Early church against medicine?

Well, with some of the medical practices in the 1830’s, it might have been just as well to go to the Elders and get a blessings.

I am also glad we are not goofy about medicine and such like some other religious beliefs purport.

Yes, some of that frontier medicine made people worse. Jonathan Stapley and Kristine Wright discussed healing rituals in the church, and noted that early mormons combined medicine and prayer. Quoting from the article:

several sisters administered to a child in a manner that highlights continued Mormon willingness to combine healing rituals with frontier medicine. In Utah, a writer for the Woman’s Exponent, probably editor Emmeline B.Wells, remembered the healing of a sick child: “The little one had not seen or spoken for two days, its eyeballs were dried over, the sisters were called in to administer, Sister Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Sister Vilate, Sister Laura Pitkin and Presendia Kimball and one or two others. They administered, anointing the child with oil, and bathing its eyes with milk and water, and it was restored to life and health miraculously, but the sisters gave God the glory.”149

You can see more at http://www.mormonheretic.org/2011/02/19/stapleywright-discuss-healings-by-mormon-women/

You will find some quotes along these lines from 19th century church leaders. The notions are pretty outdated today. But they did actually make some sense at the time.

I agree, and think these are reasonable responses…that such thinking is out-dated. To me, it also seems like the same logic could apply to the Word of Wisdom. Back when it was received, it was a word of wisdom and in line with thinking of the times. Our world today is quit different and so the current WoW commandment seems outdated in some respects, which is curious why the Church places so much emphasis on it.

The difference is that modern medicine, while they still have lots of learning to do, is of value to save lives and kill diseases and illnesses with stuff that really works. We don’t need to rely on prayer and herbal ointments like we used to.

With Word of Wisdom, one can argue it is outdated, but there is still value to abstain from some substances for a more healthy lifestyle and for a spiritual blessing that comes from being faithful and having self-restraint. The downside of holding on to 1830 health codes (WoW) is far less then the downside of holding on to 1830 medical practice.

I guess the other difference is we don’t have a revelation in D&C about avoiding doctors.

It’s probably a good thing that we didn’t canonize everything Joseph Smith taught. 🙂

Amen.

Kind of a bummer we canonized the polygamy revelation. I wonder…can you uncanonize something?? :problem:

Kind of a bummer we canonized the polygamy revelation. I wonder…can you uncanonize something??

You mean like they did with the Lectures on Faith? I’m pretty sure that they could if they wanted to. Maybe they could restore the anti-polygamy section that was replaced by 132.

I’m sure the church leadership can do many things but imagine the fallout. Niether the Lectures on Faith nor the anti-poligamy section were presented as revelations from God. I think of the Standard works as a Constitution. One can do many things working within the foundation of the Constitution and should alter the Constitution only as a last resort. I believe institute manuals, the bible dictionary, footnotes, chapter headings etc. are all ways of redirecting the emphasis without changing the actual Canon.

Concerning doctors and scientists, lean not on the arm of flesh. If you are sick you should go to the elders of the church.

I asked about this quote at the recreation of what would have been the Nauvoo pharmacy. They summoned the senior (male) missionaries to deal with me. Things quieted down after they discovered I was the ward mission leader back home but for a few moments the tension was pretty thick.

It would be interesting to know which we would chose if we had to make a choice. I suppose I already know because I go to the drug store or doctor and treat a priesthood blessing as an afterthought. I’m not sure what that says about us (me).

Very insightful thread though….

It would be interesting to know which we would chose if we had to make a choice. I suppose I already know because I go to the drug store or doctor and treat a priesthood blessing as an afterthought. I’m not sure what that says about us (me).

Very insightful thread though….

I think it’s good to have both.

I have heard people in the medical profession say that bedside manner is everything, and maybe PBs are part of the bedside manner as opposed to the medical intervention.

There are certain cases where the PB is the best thing that can be done until help arrives etc.