“Seek Unto Them That Have Familiar Spirits”

K. Douglas Bassett

(Isa. 8:19; Ex. 22:18; Deut. 18:10–12; D&C 46:7–9)

There can be no good or wholesome purpose accomplished in this kind of entertainment [ouija boards], therefore it should not be indulged in by members of the Church… . When a person is baptized and receives the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, he is promised that he will receive the necessary guidance for his spiritual and temporal good, provided he is true to his covenants… .
There is no need for any member seeking inspiration or knowledge through any unsavory or evil source which is coming from Satan or one of his emissaries. Those who have the light of the Spirit, or Holy Ghost, will avoid any contacts from any evil source. No doubt it is true that the use of these instruments is in the spirit of fun and for amusement. Let it be remembered that the Spirit of the Lord does not and will not dwell in unclean or disobedient tabernacles… .
The disobedient and wayward become the prey of deception; and as darkness enters their souls, the true light is driven out… . To seek for information through ouija boards or any way contrary to the instruction the Lord has given is a sin… .
All through the Bible, the New Testament as well as the Old, the Lord and his prophets have expressed their displeasure when the people turned from the Lord to “familiar spirits.”

(Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5 vols., [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1957–1966], 4:30–33.)

Commentaries on Isaiah: In the Book or Mormon

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