Witchcraft

[Fiannan]

Why is witchcraft getting so popular with women nowadays? Well:

Promises of spiritual power

It is presented as sexy in modern culture

Gives the proverbial finger to the perceived male-dominated culture

Promises of way more sex - with guys and gals

Nature oriented

[Fiannan]

Anyone here have a Tumblr account? Then you know just how popular paganism and witchcraft are there:

https://www.theverge.com/2017/12/12/167 ... -fan-tarot

I wonder though, what if someone not of the correct bloodline dabbles in this sort of practice?

[Believing Joseph]

Why is witchcraft getting so popular with women nowadays...

Nature oriented

I have to laugh a little at that one. Yeah, there are people these days who gravitate toward things that seem nature oriented because that gives them something instead of God to worship.

But as far as actually understanding nature? Suffice it to say that we live in a generation where schoolgirls from the city can go on a road trip, look out the window at a farmer harvesting onions, and say: "OH MY GOSH WHY IS HE HURTING THE PLANTS!!!"

That's not your grandmother's nature spirituality.

[Aprhys]

It's just Hollywood's version of witchcraft that is popular. Actual witchcraft has to do with summoning demons and having sex with them, or demonality. The dark rituals used by an actual witch are so evil, they must be an opposite to the true nature of the Priesthood of God.

Do you really believe this? Do you really believe people summon demons to have sex with them? How many times have you seen priesthood blessings actually miraculously heal someone? Anyone delving into witchcraft has as much chance of success as your Bishop does raising someone from the dead. No wait. As Bednar does of actually healing a slight ailment.

[Fiannan]

Why is witchcraft getting so popular with women nowadays...

Nature oriented

I have to laugh a little at that one. Yeah, there are people these days who gravitate toward things that seem nature oriented because that gives them something instead of God to worship.

But as far as actually understanding nature? Suffice it to say that we live in a generation where schoolgirls from the city can go on a road trip, look out the window at a farmer harvesting onions, and say: "OH MY GOSH WHY IS HE HURTING THE PLANTS!!!"

That's not your grandmother's nature spirituality.

Already noted that most of these people just think it is cool and edgy to dabble into the occult. As for nature, one does not have to be an expert on nature to see in the trees and rocks a certain energy or spirit. That is what these people do. In fact, a growing trend is both sex magick and eco-sexuality. The first involves concentrating on a goal while, well, you know, when you are with a significant other, or going alone and finding a remote area of the woods, beach or desert on a full moon and...well, you know. The other is being intimate with...well, Gaia. The interesting thing is that this "go into nature" is being tied to sexuality and is also intersecting with environmentalism. When you combine an obsessive desire to "save the planet" with sexuality and spiritualism you are playing with some powerful dynamics. And yes, this is growing very fast.

[Lexew1899]

It's just Hollywood's version of witchcraft that is popular. Actual witchcraft has to do with summoning demons and having sex with them, or demonality. The dark rituals used by an actual witch are so evil, they must be an opposite to the true nature of the Priesthood of God.

Do you really believe this? Do you really believe people summon demons to have sex with them? How many times have you seen priesthood blessings actually miraculously heal someone? Anyone delving into witchcraft has as much chance of success as your Bishop does raising someone from the dead. No wait. As Bednar does of actually healing a slight ailment.

It depends on if you believe the Bible to be true or not. The so called Nephilum, or Fallen Ones, were allegedly Angels who were unmarried beings. Seeing woman on Earth they sought to take spouses of their own. Their children were called Men of Renown, Giants, etc. We know that a spirit body is a physical body, simply of finner material than the corse mortal frame of mortality. Considering Fallen Angels can reproduce and make a hybrid, we could assume demons would also. Since there also appeared to be Giants after the flood, and we know demons constantly torment mankind, it would make sense that demonality was present after the flood as well.

Of course that all depends on if you believe the Bible to be true, or just fairy tales.

[Lexew1899]

NEPHILIM

“They are variously designated as the Watchers, Fallen Angels, Sons of God, Nephilim, or Rephaim, and are sometimes confused with their offspring, the Giants.” Hugh Nibley

When we look at the unusual case of the Watchers, or Nephilim, it seems very strange that God would allow any fallen beings the ability to procreate with mankind. Yet, as we saw with the apparent DNA evidence in the case of the pre-Adamic beings Neanderthal, it becomes apparent that there is no special barrier set in place to prevent such things from occurring (which I covered in guide “The Cosmos & Creation, volume IV”). Each creature, plant or animal, has the seed necessary to reproduce after its own kind. We could assume this is also true in the case of the mixing of the seed of the Nephilim, and humans, creating a hybrid.

“And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth grass from its own seed, and the herb to bring forth herb from its own seed, yielding seed after his kind; and the earth to bring forth the tree from its own seed, yielding fruit, whose seed could only bring forth the same in itself, after his kind; and the Gods saw that they were obeyed.” Abraham 4:12

The human, Nephilim hybrids were produced just as any other creature is produced, through reproduction. Every creatures body that God created has this procreation power, except of course for simple reproductive methods, like bacteria with binary fission, yeast with budding, or other asexual creatures. Yet these Nephilim, we can be assured, would have been equipped with the seeds of reproduction, making copulation between humans possible.

“But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.” 1st Corinthians 15:38-40

This instance of “fallen ones” are not to be confused with the Sons of Perdition, who fell with Lucifer. Yet they were designed to be messengers, or angels to mankind, (who had already been tried in their own mortality, and who were not sealed to wives of their own) for Adam and his children, known as the “sons of God”. Yet these sons of God became corrupted, fell into temptation, and entered into relations with women on the Earth.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” Genesis 6:1-4

GIANTS

These giants, or the hybrid children between women and Nephilim, began to rule the Earth, using the secret knowledge of their fathers. One gnostic account that is not contained in the standard works is the Book of Enoch, which is spoken about in the Doctrine and Covenants. Some of the chapters of the Book of Enoch are very enlightening as to what these Nephilim did, by entering into secret covenants with one another, to pick beautiful humans wives for themselves.

“And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters.

And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: 'I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.' And they all answered him and said: 'Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.' Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.” Book of Enoch 6:1-7

Two hundred of these fallen ones, or Nephilim began to breed, raise, and subsequently teach their children knowledge they had with them, that they had brought from the heavenly realms. Knowledge the Earth didn’t have up to that time. Blacksmithing and metallurgy. Jewelry making, anatomy, dyes, medications, meteorology, and more were among the things taught to men at this time according to these scriptures. It is clear why these giants, who were the children of the Nephilim, would be mighty among the children of men, and become known as “men of renown”.

“And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.

And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . .” Book of Enoch 8:1-9

Another interesting point from the book of Enoch is in its description of the fate of one of these men of renown, Azazel, who taught men how to make swords and instruments of war. It appears angels, who were still loyal to God, sought after him, and sealed him in a place of utter darkness.

“Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness… And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there forever, and cover his face that he may not see light.” Book of Enoch 10:6-8

It seems to me that this dark place, would be similar to Outer Darkness, or the location of punishments for the Sons of Perdition. Interestingly, continuing to his ultimate dissolution by fire in the next verse.

“And in the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire.” Book of Enoch 10:9

THE FLOOD

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

The evil intentions of those perverted Nephilim had spread great wickedness throughout the entire Earth. And their apostate proclivities were passed on to their children, the giants. Resulting in a world filled with cannibalism, war, swords, drinking of blood, and great whoredoms. They had truly become Sons of Perdition, not by birth, but through their actions, which resulted in men having the “thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. The entire Earth was turning into a spiritual wasteland, that seemed like it merited only destruction.

“...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9

There was among those found on the Earth, Noah only, being described as a “perfect” man. Perfect, can also be translated to mean unblemished, as a lamb for sacrifice is unblemished. Unblemished of what? Perhaps of this giant blood, or DNA, which had infected mankind, which lead to the need for this great flood. Or maybe of their satanic ways, which was preventing men from from thinking of doing anything other than evil continually.

“Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 'Go to Noah and tell him in my name “Hide thyself!” and reveal to him there end that is approaching: that the whole Earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole Earth, and will destroy all that is on it. And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.’” The Book of Enoch 10:1-3

This great flood was created to wipe out this stain of evil on humanity. Noah and his family were the only ones who would be spared from these waters of destruction, which would destroy all flesh on the Earth.

“And thus Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord; for Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation; and he walked with God, as did also his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

The earth was corrupt before God, and it was filled with violence.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

And God said unto Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence, and behold I will destroy all flesh from off the earth.” Moses 8:27-30

ISRAEL’S NEIGHBORS AND DEMONIALITY

The Earth had been cleansed with the great flood, which also baptized the world in the process; and for a season these giants were not present anywhere in the world. Yet soon, they did make their return.

The giants in Canaan were known as Anakims, Emims, and Zamzummims. The mighty King Og, was said to rule the kingdom of Bashan, and is spoken about in multiple scriptures. So we do have evidence, that even after the flood, these giants made a return.

“And the coast of Og king of Bashan, which was of the remnant of the giants, that dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

And reigned in mount Hermon, and in Salcah, and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

“Them did Moses the servant of the Lord and the children of Israel smite: and Moses the servant of the Lord gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh.” Joshua 12:4-6

The question becomes, where did these giants come from after the flood? There are known to be some very dark rituals, which one can use to summon demonic entities. The fabled succubus, or female demon temptress, and the incubus, male demon tempter, are examples of beings engaging in demoniality, or copulation between humans and demons. This is where I believe these giants could have been derived again after the flood. It is essentially the same concept found as before the flood, in that it is a mixing or hybridization of human and nonhuman seed, though similar enough to successfully produce an embryo. The seed for these creatures was likely derived from those who dabbled in demoniality, and dark powers or witchcraft.

“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.


Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.” Deuteronomy 18:10-13

We are clearly instructed to be “perfect” or in other words, unblemished, not mixing our seed with nonhumans. The evil found among that sort of character willing to do this, is unbecoming of any saint to consort with and consider, and I only cover these things to show the degeneracy of it.

I will give an incomplete example of such a ritual in summary, as found in the book “Demoniality; or Incubi and Succubi” by Rev. Father Sinistrari of Ameno, originally published in the 17th century. Such a ceremony would be done in eleven steps, by a “witch… or a wizard”, which would include some of the following:

Enter a compact before witnesses with a demon, with a promise of riches or carnal pleasure.

Abjure faith in God and the church.

Dispose of holy relics, such as crosses and rings, and stomp them under your feet.

Vow obedience to the devil, and meet nightly with a demonic enclave of people attempting the same things.

Though not the complete list, just four of the eleven, and just a summary, it is clear that these steps are very evil in nature, and are meant to produce a spirit that is a chalice for a demonic presence. Such would be the vessel chosen for this demoniality to procure giants as in ancient Israel following the flood.

GENOCIDE OF THE GIANTS

These giants, being the mix of human and what we can only guess to be some kind of demonic, or fallen angelic seed, were in a constant struggle for supremacy of the world. Their unusual size and strength made them mighty warriors, as in the case of David and Goliath. David, being a young boy, was able to contend against the mighty Goliath, only because of the assistance of God.

“And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.


And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us...

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied...

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.” 1st Samuel 17:4-9 & 45 & 49

Thus mankind has struggled against the Sons of Perdition, whether in the pre-mortal existence, the Garden of Eden, before the flood, and even after the flood. There is a constant struggle being brought against mankind by these fallen ones. Some of them have fallen in the first estate, and others afterwards. Taking their secret oaths, and utilizing their dark rituals, only seems to continue to this day in more hushed terms. It is not an open secret anymore, of these giants, or children of the Nephilim becoming kings over mankind. And I don’t necessarily believe that a giant, or someone in huge stature, would always be produced from such a union, but perhaps a person of regular stature as well.

The children of Israel were engaged in constant battle, and literal genocide against these giants bloodlines. These half-breeds, that were largely responsible for the fall of mankind before the flood, would now be hunted by the armies of Israel, to preserve humans blood from this taint of the fallen ones. In waging battle against these giant’s lands and their posterity, God, commanded the armies of Israel to not allow any living person, or creature to live. The city of Jericho is famous, as being totally desolated by these armies. They had a king, and were known as “men of valor”, probably translated from the similar root word for “men of renown” in the case of the children of the Nephilim. Their children were also sometimes called the Gibborim.

“And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.” Joshua 6:2

The giants during the time of Joshua were known by different names, and had different attributes or physical features, that seemed to be unique among each group. This necessitated these different names to be used as far as I can tell. The most basic, or generic term to describe the giants that inhabited the lands of Canaan was the “Rephaim”. Some of the other names were Zuzims, Emims, Anakims, and also Zamzummims. The Israelites, as God's chosen people, had the mission to eradicate these demonically derived bloodlines, as in Jericho.

This makes it more clear, as to why Jehovah, or the God of the Old Testament would command the sons of Israel to commit genocide on another people, which often angers and confuses people. Yet he wasn’t ordering them to kill people for the color of their skin, or the simple customs and ways of their culture, but because they had been tainted with the literal bloodlines of demonic entities.

“And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and @#$, with the edge of the sword.” Joshua 6:21

Today demons seem primarily focused on tormenting mankind through temptations, and possessions, as was present in the days of Christ. They also seem to be attempting to cause great apathy and disbelief to infect mankind, which is another indication as to why they do not see giants in our day. Yet be assured, that these demons and their earthly followers still torment us, and gain leadership positions worldwide, just as the giants of old, or men of renown.

“I know very well that, whether we are active or not, the invisible spirits are active. And every person who desires and strives to be a Saint is closely watched by fallen spirits that came here when Lucifer fell, and by the spirits of wicked persons who have been here in tabernacles and departed from them, but who are still under the control of the prince of the power of the air. Those spirits are never idle; they are watching every person who wishes to do right, and are continually prompting them to do wrong. This makes it necessary for us to be continually on our guard—makes this probation a continual warfare. We do not expect to be idle. The individual that obtains a celestial kingdom will never be idle in the flesh. It is a spiritual warfare. He contends against the spirits of darkness and against the workers of iniquity, and wars all the day long against his own passions that pertain to fallen man. It is therefore necessary that the people speak often one with another, encourage each other in every good word and work, sustain every one in every good act, operate against every evil act, and continue so to do through life.” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourse 7:239

[JohnnyL]

Witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, and so forth only have as much power as individuals give them via belief, desire, and faith... both as concepts and as actual "supernatural" power. Most of the time it proves to be just bogus. The keyword is MOST.

There are 3 broad primary sources of "supernatural" power we can be drawn upon on this earth, all of which are accessed and fueled by faith in something or someone, and require some form of willpower to truly use effectively.

The first is "divine" energy, AKA the power of God (of which the Priesthood is but one small organized manifestation of) which is accessed through faith in Jesus Christ (directly or indirectly) and granted through prayer, meditation, righteousness. One must have a strong will to use it, but they must submit their will to God. Its power is inherently Good in nature and is fairly straightforward in how it can be used. There are laws and rules that must be followed in order for this power to become manifest within a prophet of God. Note that these rules are what underpin the doctrine and principles of the gospel as well as Eternal Law, not necessarily the commandments themselves. It is slow to initially manifest but is incredibly powerful when it does so. Healing and commands are the most common use of Divine power. It is by this power that the world and the universe were created and are maintained. Divine power is the

The second is "profane" energy, AKA power of the Devil, which is accessed via faith in Devil or by having faith in things that are evil. I do not know how it is accessed, or the methods used to gain it, nor do I want to find out, but I can say this ... it is quick and immediate when compared to the power of God, but far less powerful long term. I suspect that it does require terrible acts for it to manifest in a significant fashion, and the user most definitely will pay a terrible price for using it. Strong willpower is required to even control it, otherwise, it will eventually end up controlling you through force.

The third power is fundamentally different from the other two and requires some amount of explanation, for you are not drawing upon the power of another being, but rather drawing upon the latent "supernatural" energy or power contained within yourself. You see, as children of Heavenly Father, and as adopted sons and daughters of God, we all have within us the same kind of power that God and Christ wield. However, this power is our own, not Theirs directly. For our own safety and protection, this latent power has been mostly restricted by the veil that was placed over our minds, as the effects of accessing one's own power before they are ready (and for the most part, you are not ready if you are still in mortality) can cause unpredictable effects and can cause more harm than good.

However, it is possible to draw upon a limited fraction of your own power, but doing so requires a lot of time, effort, and training to do so without significant risk. While the specific process and effects of accessing your own power are unique to each individual, the methods always require you to come to some understanding of who you currently are, accept that information, attain some degree of enlightenment and peace of mind, your mind and body must be in balance with your spirit, etc. To put it simply, you must have faith in yourself as an individual in order to gain access to that power, and you must have the willpower to maintain that faith and believe with absolute certainty that what you desire to have happen will happen, otherwise it won't work. How a person's individual power manifests and the rules it abides by depends on the personality and mindset of the individual in question.

Now, here's the interesting thing: The first and second sources of power are mutually exclusive; however the third power can actually directly interact with and work in conjunction alongside with the either of the other sources. While the third power is the weakest of the three by itself (due to the veil and the lack of progression on our part), it becomes ehanced and magnified and temporarily assumes similar properties to the other energy source when exposed to it. Heck, it can even be accessed in conjunction with or even through the power of one of the other two. This single property makes it the most versitile of the three powers, and a very useful tool for prophets of God.

Indeed, I would hazard a guess that learning to use our own power by accepting the power of God as training wheels is part of the purpose of coming to this life. One of the underlying mechanisms of the atonement is to help build our self-confidence and faith by assuring us that we can and will return to Heavenly Father if we put our faith in his son Jesus Christ. Thus when one becomes humble and subservient to our Father in Heaven, and exercises priesthood power in faith and righteousness, then we are recieving the training and teaching from our Father to learn how to use our own power in due time. When Heavenly Father uplifts us, He's trying to not only calm our troubled hearts, but guide us into the right state of mind to gain access to our own potential.

Were one to read works by Lyall Watson (such as the extremely highly recommended Supernature and The Nature of Things) and others, there has been a whole lot that has been covered up about the third type. His books are about research papers and anecdotes on many of these topics.

There is that third power. It can be divided in two subsets: brain states, and natural energy that works according to natural laws.

Brain states can bring all kinds of powers, permanently or temporarily. These are abilities like some monks and medicine men have, for example. A partial list of them is here: https://www.peakstates.com/states.html
If a person goes from conception to birth without trauma or defect, these states are intact. They can also be gained through healing the trauma.
Other states could include mixes between brain states and doing certain things in certain ways, like walking through doors, tummo, being lighter than normal, body point rubbing for effects, etc.

There are many ways to control natural energy, including objects, breathing, imagining, etc. This is orgone, energy healing, making clouds go away with your thoughts, and much more.

On the other hand, witchcraft is going wild. If you go to fiverr.com, you can find a whole bunch of gigs based on spells, witchcraft, demons, control, etc.

[Eulate]

Don't you think there still Nephilim somewhere hidden? There are many rumors about American soldiers fighting them in Afghanistan in caves.

[Rick Grimes]

It was said on a conservative podcast I listened to last week that witchcraft and atheism are the two fastest growing "religions" in the US today.

I believe it. Atheism, statism, anostiscm, wikkenism, and the like are all on the rise as they are viewed as chic, with the times, and the opposite of anything to do with a patriarchy. These clueless nobodies do not understand the forces that they are playing with.

[Nomanknowsmyname]

It's just Hollywood's version of witchcraft that is popular. Actual witchcraft has to do with summoning demons and having sex with them, or demonality. The dark rituals used by an actual witch are so evil, they must be an opposite to the true nature of the Priesthood of God.

Do you really believe this? Do you really believe people summon demons to have sex with them? How many times have you seen priesthood blessings actually miraculously heal someone? Anyone delving into witchcraft has as much chance of success as your Bishop does raising someone from the dead. No wait. As Bednar does of actually healing a slight ailment.

I had the opportunity to give a man debilitated by Alzheimer's a priesthood blessing when I was a full-time missionary, which was perhaps the most powerful spiritual experience of my life. Within 24 hours his condition was greatly improved, and when I saw him later that week he was a completely different person, essentially fully healed. Whether or not you have a testimony of the healing power of the priesthood it is as real as real can be.

[Elizabeth]

We all began as a male or female intelligence, progressed and were born to our Heavenly Parents as a baby with a Spiritual body, grew to maturity with free agency to choose. Some chose to follow our Heavenly parents others did not. We progressed in various degrees of righteousness. Jesus Christ was the most righteous of all our Heavenly Parents Spirit children. Those who followed our Heavenly Parents and Jesus Christ were given the opportunity to choose to come to this Earth to obtain a mortal body and to further progress. Those who rebelled and followed Lucifer were cast down to this Earth without a mortal body and are regressing back to the beginning as an intelligence when the whole process will start again. Meanwhile we with a mortal body will be judged on our thoughts and actions while in mortality to determine our further progression. Lucifer and his followers are desperate to obtain a mortal body, and if they are allowed entry, their powers increase. These are the Spirits those who follow witchcraft etc are allowing to possess them.

[capctr]

I know that one of the latest trends is women in the church hosting “witches night” parties, treating it as merely a “social experience”(or, you know, “having the appearance of evil, but lacking the power thereof”). These ladies should know better, and frankly, it makes my teeth itch

[sandman45]

Witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, and so forth only have as much power as individuals give them via belief, desire, and faith... both as concepts and as actual "supernatural" power. Most of the time it proves to be just bogus. The keyword is MOST.

There are 3 broad primary sources of "supernatural" power we can be drawn upon on this earth, all of which are accessed and fueled by faith in something or someone, and require some form of willpower to truly use effectively.

The first is "divine" energy, AKA the power of God (of which the Priesthood is but one small organized manifestation of) which is accessed through faith in Jesus Christ (directly or indirectly) and granted through prayer, meditation, righteousness. One must have a strong will to use it, but they must submit their will to God. Its power is inherently Good in nature and is fairly straightforward in how it can be used. There are laws and rules that must be followed in order for this power to become manifest within a prophet of God. Note that these rules are what underpin the doctrine and principles of the gospel as well as Eternal Law, not necessarily the commandments themselves. It is slow to initially manifest but is incredibly powerful when it does so. Healing and commands are the most common use of Divine power. It is by this power that the world and the universe were created and are maintained. Divine power is the

The second is "profane" energy, AKA power of the Devil, which is accessed via faith in Devil or by having faith in things that are evil. I do not know how it is accessed, or the methods used to gain it, nor do I want to find out, but I can say this ... it is quick and immediate when compared to the power of God, but far less powerful long term. I suspect that it does require terrible acts for it to manifest in a significant fashion, and the user most definitely will pay a terrible price for using it. Strong willpower is required to even control it, otherwise, it will eventually end up controlling you through force.

The third power is fundamentally different from the other two and requires some amount of explanation, for you are not drawing upon the power of another being, but rather drawing upon the latent "supernatural" energy or power contained within yourself. You see, as children of Heavenly Father, and as adopted sons and daughters of God, we all have within us the same kind of power that God and Christ wield. However, this power is our own, not Theirs directly. For our own safety and protection, this latent power has been mostly restricted by the veil that was placed over our minds, as the effects of accessing one's own power before they are ready (and for the most part, you are not ready if you are still in mortality) can cause unpredictable effects and can cause more harm than good.

However, it is possible to draw upon a limited fraction of your own power, but doing so requires a lot of time, effort, and training to do so without significant risk. While the specific process and effects of accessing your own power are unique to each individual, the methods always require you to come to some understanding of who you currently are, accept that information, attain some degree of enlightenment and peace of mind, your mind and body must be in balance with your spirit, etc. To put it simply, you must have faith in yourself as an individual in order to gain access to that power, and you must have the willpower to maintain that faith and believe with absolute certainty that what you desire to have happen will happen, otherwise it won't work. How a person's individual power manifests and the rules it abides by depends on the personality and mindset of the individual in question.

Now, here's the interesting thing: The first and second sources of power are mutually exclusive; however the third power can actually directly interact with and work in conjunction alongside with the either of the other sources. While the third power is the weakest of the three by itself (due to the veil and the lack of progression on our part), it becomes ehanced and magnified and temporarily assumes similar properties to the other energy source when exposed to it. Heck, it can even be accessed in conjunction with or even through the power of one of the other two. This single property makes it the most versitile of the three powers, and a very useful tool for prophets of God.

Indeed, I would hazard a guess that learning to use our own power by accepting the power of God as training wheels is part of the purpose of coming to this life. One of the underlying mechanisms of the atonement is to help build our self-confidence and faith by assuring us that we can and will return to Heavenly Father if we put our faith in his son Jesus Christ. Thus when one becomes humble and subservient to our Father in Heaven, and exercises priesthood power in faith and righteousness, then we are recieving the training and teaching from our Father to learn how to use our own power in due time. When Heavenly Father uplifts us, He's trying to not only calm our troubled hearts, but guide us into the right state of mind to gain access to our own potential.

I actually agree.

Bruce Lee, imo, killed himself by using so much of the 3rd.

He died from medication he was taking that caused him to be put into a coma. Chuck Norris explained this well.

Also. Be like water. Water is the answer

[Thinker]

About the Harry Potter books: I read them as a child and enjoyed them, there's plenty that they lack in terms of great literature, but they're still superior to most of the fare that kids get these days.

But what troubles me about witchcraft in the world today is that, when people hear that word, they immediately think of Harry Potter, or the occult section in the bookstore, or devil-worship, or covens gathering to hex Donald Trump. In other words, things that are far away from their own daily life. And yet the Lord gave the modern Saints a pretty harsh warning in D&C 63:

Wherefore, I, the Lord, have said that the fearful, and the unbelieving, and all liars, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, and the whoremonger, and the sorcerer, shall have their part in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Verily I say, that they shall not have part in the first resurrection.
And now behold, I, the Lord, say unto you that ye are not justified, because these things are among you.

So in other words, all these things, including sorcery, will end up flourishing in the LDS church. And one of the reasons why this is possible is that most Mormons simply equate "witchcraft" with channeling the power of the Devil, and since most people these days don't really believe in the Devil, and very few try to channel his power, it doesn't seem that relevant to us.

But in ancient and medieval times, the sorts of things that would be regarded as witchcraft, or the dark arts, were much broader. Sure, summoning the Devil or casting a spell to make your neighbor's crops fail was witchcraft. So was procuring an abortion. Or making contraceptive potions. Or holding a lesbian orgy. Or administering any mind-altering drug: that's why one of the words translated as "witchcraft" in our Bibles is, in the original Greek, pharmakeia.

These things don't all involve an attempt to call on supernatural forces, but they were all seen as attacks on the natural order of things. Our society has since stopped associating most of these things with the occult, but that doesn't make the moral problems go away.

Psychopharmacology, for instance, is morally problematic because it interferes with agency, and the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is promoting drugs as a treatment for all sorts of conditions that used to not be considered mental disorders at all doesn't mean that it's no longer witchcraft - it just means that our country now has a $300 billion/year witchcraft industry. If, for example, you respond to your child's behavioral problems by getting him diagnosed with ADHD and giving him a potion that makes him lose the desire to run around excessively, socialize with other children, climb trees, or do anything else but sit still, then you are doing something that, in the early Church, would totally have been considered sorcery.

In summary: Gathering together a coven to hex Donald Trump is witchcraft. Putting your child on Ritalin is also witchcraft. And the things that Planned Parenthood does are witchcraft.

When the Apostle John warned that sorcery would be a huge problem in the last days, he wasn't talking about Wiccans, or Harry Potter, or flying around on a damn broom.

Excellent points!

I have thought similarly about how so many are being drugged up. I’ve seen family and friends be under the influence of “legal” drugs that makes them numb and sometimes has made them act insane and hurt others. Sometimes medication is needed for psychological issues - but not nearly to the extent it’s applied! It reminds me of the prophecy, “mens’ hearts will fail them.”

The blame is not entirely on drug users. Both my husband and I have experienced pressure from doctors to use inappropriate drugs... luckily we both remembered to “just say no!” God gives us weaknesses for reasons - to humble us and so we look to God and thereby weaknesses can become strengths. It’s as if pain breaks our hearts but after healing allows us to have bigger hearts to help others suffering as we previously did.

When I think about children (developing human beings) being killed by cruel and unusual punishment - my heart aches. I often pray for these little ones - that others will protect them and that their suffering will be lessened. Utah was the 1st state to legally require pain medication be administered to children beyond a certain gestational age, with the terminology indicating it’s likely children feel pain much earlier (like by 8 weeks when the nervous system is intact).

The most damaging evil is not the obvious sinning, but the deceptive sinning that attempts to make evil look fine. The denial of responsibility and effort to shift blame is what is most damning - holding people back from progressing.

[nightlight]

Witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, and so forth only have as much power as individuals give them via belief, desire, and faith... both as concepts and as actual "supernatural" power. Most of the time it proves to be just bogus. The keyword is MOST.

There are 3 broad primary sources of "supernatural" power we can be drawn upon on this earth, all of which are accessed and fueled by faith in something or someone, and require some form of willpower to truly use effectively.

The first is "divine" energy, AKA the power of God (of which the Priesthood is but one small organized manifestation of) which is accessed through faith in Jesus Christ (directly or indirectly) and granted through prayer, meditation, righteousness. One must have a strong will to use it, but they must submit their will to God. Its power is inherently Good in nature and is fairly straightforward in how it can be used. There are laws and rules that must be followed in order for this power to become manifest within a prophet of God. Note that these rules are what underpin the doctrine and principles of the gospel as well as Eternal Law, not necessarily the commandments themselves. It is slow to initially manifest but is incredibly powerful when it does so. Healing and commands are the most common use of Divine power. It is by this power that the world and the universe were created and are maintained. Divine power is the

The second is "profane" energy, AKA power of the Devil, which is accessed via faith in Devil or by having faith in things that are evil. I do not know how it is accessed, or the methods used to gain it, nor do I want to find out, but I can say this ... it is quick and immediate when compared to the power of God, but far less powerful long term. I suspect that it does require terrible acts for it to manifest in a significant fashion, and the user most definitely will pay a terrible price for using it. Strong willpower is required to even control it, otherwise, it will eventually end up controlling you through force.

The third power is fundamentally different from the other two and requires some amount of explanation, for you are not drawing upon the power of another being, but rather drawing upon the latent "supernatural" energy or power contained within yourself. You see, as children of Heavenly Father, and as adopted sons and daughters of God, we all have within us the same kind of power that God and Christ wield. However, this power is our own, not Theirs directly. For our own safety and protection, this latent power has been mostly restricted by the veil that was placed over our minds, as the effects of accessing one's own power before they are ready (and for the most part, you are not ready if you are still in mortality) can cause unpredictable effects and can cause more harm than good.

However, it is possible to draw upon a limited fraction of your own power, but doing so requires a lot of time, effort, and training to do so without significant risk. While the specific process and effects of accessing your own power are unique to each individual, the methods always require you to come to some understanding of who you currently are, accept that information, attain some degree of enlightenment and peace of mind, your mind and body must be in balance with your spirit, etc. To put it simply, you must have faith in yourself as an individual in order to gain access to that power, and you must have the willpower to maintain that faith and believe with absolute certainty that what you desire to have happen will happen, otherwise it won't work. How a person's individual power manifests and the rules it abides by depends on the personality and mindset of the individual in question.

Now, here's the interesting thing: The first and second sources of power are mutually exclusive; however the third power can actually directly interact with and work in conjunction alongside with the either of the other sources. While the third power is the weakest of the three by itself (due to the veil and the lack of progression on our part), it becomes ehanced and magnified and temporarily assumes similar properties to the other energy source when exposed to it. Heck, it can even be accessed in conjunction with or even through the power of one of the other two. This single property makes it the most versitile of the three powers, and a very useful tool for prophets of God.

Indeed, I would hazard a guess that learning to use our own power by accepting the power of God as training wheels is part of the purpose of coming to this life. One of the underlying mechanisms of the atonement is to help build our self-confidence and faith by assuring us that we can and will return to Heavenly Father if we put our faith in his son Jesus Christ. Thus when one becomes humble and subservient to our Father in Heaven, and exercises priesthood power in faith and righteousness, then we are recieving the training and teaching from our Father to learn how to use our own power in due time. When Heavenly Father uplifts us, He's trying to not only calm our troubled hearts, but guide us into the right state of mind to gain access to our own potential.

I actually agree.

Bruce Lee, imo, killed himself by using so much of the 3rd.

He died from medication he was taking that caused him to be put into a coma. Chuck Norris explained this well.

Also. Be like water. Water is the answer

I'm aware of the medical reasons for his death( cerebral edema), but imo, it was induced by his practice of harnessing too much chi.

Lol does a knife kill a man...or is it the lose of blood

Btw Chuck is obviously jealous of Lee. Always has been...always will be

[Thinker]

It is almost like they are looking for something to "submit" to.

Yes, I think the desire to submit to, or worship a false god, is very strong. That’s probably why it’s 1st of the lower, basic commandments.

I see this often in people who leave the church without fully realizing the common nature of cult-mentality, so they take that group-thought mentality with them, but join a new herd. They go from shaming people as “apostates” for not believing as they do religiously... to shaming people as “homophobic bigots” who don’t believe as they do about the new popular but illogical homosexual lies.

[JohnnyL]

I know that one of the latest trends is women in the church hosting “witches night” parties, treating it as merely a “social experience”(or, you know, “having the appearance of evil, but lacking the power thereof”). These ladies should know better, and frankly, it makes my teeth itch

Never heard of this trend.

[sandman45]

Witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, and so forth only have as much power as individuals give them via belief, desire, and faith... both as concepts and as actual "supernatural" power. Most of the time it proves to be just bogus. The keyword is MOST.

There are 3 broad primary sources of "supernatural" power we can be drawn upon on this earth, all of which are accessed and fueled by faith in something or someone, and require some form of willpower to truly use effectively.

The first is "divine" energy, AKA the power of God (of which the Priesthood is but one small organized manifestation of) which is accessed through faith in Jesus Christ (directly or indirectly) and granted through prayer, meditation, righteousness. One must have a strong will to use it, but they must submit their will to God. Its power is inherently Good in nature and is fairly straightforward in how it can be used. There are laws and rules that must be followed in order for this power to become manifest within a prophet of God. Note that these rules are what underpin the doctrine and principles of the gospel as well as Eternal Law, not necessarily the commandments themselves. It is slow to initially manifest but is incredibly powerful when it does so. Healing and commands are the most common use of Divine power. It is by this power that the world and the universe were created and are maintained. Divine power is the

The second is "profane" energy, AKA power of the Devil, which is accessed via faith in Devil or by having faith in things that are evil. I do not know how it is accessed, or the methods used to gain it, nor do I want to find out, but I can say this ... it is quick and immediate when compared to the power of God, but far less powerful long term. I suspect that it does require terrible acts for it to manifest in a significant fashion, and the user most definitely will pay a terrible price for using it. Strong willpower is required to even control it, otherwise, it will eventually end up controlling you through force.

The third power is fundamentally different from the other two and requires some amount of explanation, for you are not drawing upon the power of another being, but rather drawing upon the latent "supernatural" energy or power contained within yourself. You see, as children of Heavenly Father, and as adopted sons and daughters of God, we all have within us the same kind of power that God and Christ wield. However, this power is our own, not Theirs directly. For our own safety and protection, this latent power has been mostly restricted by the veil that was placed over our minds, as the effects of accessing one's own power before they are ready (and for the most part, you are not ready if you are still in mortality) can cause unpredictable effects and can cause more harm than good.

However, it is possible to draw upon a limited fraction of your own power, but doing so requires a lot of time, effort, and training to do so without significant risk. While the specific process and effects of accessing your own power are unique to each individual, the methods always require you to come to some understanding of who you currently are, accept that information, attain some degree of enlightenment and peace of mind, your mind and body must be in balance with your spirit, etc. To put it simply, you must have faith in yourself as an individual in order to gain access to that power, and you must have the willpower to maintain that faith and believe with absolute certainty that what you desire to have happen will happen, otherwise it won't work. How a person's individual power manifests and the rules it abides by depends on the personality and mindset of the individual in question.

Now, here's the interesting thing: The first and second sources of power are mutually exclusive; however the third power can actually directly interact with and work in conjunction alongside with the either of the other sources. While the third power is the weakest of the three by itself (due to the veil and the lack of progression on our part), it becomes ehanced and magnified and temporarily assumes similar properties to the other energy source when exposed to it. Heck, it can even be accessed in conjunction with or even through the power of one of the other two. This single property makes it the most versitile of the three powers, and a very useful tool for prophets of God.

Indeed, I would hazard a guess that learning to use our own power by accepting the power of God as training wheels is part of the purpose of coming to this life. One of the underlying mechanisms of the atonement is to help build our self-confidence and faith by assuring us that we can and will return to Heavenly Father if we put our faith in his son Jesus Christ. Thus when one becomes humble and subservient to our Father in Heaven, and exercises priesthood power in faith and righteousness, then we are recieving the training and teaching from our Father to learn how to use our own power in due time. When Heavenly Father uplifts us, He's trying to not only calm our troubled hearts, but guide us into the right state of mind to gain access to our own potential.

I actually agree.

Bruce Lee, imo, killed himself by using so much of the 3rd.

He died from medication he was taking that caused him to be put into a coma. Chuck Norris explained this well.

Also. Be like water. Water is the answer

I'm aware of the medical reasons for his death( cerebral edema), but imo, it was induced by his practice of harnessing too much chi.

Lol does a knife kill a man...or is it the lose of blood

Btw Chuck is obviously jealous of Lee. Always has been...always will be

Chuck and Bruce had great respect for each other.

[nightlight]

I actually agree.

Bruce Lee, imo, killed himself by using so much of the 3rd.

He died from medication he was taking that caused him to be put into a coma. Chuck Norris explained this well.

Also. Be like water. Water is the answer

I'm aware of the medical reasons for his death( cerebral edema), but imo, it was induced by his practice of harnessing too much chi.

Lol does a knife kill a man...or is it the lose of blood

Btw Chuck is obviously jealous of Lee. Always has been...always will be

Chuck and Bruce had great respect for each other.

Imo, Lee had great respect for everyone. I would have paid any $ to attend his school. Chuck is always so quick to point out that Bruce never was a "champion" in competitive fighting, how he's "sure" he would've been...had he tried
I kinda dont like Chuck Norris, so maybe its just my bias....the dude bugs me, but no doubt he respects him, though i always catch jelly vibes from him.

Lee's art was beyond fighting. l love all his work. I'm grateful he was inclined to do cinema from an early age, else we wouldn't have known him