Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-20
SPIRITUAL DEcIrrioNs.


We publish In this issue n the pes
erct News letter from President
Lorenzo SNOW 10 q non-"Mofmon
relative In the East who with her
friends has been worshiplng ut the
shrine Of Piancheite We commend the
letter to tho attention 81 all who take
interest In the phenomena ~ uo-called
rpirituaiism.
So little has lately been heard u the
little board and pencil. called Plan
Ghetto. which rome years ago amused
and occasionally frightened those who
used II snd obtained what they thought
werr communications from the spirit
world. that We supposed u had been
discarded entirely. having been shown
TO be unloading and unreliable na
guide TO anything either practical ~
theoretical. II seems, however, "a have
been revived In some quarters and
adopted as a supernatural mentor.
without entering into any argument
Of scientific nature as 60 the causes
81 the alleged manifestations thrpuFh
that medium. We viii very briefly cpn-
slider It's claims AZ "a means ~ com
munlcation from the departed. Sup
pose We admit Tor arguments sake
that the writings through che board
are produced by a supernatural force.
That Il no proof that the communicn-
tions thus received come from the
spirits of the dead. Even II they c0n-
vey Information supposed to be- known
only a. the individuals from whom
ihcy claim to come. that l. not by any
means conclusive ON that point. Those
"fsmlilar rplritA" spoken 81 In the
nible. may be- quite familiar with the
lives and acts Of people whom iheS
pcrronatc by n.anr 81 apiritunlirm
and ARE thus able To deceive and lead
away the unwary.
A. long aEo ar IN. days II Moacs.
israei was warned against necromancy
pretended revelations from the dead
familiar spirits, wizards. etc.
There shall not b. found among you
any one that uHsth diylnntlnn, OF
an ~nchnnter. or "A witch. or a chnrmcr.
or conrulter with familiar spirits, or
n wizard. OF noCfumRncer Tor hl
these thingr arr an determination 10 the
lotd".-prut. XVIII, 10. H. roc also
Low. xix, u.
In the time of Isaiah similar devices
TO those now In vogue were adopted
and here N the word Of God on tho sub.
Ject.
And when thoy shall say unto you,
Seek unto them that have familiar
spirits. and unto wizards that peep and
mnttcr. should not a people seek unto
their God for the living 10 tho drndf
70 the law aud a. the testimony. u
they speak not according 10 this wuri
II N bsoauH. thcrc IL No linht IN them"
--lsaiah VII, ~ 90
II VIII be- found that the notions of
modern rpiritualism, and tho communl-
cations from the spirits thus manifest
I'd. ara hostile 20 the doctrines aud
teachings Of the ola and New Tesla.
mcnt-. ana thus On scriptural author
ny there IL no iight In thcm"
They af- spirits ~ darkness, ~ the
class that christ east out ~ persons
influenced by them M His earthly time.
They can pcrsonatc tho dead and thus
deceive III. llNlng.
II isquitc possible that they may ton
some things that prove TO be- true. That
IN the only way by which Satan can
succeed. 4 little truth will often open
the way for a mass ~ error. iiut close
Investigation VI N. stun that u palmcd
on the credulouH Tor revelation from
the spirit sphere. exposes its nonsense
ana manifcsla ~ falsohood Compare
the poetry Of celebutlrs while living
with the dosgcrcl alleged 90 come from
them after death. "uhi what a falling
On Il thorol'
The lady who writes In President
SNOW sends some lines alleged Co have
come from tho spirit of lions pootcss.
Eliza H. Snow. II she sent that from
the spirit land, she has sadly declined
IN poetic fervor and literary ability
since fhunllng M this mortal con. 10
accept 1, as hers would be 10 believe
that spirits ro,rograde instead Of adj
vance when they arc relieved from NOR
tally. II would b, u denial VI the prin-
ciple OF oiernal progress. The ,nuslons
sent are q libel on Sister ELIZA ana VI
themselves rcfule the falaehood that
she gave those pretended cumnuuica-
lions. II Is the same with AN the rhap-
sodies ana essays ANA jlngling rhymes,
which "splritualism" seeks To Impose
upon the living as communications
from the llluStrious dead.
The Idea that good people who have
been relieved from the trials and sur
forings Of mortal NE, are subject In
their spirit home 10 the calls ANA whms
and behosts Of oycry curious or finati-
cal person In the flesh, and have no
better occupation than 90 supply an
swers TO impairment questions, and
rap out on tables or write through
boards or ON states, dubious messages
and natulent sentiments To astonish the
'snoran, and scare the snpers'itiops.