09) HARMLESS: Are ghosts, witches, sorcerers, and so forth simply harmless or entertaining?

Prophetic Statements

Harold B. Lee

Without doubt the Master realized that every genuine article has its eternal counterfeit, and just so, there would come a time when false Christs and false prophets, claiming authority the Lord had not given them, would arise and would deceive many, even members of the Church, by signs and wonders performed by occult powers derived from sources of evil. (Harold B. Lee, Decisions for Successful Living [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1973], 66.)

Scripture

Leviticus 19:26

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

Leviticus 19:31

Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 18 (heading)

Divination, spiritualism, and the like are abominations

1 Sam 15:22

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft

1 Chronicles 33:1-6 

Manasseh . . . began to reign . . . but did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen . . . he reared up altars for Baalim . . .he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards.

Mormon 1:19

There were sorceries, and witchcrafts and magics; and the power of the evil one was wrought upon all the face of the land.

Mormon 2:10  

No man could keep that which was his own, for the thieves, and the robbers, and the murderers, and the magic art, and the witchcraft which was in the land.

Supporting Statements

Boyd K. Packer

A warning: there is a dark side to spiritual things. In a moment of curiosity or reckless bravado some teenagers have been tempted to toy with Satan worship. Don’t you ever do that! Don’t associate with those who do! You have no idea of the danger! Leave it alone! And there are other foolish games and activities that are on that dark side. Leave them alone!” (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, May 1989, p. 54; also LDS General Conference, April 1989).

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