by Jessica
In the beginning, when a powerful spirit was cast down for rebellion, “he became Satan, … the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will” (Moses 4:4). He and the spirits who follow him are still deceiving the world. Modern revelation declares that “Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:2–3). Satan’s methods of deception are enticing: music, movies and other media, and the glitter of a good time. When Satan’s lies succeed in deceiving us, we become vulnerable to his power.
I do not believe in ghosts. That is something I tell people all the time. I then go on to explain in further details, my beliefs. A ghost is defined as someone who has died, but wanders the earth as a spiritual entity. It is my belief that people who have passed on to the other side have far better things to do, than wander the earth haunting buildings. I do believe that there are spirits, minions of Satan that will do anything they can to get our attention in hopes that they can possess our bodies.
The things that people do, such as use Wigi boards; Bloody Mary and other things that invite evil spirits… only work, because they want them too. When you go into something, wanting or thinking that a spirit will appear as a result of your actions, it will happen. Satan’s minions were not able to get mortal bodies, because they did not follow God’s plan. Instead, they followed Satan’s plan in the pre-mortal existence, and were on the wrong side in the War in Heaven. They were cast out with Satan. While others who aligned themselves with Christ go on to receive mortal bodies, then perfect, resurrected bodies, the progress of Satan’s minions stopped. They will always be spirits. They are always around, waiting for people to invite them into their lives.
Shows like Ghost Hunters disturb me in many ways. The reason being, that when I watch the show, I notice that the people in the T.V show invite and taunt the spirits to show themselves. If the building was not haunted before, it is when the people in the show invite those spirits. And for what? For ratings, to scare other people and viewers? We should not be encouraging shows that invite evil spirits into our life.
“Satan cannot seduce us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield. Our organization is such that we can resist the devil; if we were not organized so, we would not be free agents.”
“The devil has no power over us only as we permit him; the moment we revolt at anything which comes from God, the devil takes power. (Prophet Joseph Smith)
I am also reminded of a story that I read a long time ago. There was a man who had died on a hospital bed, but was revived five minutes later. In that time, he was shown some things by the Lord. One of those things is that he saw evil spirits lurking around those who were committing acts that were sinful or compromising according to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, such as drinking. The man who had died was taken into a bar by the Lord and was shown how much easier it was for an evil spirit to enter a person’s body the more that he/she drank. There was also a moment where he saw one evil spirit that was overlooking an entire city. The man asked the Lord. “Is this city so strong in the gospel, that the evil spirits cannot enter it?” To which the lord replied. “No. The city is so evil that only one of Satan’s followers needs to oversee the entire city. The city is weak and full of sin, and does not have the strength to push the evil spirit out of their lives.
We should surround ourselves with positive things, things that invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, and not the Evil Spirits that roam the earth, waiting for their opportunity to strike. Our bodies are temples, and we should treat them as such. Temples are dedicated houses of God, and God only dwells in holy places. We should a light and a example to those around us, so that they can also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and have the power to resist the evil spirits in this world.