Last year, my younger brother, Ben, spent three months in Ghana filming and documenting the use of drum rhythms in the divination ceremonies of the local witchdoctors as part of an anthropological musicology study. It was interesting to see how drums were employed and to learn about the interesting rhythms of their culture, but it was also rather uncomfortable. Witchcraft and the occult have always been taboo among the Saints. I remember growing up in Provo we would, now and then, hear urban legends of wayward LDS youth experimenting with witchcraft in the abandoned BYU Academy building, which is now the Provo Public Library.
As a missionary I taught a family where the wife had been heavily involved in witchcraft and the occult, all of which she renounced when she joined the church.
The Lord specifically condemned the occult in chapter 18 the book of Deuteronomy, verses 9-15:
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch; Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
I am not really interested in discussing the occult at length. I would rather spend my time testifying of the power of the Lord, and the Atonement, than testifying of the power of Satan. Yet there is at least one type of divination that is commonly utilized by the saints that I would like to discuss a little.
Bibliomancy is a form of divination by interpretation of a passage chosen at random from a sacred book, especially the Bible. It s a branch of Stichomancy. The most common procedure involves placing the book on its spine, and with eyes closed, allowing the book to fall open to a random page. Then, with the eyes still closed placing a finger on the open page and reading the passage indicated. I do not know how widespread the use of bibliomancy is among the members, but I have known quite a few members of the church who have used this method of divination in conjunction with prayer.
Sortilege, or casting lots, seems to be another kind of divination that is at times acceptable. The word sorcerer, like sortilege, comes from the Latin root sors, sort which means “a lot, fortune”. A sorcerer is specifically defined as “one who who foretells events by casting lots.” Yet, there are many places in the scriptures where casting lots is employed by the people of God to make decisions (see this list). There must be a difference between sorcery and the casting of lots employed by the faithful in the scriptures. The most obvious difference is the source on whom they rely upon to direct the outcome of the divination. The saints look to God while the sorcerers rely upon familiar spirits. There is also a difference between casting lots as a way of divining the future and casting lots as a method of impartially making a decision—that is, only God can control its outcome, if he so chooses.
This idea of allowing God to make a decision by employing divination like methods and chance was actually codified in early English law in the form of Trial by Ordeal. An individual accused of a crime could optionally elect to allow God to prove his innocence through a trial by ordeal. The ordeal was administered by official of the church. One common ordeal involved having the accused either carry a piece of molten iron for a specified distance or retrieve a heavy stone or ball from a cauldron of boiling water:
1. And the ordeal, we charge by the commands of God and of the archbishop and all the bishops, that no man come into the church after they carry in the fire with which they must heat the ordeal, except for the priest and he who must undergo it. And from the stake to the mark shall be measured nine feet, by the feet of the man who undergoes it. And if it be by water, they are to heat it until it becomes hot enough to boil, whether the vessel be iron or bronze, lead, or clay.
2. And the if accusation be single, the hand is to be plunged in up to the wrist to reach the stone, and if it be three-fold, up to the elbow.
3. And when the ordeal be ready, then two men from either side are to go in, and they are to be agreed that it be as hot as we said earlier.
4. And an equal number of men from either side are to go in and stand down the church on both sides of the ordeal; and all those are to be fasting and abstaining from their wives at night; and the priest is to sprinkle holy water over them all; and each of them is to taste the holy water; and give them all the book to kiss, and the sign of Christ’s cross. And no one is to continue making up the fire after they begin the consecration; but the iron is to lie upon the embers until the last collect; then they are to lay it upon the post, and no other words are to be spoken inside, except that they are to earnestly to pray Almighty God that he make the whole truth plain.
5. And he is to undergo it, and they are to seal up the hand; and after the third day they are to look and see whether it be corrupt or clean within the seal.
6. And the ordeal is to be invalid for him who breaks these rules, and he is to pay the king a hundred-and-twenty shillings as a fine.
The idea was that God would make the decision of innocence vs. guilt by either preventing the burned flesh from becoming corrupt or infected or by allowing it to fester. Trial by ordeal began to fall into disuse when King Henry II established trial by jury as the norm in the Assize of Clarendon.
While on the one hand trial by ordeal my be viewed as a kind of faith, on the other hand it seems a lot like tempting God. From a tempting God point of view this bears an interesting similarity to gambling and in fact it is believed that sortilege developed into modern playing cards and board games.
Still, in the church, we seem to have retained a little of this idea that we can allow God to express his will in what appears to be chance, like bibliomancy and casting lots.
Then there are more borderline uses of divination among the saints. When I was growing up in Provo, we had a wonderful neighbor. He was a faithful latter-day saint and professor at BYU. Every summer he would go to Alaska for a month or two to hunt for gold. One summer evening, shortly after he had returned from his latest gold hunting expedition, we were chatting with him in his front yard and he pulled out a pouch filled with gold nuggets that he had found. My father asked him how he was able to find the gold. “Let me show you.†He replied.
We were surprised when he produced a divining rod. He explained that just like some people use a divining rod to find water, he used it to divine for gold. He showed us how to hold it, and explained to us how it feels when it is attracted to the metal. He then hid a nugget in his yard and handed the rod to my brother, Ben, and told him to try to locate the nugget using the divining rod. Ben successfully located the nugget in record time. He practically walked right to it.
This Brother then told us that he believed that the ability to locate water, or gold, was a gift that God gave to some people.
This was a very strange experience for me and I have often wondered about the propriety of employing divining rods and such. Those of you who are familiar with Orson Scott Card’s fictional Alvin Maker series know that the characters possessed “knacks†not unlike the gift my neighbor utilized. I wonder if Card had known my neighbor.
What is the proper relationship between chance and God’s will? As a people we seem fairly comfortable with bibliomancy, but gambling has been explicitly forbidden. At what point does our trust in the lord cease to be faith and become tempting the Lord Our God?
Do people have “knacks†that God gives to them? If so, what is their proper role?
Isn’t his the whole focus of “the Magic World View?” I know of several faithful water witches in Utah. The Lord Seemed to use Joseph’s esperiances in divination to translate the Book of Mormon. It would seem that our world view is what has changed more than anything.
Well, casting of lots is used with approbation in 1 Nephi (where the subtext, at least to me, is that the brother sent to see Laban is the one God wants to go).
And as far as dowsing is concerned, remember the “gift of Aaron” attributed to Oliver Cowdery in D&C 8? Here it is as it appeared in Section 7 of the Book of Commandments:
It seems to me that this was intended to be the rod of Aaron…and that BY got one as well. No?
I deal with the occult all the time, and I think things really can work out well — look at how my Zeitgeist predictions have always been on target, thanks to my familiar!
If you think to the temple there’s something similar symbolically as well.
My grandpa claims to be a dowser. He’s also been in a temple presidency. Don’t know what that means.
My childhood neighbor, J. Stapley knows several in Utah, Bryce’s grandfather is one…I wonder how many people in the church practice this kind of thing?
Anybody have thoughts on bibliomancy?
How about Book of Mormon -ancy?
We had a speaker in the MTC (one of those former mission presidents who gives the same talk every two months) testify that the BoM would answer any question we had if we just opened it to random spots much in the manner described above.
Then he had everyone do it and had missionaries come up and testify as to the truth of what just happened. The line was so long that he had to cut it off after the 12th or so missionary.
Jonathan, thanks for this excellent post. Personally, I’m quite certain that a fair amount of what might be called “folk magic” are legitimate gifts that God has made available to us in some fashion or another. I’m doubtful of those who insist that God’s gifts are so carefully defined as to exclude, for example, dowsing for water, or predicting the future in certain ways. (An old Indian doctor once taught my wife a trick to predict the sex of her baby, as well as the sex of the next one; she’s passed it along to all my extended family, and it’s worked about 19 times out of 20).
As you observe, the line between “seeking for inspiration” through, say, randomly reading from the scriptures, and outright divination is pretty thin. I think we need to be open-minded (though still responsive the prophetic guidance, of course) about how we and others try to access the divine. (Certainly, when you’re as lacking in inspiration as I am, you should take anything you can get.) If something seems to work, and prayer confirms the answer, then it probably isn’t just a “coincidence.”
I’m no expert on the life of Oliver Cowdery, but I’ve always understood that revelation to refer to an actual magical rod which he employed, and that the association with Aaron’s “rod” (or staff) was of a piece with the way God made use of Smith’s reliance on seer stones.
I’m confused:
What’s a dowser? Is that the same as someone who divines for waters?
Clark, what are you saying is suggested in the temple? Not asking for the temple part, but the other half– that you’re saying we can also find in the temple?
Russell, can you divulge your Indian sex-divining secret? I’d love to know that.
When I was a kid (9 or 10), we were planning a trip from Michigan to New jersey to my grandmother’s house for Christmas. The weather forecast was for a severe winter storm to strike much of the area across which we would be travelling. My father was not sure we should make the trip. So we prayed about it (we were not members of the CJCLDS but were faithful Presbyterians at the time). After the prayer my dad said he felt inspired to get the Bible, open it up, and the answer to our prayer would be there. So he did. It fell open to this verse:
Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
We packed the bags and presents into the car, made the trip, and encountered no bad weather the entire way. Don’t know what you call that, but I had one of the best Christmases ever that year.
Sorry to get sidetracked, Jon. On bibliomancy:
My knee-jerk reaction is that it goes against what my understanding of inspiration and how we seek it is. Seeking inspiration is a thoughtful, meditative process that can take time and effort. Simply opening a book to find an answer seems lazy and smacks of sign-seeking. Reading, studying, and pondering the scriptures, opening to a page at random as a part of the process of seeking inspiration seems appropriate as a means of inviting the guidance of the Holy Ghost, with the understanding that the scriptures may or may not provide a direct answer to the question one might have.
I don’t think you sidetracked anything, Bryce.
I am interested in exploring more of your statement that bibliomancy seems to “smack of sign-seeking.” This is part of what I was looking for when I asked at what point our trust in the lord ceases to be faith and becomes tempting the Lord. Can casting lots also represrnt a form of sign-seeking?
I think that trial by ordeal in many ways may represent a form of sign-seeking. But then we can also look at the biblical example of Gideon, when he asks for signs to determine whether or not the Lord has truly chosen him to save Israel and the Lord obliges him (see Judges 6:17-21,36-40).
Our family uses dowsing — the use of a tool, normally a stick, and a meditative walk — for finding water on our land… it works. Of course, I’ve always been enamored to geomancy and her sisters.
Ryan, without directly replying to your message, there are three items of kingship one often finds discussed in ancient texts. One is often a sword. An other is a rod or staff. Aaron’s rod is an example. The final one is often an orb or other such item. Often in ancient texts used for divinization or communication. All of these can also be found in various folk traditions and superstitions. The diviner’s rod is an example as are the supposed crystal balls or treasure stones. The forms vary somewhat, but often a connection to the Biblical or other texts is made. Sometimes they carry multiple symbolism. For instance the ball can also be a fruit – often associated with the fruit in the garden of eden.
There are other symbols as well, such as a crown, diadem, or laurels worn on the head.
What’s very interesting is that if you look at Rev 2-3 with the “he has ears to hear” sections for each of the seven cities, you’ll see these associated with Christ as well as being given ot the believer. (Also interesting the order of the cities listed from Asia minor form a procession around a circle)
Just to add, to the above, I think there is a danger one can push such things too far. However my point is that the folk traditions one found in the 17th and 18th century often have ties to ancient symbols. Once again Aaron’s rod is the most obvious example. But there are many others. They are typically tied to kingship and priesthoodship when viewed in their ancient contexts.
Dowsing or water-witching is probably the result minute muscle movements that induce the stick or pendulum to movement. Even when we think we are holding somthing steady, we really aren’t.
Here are some modern day dowsers:
ttp://www.theeyeopener.com/storydetail.cfm?storyid=1886
And here’s the skeptic view:
http://skepdic.com/dowsing.html
There have been numerous interesting experiments where experience dowsers were unable to discern water or metal more reliably than chance. One interesting experiment was shown in season 8 of Scientific Frontiers, the PBS show with Alan Alda. The segment was called “Water, water, everywhere”. Here’s the transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/saf/transcripts/transcript802.htm#3
And here’s the clip if you want to view it:
http://vvi.virage.com/cgi-bin/visearch?user=pbs-saf&template=template.html&squery=Beyond+Science
Of course, if anyone really can dowse water or metal (or anything else) more reliably than chance, I know someone who will pay them a cool $1,000,000 to demonstrate it.
Jonathan,
I strongly disagree with your definition of bibliomancy and your lexical move, through this term, to group this practice into the cluster of “divination and chance.”
Church leaders have spoken approvingly about experiences where they, in a time of need, said a prayer and asked for guidance, and then opened up their scriptures to find the answer right there. It seems that this practice is one that you would lump under the divination/witchcraft banner.
See, e.g., L. Tom Perry’s story:
Kaimi,
My definition of bibliomancy and the practice’s connection to divination comes from the bibliomancy entries at wikipedia, dictionary.com, and The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.
I’m not sure that what Elder Perry describes qualifies as bibliomancy. He says that as he opened his scriptures they serendipitously fell open to section 111, and that certain verses on that page jumped out to him. I think that there is a difference between opening up the scriptures to a random place and starting to read in search of comfort or general inspiration and in the process having the spirit amplify the message of certain verses to you and following the chance/divination steps of bibliomancy (i.e. letting the book fall open to a random page and, eyes closed pointing to a part of the page and looking to the verse identified for a message).
cinepro,
Thanks for the links. I think that regardless of whether dowsing actually works, those that practice it believe that it works and I am interested in the propriety of practicing things like dowsing in the church. I am personally uncomfortable with this kind of folk magic, but it is interesting to realize that there are a number of members that use it.
JMW, would have been uncomfortable with Joseph Smith’s usage of folk magic?
Perhaps, though things like dowsing or phrenology bother me a lot less than other things.
Things like the Liahona and the Urim and Thumin are clearly part of the gospel. Slaughtering chickens and going into a trance, often with the aide of drugs, the way the witchdoctors my brother filmed in his Africa drumming study do, is not.
Part of my discomfort comes from the fact that I have had family members who have become involved in magic like practices and it has contributed to their apostasy from the church.
“things like dowsing or phrenology bother me a lot less than other things.”
Why is this so? Because they are less popular? Less bloody? I find it interesting that you would differentiate among them. I do the same thing, just wondering what your basis is.
That is a good question, Steve. I don’t have a ready answer. Perhaps it has something to do with the level of ceremony involved, though I don’t know why that would matter.
I think, perhaps, that I am more comfortable with folk magic within a culture of it. I don’t have a problem with Moses turning his staff into a serpent. Now if that were to happen today, it would definitely weird me out.
So while I don’t have too many issues with early saints dabbling in aspects of divination (all the while acknowledging the Lord their God), I do not feel comfortable with it today. Cultural relativism? Maybe.
So, I guess old scriptural magic = harmless (moses + serpents), but contemporary magic = creepy.
That doesn’t surprise me, but also I think that JMW has some exceptions like dowsing that are contemporary but ok…
I’m surprised by Kaimi’s strong negative response. It seems to me that bibliomancy is fairly common in the church today and in all sorts of other Christian religions as well. The story by Elder Perry sounds like a prime example of it. Just because dictionaries list it along side all other sorts of unsavory divination practices, does that mean it is condemned of God? Is God bound by our dictionaries or definitions? How do we know this is not an approved-of practice? Perhaps it is a form of spiritual gift some people have or something? Perhaps it is one of those things used to build sufficient faith in some people like when Jesus dabbed mud on one blind person’s eyes. Apparently that person needed something extra to generate the faith to be healed. Are we sure this practice is objectionable?
I think we walk a precarious path when we condemn all of these sorts of things as evil. Then what are we to do when we find that Joseph actually used a “seer stone” as often or more often than the Urim and Thummin? (A factoid I just discovered recently). My reaction is one of indifference, because God has made it clear to me that He directed Joseph’s acivities. Therefore I just assume God knew what he was doing and gave Joseph the tools he needed. But others could could find there faith severely shaken if they draw lines about what is acceptable beyond where the true and living God draws them…
Geoff and Kaimi, I agree with Jon that the Elder Perry example as described is different from bibliomancy as the post describes it. I think the key is intent and expectation. I think many, if not most of us, have had an experience similar to Elder Perry — as we are seeking guidance, we open the scriptures, and a passage jumps out at us. This is a wonderful way to use the scriptures as a conduit for divine inspiration. In fact, we are often counseled to search the scriptures as we seek answers to prayer.
However, inspiration and answers to prayer come on the Lord’s schedule, not our own. The process of bibliomancy presumes otherwise; it says that I will decide when and how I will receive my answer. The fact that the Lord can speak to us in a personal way through scripture in no way means that He is required to do so.
Con: On my mission, I met a former Mormon who had got interested in the occult, got sucked in, got excommunicated, and was the emptiest person I have ever met.
Going the other way, one branch in Spain consisted primarily of the former members of a witchcraft coven who had joined the church and who thereafter felt that any attempt to dabble in ‘magic’ or what not would be perilous to their discipleship. They didn’t have a lot of good things to say about their former practice of magic.
Pro: A few years ago, the Ensign ran a story from a former Protestant minister. He talked about how he had been interested in the Church for awhile but had a couple of concerns that along with the disruption to his life as a minister kept him from joining. He finally decided to have it all out with God, prayed, and then decided to do some Book of Mormon -mancy. He opened the Book of Mormon to three random passages that resolved, in his mind, the three different obstacles to his conversion. The conclusion I reach is that though it is spiritually dangerous sometimes God will allow us to hold him hostage with sign-seeking and such. In its own way, I think my quest for a pentecostal manifestation of the truth of the Book of Mormon was in some sense sign-seeking, though eventually the manifestation came.
JMW said:
correct me if i’m wrong, but isn’t there evidence that JS sr. and JS did things like slaughter dogs and goats and sprinkle blood around areas where they were digging for treasure in order to appease the guardian spirits of the treasure in question? i think i read this in vogel’s JS biography.