I thought it was interesting, the several references in the transcript to Church leadership being involved in the casting out of devils in an official capacity:
https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=67I 46&index=1
I personally believe that my mil and possibly a sibling have had either demonic possession or strong influence in their lives - that have led to behaviors that cannot easily be explained. Unfortunately, the only way to avoid the influence is to put distance between yourself and the person so afflicted (who refuses to get help by regularly praying, reading scripture, going to church to partake in the Sacrament, etc). In the absence of these things, a spiritual vacuum develops, which leads to other less savory influences and attracts evil.
The Savior talked of this, when He basically said that you can cast an evil spirit out, but it just leaves an empty house wherein other spirits will take advantage and jump at the opportunity to make a party place out of it (just as transients take over an abandoned house and turn it into a flop house). I Brazil, I experienced this - that after we had cast an evil spirit out, another entered (or the same one re-entered - we never bothered to "re-interview" it and get its name after the second or third time it came into it. The only thing I was interested in doing was figuring out why we could not keep it out of the woman in a sustainable manner.
I finally deduced that there was something there that attracted the evil influences and that it needed to be overwhelmed with good for it to stay at bay. Which we then did clear the home and, so far as we know, clearing the home of evil influences (pornography, alcohol and Catholic statuettes to the various gods or patron saints, did the trick). Also, we had the woman, who was sobering up after a day of drinking and partying on the beach abstain from fornication with her live-in boyfriend and read the scrips non-stop until she was able to go to sleep.
Interestingly, I would have likely heard the talk in 1987 by James E Faust who talked of evil and likely had the Spirit whisper to me that I would have the chance to witness the power in my Priesthood while a missionary in Brazil. President Faust also served in Brazil in the early days of the Church down there and likely had similar experiences among a people weakened by sin and depravity. As our society slides into the same abyss with corruption and rampant promiscuity, we will witness the same kind of increases in these spiritual symptoms.
Seriously, what's the deal with Brazilian's? I served my mission in Madrid, Spain, but the only person I for sure knew was possessed was a Brazilian woman who had supposedly given up her life as a prostitute. The baptism went fine and so did the confirmation the following day, but right when when the sacrament was being passed she began saying strange things in a deep, guttural voice about the Holy Ghost coming soon. Her eyes then rolled up and she went into convulsions. She had always been a very nice, sweet lady before that, but then her countenance changed and she was full of anger and malice towards everyone in the building. She never came back.
ReplyDeleteAn older man in ward had a similar experience on his mission, but he actually served in Brazil.
I know it's not all Brazilians and I also know they aren't the only people subjected to it. A lady in an old ward of mine had a similar, but slightly more terrifying experience on her mission in the deep south. I don't recall the details, but these african american investigators seemed to be possessed at the control of some cult leader, kind of like a voodoo zombie-like.