Prophetic Statements
Brigham Young
Many people in this city do not know whether astrology is true or not, whether it is of God or the Devil; hence they are liable to be deceived, as is every person unless they have the power of revelation within themselves. If there are any brethren here who have been studying astrology, and they were called upon to speak, would they not say that they believed it to be a true science? They would; they testify that they know it to be true. But what does it do for them? It leads them into thousands of errors. Does God ever lead you into error? Is he mistaken when he reveals? No; when he sets you to make calculations and figures, I will insure you that every sum will prove and come out precisely right. The Lord does not deceive people, but astrology and mesmerism do lead them astray. How many deceptions are there in the world? Millions, for a great many spirits have gone forth into the world to deceive the people. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 75)
Supporting Statements
Bruce R. McConkie
A soothsayer is one of Satan’s substitutes for a seer or a prophet. His mission is to foretell the future by the power of the evil one. Such false prophets were common anciently in the Eastern nations (Isa. 2:6;Dan. 2:27; 5:11; 2 Ne. 12:6), but they were not permitted in Israel (Josh. 13:22), and the penalty forpracticing soothsaying was death. (Lev. 20:6, 27.) When the final latter-day triumph of Israel is achieved the Lord has promised to cut off witchcrafts and soothsayers out of the land. (3 Ne. 21:16; Mic. 5:12.)
Paul, the apostle, during his ministry, had a dramatic experience with a soothsayer. In this instance the false foreteller was a female, a “damsel possessed with a spirit of divination … which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.” To the great embarrassment of Paul and Silas she followed them calling out: “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation,” thus associating her evil practice with the true powers of God’s ministers. Of necessity Paul cast the evil spirit out of her, and her power of soothsaying ceased. (Acts 16:16-18.) 1
