Can Evil Spirits Enter or Bother Children

[MichaelH]

I am curious about the doctrine behind evil spirits. To make a long story short, my daughter told her primary teacher at church that she couldnt sleep last night because there were monsters coming out of her body and their shadows were on the wall trying to scare her. Talking with my wife about it we remembered that months ago we rented the movie, "Gremlins" where if you spill water on the cute animal it would spew out monsters from itself and turn into a monster called a gremlin. The gremlin wouldnt show it self visually and you could only for the first part of the movie see its shadow. So we think this is where she got the story. Anyways, i am curious about the doctrine... if there is any... if evil spirits can enter or bother children who have not yet reached the age of accountability. Any help would be appretiated. thanks!

[Hemidakota]

No...she will be protected by someone who is assigned to her.

D&C 29:46 But behold, I say unto you, that little children are redeemed from the foundation of the world through mine Only Begotten;
47 Wherefore, they cannot sin, for power is not given unto Satan to tempt little children, until they begin to become accountable before me;

From Roy Doxey book, Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants , vol. 1

Joseph F. Smith: 46-48
Of course it is nice to say that all is well with little children, that they are redeemed by the blood of Christ from the sins of the world, and that when they pass away they return to a Father from whence they came. If we have received the testimony of the Spirit of truth in our souls we know that all is well with our little children who pass away, that we could not, if we would, better their condition, and least of all would it better their condition if we could call them back here, for the reason that so long as man is in the world, clothed with mortality, surrounded by the evils that are in the world, he runs chances, and is subject to risks, and there are responsibilities resting upon him which may prove fatal to his future prosperity, happiness, and exaltation. . . . But, with little children who are taken away in infancy and innocence before they are capable of committing sin, the Gospel reveals to us the fact that they are redeemed, and Satan has no power over them; neither has death any power over them. They are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and they are saved just as surely as death has come into the world through the fall of our first parents. . . . Joseph Smith declared that the mother who laid down her little child, being deprived of the privilege, the joy, and the satisfaction of bringing it up to manhood or womanhood in this world, would, after the resurrection, have all the joy, satisfaction and pleasure, and even more than it would have been possible to have had in mortality, in seeing her child grow to the full measure of the stature of its spirit. (MS, June 20, 1845, 57:388-89.)

Francis M. Lyman: 46-48
We know too, that our children particularly are secured to us; if we are but worthy of them, and can obtain and retain the favor of Heaven in regard to our family associations, we know that our children will be ours hereafter. The only question is in regard to ourselves, not in regard to our children. Their security and salvation is without question. The Savior, our Elder Brother, has secured the salvation of all children, whether they be the children of the Christian or the children of the heathen. They are secured by the atonement of the Savior. [Mosiah 3:16.] The redemption that he has worked out has brought salvation to all children. We feel confident and we know that their salvation is complete, so we know that we can add nothing to little children by baptism, by confirmation, by ordinations, or anything else [Moroni 8], more than to bless them, as the pattern was set by the Savior. The Savior has said: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." [Luke 18:16.] When our children have finished their life in mortality, we know that they have passed beyond the possibility of temptations by Satan, that they have passed by his reach. . . . I have not the least doubt but we would be greatly astonished if we could get only a glimpse of what will be reached by this boy [four-and-one-half-year-old son of Heber J. Grant] who is not developed here; his tabernacle is not developed; his faculties are not developed; he has not been enlarged in this life as he is to be enlarged hereafter, for he is not to lose anything by passing away as he has done prematurely. His power, his glory, his salvation, his exaltation, his enlargement, are not to be sacrificed and cut short because his life has been taken when he has only had two or three years of existence in mortality. There is ample time and opportunity in securer paths than in this life, where he will be beyond the power of Satan, and have the possibility of enlargement equal to any. I do not believe for one moment that the child is to be the loser because he is cut down in the morning of life; I do not believe that he is to be cut short in his final development, enlargement, and attainments. (MS, June 13, 1845, 57:371-72.)

George Q. Cannon: 46-48
Many other things did the Prophet see and hear. [Kirtland Temple, Jan. 21, 1836.] He beheld that all children who died before reaching years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of our God. [See commentary on Sec. 76:67-70.] A holy comfort this, which takes the place of all the black threats concerning infantile damnation. (Life of Joseph Smith, 1907, p. 189.)

Hyrum G. Smith: 46-48
There are many of our Latter-day Saint mothers who have mourned the loss of their little children, and many mothers have felt that they themselves had committed some great sin, else their little ones would not be taken from them. Now, to such mothers let me say, do not accuse the Lord of taking your little ones from you, nor feel that you have committed any great sin, that those little ones taken from you, because the Lord loves little children and he will not treat them unkindly, nor without mercy, for through the blood of his atonement they shall come forth in the morning of the resurrection with his saints, and they shall be glorified according to the words they would have accomplished in the earth had they lived. (CR, April 1917, pp. 70-71.)

Joseph Fielding Smith
Satan will be loosed to gather his forces after the millennium. The people who will be tempted, will be people living on this earth, and they will have every opportunity to accept the gospel or reject it. Satan will have nothing to do whatever with little children, or grown people who have received their resurrection and entered into the celestial kingdom. Satan cannot tempt little children in this life, nor in the spirit world, nor after the resurrection. Little children who die before reaching the years of accountability will not be tempted. (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:56-57; emphasis added; compare McConkie, "The Salvation of Little Children")

[Traveler]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

I am curious about the doctrine behind evil spirits. To make a long story short, my daughter told her primary teacher at church that she couldnt sleep last night because there were monsters coming out of her body and their shadows were on the wall trying to scare her. Talking with my wife about it we remembered that months ago we rented the movie, "Gremlins" where if you spill water on the cute animal it would spew out monsters from itself and turn into a monster called a gremlin. The gremlin wouldnt show it self visually and you could only for the first part of the movie see its shadow. So we think this is where she got the story. Anyways, i am curious about the doctrine... if there is any... if evil spirits can enter or bother children who have not yet reached the age of accountability. Any help would be appretiated. thanks!

Mark 9:
14 ¶ And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed and, running to him saluted him.

16 And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.


22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

26 And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

27 But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Verse 21 makes reference to "of a child". The ancient Greek actually means since infancy. Here we have not just a spirit vexing a small infant child but a spirit that could not be confronted by religious adults. We can understand from other scriptures that the child is neither responsible nor accountable in any way for this spiritual affliction. But it is important to realize from this example the responsibility adults have (not just parents but church leaders); even in fasting and prayer, to protect children from unclean spirits.

The Traveler

[Gwen]

you might find some other discussions we've had interesting...

children tempted by satan

unclean spirits and sin

[crazypotato]

My friend had to cast an evil spirit out of his home because it was visiting his small child in the bedroom at night, singing songs to him. The child was a toddler. I don't think it had the power to do anything to the child physically or possess the child, but it was coming into the room bothering him.

[MichaelH]

wow. thanks guys. i really appretiate your responses!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snow]

Let me ask you a question MichaelH,

If your child start acting strangely, speaking in weird dark tongues, throwing up green stuff, spasming, etc,

Would you call the doctor or the exorcist?

[Wingnut]

When I was a teenager, some then-close family friends shared an experience with me involving children and dark spirits. The children involved were each over the age of accountability at the time, but one was only 10 or 11.

[Blackmarch]

Originally Posted by MichaelH

I am curious about the doctrine behind evil spirits. To make a long story short, my daughter told her primary teacher at church that she couldnt sleep last night because there were monsters coming out of her body and their shadows were on the wall trying to scare her. Talking with my wife about it we remembered that months ago we rented the movie, "Gremlins" where if you spill water on the cute animal it would spew out monsters from itself and turn into a monster called a gremlin. The gremlin wouldnt show it self visually and you could only for the first part of the movie see its shadow. So we think this is where she got the story. Anyways, i am curious about the doctrine... if there is any... if evil spirits can enter or bother children who have not yet reached the age of accountability. Any help would be appretiated. thanks!

there isn't much on evil spirits. I do know of missionaries that had to cast out an evil spirit from a child, I do not know if that child was younger or older however.
However posession is pretty dang rare, my guess would be that there would have to be a situation that would invite an evil spirit before such happens.

Not sure about actual spirits but I will tell you that as a child I lost HUNDREDS of hours of sleep due to watching gremlins and critters. I was totally and completely terrified. Those things were real in my mind, so much to the point where I could feel them walking on my bed. I could hear them in my room. Were they probably there? Well reason would say no, but I sure believed it.