Does the afterlife theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon) leave any room for a Mormon belief in ghosts?
Mormonism and Spirits
The LDS church believes that everyone has a spirit (sometimes called a "soul" in other theologies,) which is believed to continue living independently of the body after its death.
Since a ghost is defined as "a disembodied soul" (Merriam-Webster's Dictionary,) Mormons technically do believe in ghosts. That is, they believe that everyone has a spirit that continues living even without a physical living body.
LDS Teachings about Ghosts
Most people who want to know whether Mormons believe in ghosts, however, are asking a more specific question. In popular culture, the word "ghost" conjures up concepts of ectoplasm, haunting, or spirits of the dead who can't "cross over" to the afterlife. Mormonism does not believe in this type of ghost.
LDS theology says that all spirits, once separated from their bodies at death, automatically go to a place called the spirit world. At the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, all the spirits in the spirit world will be resurrected (rejoined with their bodies) and go to a kingdom of heaven. LDS theology gives no reason to suspect that the spirit of any deceased person would remain earthbound or have trouble "crossing over."
LDS Contact with Angels and Spirits
That is not to say that there is no contact between spirits and Mormons living here on earth. The Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit as he is called in the New Testament, is said to influence and guide everyone through their thoughts and feelings - particularly baptized and confirmed members of the LDS church who live righteous lives.
Some messengers from God (called angels in LDS theology) may be disembodied spirits from the spirit world, but they come temporarily to fulfill a Godly purpose or to deliver a Godly message - not to "haunt" an individual or place.
Though it is not doctrinal, non-canonical sources suggest that the spirit world is on this earth but not visible to human eyes most of the time. Early Mormon leaders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young said that the spirits of the righteous departed "are not far from us," although the teaching was never incorporated into Mormonism's official canon to become doctrine.
Evil Spirits in Mormonism
Not to be confused with angels or the Holy Ghost as described above, there are several instances where "evil" or "unclean" spirits are mentioned in the Bible (see Matthew 8: 28, Mark 5: 8.) Mormonism believes that evil spirits are not those who have died, but the un-embodied spirits of Satan and his followers.
Mormonism teaches that Satan and his followers certainly influence the earth negatively, but generally believe that they usually inspire or persuade people to commit evil actions rather than possess or haunt people or places. Church leadership rarely (if ever) talks about demonic possession, as such is not the focus of their theology.
While Mormons may not believe in "ghosts" in the culturally popular sense of the word, they certainly do believe in spirits of the deceased and in an afterlife. When speaking of such, Mormons prefer the more neutral term "spirits," as the word "ghost" has the potential to lead to un-doctrinal speculation, sensational ghost stories, or talk of the occult.
Sources:
Brigham Young and Joseph Smith quoted by Dale C. Mouritsen in “The Spirit World, Our Next Home,” Tambuli, December 1977.
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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