Mormon Terminology: Familiar Spirit

17 May

Leviticus 19:31 “Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.”

 Today we’re looking at a not so common phrase in the Bible the LDS Church believes is a prophecy about their Book of Mormon. The phrase ‘familiar spirit’ is in the Old Testament 17 times. All but two of those refer to witchcraft – the exceptions are Job 19:14 & Psalm 41:9.

The Church has on numerous occasions referred to Isaiah 29:4 as the fulfillment of Smith’s gospel being delivered by Moroni, who was supposedly a resurrected man-turned-angel, who lived c. 400 AD.

Isaiah 29:4 “And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.”

As you can readily see, this has nothing to do with the Book of Mormon!  This passage in Isaiah is God’s warning to Israel of their impending doom because of their poor behavior. Be that as it may, truth didn’t deter Smith and  others from putting their own spin on trying to fit the square peg into a round hole…

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, p. 1538 “For Latter-day Saints, the phrase “voice from the dust” speaks of the coming-forth of the Book of Mormon (cf. 2 Ne. 25:18; 26:16), which was translated from metal plates buried in the ground for fourteen centuries. As early as Joseph Smith, LDS leaders have consistently indicated that this phrase applies to the Book of Mormon (PJS, p. 307; Hinckley, p. 10). This distinctive phrase and others like it usually appear in a context that speaks of the need for repentance and of an accompanying voice of warning that will “whisper out of the dust” (Isa. 29:4).” – Daniel H. Ludlow, 1992

Furthermore, as late as last year they continued to brazenly claim this ‘voice from the dust’ is from God! Check out the poster we found on their site. Scary! We wrote about this last year just before their publication of this poster. We feel it’s important to keep reminding people of the dangers this church presents to the unknowing – spread the word!

Moving forward, what’s the truth? …

The transliteration for ‘familiar spirit’ is ʾôb. Here’s how Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary defines this phrase –

‘from the same as <H1> (‘ab) (apparently through the idea of prattling a father’s name); probably a mumble, i.e. a water-skin (from its hollow sound); hence a necromancer (ventriloquist, as from a jar) :- bottle, familiar spirit.’

The question begs to be asked: How is this from the Lord? Another hint the Church is following the wrong gospel is found in Isaiah 8:19-20, and Isaiah 19:3.

Isaiah 8:19-20 “And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? 20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Isaiah 19:3 “And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.”

It’s heartbreaking they don’t open their Bibles to see God’s condemnation on those who turn to Egypt for guidance. This is of course what Smith has done by claiming the Book of Mormon is written in ‘Reformed Egyptian’, and instituting the Book of Abraham with the notorious Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Why would you turn to Egypt when God condemned the Israelites from doing so, in addition to the fact He delivered them from there?!

Please, when you get an opportunity, share this info with the Mormon you know!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor 1:18

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