There really isn't a mystic tradition in Mormonism. Nonetheless, many critics have charged Mormon religious experiences as being mysticism and thereby untrustworthy. I obviously don't accept that. For a while I'd hoped that the positivism discussion would have headed towards a discussion of the difference between religious experiences and mystic experiences. But it hasn't. Still, while there aren't that strong of parallels between Mormonism and mysticism, there often are things one can learn. Further, mysticism is oft treated so pejoratively by philosophers that one might miss that it has had a rather complex relationship with philosophy. Among both platonists and stoics, for instance, there was a strong mystic tradition often tied to logic. In modern philosophy there are various parallels to mysticism as well. (Such parallels being the opportunity to discount the writings of these philosopher - for instance Habermas discounted Derrida as simply being a Jewish mystic in his influential The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity)
Unfortunately there haven't been too many nice summations available on mysticism for those not already up on the literature. One is left to scour the internet, which unfortunately includes lots of crackpots. However Stanford's ever great online encyclopedia has up their entry on Mysticism today. Perusing the page I found that there is a classic text in the field that people have made available online as well. W. T. Stace's Mysticism and Philosophy is apparently quite the class. (I've not read it yet and so can't really comment on it)
To be fair, I should, I suppose, present the opposing view. Kevin Christiansen wrote a paper, "A Model of Mormon Spiritual Experience", suggesting that Mormonism reconciles the nominous and the mystic experience. Likewise several authors have written about Joseph Smith as a "hermetic prophet." Brooke's book, The Refiner's Fire is by far the best. (And is recently out in paperback) The worst is Lance Owen's various works trying to portray Joseph Smith as a gnostic prophet. However they aren't very well argued and tend to be more a reading of Joseph Smith in terms of kabbalism, gnosticism and mysticism rather than a real presentation of what is Joseph's views. (IMO) There are others, including a small Mormon mystic movement. Once again though I tend to see these movements largely looking at Mormonism in light of mysticism rather than finding explicit discussions of mysticism within Mormonism to any large degree.
The main relevant quotes are the following. The first is from a meeting June 27, 1839. The sermon is only available in fragmentary forms. (Here is a link to the original sources from which the account in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith was compiled)
This first comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind enlightening the understanding & storing the intellect with present knowledge of a man who is of the literal Seed of Abraham than one that is a gentile though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the Literal Seed of Abraham it is calm & serene & his whole soul & body are only exercised by the pure spirit of Intelligence;
The Spirit of REVELATION is in connection with these blessings. A person may profit by noticing the first intimation of the Spirit of Revelation for instance when you feel pure Intelligence flowing unto you it may give you sudden strokes of ideas that by noticing it you may find it fulfilled the same day or Soon. (i.e.) those things that were presented unto your minds by the Spirit of God will come to pass and thus by learning the Spirit of God. & understanding it you may grow into the principle of Revelation. until you become perfect in Christ Jesus
Of course how to take these sermons of Joseph Smith is often not always clear. They aren't direct revelation, but clearly are based upon Joseph's understandings of revelations.
The next significant article is from a newspaper editorial, most likely written by Joseph Smith. Once again the original is found at the excellent W. V. Smith archive.
Is there any intelligence communicated? Are the curtains of heaven withdrawn, or the purposes of God developed? Have they seen and conversed with an angel--or have the glories of futurity burst upon their view? No! but their body has been inanimate, the operation of their spirit suspended, and all the intelligence that can be obtained from them when they arise, is a shout of "glory," or "hallelujah," or some incoherent expression; but they have had "the power."
The full sermon really is valuable, as I think it clearly distinguishes the Mormon view of revelation and religious experience from various charismatic movements within Christianity as well as the various mystic experiences.
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