The "Spirit" World - Ghosts etc...

[Truth_Faith13]

Is there official teachings on ghosts, angels, spirits (whatever you would like to call them) in the Church? I have been trying to figure out how they would fit in to the Churches teachings on the afterlife...

The reason I ask, one of the homes I work in has had some interesting activity going on recently...and one of the girls I work with is spiritually connected shall we say (not a medium necessarily, but she claims to talk to spirits and recieve messages from beyond).

I believe in Angels as I have seen one, or at least I felt it was the presence of an angleic female figure...it didnt feel like it was a spirit or anything like that..

Anyway just wanted to know if there was an official teaching and/or your personal opinions????

Thanks

PS: I cant remember if I have asked this before, but as you all know, my brain isnt working at the moment!

 

[SoyLeche]

I'm not sure if it is official doctrine, but it is pretty universally accepted that the "Spirit World" is located here on the Earth. It is possible, then, for there to be a bit of cross-over. How much? I have no idea.

 

[SoyLeche]

There are a couple different possibilities when you are talking about "spirits":

1) Those who are still in a pre-existent state (haven't been born yet). I'm not sure where* they are located. My best guess is that they are not here.

2) Those who followed Lucifer and won't ever receive a body. They are around here somewhere

3) Those who have lived, died, and have yet to be ressurrected. They are apparently around here somewhere

4) Ressurected beings - who can't really be classified as "spirits", but fit in the discussion anyway. I have no idea where they are.

When talking about "ghosts" you are probably dealing with 2 or 3, or with neither and there is some other explanation for what is happening.

*I'm not even entirely sure that "where" is a concept that fits when talking about spirits, but we've got to work with concepts we actually understand

 

[FFH]

I completely agree with everything SoyLeche has posted.

Great job Soymilk.

Here, have some Walmart soymilk.

 

[Sola'lor]

I would agree with Soyleche's 2 and 3 as well.

I would say that "haunting" ghosts are either:

Spirits who have died, that probably haven't accepted the gospel. Maybe as some say they don't know they are dead. Of course we don't really know the dynamics of the Spirit world. Are our structures present in their world?

or

They are satan's followers trying to decieve us

or

They are satan's followers that are more activly involved in our destruction. Maybe these are those harmful spirits.

or

My pet theory is that regular haunting spirits could be satan's followers. IF evil spirits are assigned to us to tempt us. They probably know our lived very intimately. It's possible that they become so involved in our lives that after we die they sort of take on our lives and continue doing the things we did.

 

[Truth_Faith13]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Thats really interesting..I didnt know that it was thought the Spirit World is located here on earth..that makes everything fit into place and make sense!

The activity which is going on at my residential home I am in at the moment - they are not being harmful with it or anything...just showing off...alarms going off in rooms where nowhere is there, chairs moving and then yesterday I felt a hand on my back, looked around thinking it was a resident, but no-one was there...

I work with someone who claims to be able to communicate with the spirits..and she says they dont like change..and there are a lot of changes going on at the moment..the homes is probably being taken over and it was after the meeting with residents, relatives, new owners and workers that this all started to kick off.

 

[DadBurnett]

I lived in a haunted house for several months with many unexplainable manifestations … so I guess you can call me a believer.
I did not do an LDS church for haunting but found the following official teachings about spirits … in the words of LDS leaders (I’ve added the bold/emphasis )
Found in a Search for “spirits” at http://www.lds.org/


…. I must tell you so that you cannot possibly misunderstand: “There are many spirits which are false spirits.” Boyd K. Packer

Millions of fallen spirits, with millions of the human family, have been arrayed against this Church, but they have not had power to destroy it. Wilford Woodruff
When Saul was troubled with an evil spirit, David played for him with his harp; Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit departed. Ezra Taft Benson

We are surrounded by … evil spirits … Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff

The spirit world is full of spirits who are anxiously awaiting for us to perform these earthly ordinances for them. We do not know how many millions of spirits are involved. Spencer W. Kimball

In what is probably the greatest of all recorded visions, given February 16, 1832, the Prophet saw that those to whom Noah offered the gospel and who were then destroyed in the flood, assuming they repent and accept the gospel in their spirit prison, shall not obtain celestial rest. Bruce R. McConkie

The Apostle Peter taught this in his day, saying that after the death of the Savior, and while his body lay in the tomb, the Lord, as a spirit, went to the realm of the dead and there preached to the spirits of the people who previously had lived on the earth. Mark E. Petersen

Rather, it is an intermediate condition or state where people await the resurrection—a tangible sphere where disembodied spirits live in one of several conditions according to what their mortal lives have merited. Dale C. Mouritsen

Our Father in Heaven begat all the spirits that ever were, or ever will be, upon this earth [see Hebrews 12:9]; and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young

 

[Sola'lor]

I saw the translucent form of the ghost moving closer and closer to me. I was so scared. Then all of a sudden the ghost stopped and moved down the hallway to the right. I followed it. It noislessly descended staircase. I waited nervously as it stopped at the front door. Just then to my horror two more ghosts passed throu the door into the house. I noticed the two ghosts were brighter than the other. Then in a hushed voice I heared the other two ghosts say, "Hi, were missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Spirit World Saints."

The hauntings stopped after that.