Messenger
“These Signs Shall Follow”
Women giving blessings
Posted on 7/17/2005 at 12:02:47 PM
Before he ascended into heaven, the resurrected Jesus gave one last sermon, in which he stated:
“… these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (1)»
What is interesting about this passage is that Jesus is speaking not just of the Apostles or other priesthood holders possessing these spiritual gifts (or signs), but all those “that believe.” Men and women can both exercise faith, both be blessed for it, and through that faith and can obtain God’s power to bless others.
Such blessings can come through prayer, but also – as the Saviour points out – through the laying on of hands. Yet modern Christians (mainstream Mormons included) are not used the ideas of women laying on hands to heal the sick. This has generally been the function of the priesthood holder, but it was not always this way amongst the Latter-day Saints.
Women can administer to each other
In a Relief Society meeting held on the 12th of April 1842 the Prophet Joseph addressed the sisters on this subject. He affirmed that the “signs” Jesus spoke of, including being able to “lay hands on the sick” applied “whether male or female.” Evidently some of the women had either been inspired by this passage or had been prompted by the Spirit and had begun giving such blessings of healing. This had led to what Joseph considered “foolish” criticisms against such women, as others had felt they were “not doing right.” However the Prophet pointed out that “if the people had common sympathies they would rejoice that the sick could be healed,” and he told the Sisters that if some of them “should have faith to heal the sick,” then, “let all hold their tongues, and let everything roll on.” (2)»
An expanded version of his instructions in the History of the Church adds that he continued on this subject by stating:
“Respecting females administering for the healing of the sick, he further remarked, there could be no evil in it, if God gave His sanction by healing; that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on and praying for the sick than in wetting the face with water; it is no sin for anybody to administer that has faith, or if the sick have faith to be healed by their administrations.” (3)»
Not necessary to always call Elders
If this counsel applied to women blessing one-another, it also related to their motherly instinct to help their children when they were in times of sickness, as Brother Brigham Young pointed when speaking to the sisters in his day:
“Learn to take proper care of your children. If any of them are sick the cry now, instead of ‘Go and fetch the Elders to lay hands on my child!’ is, ‘Run for a doctor.’ Why do you not live so as to rebuke disease? It is your privilege to do so without sending for the Elders. You should go to work to study and see what you can do for the recovery of your children. … Study and learn something for yourselves. It is the privilege of a mother to have faith and to administer to her child; this she can do herself, as well as sending for the Elders to have the benefit of their faith.” (4)»
It can be clearly seen that sending for the Elders was seen as an optional thing, perhaps beneficial when the need was not so urgent, or they were conveniently nearby. In the case described by President Young he seems to have been speaking of a women at home alone with her children, but of course if her husband is at home and is a faithful man it would probably be more ideal to let him – as the patriarch of her family – take the lead of such administrations when he is there.
Can administer with husband
Yet it is not just in cases when the husband is away or when administering to other women that a woman can be involved in giving blessings. In the “Question and Answer” section of the Improvement Era in 1907 President Joseph F. Smith was asked, “Does a wife hold the priesthood in connection with her husband? and may she lay hands on the sick with him, with authority?” To which he answered:
“A wife does not hold the priesthood in connection with her husband, but she enjoys the benefits thereof with him; and if she is requested to lay hands on the sick with him, or with any other officer holding the Melchizedek priesthood, she may do so with perfect propriety.” (5)»
The practice of women administering to the sick was not a rare and uncommon occurrence in the early days of the Church, as can be seen from the words of Orson Pratt upon the subject:
“How many scores and scores of cases have there been in this Church, every year since it was organized, where the parents, both brethren and sisters, have had power over disease, through the Spirit of God being poured out upon them, and their children have been healed through the laying on of their hands? … Has God ever said that these gifts should be unnecessary in the Church?” (6)»
The wording of blessings given by women administering
In 1914 the First Presidency issued a statement which clarified the wording which women should use in giving blessings:
It is proper for sisters to lay on hands, using a few simple words, … [but] instead of using the word “seal” use the word “confirm.” (7)»
The word “seal” presumably is not used because ‘sealing’ is a Priesthood function. Likewise, although some women have supposed that they are administering by virtue of their husbands Priesthood the Church leaders made it clear in a letter in 1880 that this was not the case:
“It is the privilege of all faithful women and lay members of the Church, who believe in Christ, to administer to all the sick or afflicted in their respective families, either by the laying on of hands, or by the anointing with oil in the name of the Lord: but they should administer in these sacred ordinances, not by virtue and authority of the priesthood, but by virtue of their faith in Christ, and the promises made to believers: and thus they should do in all their ministrations.” (8)»
No need to be set apart to administer
President Eliza R. Snow in the official Relief Society magazine, the Woman’s Exponent, was asked “Is it necessary for sisters to be set apart to officiate in the sacred ordinances of washing, anointing, and laying on of hands in administering to the sick?” To this she answered:
“It certainly is not. Any and all sisters who honor their holy endowments, not only have the right, but should feel it a duty whenever called upon to administer to our sisters in these ordinances, which God has graciously committed to His daughters as well as to His sons; and we testify that when administered and received in faith and humility they are accompanied with all mighty power. Inasmuch as God our Father has revealed these sacred ordinances and committed them to His Saints, it is not only our privilege but our imperative duty to apply them for the relief of human suffering.” (9)»
To this she added that this was the ‘norm’ of the time as she related that “thousands can testify that God has sanctioned the administration of these ordinances [of healing the sick] by our sisters with the manifestation of His healing influence.”
No need to have received Endowments first
Some have wondered whether only women who have received their Endowments or even ‘Second Anointings’ are entitled to give blessings, yet President Joseph F. Smith clarified that it was not essential:
“… namely in the clause pertaining to women administering to children, … those sisters need not necessarily be only those who had received their endowments, for it was not always possible for women to have that privilege and women of faith might do so [give blessings].” (10)»
Following the death of President Smith, however, the practice fell into disuse and obscurity, and is currently look upon with suspicion amongst some members of the Church unacquainted with these teachings and its history. Yet whenever the Saints have faith in God and understanding of His gospel, this blessing will inevitably continue amongst the faithful. As “whether male or female” “these signs shall follow them that believe.”
Footnotes
1. Mark 16:17-18, see also Mormon 9:24; D&C 24:13; 35:9 & 84:65-72.
2. Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes, 12 April 1842, see Words of Joseph Smith, Ehat & Cook, under date.
3. History of the Church 4:602-4.
4. Brigham Young JD vol 13 pg. 155. “I want a wife that can take care of my children when I am away, who can pray, lay on hands, anoint with oil, and baffle the enemy; and this is a spiritual wife.” (9 April 1844, Nauvoo, General Conference, History of the Church 6:321-2)
5. Improvement Era 10:4.
6. Orson Pratt Journal of Discourses Vol 16 pg 291 November 2, 1873.
7. Messages of the First Presidency. Note: However there does seem to be instances of women using the word “seal” (perhaps after their Endowments, special appointment, or ‘higher blessings’). Lulu Richards (who has been editor of the Women’s Exponent) in a letter to Lorenzo Snow, dated 9 April 1901, said Eliza R. Snow had taught her and others that, “a very important part of the sacred ordinance of administration to the sick was the sealing of the anointing.”
8. Circular Letter, 6 October 1880.
9. Women’s Exponent 13:61, 15 September 1884.
10. First Presidency, 17 December 1909. Relief Society Minutes.