Bigfoot, Aliens and Ghosts, Oh My!

                                                                                       (Claimed Bigfoot sighting.  Photo credit: Wikipedia)

During my childhood I was always a fan of the paranormal.  I enjoyed a good ghost hunt, watched for UFOs and imagined discovering Bigfoot.  These things fascinated me to a point I was scarred to go to the bathroom at night.  I was young, and had this thing with aliens.  You know the type, skinny grey bodies with large heads and large almond shaped black eyes.  Yeah, those freaky things.  I would always imagine when I had to get up and pee, there would be one just peeking around the wall at the end of the hallway.  I would run to and from the bathroom.  

The Mormon church is no stranger to the paranormal.  The basic Mormon teaching is that there are other worlds in our very own galaxy that harbor intelligent life.  In fact, Jesus’s sacrifice was not only for our Earth, but for all the worlds our Galactic God has created.

“And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof….  And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten…. And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many…  But only an account of this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you. For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man.”

-The Pearl of Great Price, Book of Moses, ch 1, vs 29-35

I thoroughly enjoyed these principles from my youth.  To look up at the stars and know there are worlds with intelligent life, and how special this Earth was to host the Savior.  I was told, to live on the same Earth as Jesus did was a very special thing indeed, and how lucky I was (or valiant in my pre-Earth life).  I still look up to the stars in wonder to this day, only in a different context.  I believe there is life out there, and intelligent life at that.  However, I don’t believe these “aliens” have visited our Earth, nor are the pictures of UFOs, alien spacecraft.  It doesn’t stop me from watching the shows about them though.

Mormons, as you are probably well aware of by now, have some crazy beliefs.  Whether they even know it, it’s there.  Another such belief is derived from the legend of Bigfoot.  We’ve all seen the pictures, and read the stories of Bigfoot encounters.  I’ve watched the shows and really found excitement regarding such.  I was excited because I knew exactly who Bigfoot was.  Can you keep a secret if I told you?  Ok, well because you’ve promised, I will tell you who Bigfoot is.  

Bigfoot is not an animal at all, but an ancient man instead.  This man had been cursed from the beginning of days, and walks the Earth today, unable to die.  It’s all in the Bible you see… and a chance run in by an early Mormon would confirm it.

“On the sad character Cain, an interesting story comes to us from Lycurgus A. Wilson's book on the life of David W. Patten. From the book I quote an extract from a letter by Abraham O. Smoot giving his recollection of David Patten's account of meeting "a very remarkable person who had represented himself as being Cain.

'As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me… His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark. I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men. About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the holy priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight…"

-Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, (1969) p 127

Yes, you read it right.  Cain, the son of Adam from the book of Genesis is Bigfoot.  I would say Bigfoot is not doing such a good job destroying the souls of men now days.  He’s a very hidden creature, so I don’t know how he plans to do all his destruction.  Mormon doctrine tells it’s members that Cain was cursed to live on the earth without dying, and to display his “off limit” status, God turned Cain’s skin black.  So now anyone that would mingle with Cain, would also have their skin turned black.  Which is actually were black people come from, but we can discuss that later.

But none the less, this was fantastic to know when I was a child and even during my older years.  You know that feeling you get when you know a great secret, but others don’t?  It was a fantastic secret to have.

The Mormon church does not have a stance on the Bigfoot thing.  They haven’t come out and said one way or the other, but it’s there.  It’s believed by many, and still is.  

Finally, lets discus Ghosts and demons.  The Mormon church officially believes that 1/3 of the spirit children of God were thrown down to our Earth from Heaven.  These spirits were punished for siding with Satan during the Pre-Earth war in Heaven.  They were cast down here, to never obtain a physical body through the birth process the way the rest of us have.  Instead, they go around with Satan himself and seek to destroy our souls.  They are the ones whispering into our ears the sweet temptations we fall for.  Mormons are told, “misery loves company”, and these Demons want us to be miserable like themselves.  Many Mormons actually believe these Demons possess people because of their incredible desire to have a physical body, of which they can never obtain.

The whole Ghost thing I find absolutely ridiculous.  I wish I could get a great deal on a house because it’s believed to be possessed, but I can’t.  Speaking of haunted houses, I made this observation with my Mormon sister one day.  Isn’t it strange how only people who believe in ghosts or God are the ones who have their homes haunted?  I’ve never heard of an atheist experiencing a ghost haunting.  Her response, 

“you also don't hear about MOST houses being haunted. And certainly, Christians outnumber atheists still. Furthermore, there have been MANY skeptics and non-supernatural believers that have had spirit encounters /haunting, that they can't explain otherwise.”

To that I would say, and the same goes for most paranormal experiences, that just because you can’t explain it, doesn’t mean it’s God, ghosts, aliens, etc.  I would love to live in a supposed haunted location, and would enjoy the chance to go ghost hunting, even though I feel it a frivolous venture.

When I finally told myself I was an atheist, I was totally bummed.  I love the paranormal, but now I can no longer believe irresponsibly like I used to.  Of course there’s still a lot of fascinating things with the universe, and I really hope we can learn more about those great mysteries in my lifetime.  But, for now, I will suspend my belief in little green men, the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and Ghosts.  Anyone got a Ouija board?