The Importance of Folk Magic in Mormonism

D. Michael Quinn: We can now look at Mormonism through a different lens, which is to the 20,000 foot view and see all the things that Joseph and the early church leaders implemented. It becomes crystal clear that Joseph Smith is borrowing from his milieu in many ways," he says. "It's also very fascinating that it has no aspect of the fact that folk magic or cultism, esoteric traditions, center around altered states of consciousness and psychedelics"