Editors Note: I originally wrote this back in 2016 on another blog. I decided to re-publish and update it after seeing the recent Church Policies and Guidelines.
I read a lengthy post on Facebook about how “energy healing” is from Satan and that it is probably the mark of the beast – ok, it doesn’t say the last part – and I thought I would write a response.
My comments will appear in brackets.
Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God.”
[Agreed]
Dallin H. Oaks explains: “Some members or former members of our Church fail to recognize the importance of the priesthood line. They underestimate the importance of the Church and its leaders and its programs. Relying entirely on the personal line, they go their own way, purporting to define doctrine and to direct competing organizations contrary to the teachings of prophet-leaders… When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration convey something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Two Lines of Communication”).
[What if it is found in the Book of Mormon, for example, but is contrary to the traditions or authorities? Is it still not from God?]
Muscle testing is a philosophy of man. And “Christ Centered “ healing is “a philosophy of man mingled with scripture.”
[How do Latter-day Saints know for sure? Can it be proven with scripture? Or is this a bold declaration with no backing?]
How do you know if the answers are coming from the Spirit or from a “familiar spirit?” The answer is: You don’t always know. When the Priesthood line of authority is used, you know that you are invoking the powers of God and not the adversary.
[How does one use a line of authority? The higher up the priesthood chain, the less likely to be deceived? Convenient for men and utterly devastating for women who will always be at the buffetings of Satan unless she listens 100% to what men say. It sounds a lot like relying on the arm of flesh to me. I would also point out the Dallin H. Oaks, in the Conference address cited above, said: …if we are solely dependent on one particular priesthood leader or teacher for our personal testimony of the truth instead of getting that testimony through the personal line, we will be forever vulnerable to disillusionment by the action of that person. When it comes to a mature knowledge or testimony of the truth, we should not be dependent on a mortal mediator between us and our Heavenly Father.]
Muscle testing is not taught in the Church. If this is such a special gift from God, why aren’t all members taught to use this method?
[Why aren’t Latter-day Saints speaking in tongues, having visions, uttering prophecy, or healing by faith? I guess those aren’t unique gifts from God because all members aren’t using them. Perhaps Latter-day Saints have forgotten these words: For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.]
Energy healers believe that you can access the energy of the universe.
[I fail to see the problem with this.]
But Elder Holland said this: “There is no neutral ground in the Universe, every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Sanctify Yourselves”)
[Actually, it is C.S. Lewis – Elder Holland is quoting him. Does that make it prophetic?]
NO neutral energy from which we can tap into. [I’ve never met an energy healer that claims such.] It is either from God, or it is from Satan. If it is from God, then it will be done with His power and His authority. [You mean by faith?] Our God is a God of order. [Great. However, Latter-day Saints have not proven that God did not give these people the gift to heal. Thus, it cannot say it is not from God.]
Why is muscle testing necessary when we have the ability to receive answers to direct our lives through personal prayer?
[This begs the question that God cannot answer a person’s prayer through muscle testing. Bad form!]
Sincere prayer is more powerful than any form of energy healing! Prayer is the communication between you and Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost. There is no need to test your muscles.
[It is as though Latter-day Saints believe God answers everyone’s prayers in the exact same way – their way – and anything different is from Satan. Carry on. Let’s see where this takes us.]
It is important and vital that you pray often and that you learn how to get answers through the Holy Ghost. [But if God inspires someone to get answers from muscle testing, it is probably from Satan, right?] This takes effort, patience, and practice. [From what I have heard, so does muscle testing.] Muscle testing gives you immediate answers. [So muscle testing works?]
Muscle testing eliminates the process and the lessons that could have been learned through that process.
[Objection! Begging the question, your Honor. (Sustained).]
Energy healers believe the process is quick and easy. [Kind of like Jesus saying: be ye healed, and they are healed?] But I have come to know that the greatest lessons in our lives come “line upon line, precept upon precept.” And it is not always easy.
[So, unless it is hard, it is not from God? The God of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sounds like a jerk. Moreover, the phrase ‘line upon line,’ isn’t a good thing. Avraham Gileadi explains, “Instead of receiving a greater portion of the “word of Jehovah” through divine revelation, the people of Ephraim remain ensconced in its lesser version as that is all they know.“]
Clearing emotions. Big red flag! One way of clearing emotions is called the water grid method. This method uses the imagination of pulling water up from the toes of the person up to the head until you feel the emotion has been washed away. Another way of clearing involves an imaginary ball of energy that you imagine is in your hand. Then you push that energy ball into the person’s body, which then clears the emotion. Other ways of clearing involve chanting numbers saying “12 times infinity.” And that somehow magically clears emotions from some unknown universal equation.
[How is this a problem? If I go to a Psychologist and spend hours talking about my feelings and walk away feeling better, is that from Satan? What if I skip that and go straight for pills? There is a big problem with Latter-day Saints and anti-depressant dependence. Maybe clearing emotions should be encouraged instead of raising red flags?]
Then there is a script that can be recited. Here is a portion of that script: Does this trouble you? “In the name of Jesus Christ…Spirit, Super-conscious, Subconscious, Conscious, Higher Self, Heart, Mind, Will Nervous System-Brain, Original intelligence, RNA, DNA, and every genetic anomaly out of alignment with my pattern of perfection…. Come forward through all generations of time & eternity healing every event…It is done!… Thank you all for coming to my aid & working together to help me…” (Karol Truman “Feelings Buried Alive Never Die”) With that script, you are invoking the name of Jesus Christ to heal you. And then you are charged money for that healing.
[Look, No one should be charged for ministry work – blessings, gifts, religious work, etc., done in the name of Jesus – that is a form of Priestcraft. However, Latter-day Saints do not seem to have a problem with the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and Seventy receiving money for their work. And then there is the whole compulsion to be tithed to enter the Temple for spiritual blessings. I am reading a lot of conflicting views here. As for the method itself? Jesus put spit/mud on a blind man’s eyes, and he was healed. It looks like the method isn’t as important as some might believe.]
Then there are the crystals, wands, Chakras, essential oils. All of which are suppose to clear negative emotions.
[If it works, it works. Praise be to God for it.]
“We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very “simpleness of the way” (1 Nephi 17:41) of receiving small and incremental spiritual impressions that over time and in totality constitute a desired answer or the direction we need may cause us to look “beyond the mark.” (Jacob 4:14) (Elder David A. Bednar “The Spirit Of Revelation”)
[I do not know why this quote is included. I will say this: Moroni disagrees with Bednar. He says that if we do not see the marvelous and the miraculous, it is because we are unbelieving, and faith has ceased. That is a bad thing, by the way. Latter-day Saints also quote a man, Bednar, who asked a cancer patient whether or not he had the faith not to be healed. Yikes! Why couldn’t an Apostle heal the man?]
We are cleansed with water at baptism. [No, we aren’t, but carry on.] And we can become cleansed each week as we partake of the sacrament. [Wrong, but I know that is a prevalent notion in the Mormon tradition. Click here for more discussion on the sacrament.] No need for an imaginary water grid. Or an imaginary ball of energy. We have the power of the Atonement!
[I have no idea what you mean by Atonement in this context. But, whatever, most Latter-day Saints don’t know what Atonement means, and the word appears to be thrown around willy-nilly.]
There is power in the Book of Mormon if we are willing to put the time and energy into daily scripture study. [And are willing to read it outside of your Bible-Mormon-Tradition-Metatext.] Reciting a script may sound good, but the true clearing of emotions that have been trapped for generations can all be erased in the selfless service given in our temples. [How? If you are referring to the conversation at the veil, need I remind you that it is symbolic and of no effect until you speak with the Lord through the veil.]
We are a covenant-making people. We should be asking ourselves, are we using and applying the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives?
[This is a regurgitation of a phrase used in the Church that is empty and without meaning; a foolish thing that everyone thinks they know but cannot explain when pressed for meaning. Seriously, can anyone explain how to “apply the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ”? What? How does someone use the Atonement? It isn’t an appliance or tool. It isn’t like sunscreen or lip balm that you can apply to yourself. It is what happened when Jesus condescended: being at-one with humanity, and when we are at-one with Him.]
Is our faith strong enough to rely on the Lord and not the arm of the flesh?
[Ironic, isn’t it? Latter-day Saints say that all of this stuff is evil and ‘arm of flesh,’ yet promote following the Brethren exclusively to know if something is from God.]
Energy Healing Is Not Of God I have come to know that no matter how you “sugar coat” the message or the method, no matter how awesome the person performing the service, energy healing is not of God.
[Yet Latter-day Saints have not proven how it is not of God. All that has been done is given policies and guidelines, and interpretation of what some General Authority says, and those are merely opinions.]
The Great Apostasy was brought about by two things. 1) There was persecution from outside the Church, and 2) There was corruption within the Church. [Mostly corruption from within and from the Bible – you know, the text that Nephi says is the means by which Satan blinds and binds people? Anyway…]
When well-intentioned members begin to find “new ways” of thinking and “new ways” of applying gospel principles, or “new ways” of healing through Christ, the true doctrines of the gospel became corrupt bit by bit. In the last days, we will not have another great apostasy. [Show me via scriptures that this statement is true. I bet Latter-day Saints can’t.] But many of the saints will apostatize from the Church. “Satan is the great deceiver and the father of lies, but he will also tell the truth when it suits his purposes. Satan’s most effective lies are half-truths or lies accompanied by truth. A lie is most effective when it can travel incognito in good company or when it can be so intermarried with the truth that we cannot determine its lineage. Satan can use the truth to promote his purposes. Truth can be used unrighteously. Severed from their context, true facts can convey an erroneous impression.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks “Gospel Teachings About Lying”)
[I doubt the quote from Dallin Oaks is true. The Book of Mormon prophet, Mormon, says, “a bitter fountain cannot bring forth good water … Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God and that which is evil cometh of the Devil. …Wherefore, everything which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.”]
Church members are also warned that some of these groups advocate concepts and use methods that can be harmful. [What methods are harmful?] In addition, many such groups charge exorbitant fees and encourage long-term commitments. [And some do it for free. So…?] Some intermingle worldly concepts with gospel principles in ways that can undermine spirituality and faith [Like General Conferences?] These groups tend to promise quick solutions to problems that normally require time and personal effort to resolve [Again, Jesus instantly healed people. Isn’t something outside of the normal considered a miracle? Faith can, and in my opinion, should result in immediate miracles.]
Although participants may experience temporary emotional relief or exhilaration, old problems often return, leading to added disappointment and despair.
[Evidence? It sounds like unfounded opinions.]
“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to accept what is true.” (Soren Kierkegaard)
[I agree with this quote. Latter-day Saints believe in a false tradition, inherited from years and years of misconception and Correlation. They refuse to accept the truth if it does not come from the Brethren, even if it comes directly from the Book of Mormon. Truly there is a deep sleep upon the Members, despite the cry of All Is Well.]
Conclusion:
I do not have proof that energy healing, or muscle testing, is from God; I cannot say that it works, but I know people who believe it does. Latter-day Saints, the Brethren, and the Policies and Guidelines do not have evidence that it does not come from God.
Latter-day Saints do not have evidence that it does not come from God. There is a lot of opinions expressed as facts because of Policies and Guidelines. This author also fails to acknowledge how Joseph Smith interpreted (translated) the Book of Mormon with the interpreters at the bottom of a hat. Or how the “gift of Aaron,” approved by the voice of God to Oliver Cowdery, was the use of a divining rod. Both are claimed as gifts from God, but most of Christianity would label those gifts as Satanic.
I see a major problem among Latter-day Saints: there are no miracles. There are no signs that follow those who believe. And when someone claims to have been healed by some supernatural means, they are labeled as deceived by a familiar spirit. It sounds a lot like how the Jews accused Jesus of being the devil when miracles were performed.
Perhaps Latter-day Saints should be more concerned with the absence of miracles among the believers, lack of promised records that should be available to us, and less concerned with what method of therapy their neighbors use to cope with mortality?
But woe unto you, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Matthew 23:13
Journey To Reimagination 