing a certain mindset. You are strongly discouraged from practicing occultism of course.

Here is what the general handbook has to say: "The Occult
“That which is of God is light” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24). The occult focuses on darkness and leads to deception. It destroys faith in Christ.

The occult includes Satan worship. It also includes mystical activities that are not in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Such activities include (but are not limited to) fortune-telling, curses, and healing practices that are imitations of the priesthood power of God (see Moroni 7:11–17).

IMO Someone who practices magic, believes he can get elsewhere what God won't give him through prayer. That should already sound all alarms, without needing to invoke demons. It doesn't need to work, it doesn't need to have to do with demons, to be harmful. It's harmful even if there is no actual power behind it, like idolatry would be.

Wyrsa

2:05 PM

@kutschkem That matches what I've seen, but not found a particularly good source for.

Though I like the explanation that materialism and the denial of the spiritual realm is one of the more powerful things that the darkness has right now. It isn't going to risk losing it by actually interfering in an obvious way