Melvin Fish

[Matthew.B]

Has anyone had any experience with Melvin Fish before? He was excommunicated for priestcraft (you can read about that here). I recently bought one of his e-books and am really enjoying the insights.

His website is here. His writing deals with spiritual healing through the Atonement (and it looks like he gets very in depth with the subject matter).

I'm somewhat wary because of his excommunication though. So has anyone had any personal experience with his work or with him?

[kathedralegs]

Has anyone had any experience with Melvin Fish before? He was excommunicated for priestcraft (you can read about that here). I recently bought one of his e-books and am really enjoying the insights.

His website is here. His writing deals with spiritual healing through the Atonement (and it looks like he gets very in depth with the subject matter).

I'm somewhat wary because of his excommunication though. So has anyone had any personal experience with his work or with him?

My husband and I have met him and his wife and have many of his books. There have been many things in his books that have been helpful.

Any discussion of Fish's techniques should be divided into two parts. The first is therapies regarding visualization and tapping (such as EFT). My husband has found these extremely useful. The second is the casting away of evil spirits, often because of their affects on our health. Fish and others locate and instruct foreign entities to "go to the light". This does not require priesthood, but faith in Jesus Christ and a belief in LDS concepts such as a pre-existence. Some authors object to the idea that one can send spirits to the light. We personally have not resolved this question for ourselves. An item that does not concern us very much is Mel's excommunication. He operated as a degreed, licensed christian counselor and priesthood was not required. Some writers have said that the priestcraft charges were brought in order to discredit embarrassing stories of abuse suffered by Fish's clients, some of whom were LDS.

Both of us have met the man, shook his hand and looked him in the eye and found him to be sincere, desirous to help others.

One thing that can be off putting is the method of detecting the presence of evil spirits. Fish teaches to detect them by applied kinesiology (muscle testing). This can be strange to watch, but it is actually widely applied in other alternative medical modalities.

As far as removing foreign spirits within members of our family, we have used techniques from both Doug Mendenhall and Mel Fish. We find both very useful.

[notjamesbond003.5]

Is he the guy "Fish Lake" is named after in Utah?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fish+la ... 1061%3B560" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

njb

[Matthew.B]

Has anyone had any experience with Melvin Fish before? He was excommunicated for priestcraft (you can read about that here). I recently bought one of his e-books and am really enjoying the insights.

His website is here. His writing deals with spiritual healing through the Atonement (and it looks like he gets very in depth with the subject matter).

I'm somewhat wary because of his excommunication though. So has anyone had any personal experience with his work or with him?

My husband and I have met him and his wife and have many of his books. There have been many things in his books that have been helpful.

Any discussion of Fish's techniques should be divided into two parts. The first is therapies regarding visualization and tapping (such as EFT). My husband has found these extremely useful. The second is the casting away of evil spirits, often because of their affects on our health. Fish and others locate and instruct foreign entities to "go to the light". This does not require priesthood, but faith in Jesus Christ and a belief in LDS concepts such as a pre-existence. Some authors object to the idea that one can send spirits to the light. We personally have not resolved this question for ourselves. An item that does not concern us very much is Mel's excommunication. He operated as a degreed, licensed christian counselor and priesthood was not required. Some writers have said that the priestcraft charges were brought in order to discredit embarrassing stories of abuse suffered by Fish's clients, some of whom were LDS.

Both of us have met the man, shook his hand and looked him in the eye and found him to be sincere, desirous to help others.

One thing that can be off putting is the method of detecting the presence of evil spirits. Fish teaches to detect them by applied kinesiology (muscle testing). This can be strange to watch, but it is actually widely applied in other alternative medical modalities.

As far as removing foreign spirits within members of our family, we have used techniques from both Doug Mendenhall and Mel Fish. We find both very useful.

Thank you very much. I'm still only a little bit into his book, but I feel the same kind of higher spiritual knowledge from those books that I get from a few other select authors. Part of what drew me to his work was the applied kinesiology, as I saw the wonders it worked in helping to heal my mom when an LDS practitioner in Kansas helped her out.

This realm of counseling and healing fascinates me, as I'm currently in school, and preparing for a degree to go into child counseling. One of the struggles I've had is the fact that I've seen many of the Western approaches to counseling and healing backfire and make the situation worse. If Brother Fish is correct in what he's writing, then this is a Godsend to me.

Thank you for your response, kathedralegs!!

[a_member]

I can certainly understand the charge of priestcraft -- at least on his website, there's no real explanation of his methods and it's very much a "pay me money to learn the secret knowledge" sort of thing. I don't know if he intends it to be that way, but that's how it comes off to me on my first perusal of his site. Lots and lots of self-help people operate that way, and I generally steer clear when I see that modus operandi.

[jump4joy]

.

[Knowledgeisgood]

Matthew I also have been the recipient of Touch for Health energy work and know of its healing power. I must admit when I first was introduced to it I was a skeptic but realize that too often when we do not understand something we have a tendency to discredit it without truly studying into the matter. I have a dear friend that has worked, taught certification classes and healed many with Kinesiology/Applied Touch for Health.
I am not sure why Melvin was taken before a church court and truly it is none of my business but to respond to a_member there are many people that make their livelihood by healing and helping others... such as a medical doctor, a psychologist and many more. Just because someone holds the priesthood and has a profession that heals others and charges to perform that service does NOT mean it is priestcraft. Save your judgements and allow the Lord to do that. I appreciate Melvin's dedication to helping others and providing books, dvd's and instructions for people like me and you to heal ourselves.. Many alternative health healers would NEVER share their gifts on how to do this because it would hurt their future income. As for me, I believe Melvin Fish is a good man... I wish him the best

[Lady Believer]

I visited with Mel Fish some years ago. I will say that his techniques helped me in a way that no other counselor did. To this day, I still employ one visualization technique that helps lighten my toughest burden.

He's a counselor, after all, and that is how he makes his living. So, maybe some people would think he would be a better man to not bother to mention Christ in his therapy. Maybe he would be a better man, to some, if he would just counsel using words and philosophies learned in a book. But then again, maybe he's being the more honest counselor to teach people how they can use the power of Christ in their own lives, to lighten their burdens, a power far better than the philosophies of men.

Mel Fish did not put a price tag on his service. He suggested I pay what I felt was right. He has to eat after all. And I seem to remember that the GA's all get money for books they write. What's the difference. I guess all the religion professors at BYU shouldn't get paid either.

Mel Fish is a good, honest man. I find it egregious that he has been excommunicated for what he did and taught.

[Halm]

I visited with Mel Fish some years ago. I will say that his techniques helped me in a way that no other counselor did. To this day, I still employ one visualization technique that helps lighten my toughest burden.

He's a counselor, after all, and that is how he makes his living. So, maybe some people would think he would be a better man to not bother to mention Christ in his therapy. Maybe he would be a better man, to some, if he would just counsel using words and philosophies learned in a book. But then again, maybe he's being the more honest counselor to teach people how they can use the power of Christ in their own lives, to lighten their burdens, a power far better than the philosophies of men.

Mel Fish did not put a price tag on his service. He suggested I pay what I felt was right. He has to eat after all. And I seem to remember that the GA's all get money for books they write. What's the difference. I guess all the religion professors at BYU shouldn't get paid either.

Mel Fish is a good, honest man. I find it egregious that he has been excommunicated for what he did and taught.

You are right, Mel Fish is a good, honest man. Those of you that are so quick to accuse him of "priestcraft" ought to take a few moments out of your busybody life and travel to Cedar City and meet the man. Shake his and better yet, sup with him and his sweet wife. You will not meet two finer people in or out of the church. I have supped with him on more than a few occasions, looked at his heart and listened to him. He loves the Lord and desires to serve Him, his Master. IMO, we ought to be ashamed for kicking a good man out of the church. Don't let that dissuade you from learning from him. He has helped thousands over the years. I have met many that have benefited from what he helped them with and they all speak very highly of Mel Fish. Seems those that don't know him are the ones that speak ill of him. Why? Based on our false suppositions? Our "Mormon-speak"? We are so very quick to judge someone and something we have very little knowledge about. Why? After a quick perusal of his web site we are able to make an assessment of the man? Please, the anti-LDS and non-LDS to the same to us. Are we to be like them?

He worked on me and my daughter a few years after her stroke. Even gave us his one book. He never asked for a dime for the sessions or the book. Just gave us a huge hug and expressed his love, thanked us for being able to help her.

After my daughter had her stroke and came out of the hospital someone suggested I call an Apostle and get her a blessing. So I did. I called an Apostles office, explained that my ten year old had suffered a huge stroke that destroyed her left brain and asked if she could get a blessing. I was told to write the request in a letter and mail it to her, his secretary. She said to call her between Christmas and New Years and we could come up for 15 minutes and get a blessing. She was very friendly and we were very excited. I loved this Apostle, one of my all time favorites. (This was the middle of Dec. 2000).

I did as requested and called her. She informed me that the GA's didn't give blessings to members any more, that they didn't have the time. I asked her if I had a "name" in the church or was someone famous would I have already been admitted in for a blessing? If I was someone other than a "common" church member would I be able to come and get a blessing? I asked how come I read stories in the paper of famous BYU athletes calling and being able to come up immediately for counsel or a blessing? She hung up on me.

Priestcraft? I know a man who worked for Covenant before Deseret Book bought them out. His job was to negotiate the royalties for the General Authorities that had written books they were publishing. He told me the toughest negotiator, the man who demanded the highest royalties, is our current Church President. Would you consider that to be priestcraft according to any of your varied definitions? After all he wrote a book and demanded high royalties for it! I don't for a minute believe it is priestcraft, I think highly of the man and sustain him in his office as president of this Church. But don't you pin a label on Mel Fish you wouldn't be willing to pin on any GA who has written a book and wants to be paid for it.

I would stand up for Mel Fish any time any where. I have spent hours with the man, shared bread with him, told jokes together, laughed and probably cried together. He is a good man, a godly man. Do we agree on everything? Probably not, but then my mother and I didn't agree on everything either.
Doug

[pjbrownie]

Sounds a little bit too New Age.

We discussed these issues a few years back on the forum from Bella, who wrote this blog: http://www.fatherthywillbedone.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if she is still around on the forum anymore, but I ALWAYS test alternative therapies through some of what she's written. If it's energy work, Reiki, magic wants, etc. it's from Satan, not God.

[Lizzy60]

I've had several sessions with Dr Fish, and a friend of mine has as well. He is a very good man.

[Simon]

Something that really works is traditional chinese medizine. It helps the body to heal itselfe, and if practised correctly it can cure almoust all illnesses. I can talk from experience here, no one could help me until I met that one brother who knows how to practise it correctly. Just want to share this knowledge I gained with the hope it can bless the lives of some other people as it has blessed my life.

[bethany]

i love Mel's books & Mel very much. after years of seeking help from local priesthood holders... i found help with him that nobody else could offer. He moves mountains.

[katmr]

I attended a meeting at a house once where Melvin Fish and his wife came and taught some things. I don't have a problem with either of them as they both seemed very nice and I believe had an honest desire to help people.
I would say that the thing that most caused me to question some of the things being taught is that they were teaching to basically convert evil spirits and tell them to go to the light etc. I haven't seen that as a pattern anywhere in the scriptures or even by the Savior (ex. casting the evil spirits into herd of swine.....although they did request to go into the swine but the Savior didn't try to convert them or send them to the light.)
I didn't find out until more recently that he had been excommunicated. I would advise to discern what people are teaching and take it to Heavenly Father to find the truth.

[AnthonyR]

Sounds a little bit too New Age.

We discussed these issues a few years back on the forum from Bella, who wrote this blog: http://www.fatherthywillbedone.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't know if she is still around on the forum anymore, but I ALWAYS test alternative therapies through some of what she's written. If it's energy work, Reiki, magic wants, etc. it's from Satan, not God.

Pj, I understand where you are coming from. I have done much contemplation and prayer about energy work. My intent when I am facilitating in energy work is to be the instrument in Christs hands to do the healing. I have witnessed first hand great things happen with energy work. Many things can be used with Christ intent, the opposite is true. Many things can be used for evil if the person has Satanic intent.

People thought/think Joseph Smith was/is Satanic with some of the instruments and tools he used to translate. Many i guess could also call Joseph 'new age'. He did some pretty 'weird' things himself.

[pjbrownie]

It's a slippery slope, to be sure, and Satan can perform good miracles so that you can trust in some process that is outside of your personal worthiness. Here's my test. If it can be tied back to Depak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Benjamin Creme, Marrianne Williamson, Oprah, Ekart Tolle, it's a product of Helen Blavatsky, it comes from Lucifer, and is part of the emerging one world religion that will go along with one world government and is the truest counterfeit to the gospel. If it doesn't require my obedience to righteousness, it is not the Lord's Priesthood but some other. My understanding with energy work, and reiki in particular, is that requires no such commitment, just a transcendental loss of consciousness stuff which is also scary. I would beware of that, and instead focus on being worthy to heal through the Priesthood.

[Halm]

It's a slippery slope, to be sure, and Satan can perform good miracles so that you can trust in some process that is outside of your personal worthiness. ........ I would beware of that, and instead focus on being worthy to heal through the Priesthood.

So my friend, a woman, a sister in the gospel, whose patriarchal blessing tells her that she has the gift of healing and should use it to bless the saints is of Satan? She has no priesthood according to what you probably believe, so how can she do healing work? How can she do what her PB tells her to do since we can only be healed through the Priesthood?
Doug

[Matthew.B]

It's a slippery slope, to be sure, and Satan can perform good miracles so that you can trust in some process that is outside of your personal worthiness.

Do you have any scriptural evidence of Satan performing a "good" miracle? What's the definition of "good" you're using here?

If we use Moroni 7:15-17 as a guide, then we might say that Satan can work miracles that please the carnal mind- but none of them will encourage us to serve God and love Christ, therefore none of them will be called "good".

I've never heard of the power of Satan being used to heal a person, but only to damn one.

[bethany]

It's a slippery slope, to be sure, and Satan can perform good miracles so that you can trust in some process that is outside of your personal worthiness. Here's my test. If it can be tied back to Depak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Benjamin Creme, Marrianne Williamson, Oprah, Ekart Tolle, it's a product of Helen Blavatsky, it comes from Lucifer, and is part of the emerging one world religion that will go along with one world government and is the truest counterfeit to the gospel. If it doesn't require my obedience to righteousness, it is not the Lord's Priesthood but some other. My understanding with energy work, and reiki in particular, is that requires no such commitment, just a transcendental loss of consciousness stuff which is also scary. I would beware of that, and instead focus on being worthy to heal through the Priesthood.

Watch ppl who seek energy healing & watch how they become free to rise above their ill behaviors. I've seen a lot of ppl return to church after shedding their darkness. One lady I helped wanted zilch to do with the lds church, I helped her with 1 session & we got rid of her despair & depression. Soon after her father called to thank me because she was in a relationship that was headed for the temple. She felt that God didn't care about her because of her struggles. Once she understood what the cause was, she was at peace with God. Too many ppl have been sabotaged or extorted because of their ability to manipulate energy to their advantage, & the innocent falsely blame God that their emotions have been hijacked or their thought processes have been damaged... & they have no idea how they have been victimized. Anybody that learns the truths of energy & teaches those they help, can explain to their client how immorality damages them, how lying injures them & manifests physically, how their choices create neg responses. It's NOT free reign that a person is skirting responsibility surrounding their choices. I know better now the why's & wherefore's of how our choices affect us. Ppl observe ALL the time how behaviors become entrenched within families... Children of alchoholics who are adopted into homes without that influence become like their bio parents. Your DNA records everything. It is all passed down & the posterity is affected by it... But it is readily removed & easily overcome thru energy. Behavior patterns, anxiety, fear, depression... The list is endless. Runs in families... Why be a victim?

[DPeterson]

I attended a meeting at a house once where Melvin Fish and his wife came and taught some things. I don't have a problem with either of them as they both seemed very nice and I believe had an honest desire to help people.
I would say that the thing that most caused me to question some of the things being taught is that they were teaching to basically convert evil spirits and tell them to go to the light etc. I haven't seen that as a pattern anywhere in the scriptures or even by the Savior (ex. casting the evil spirits into herd of swine.....although they did request to go into the swine but the Savior didn't try to convert them or send them to the light.)
I didn't find out until more recently that he had been excommunicated. I would advise to discern what people are teaching and take it to Heavenly Father to find the truth.

It's important to establish definitions here. Here is how I understand it.

"Evil Spirit" or Devils are the third part that were cast out of Heaven for rebellion.

Unclean Spirits are those who have lived on this earth and died in their sins and have not moved on but instead will try and attach to or possess those still living.

I don't know a ton about Mel Fish, but it doesn't seem to me like he's advocating that we "convert" evil spirits (remember the definition) and send them to the light. Unclean spirits are a totally different ballgame. It wasn't evil spirits the Savior sent into the swine, if I remember right, but unclean spirits who, by keeping their first estate, earned the privilege of receiving a body. Evil spirits were simply commanded to depart. So I think it is the unclean spirits that brother Fish is teaching to try and send to the light...to help them move on in their progression.

[Simon]

The priesthood is a good way to obtain healing, but we also need to consider that God also gave plants, herbs and knowledge with the intent to heal, so, the priesthood, or faith, is not the only good way. I cant speak for any energy practise except tradidional chinese medizine. Here the natural energy that all of us posess gets used so that the body can heal itselfe naturally. The brother that practises it can feel where lack energy, or where my illness is within my body. But there is nothing supernatural about it, it is merely an effective way to remind the body where it lacks health.

And by the way, that brother also has it written in his patriarchial blessing that he would heal many people that way.

So yes, we need to be aware of counterfeits, but should also not reject every practise because we believe that healing will only come through the priesthood, for this is not so.

[katmr]

I attended a meeting at a house once where Melvin Fish and his wife came and taught some things. I don't have a problem with either of them as they both seemed very nice and I believe had an honest desire to help people.
I would say that the thing that most caused me to question some of the things being taught is that they were teaching to basically convert evil spirits and tell them to go to the light etc. I haven't seen that as a pattern anywhere in the scriptures or even by the Savior (ex. casting the evil spirits into herd of swine.....although they did request to go into the swine but the Savior didn't try to convert them or send them to the light.)
I didn't find out until more recently that he had been excommunicated. I would advise to discern what people are teaching and take it to Heavenly Father to find the truth.

It's important to establish definitions here. Here is how I understand it.

"Evil Spirit" or Devils are the third part that were cast out of Heaven for rebellion.

Unclean Spirits are those who have lived on this earth and died in their sins and have not moved on but instead will try and attach to or possess those still living.

I don't know a ton about Mel Fish, but it doesn't seem to me like he's advocating that we "convert" evil spirits (remember the definition) and send them to the light. Unclean spirits are a totally different ballgame. It wasn't evil spirits the Savior sent into the swine, if I remember right, but unclean spirits who, by keeping their first estate, earned the privilege of receiving a body. Evil spirits were simply commanded to depart. So I think it is the unclean spirits that brother Fish is teaching to try and send to the light...to help them move on in their progression.

In the scriptural account it was demonic spirits that were sent into the swine....not unclean spirits. But, yes at this meeting I attended he was advocating and teaching sending evil spirits to the light, not just unclean spirits.

[DPeterson]

In the scriptural account it was demonic spirits that were sent into the swine....not unclean spirits. But, yes at this meeting I attended he was advocating and teaching sending evil spirits to the light, not just unclean spirits.

Yes, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't bother to look and thought I'd remembered that it was just unclean spirits that were allowed to enter the swine. But it does clearly say devils. Oops! :ymblushing:

And since that is really what he was teaching I'd have to really ponder and pray about that one. It does seem scripturally unprecedented but, to me, doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. And whether or not someone is excommunicated doesn't bother me anymore. It's got to be based on their message. Ed Decker's message is clearly wrong. On the other hand I've gotten much light from what Snuffer has taught. So brother Fish is just one I'll have to ponder too.

[truth]

As a result of reading this post, I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Melvin and Gwena Fish earlier today. They are two of the most welcoming and loving people I've ever had the chance to meet. They were generous with both their time and resources, and I feel as though I have just extended my family.

I had not known about them until yesterday and so have only begun to read the first of Dr. Fish's books: Healing the Inner Self: From Darkness Into Light. I feel a great hope in how the Lord is leading me toward so many caring and knowing individuals. Thank you, MatthewB for the post.

[Halm]

As a result of reading this post, I had the sincere pleasure of meeting Melvin and Gwena Fish earlier today. They are two of the most welcoming and loving people I've ever had the chance to meet. They were generous with both their time and resources, and I feel as though I have just extended my family.

Told ya. Isn't it great taking the time to go meet someone face to face instead of listening to all of the rhetoric and assumptions made about them. Especially when most of the comments were based on a quick perusal of a website or something said on a forum. Tell them hi for me.
Doug