--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Joseph F. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 11 published: 1902-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'President Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table—Superstitious Practices," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 11 (September 1902): 896–898.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0511unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0511unse start_page: 896 end_page: 898 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0511unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor's Table—Superstitious Practices EDITOR'S TABLE. SUPERSTITIOUS PRACTICES. It was no uncommon thing for people of eastern nations, almost from time immemorial,toprof ess to hold communication with the spir- it world through the medium of superstitious practices. There were magical formulae, lucky and unlucky days, incantations, horoscopes, and various other devices, and superstitious rites and practices through which magicians, astrologers, soothsayers, divines, wiz- ards, witches, sorcerers, necromancers, conjurers, and enchanters, played upon the ignorance of their victims. It is, of course, im- possible to tell what the secrets of their practices were, but it is safe to say that the power of a strong and cunning will over a weak one, was uppermost in their deceptions. The Children of Israel were forbidden to belie ve in these various classes of super- stition, heathenism and idolatry, for they tended to draw men's minds from God, the true source of knowledge and power. Says Isaiah: "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? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." They were for- bidden to seek wizards that "peep and mutter," but were com- manded to obey the law and the testimony of the prophets. One would think that in the day in which we live the belief in witches and witchcraft no more exists, and that the counsel given to ancient Israel in this respect would be unnecessary to the Lat- ter-day Saints, but apparently this is not the case. Word comes from a northern stake of Zion which indicates that in a certain EDITOR'S TABLE. Sbl settlement the belief in these things is fairly rampant, and a great deal of trouble and unnecessary annoyance have been given to the authorities of the stake and ward because of this absurd belief en- tertained by certain foolish old men and women of the ward. It is needless to assert that to those who are intelligent, and not bound by old notions and superstitions, there is no truth in what people call witchcraft. Men and women who come under the influence of a belief therein are bewitched by their own foolish- ness, and are led astray by pretenders and mischief-makers who "peep and mutter." It is really astonishing that there should be any to believe in these absurdities. No man or woman who enjoys the Spirit of God and the influence and power of the holy priest- hood can believe in these superstitious notions; and those who do, will lose, indeed have lost, the influence of the Spirit of God and of the priesthood, and are become subject to the witchery of satan, who is constantly striving to draw away the Saints from the true way, if not by the dissemination of such nonsense, then by other insidious methods. One individual can not place an affliction upon another in the way that these soo hsayers would have the people believe. It is a trick of satan to deceive men and women, and to draw them away from the Church and from the influence of the Spirit of God, and the power of his holy priesthood, that they may be destroyed. These peep-stone men and women are inspired by the devil, and are the real witches, if any such there be. Witchcraft, and all kindred evils, are solely the creations of th.3 superstitious imaginations of men and women who are steeped in ignorance, and derive their power over people from the devil, and those who submit to this in- fluence are deceived by him. Unless they repent, they will be destroyed. Tnere is absolutely no possibility for a person who en- joys the Holy Spirit of God to even believe that such influences can have any effect upon him. The enjoyment of the Holy Spirit is absolute proof against all influences of evil; you never can obtain that Spirit by seeking diviners, and men and women who "peep and mutter." That is obtained by imposition of hands by the servants of God, and retained by right living. If you have lost it, repent and return to God, and fur your salvation's sake and for the sake of your children, avoid the emissaries of satan who "peep and mutter," and who would lead you down to darkness and death. It is impossible for anyone possessing the spirit of the gospel and having the power of the holy priesthood to believe in or be in- fluenced by any power of necromancy. My advice to the Saints is to so live that they may have the Spirit and influence of the Lord with them; for, having that influ- ence, it is a wall of protection against all powers of evil that may seek an inroad into their hearts and thoughts. The possession of the Holy Spirit is a sure defense against evil thoughts, supersti- tions, ignorance, and the follies and machinations of evil-dis- posed men and women. Every Latter-day Saint should so conduct himself that he may enjoy this Spirit, and there will be no danger of his being led away by the foolish nonsense that ignorance and superstition seek to implant in the minds of people concerning the existence of witches and witchcraft. There is no danger to anyone in so-called witchcraft itself; the evil effect lies in the belief therein. The person who believes injures himself through fear and belief; no other person has power to injure him; it is himself who injures himself through the super- stition of his own mind. In the Sandwich Islands this superstitious belief was very prevalent, years ago. They call it pule anaana, or the prayer of sorcery. It was no uncommon thing for a person who became beset with the thought that he was being "prayed to death" actually to wither away, and die. I knew a good woman, wife of a leading native Latter-day Saint whom I often visited, who one day became very ill. what was the matter. She I asked said she was being "prayed to death," and she was actually seri- ously ill, and getting ready to die; so great was her fear and faith in what some evil-designing, but in himself impotent, person, had whispered about her. I told her it was all wrong, that she must not believe it; it was impossible; she must believe, on the contrary, that she would live, and be well. I labored with her in this way for some time, and she finally believed and was restored, and such nonsense never had power over her again. It was not so with a young native cook whom the missionaries employed. Some of the jealous natives, one day when we were off on a visit, brought him word that be was being "prayed to death," and it so frightened