Subject:

Satan Stories

Date:

Mar 27 14:26 2003

Author:

Richard Garrard

Sociological studies indicate that Mormons believe in a literal Satan even more than evangelical Christians...

What stories can you tell about Satan appearing, influencing, making his presence felt?

What did other Mormons tell you about Satan?

Do you know anyone who ever performed an exorcism?

Subject:

I heard tons of stories about possessions....

Date:

Mar 27 14:30

Author:

Kristen

and that the power of priesthood can compell the possessor to leave, but I never actually saw one or met anyone who had. Mormon urban legends.

My mom has claimed that she has seen the activity of ghosts (dead people, not the holy ghost) and I've met other members who have as well.

Subject:

Re: I heard tons of stories about possessions....

Date:

Mar 27 14:36

Author:

Richard Garrard

I heard many stories about missionaries who performed exorcisms.

What's this stuff about Satan being the ruler over the water? Never quite understood that...

Subject:

I don't know the answer to that question, but...

Date:

Mar 27 14:51

Author:

Byronia

Mail Address:

when I was a kid, I'd be scared to death in the swimming pool after dark sometimes. I was afraid Satan would pull me into the water and drown me for being a good Mormon! I'd also like to know the origin of the idea of Satan having more power in the water.

Also, my mom and I used to attribute our suicidal urges to Satan. I was a really unhappy Mormon teen (on the brink of committing hary-cary or running away all the time) and I think my mom was miserable, too. We haven't had suicidal tendencies since we left the Morgue.

Any doubts you have about the church were attributed to The Adversary talking to you in your head. No wonder so many active Mos have mental disorders!

Subject:

I'm pretty sure the satan ruling the waters thing

Date:

Mar 27 15:36

Author:

homebody

Mail Address:

comes from D&C 61.

...On their return trip to Kirtland the Prophet and ten elders had traveled down the Missouri River in canoes. On the third day of the journey many dangers were experienced. Elder William W. Phelps, in a daylight vision, saw the destroyer riding in power upon the face of the waters.

The section talks about the Lord cursing the waters and satan ruling them...

Which makes you wonder about their baptisms!

I think that's where it comes from anyway...

Subject:

O/T That's creepy. I pretty much live right on the Missouri River...

Date:

Mar 27 15:46

Author:

Byronia

Mail Address:

and I remember my mom got way into the whole Mormon pioneer thing. My great-great grandfather's property borders on the Mormon's "Garden of Eden." I wonder what they thought of the Mormons - probably not much! The Missouri River, by the way, was regarded as "evil" in local Indian legend. It's a very treacherous, muddy thing and I can understand the associations with death - every year people drown in one of it's underground currents and plenty dead bodies turn up in it a little ways south of here.

I think it was all of the pioneer imagery that appealed to my mom and influenced her decision to convert. That's not a very good basis for choosing a faith, which she now fully acknowledges.

Subject:

My ex-husband claimed to see ghosts

Date:

Mar 27 20:40

Author:

Adrienne

He once claimed he saw some evil spirit with red eyes on the deck in the backyard, but I never saw anything. He claimed to see all kinds of ghosts, especially if the particular place was haunted. I myself am facinated with the idea of ghosts, but I never have seen any yet.

As for Satan, one thing I remember right during our final fight, he actually tried to get "him" out of me, and it was probably the creepiest experience I've felt around the Morg, causing me to leave and file for divorce at the same time.

Subject:

Satan visited my sunday school teacher

Date:

Mar 27 14:57

Author:

stephie

Mail Address:

I must have been about 7 years old when my sunday school teacher was giving some lesson on Satan. She included in this her own personal account of being visited by him. She recounted how her husband and she were visited by the prince of darkness himself along with some followers. They wanted the couple to follow them. They refused and her husband had to hold up his right hand and say some phrase that included "in the name of Jesus Christ" to expel them from the room. (Can't remember what the phrase actually was.) She was very dramatic about the whole story. And I believed it.

I have to say that this story scared the crap out of me. I had nightmares for several years after that about being visited by Satan (or some evil supernatural power) and in every dream I either forgot what I was supposed to say, or said it and it didn't work.

It probably sounds stupid but for a seven year old, it was frightening.

Subject:

Satan can only visit people who believe he exists, so depending on

Date:

Mar 27 15:07

Author:

SusieQ#1

one's imagination, Satan can be, do, act, appear, in any way anyone can imagine he can.

And, I have heard some wild stories! Satan usually appears to people in crisis and most often his voice is heard when people are mentally ill.

Subject:

So this was a vision of Satan?

Date:

Mar 27 15:10

Author:

Richard Garrard

Mail Address:

This is pretty bizarre! Sort of like a dark Paul Dunn story...

Subject:

Re: So this was a vision of Satan?

Date:

Mar 27 22:40

Author:

stephie

Mail Address:

I guess...Apparently Satan and his merry men were in the room with her in the same way the 'angel' visited Jo Smith. They disappeared when her husband uttered the passage to cast them out.

Nutty, ain't it?

Subject:

MY LIFE! There's nothing stupid about this kind of abuse! (cuss)

Date:

Mar 27 15:51

Author:

esteban

Your experience is MINE exactly. I was 8 when I got the sick SS lesson on the ever-present, evil, and desirous-to-kill-you Satan lesson. My teacher had me believing that was Satan wanted ME, every damn day he wanted to get me. I tried to memorize the passage to cast him out, "Don't forget to say 'in the name of Jesus Christ' or he will only laugh at you." but I couldn't ever remembaer all the words when I'd get all spooked out.

One night, shortly after this abusive lesson, I fell asleep in my brother's bed. My parents came home and were locked out. They went to my brother's window and rapped on it calling his name. Well, I KNEW it was Satan and that he came to get us/me. I sat frozen and panicked for about a minute trying to remember the only phrase that would save me. I couldn't, so I panicked, I jumped up screaming and ran throughout the house in apanic stae, shrieking that Satan was gonna get me. My brothers had to tackle me to stop me. I thought I was dead.

FUCK that teacher and shame on me if I ever passed on that awful fear and retribution shit.

Subject:

Re: MY LIFE! There's nothing stupid about this kind of abuse! (cuss)

Date:

Mar 27 22:49

Author:

stephie

Mail Address:

I was starting to think that this casting out Satan thing was just something that my wacky SS teacher made up because I don't remember hearing any more about it from any other teachers.

Is this in the scriptures somewhere? Are they still traumatizing kids with this crap?

Subject:

Was your teachers's name Patty S? n/t

Date:

Mar 27 15:51

Author:

Kristen

Subject:

I am possessed by Satan

Date:

Mar 27 15:09

Author:

John

Yep. According to some family members, ever since I stopped believing, they can sense satan in me. What's funny is I asked them when they started sensing satan in me. Their dates were not even close to the time I started disbelieving.

Subject:

Satan = the Other

Date:

Mar 27 15:49

Author:

Richard Garrard

Mail Address:

Satan is the adversary, right? or is it that the adversary is Satan? In other words, anyone who disagrees with us is Satanic. How convenient!

Subject:

Yes, John. Me, too.

Date:

Mar 27 15:51

Author:

Byronia

Mail Address:

My dad still calls me "Satan" or makes references to my "possession" even though both of my parents are out of the Morgue. When I first quit the Church, they accused me of being insane and possessed by the devil.

I just thought of something else we were told by the local Morgues - the Mormons shake people's hands so that they can make sure that they are conversing with an incarnate spirit. The devil and his minions have no bodies, so, they shake hands just to make sure that they're conversing with a real person and not one of Satan's messengers.

Subject:

I've got some Satan stories of my own......

Date:

Mar 27 16:23

Author:

Laura

Mail Address:

One evening DH and I took niece and nephew out on a rowboat in a local lake. We heard a hissing sound that we couldn't quite figure out what caused it. We wondered if it was an animal or just someone trying to scare us. We rowed to shore shortly afterwards with no problems and went over to my folks to drop off the kids. We mentioned the "hissing" sound we had heard. TBM mom immediately said it must have been the Devil! Nevermo dad said it must have been the oil well near the lake making sounds. Funny how people come to conclusions. My own conclusion was some kid trying to scare us. I told my mom the Devil would be far too busy to spend time hissing at someone while boating. She was not amused! LOL! Besides, I was a Presbyterian by that time. He only bothers Mormon's, right?????

A TBM mom story:
Great GM dying on her death bed many years ago. Mom as a young teen in the room with her. No one else in the room. As grandmother takes her last breath she watches her spirit float out of the room. *Great story to tell your kid so that the next family death scares the hell out of her. My mom told me that one and while my own grandmother lived with us while ill, I was terrified of her dying and seeing a spirit float around. Geesh!*

And another:
TBM mom's brother gravely ill in a local hospital. Doctor has told them he won't make it. Mom wakes up in the night to see a angry face on the wall laughing at her. The next day the brother is dead. *Another creepy story that haunted me* No wonder my mom was drawn to the Morg.

Grandma's advice:

My dear GM, a Lutheran her whole life (my mother has done baptism for the dead on her, OF COURSE!)always had one thing to say about the Devil. If he bothers you, just say, "Devil, in the name of the Son, get away from me!" She said to not worry about the devil. He was powerless if you had Jesus. She also said people gave him way too much credit and that the more you talked about him, the more he liked it. She pooh-poohed him off. I always took the same advice. I did not live in fear of him like my mother. Quite frankly, I've never had any problems with old Lucifer. If I did see him, I'd tell him he sucks.

Subject:

Old neighbors had a Priest bless the house......

Date:

Mar 27 16:29

Author:

Laura

Mail Address:

because it was haunted. They heard all kinds of noises and stuff would get broken while no one was home. He blessed the house from the outside while walking all the way around. He went inside into the kitchen, dining room and living room. He wouldn't go in the back bedrooms, saying it didn't feel right. He did go halfway down the hall and sprinkle holy water at each doorway. Things settled down shortly afterwards.

Needless to say, I was never at ease in thier home. LOL!

Subject:

My ex helped perform an exorcism...

Date:

Mar 27 17:12

Author:

daily

while at the University of Utah. One of his home teaching families, a single "lamanite" woman was having problems of some sort - seeing "evil" handwriting while she was reading the BoM and other stuff that I don't remember. Anyway, mr. ex and the branch president fasted for a day or two, and one night, performed the exorcism. I vaguely remember that they had permission from the FP, I think because this was a university ward... She was a nice lady, with good kids.

Subject:

Been there, done that, want the tee shirt?

Date:

Mar 27 18:26

Author:

A Voice from the Past

Mail Address:

Richard Garrard wrote:
> Sociological studies indicate that Mormons believe in a literal Satan even more than evangelical Christians...

As preface, my experieinces are NOT form Mormonism, but rather from my misspent youth and Evangelical Christians. My expwerience has been that whild Satsn does get more 'air time' with Mormons than evangelical Christians, he does more 'personal appearances' with the evangelicals.

> What stories can you tell about Satan appearing, influencing, making his presence felt?

I have seen people, while apparently under the influence of 'unclean spirits' behave in manners totally untypical of themselves when a believer prayed for them. THis includes crying in pain, cursing the believer, writhing in agony, and even throwing up. Now if these were people, who were already prone to hysterics, I would discount these actions as 'drama'. But I am only considering those people, who I have known on a personal level, and had known to be calm possibly stoic individuals.

I have been in places that were supposedly 'haunted' by demonic forces, and while the evidence might have been subjective, or even the results of mass hypnosis, or even expectational desires. There were strange events, shadows moving at the corners of vision, cold spots, warm spots, the piano ocaisionally resonanting with words spoken (which could just been a bad dampener on the piano, along with a trick of pitch of the speaker, but the timeingand consistency was a bit 'convenient')

There have been times, where there were places when people began to act near panic, like something evil was in the air, and on some deep instinctive level, these people were in the middle of 'fight or flight' but didn't know how to fight, and had no idea of where to run.

Yep, seen it all. However, that said, I have rarely been personally affected by such feelings. No prayer has ever influenced me more than I allowed myself to be influenced, no place ever turned me to fright, although some did turn me to caution.

> What did other Mormons tell you about Satan?

ON this I cannot respond.

From otherly Christian point of view, and experience:

Neither spirits nor satan can do anything to humans that humans do not allow. If we fear the devil, it is becasue we choose to fear, not because the devil makes us afraid.

spirits nor the devil can harm us, unless they inspire us to act in ways that become harmful. Fight or flight off the cliff kind of things.

Basically, just as 'god' cannot provide proof positive of existence, the devil is like wise limited. Once proof positive exists of either side, then the other side gains proof by inductance. Ergo, anything that can be attributed to the devil, can also be attributed to a trick of shadow and light, or of the mind. The proof lies only in the mind of the individual, what what theindividual chooses or comes to believe.

> Do you know anyone who ever performed an exorcism?
Yep. Made a differnce in a couple of cases, I guess it didn't take in a couple of others. I guess exorcisms are like therapy, the subject has to want the change to be real, to make it real, otherwise, it is a waste of breath, water, oil, or what have you.

Like I said, been there, done that....

Subject:

I find something you said interesting

Date:

Mar 27 18:47

Author:

jroskelley

A Voice from the Past wrote:
>..."while Satan does get more 'air time' with Mormons than evangelical Christians, he does more 'personal appearances' with the evangelicals."

I find it intersting that as much as Mormons do talk about Satan, it always seems to be in general terms.

"Satan is in your heart", "Satan is working against you at all times", "Satan is the root of all evil", etc.

Rituals do not exists within Mormonsim (at least I know of none) to exorcise Satan from a possessed member.

I wonder why that is. Could it be that Satan is as Omnipotent, and Omnipresent as their God and they just really don't want to draw attention to that fact? I wonder...

Regards,
John Roskelley

Subject:

Satan possesses anti-mormon literature

Date:

Mar 27 21:43

Author:

Deb

Mail Address:

When I was about 18, some of my good friends, members of the ward and devout "Lamanites" told me a story that kept me away from the anti stuff for a long time.

They were given some anti-mormon literature by some family members that was filled with "lies" about the origins of the Book of Mormon, the history of their people. Of course, they did not read it, but threw it in the corner and were going to toss it out sometime. Well, one day my friend tried to go to bed and felt an evil spirit in the house. She kept trying to lay in the bed, but knew there was a spirit somewhere in the house that she needed to cast out.

Finally, she remembered the anti-literature and picked it up and threw it in the trash. She tried to go back to bed, but knew then that she needed to take the literature to the outside trash. When she came back in, she could tell the spirit was out of the house, but she laid down and her dogs started howling like wolves. She went outside and they were circled around the trash can, howling at the trash. She knew that they were disturbed by the spirit, so she decided to set fire to the outside trash. When she did, it almost exploded and the dogs were out of control. Then a big fireball exploded out of the can and a bunch of colored smoke came out of it and the dogs immediately shut up.

Yes, I know now that there was a lot of embellishment to the story along with them being convinced that natural things like dogs barking were the devil. But I never forgot that story and the first time I actually brought something "anti" (actually just simple church history) home, I couldn't sleep thinking Satan was in my house.

Subject:

Re: Satan Stories (adult content)....

Date:

Mar 27 23:05

Author:

stringbean

Satan wants you to masturbate, pet, fondle, french-kiss, tell dirty jokes, think about sex, have sex, watch porn....etc....so that you'll be as miserable as he is???????????????

That failing, I guess he has to resort to writing books refuting official Mormon history and doctrines, possessing people, and drowning missionaries who dare to go swimming.

Subject:

I don't believe in Satan

Date:

Mar 28 13:22

Author:

Terrasanct

Mail Address:

but evil still exists, perpetrated by people, not some mythical demon.

As far as ghosts, I DO believe in them. We moved into a hundred year old house a few years ago, and I felt there were ghosts here when we moved in. When my father in law died, I felt he was here for a while, too. He kind of hung out and talked to his cat.

The ghosts left after a while. Never had a problem with them.

When I was a kid, my two sisters and I saw a ghost. I have no idea what it was, but we all remember waking up in the night and seeing it.

But I don't bug those ghosts and they don't bug me. ;-)

Subject:

...More Satan stories; sorry but this shows how weird Mormons are.

Date:

Mar 28 15:34

Author:

Thomas Moore

Mail Address:

Richard started these and the thread was closed; but here's some of mine.
1) At my mother's knee: I heard about a convert who later became a bishopric counselor, he used to tell the story about how when receiving the Missionary lessons during the night he saw Satan staring at him through a mirror.
2) Pre-teen years: during a halloween carnival/spook alley that was set up in in the church, one of the teens who was in a coffin said that he saw Satan; so the carnival was closed down and a special prayer was said to cast out the demons.
3) Teen years: Seminary teacher who also was my supervisor in Hawaii when picking up pineapple; told us the story about how this one kid was possessed. He said that the kid would fall asleep and as soon as he fell asleep he suddenly would become this animalistic beserker screaming profanities. I guess he did this for a couple of nights and finally they gave him a blessing/casted out the demon. When they did they felt the wind and the glass of the window exploded outwards.
I also heard alot of the old FPR stories about the Oujia Board teens; the control over the water; how Satan is supposed to be really handsome/beautiful but his eyes are pure black; how this one guy was taken away by the spirit (astral traveled) with an angel and they went into a bar and he saw all of the "evil" spirits trying to grab cigarettes and drinks out of people's hands.
Why do they tell these stories or fall into the "...Satan will get you" beliefs and visions more than the angels, Christ visions? I think it's because it's easier to control people through fear.

Subject:

Here are a couple...........

Date:

Mar 28 15:48

Author:

Mandy

1) A TBM (former) friend of mine (who is a little unstable, anyway) was engaged to be married in the temple to some guy she had only met a couple of months prior. It was during the cold, snowy winter of Idaho that they were making their preparations. She and her betrothed were attending some prep classes in Pocatello and she had to drive about 45 minutes to get there. Part of that drive is through a canyon that can be a bit perilous during the winter. Well, on her way to class one morning, her car slid out of control and ended up in a snow bank on the side of the road. She had to wait for another car to come by and call a tow truck. She didn't make it to prep class that day, needless to say. As she was relating this story to me, she swore up and down that Satan caused this accident because he didn't want her to marry this guy in the temple. He was trying to destroy their happiness because it was so right and God wanted them to marry so much. Well, she ended up breaking the engagement. LOL I guess Satan won that round! :-)

2) Yet another TBM friend was preparing for her temple marriage after a 2 month courtship. (sigh) She was telling me that she and her fiance had the habit of sleeping in the same bed, fully clothed, and NOTHING had ever happened. Well, this is obviously too much for ole Satan to ignore. She claims that she saw him standing in the room when her fiance was asleep next to her, and he was trying to "make something happen" so they wouldn't be temple-worthy. As she was telling me this story, she got so upset that she started to cry and scream about how he had no right to be there. She was absolutely hysterical, and so was I (but with suppressed laughter). They were married shortly afterwards and not another sign of Satan!

Subject:

I have a brief one...

Date:

Mar 28 15:56

Author:

Shakjula

This LDS lady at a former place of employment kept getting on my case because I read Tarot cards, and would tell me how evil they were. Anyway, one afternoon just before the 4th of July a bunch of people came to my office and asked me to do readings for them. So I did. Later on, the LDS lady crept into my office and asked if I would do a reading for her. I asked her if she was really sure about that, since she seemed so hostile to the concept. She said it would be fine, and so I did the reading. From what I remember, the reading wasn't that outstanding. The LDS lady thanked me, and walked out of my office.

The next day she showed up at work looking absolutely tortured. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that when she went home, she went to her bathroom and saw a green demon staring at her from the mirror, and she passed out. Her husband had to come pick her up off the floor. She told me it was because she had the Tarot reading, and that she was doing a complete fast to make up for everything.

Two months later she asked me for another Tarot reading. I told her that there was no way in hell I'd do that.

Subject:

"Satan hid the car keys..."

Date:

Mar 28 16:07

Author:

Harbinger

A convert family with many kids finally had enough money to make the expensive trip from New Hampshire to SLC to have everybody sealed together (this was in the 60's or 70's, folks - long before the DC temple or anything closer)

They nearly missed their plane because....they couldn't find the car keys! After a fervent family prayer, the mom claims she was "inspired" to look under a certain rock in the yard, and of course, the keys were neatly tucked under this rock.

And to this day, their story is that Satan hid the car keys to try and keep them from going to the temple. Personally, I think it was the 7-year-old who was afraid to fly who hid them. ~ grin~

~ Harbinger

Subject:

I thought I saw Satan once, too . . .

Date:

Mar 28 16:16

Author:

steve benson

it turned out to be Boyd K. Packer

Subject:

I would love to meet Elder Packer....

Date:

Mar 28 16:27

Author:

Shakjula

I would enjoy spending the day at his office, observing him, learning his techniques for hatred and evil. Of course, my first choice would have been Pol Pot, but he took a dirt-nap.

Could you hook me up, Steve? Huh?

Subject:

I'll add a few

Date:

Mar 28 16:41

Author:

Diane

My father in law, who was really creepy and pedophilic and controlling told this one:

One night it was very hot and he decided not to wear his garmies to bed. He woke in the night and he was floating several feet in the air. It was only after he did a priesthood order that Satan dropped him back on the bed.

I grew up terrified of Satan. I was scared of the dark. My older sister always felt "bad spirits" in the dark and passed her fear on to me.

I had a dream when I was quite young (1st or second grade)that I was out in the back yard of my house and Satan's face showed up on the building behind our house in a cloud of smoke and fire. I was literally afraid of my own back year well into my teens. I NEVER went out alone. Finally at about 16 years old, I'd left something out there and had to go out and get it. No one was around to go out with me and so I ran out there grabbed what I needed and ran back inside with my heart racing, thinking satan was on my tail.

Another time, when I was a older teenager, I was having a problem keeping my thoughts "pure." I felt very very guilty about it and one night, I dreamed that Satan came to my bed and tried to drag me off of the bed. he was ripping the blankets and sheets off me and then when he got hold of me and began to drag me off, I woke up. I was so stinking scared! I was sure it really happened because of my bad thoughts and I was convinced that Satan had been in my room. It was horrible.

Sometimes I wonder how I ended up to be a functional adult.
Diane

Subject:

YW leaders like these kind of stories

Date:

Mar 28 16:53

Author:

A mom

One of my biggest complaints about mormon young women program is the way it perpetuates devil/satan stories.
Anyway, this incident happened just a few weeks ago. My teenage daughter drives a car that is about 15 years old, it has alot of miles on it. She was driving down the street with her YW friend in the passanger seat, when the accelerator started sticking, well the girls were pretty scared about it and the friend suggested that Satan had been involved. My daughter came home shaken up and told me about what had happened, and what her friend had suggested. They were scaring themselves silly. I told her to leave the devil out of it, and we would have a mechanic take a look at it. The next day a mechanic looked at the car and disconnected a broken cruise control. So far satan has not been back. I was glad that she had this experience so she could see how people, esp mormons. twist reality into fantasy.

Subject:

My daughter, since she started going to Young Women's...

Date:

Mar 28 17:02

Author:

Richard Garrard

Mail Address:

...seems terrified at night when she visits us. She talks about ghosts and seeing spooky things all the time. I haven't asked her specifically about Satan stories. Maybe I should?