Women and the Laying on of Hands for Healing

[Anonymous]

Emily Jensen writes a column for the Deseret News about the Bloggernacle and writes posts occasionally on By Common Consent. Today, she posted the following about something from the new Joseph Smith Papers project, on which her husband has been working. (I LOVE that project and so much of what it is making available.)

I immediately thought of everyone here and am excerpting the summary section from the JSP that deals with the laying on of hands, bolding the part that is awesome to see in an official publication from the Church:

Quote:

A practice in which individuals place their hands upon a person to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost; ordain to an office or calling; or confer other power, authority, or blessings, often as part of an ordinance.1 The Book of Mormon explained that ecclesiastical authority was to be conferred through this practice.2 JS stated that on 15 May 1829, John the Baptist appeared to him and Oliver Cowdery to confer this authority upon them through the laying on of hands.3 The “Articles and Covenants” of the church directed elders to confirm individuals as members of the church and give them the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands.4 Members of the church could also have their children blessed “before the church” in this manner.5 Similarly, blessings of counsel, comfort, and healing were given by the laying on of hands.6 By 1842, some women were laying hands on the sick for healing.7 JS stated that it was “no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be healed by the administration.”8 Beginning in the 1840s, JS directed church members to perform vicarious confirmations through the laying on of hands on behalf of the deceased.9 See also “Confirmation” and “Ordain.”

For the women, especially, how cool is it that the bolded parts are included in the official summary section of this practice? I would LOVE to see this replace the current version in the LDS Bible Dictionary, but it’s awesome to see it acknowledged so openly and explicitly in this project.

[Anonymous]

That is cool! Thanks for sharing it.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes the pace of change in the Church seems glacial to those of us experiencing it in real time, but I really do think and feel that the Church is creeping along in a more open, less dogmatic direction. It remains to be seen if the membership of the Church will join, or come along kicking and screaming. This is great, though. Small steps, small steps. :clap:

[Anonymous]

Ray, I remember sitting in a class in church where they talked about women healing the sick through laying on of hands. The example of Mary Fielding Smith raising her oxen was given, and that women used to bless other women in times of childbirth etc.

The point was stressed that they did not state the authority of the priesthood, but were simply administering with faith. I think there was also a comment that we don’t do it today because of potential for the act to be confused with priesthood authority etc. In the end it was an acknowledgement, but not a true acceptance of the practice.

[comment – I just googled Mary Fielding Smith for the oxen story and was supremely disappointed to see the story twisted here: https://www.lds.org/friend/1993/07/mary-fielding-smith-mother-in-israel?lang=eng …or maybe she did ask bretheren at some point to bless them with oil, but I remember her laying her own hands on the ox to raise it.]

[Anonymous]

They twisted the same story in the movie “Legacy” She prayed for the ox, but didn’t lay hands on it.

[Anonymous]

Yup – which is one of the reasons I am so glad to see this in the JSPP.

[Anonymous]

In general, I hope that this project is a new step in the church having the courage to open the doors on its history and allow real dialogue to take place.

This project, if nothing else seems, to be focused on quality scholarly research and opening doors rather than closing them.

[Anonymous]

Can we get a link to the article?

[Anonymous]

http://josephsmithpapers.org/topic/laying-on-of-hands” class=”bbcode_url”>http://josephsmithpapers.org/topic/laying-on-of-hands

So I wonder what would happen now, if I, as a mother administered to my children in this way?

Suppose my local leaders found out about it, what do you think the response would be?

Is it officially banned anywhere? Or just not done anymore?

[Anonymous]

rebeccad wrote:

So I wonder what would happen now, if I, as a mother administered to my children in this way?

Suppose my local leaders found out about it, what do you think the response would be?

Is it officially banned anywhere? Or just not done anymore?

I think it would depend on the individual leader. Some may only be concerned if authority was improperly stated, others may be troubled no matter what. Officially I’d say the church is only concerned with the former.

[Anonymous]

What Orson said.

I can’t believe many leaders would try official discipline if your response was:

Quote:

I held my child in my lap, held his head and offered a prayer of faith that he be healed. I didn’t invoke any Priesthood authority or use consecrated oil; I simply prayed over him and asked God to bless him.

I know “The Church” wouldn’t have a problem with it – unless you did it all the time in place of asking for traditional Priesthood blessings occasionally and encouraged others to avoid traditional Priesthood blessings.

[Anonymous]

I did a couple of posts on Mormon women blessing the sick.

http://mormonheretic.org/2010/10/26/mormon-women-blessing-the-sick/

http://mormonheretic.org/2011/02/19/stapleywright-discuss-healings-by-mormon-women/

Here is an interesting one in which Sidney Rigdon claimed that Emma actually held the Melchizedek Priesthood: http://mormonheretic.org/2009/05/05/women-and-the-melchizedek-priesthood/

[Author]

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