Blessings Of Healing - Is There A Gift To Some Or Not?

[DBMormon]

I see two conflicting ideas that I will give 3 concepts to set up the discussion

 

Concept #1 - Certain individuals have a spiritual gift to be able to heal and others to be healed

Moroni 10: 11 And to another, exceedingly great faith; and to another, the gifts ofhealing by the same Spirit;

 

Doctrine and Covenants 46:19 - 20  And again, to some it is given to have faith to be healed; And to others it is given to have faith to heal.

 

Doctrine and Covenants 42:48 And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed.

 

 

 

Concept #2 - I can't find the quote at the moment and I am hoping someone can help me locate it.  But I know there is a quote that exists that in essence says the following

 

"We should not seek blessings of healing from the general authorities, but rather seek a blessing from a local Priesthood holder as their Priesthood is the same as the GA's and their blessing will be just as inspired"

 

 

 

Concept #3  What the person says when giving the blessing, matters not at all in regards to the healing effect of the blessing

 

Elder Oaks April 2010 "healing the sick"

Words of Blessing

Another part of a priesthood blessing is the words of blessing spoken by the elder after he seals the anointing. These words can be very important, but their content is not essential and they are not recorded on the records of the Church. In some priesthood blessings—like a patriarchal blessing—the words spoken are the essence of the blessing. But in a healing blessing it is the other parts of the blessing—the anointing, the sealing, faith, and the will of the Lord—that are the essential elements.

Ideally, the elder who officiates will be so in tune with the Spirit of the Lord that he will know and declare the will of the Lord in the words of the blessing. Brigham Young taught priesthood holders, “It is your privilege and duty to live so that you know when the word of the Lord is spoken to you and when the mind of the Lord is revealed to you.” ¹³ When that happens, the spoken blessing is fulfilled literally and miraculously. On some choice occasions I have experienced that certainty of inspiration in a healing blessing and have known that what I was saying was the will of the Lord. However, like most who officiate in healing blessings, I have often struggled with uncertainty on the words I should say. For a variety of causes, every elder experiences increases and decreases in his level of sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit. Every elder who gives a blessing is subject to influence by what he desires for the person afflicted. Each of these and other mortal imperfections can influence the words we speak.

Fortunately, the words spoken in a healing blessing are not essential to its healing effect. If faith is sufficient and if the Lord wills it, the afflicted person will be healed or blessed whether the officiator speaks those words or not. Conversely, if the officiator yields to personal desire or inexperience and gives commands or words of blessing in excess of what the Lord chooses to bestow according to the faith of the individual, those words will not be fulfilled. Consequently, brethren, no elder should ever hesitate to participate in a healing blessing because of fear that he will not know what to say. The words spoken in a healing blessing can edify and energize the faith of those who hear them, but the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord’s will, not upon the words spoken by the elder who officiated.

 

 

 

 

Obviously this thread will be a straw-man unless one can locate the quote on concept #2 for me to edit into this post but if this quote can be located

- How do we reconcile all with Priesthood can give the same blessing while also acknowledging that some have a spiritual gift to heal and others to be healed?

Edited April 2, 2014 by DBMormon

[The Nehor]

I don't think the gift of healing is primarily about Priesthood blessings.

[DBMormon]

I don't think the gift of healing is primarily about Priesthood blessings.

 

Please explain your stance so others can be aware!  While I don't see PH blessings as the only way to be healed, I do see it as one viable vehicle.

[Kenngo1969]

I don't think Elder Oaks's talk was intended to make those who, because they have the gift of healing or might be particularly in tune, second-guess that gift or those gifts.  I think it was intended to reassure those who might not feel that they have those gifts that God can still work through them. 

[CV75]

- How do we reconcile all with Priesthood can give the same blessing while also acknowledging that some have a spiritual gift to heal and others to be healed?

Unless I’m missing something, simply by understanding that people with or without the Priesthood can have the gift to heal and to be healed. This spiritual gift to heal can be manifest by the laying on of hands but also by knowing what to do and how to do it, whether that knowledge and ability comes by revelation, instinct, aptitude or training, etc. Likewise the gift to be healed can come by faith, or knowing who to go to by revelation, instinct, aptitude or study, etc.

[Duncan]

I think, for whatever reason, some people are given the ability to be a conduit to heal others. I can't seem to find the story but Pres. Faust said one person who had the ability to heal was Elder Charles A. Callis of the Twelve who the then young newly married Fausts went to to get a blessing and it worked somehow. I have no idea why that works or how but it does.

[Kenngo1969]

Just out of curiosity, I'm wondering if anyone else here has seen the movie Ephraim's Rescue.  Even if certain artistic license were taken, I have no reason to believe that its depiction of Ephraim Hanks's life essentially wasn't accurate.  It would seem that if anyone had the gift of healing, he did.

 

P.S.: Most everybody participating in the discussion knows this, of course, but just to make the implicit explicit: There are a number of variables in play when it comes to healing someone: (1) right time, (2) God's will and His mercy, (3) the faith of the person requesting the blessing, (4) the faith of the conduit through which the blessing is delivered, and (5) sufficient preparation (see, e.g., Matthew 17:21).

Edited April 3, 2014 by Kenngo1969

[strappinglad]

I am aware of two HPs in my lifetime that had the gift of healing. They both said that they had to be particularly in tune to the Lord's will because if they were to pronounce a healing, it would happen.

[DBMormon]

I think, for whatever reason, some people are given the ability to be a conduit to heal others. I can't seem to find the story but Pres. Faust said one person who had the ability to heal was Elder Charles A. Callis of the Twelve who the then young newly married Fausts went to to get a blessing and it worked somehow. I have no idea why that works or how but it does.

 

Then in essence it really does matter what PH holder you go to right?  See that's the issue.

 

If I am sick, I want to be healed.  I should if smart, seek out one who has the gift of healing, as it increases my odds.... right?

 

But the Church holds both conflicting ideas.... that certain people have a gift to heal and yet I should not be too particular about who I go to, to get a blessing.  (again based on locating the quote, but I know this quote exists)

 

In the end it really does matter who I go to.  And if I don't see the gift of healing in a PH holder in my Ward, I really should seek elsewhere.... right? wouldn't you, if the gift exists and you knew who had it?

Edited April 3, 2014 by DBMormon

[DBMormon]

I am aware of two HPs in my lifetime that had the gift of healing. They both said that they had to be particularly in tune to the Lord's will because if they were to pronounce a healing, it would happen.

 

See my response to Duncan above and address the same questions then as that creates the issue.

Edited April 3, 2014 by DBMormon

[Duncan]

Then in essence it really does matter what PH holder you go to right?  See that's the issue.

 

If I am sick, I want to be healed.  I should if smart, seek out one who has the gift of healing, as it increases my odds.... right?

 

But the Church holds both conflicting ideas.... that certain people have a gift to heal and yet I should not be too particular about who I go to, to get a blessing.  (again based on locating the quote, but I know this quote exists)

 

In the end it really does matter who I go to.  And if I don't see the gift of healing in a PH holder in my Ward, I really should seek elsewhere.... right? wouldn't you, if the gift exists and you knew who had it?

 

 

as it says some have the gift to heal and the faith to be healed, the Lord seems to think that, if it tune, PH who have the gift to heal have something others don't. An interesting experience was shared by Elder Oaks "A man who lived in a community in Utah had a mighty gift of healing. People sought him out for blessings, many coming from outside his ward and stake. In time, he almost made a profession of giving blessings. As part of his travels to various communities, he visited the apartments of BYU students, asking if they wanted blessings. This man had lost sight of the revealed direction on spiritual gifts: “always remembering for what they are given” (D&C 46:8). A spiritual gift is given to benefit the children of God, not to magnify the prominence or to gratify the ego of the person who receives it. The professional healer who forgot that lesson gradually lost the companionship of the Spirit and was eventually excommunicated from the Church.") I know in my sphere I would ask certain brethren over others just because I know the kind of life they lead. You are asking what diff. it makes who you go to, I think the diff. is how much faith the person has in the will of God for your life. Some people can have have the gift of healing and if it isn't God's will the person gets better then...some people request a blessing and have no faith-I had a lady come up to a friend when I was in their company and she said 'your blessing didn't work" well, maybe but maybe also her lack of faith and belief was the cause of it but I dunno

 

I would seek a blessing, have faith and get the best medical attention possible and "submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" as it says in Mosiah 24

[janderich]

I see two conflicting ideas that I will give 3 concepts to set up the discussion

 

Concept #1 - Certain individuals have a spiritual gift to be able to heal and others to be healed

 

Concept #2 - I can't find the quote at the moment and I am hoping someone can help me locate it.  But I know there is a quote that exists that in essence says the following

 

Concept #3  What the person says when giving the blessing, matters not at all in regards to the healing effect of the blessing

 

Elder Oaks April 2010 "healing the sick"

 

 

Obviously this thread will be a straw-man unless one can locate the quote on concept #2 for me to edit into this post but if this quote can be located

- How do we reconcile all with Priesthood can give the same blessing while also acknowledging that some have a spiritual gift to heal and others to be healed?

All who claim the priesthood do not have the same power to heal. Power comes through faith, authority comes through the church. Thus, if we have no faith we may have authority but we will have no power. Elder Oaks' statement is about the words we speak. These words have no effect on the blessing. But faith does, he says:

 

 

Fortunately, the words spoken in a healing blessing are not essential to its healing effect. If faith is sufficient and if the Lord wills it, the afflicted person will be healed or blessed whether the officiator speaks those words or not. 

So if we cannot speak the words but we are in tune and have faith in the Lord's will then the blessing is the same, even if specific words are not spoken. Your scriptures testify of the same truth, those who follow the will of the Lord and exercise faith have the power to heal and to be healed. Those who have this gift have confidence in the Lord's ability to heal.

 

Now, having said all that, the words spoken do have an effect on those who hear them. If I say, "In the name of the Lord I promise that you will stand up and walk tomorrow" and the person does so, faith will likely be strengthened in those who hear the words. However, if I say, "may you feel better, and any other blessing the Lord has in store for you" and the person stands up and walks the next day. The hearers may not as readily recognize the Lord's hand in the blessing. The key is to know the Lord's will. Once we know the Lord's will we can exercise faith in it and say the words he would have us say and then see the Lord's hand. 

[Tacenda]

I can't start threads, would this be too social to ask if anyone could share an experience where blessings worked in their lives? It helps people like me that are losing some faith in a hereafter, NDE's and Medium stories help also.

[Kenngo1969]

I can't start threads, would this be too social to ask if anyone could share an experience where blessings worked in their lives? It helps people like me that are losing some faith in a hereafter, NDE's and Medium stories help also.

I've had such an experience.  I was a missionary at the time, I was the recipient of the blessing, and the result was a more-or-less spontaneous improvement in rather a serious problem.  On another occasion as a missionary, my companion and I were asked to administer to a young child with severe disabilities who was in serious distress.  Similar result.  I don't know if I have the "gift of healing" or the gift of "faith to be healed," but I can tell you that the Lord looks after His missionaries, and that God's power is real.  A few months ago, I shared an experience that, while it didn't involve priesthood blessings, was in a similar vein. I know you read it, because you were among the first to reply.  I dare say, because of our human condition, we are not aware of how extensive a role God plays in our lives: once the veil is lifted and we review our lives, I believe discovering the level of that involvement will astound us.  My $0.02. 

[Garden Girl]

I can't start threads, would this be too social to ask if anyone could share an experience where blessings worked in their lives? It helps people like me that are losing some faith in a hereafter, NDE's and Medium stories help also.

 

Tacenda...

I've recently told this expereience of mine on the board but will briefly repeat it here for you... you will remember it...

For all my life starting in my 20's I suffered from angina... every two or three months I'd have an episode that would last 15 - 20 minutes and be so painful, gripping my chest that if I hadn't known better I'd have thought I was having a heart attack... but numerous tests showed it was angina.... so I simply lived with it through  the years.  However  the epidodes became more frequent.  Finally about 2005, the episodes began to happen 2 - 3 times a week... which sent me running to the cardiologist.  Once again I went through a barrage of tests... results: the doc told me that there was one section of my heart not receiving enough blood/oxygen and he wanted to do an angiogram with the expectation that he would perform angioplasty and install a stent in the artery. 

This procedure was scheduled for a Tuesday... so the Sunday before I requested a priesthood blessing... I chose a brother who was not only a doctor but very faithful (he is now my bishop).  The blessing he gave me was wonderful, but did not specifically say I would be healed, but called upon the will of the Lord and my faith... When Tuesday arrived I felt confident and signed all the paperwork for the surgery after the angiogram... After the test, during which I was sedated but still awake, the doc says, "Guess what!  Your arteries are just fine.."  I questioned how that could possibly be based on my history, and the past couple weeks, and the previous tests he did leading up to that day... he looked at me and just shrugged his shoulders with that "I don't know" expression... In my groggyness I said... Oh, I know... I had a priesthood blessing.  He replied, Well, it worked... 

Since that day I received my blessing, I have not had another  episode... not in all these years, and any tests/physicals I've had show normal heart function/beat. 

 

GG

[Tacenda]

Thanks GG and Kenngo!  I do remember both stories now that you reiterated them..  As you've noticed I have the worst retention on things!  You both are the bomb, luv ya! 

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Scriptures state that some have the faith to heal, and others to be healed.

[cinepro]

Obviously this thread will be a straw-man unless one can locate the quote on concept #2 for me to edit into this post but if this quote can be located

- How do we reconcile all with Priesthood can give the same blessing while also acknowledging that some have a spiritual gift to heal and others to be healed?

 

You've almost figured it out, so I'll tell you how it works.

 

LDS believe there are three types of sick people:

 

1. People whom God isn’t going to heal. No matter how much praying or blessing you do, it’s their time, and God will take them or allow them to finish their lives with some sort of disease or discomfort.

 

2. People who are going to get better. Whether or not they get a prayer or a blessing, they’re going to get better.  God doesn’t need any encouragement to save them.

 

3. People whom God might heal. These are our biggest concern.  Apparently, there are people who have some illness, malady, or discomfort (even life-threatening ones), and God will intervene only if certain people do certain things.  It might be prayer (maybe, a whole bunch of people have to pray, or just a few), it might take fasting (again, a whole bunch or maybe just a few), it might take priesthood power (maybe a lot of faith and worthiness is needed on the part of the blessor and/or blessee, or maybe not so much), or it might take being on the prayer roll in a Temple.

 

But frustratingly, we just don’t know.  For any given sick person, we have absolutely no idea which category they are in until they get better, stay the same, or die.  For those in the third category, we don’t know which particular combination of actions God is waiting for.  Have enough people prayed?  Do they need another blessing, or is it a name on the Temple Rolls that is needed?  God won’t tell us, so we just have to hope we hit the right combination to get Him to act, hoping the person is in category 3 to begin with.

 

And even after the fact, we have no way of ever knowing which category the person was in.  If someone gets better, we’ll never know if it was our fasting that did it, or if they were in category #2 and God didn’t need us to fast to take action (or no action on God’s part was needed in the first place).  If the person doesn’t get better (or dies), we don’t know if they were going to go anyway, or if we just didn’t meet the proper combination of fasting/prayer/Priesthood Blessings needed for God to positively intervene.

 

Even for faithful but analytically minded LDS, this can be a frustrating situation, because there is no way to know what kind of “data” we’re collecting as we go through life.  People in category #2 might be misidentified as being in category #3 if they get better after a fast, prayer or blessing.  While people in category #3 might be misidentified as being in #1 if they die, just because we didn’t know there was more we could do that would call down divine power to heal them.

 

The only thing we can know is in situations where someone is looking really bad, and they get a blessing that basically tells them God isn't going to heal them and they are going to die (i.e. "You're in category #1.")

 

We also don't know if we're doing something that never, ever works.  For example, if God never, ever healed anyone based on their name being on a Temple Prayer Roll, we would have no way of knowing.

 

Truly, God does work in mysterious ways.

Edited April 3, 2014 by cinepro

[Duncan]

You've almost figured it out, so I'll tell you how it works.

 

LDS believe there are three types of sick people:

 

1. People whom God isn’t going to heal. No matter how much praying or blessing you do, it’s their time, and God will take them or allow them to finish their lives with some sort of disease or discomfort.

 

2. People who are going to get better. Whether or not they get a prayer or a blessing, they’re going to get better.  God doesn’t need any encouragement to save them.

 

3. People whom God might heal. These are our biggest concern.  Apparently, there are people who have some illness, malady, or discomfort (even life-threatening ones), and God will intervene only if certain people do certain things.  It might be prayer (maybe, a whole bunch of people have to pray, or just a few), it might take fasting (again, a whole bunch or maybe just a few), it might take priesthood power (maybe a lot of faith and worthiness is needed on the part of the blessor and/or blessee, or maybe not so much), or it might take being on the prayer roll in a Temple.

 

But frustratingly, we just don’t know.  For any given sick person, we have absolutely no idea which category they are in until they get better, stay the same, or die.  For those in the third category, we don’t know which particular combination of actions God is waiting for.  Have enough people prayed?  Do they need another blessing, or is it a name on the Temple Rolls that is needed?  God won’t tell us, so we just have to hope we hit the right combination to get Him to act, hoping the person is in category 3 to begin with.

 

And even after the fact, we have no way of ever knowing which category the person was in.  If someone gets better, we’ll never know if it was our fasting that did it, or if they were in category #2 and God didn’t need us to fast to take action (or no action on God’s part was needed in the first place).  If the person doesn’t get better (or dies), we don’t know if they were going to go anyway, or if we just didn’t meet the proper combination of fasting/prayer/Priesthood Blessings needed for God to positively intervene.

 

Even for faithful but analytically minded LDS, this can be a frustrating situation, because there is no way to know what kind of “data” we’re collecting as we go through life.  People in category #2 might be misidentified as being in category #3 if they get better after a fast, prayer or blessing.  While people in category #3 might be misidentified as being in #1 if they die, just because we didn’t know there was more we could do that would call down divine power to heal them.

 

The only thing we can know is in situations where someone is looking really bad, and they get a blessing that basically tells them God isn't going to heal them and they are going to die (i.e. "You're in category #1.")

 

We also don't know if we're doing something that never, ever works.  For example, if God never, ever healed anyone based on their name being on a Temple Prayer Roll, we would have no way of knowing.

 

Truly, God does work in mysterious ways.

 

 

I would agree with you to a point. That demarcation line for me I think blessings are more for comfort and spiritual healing and not necessarily God sewing up some wound or whatever affliction the person might have. I had a friend who was working around same dangerous gas and he breathed some in. After he got checked out by the Doctor, he felt sick and was laid up he just needed a blessing to calm him down so we gave him one and he never died or anything but just needed perspective. So, for me, blessings are more for comfort and guidance and assurance regardless of what we call them, comfort or healing-which naming them or seperating them into two categories is a tradition in the Church I think.

[splendidsun]

In the recently released *By Our Rites of Worship* I have a chapter on the development of healing ritual in the church, that addresses these issues.

[The Nehor]

Please explain your stance so others can be aware!  While I don't see PH blessings as the only way to be healed, I do see it as one viable vehicle.

 

It is one but I know women with the gift of healing.

[DBMormon]

I would agree with you to a point. That demarcation line for me I think blessings are more for comfort and spiritual healing and not necessarily God sewing up some wound or whatever affliction the person might have. I had a friend who was working around same dangerous gas and he breathed some in. After he got checked out by the Doctor, he felt sick and was laid up he just needed a blessing to calm him down so we gave him one and he never died or anything but just needed perspective. So, for me, blessings are more for comfort and guidance and assurance regardless of what we call them, comfort or healing-which naming them or seperating them into two categories is a tradition in the Church I think.

Tell that to Elsa Johnson

[strappinglad]

Consider the event described in the NT where a woman with an issue of blood simply touched Christ's robe and was healed. Christ seemingly was unaware of her presence until she touched the robe and He felt virtue leave Him. He spoke about the great faith of this woman. Faith did the healing ,as I believe it does in most if not all cases. How it works I have no idea. Is the gift of healing then the gift of faith in the power to heal?

[Duncan]

Tell that to Elsa Johnson

 

 

Elsa Johnson? and who is that? 

[cinepro]

I would agree with you to a point. That demarcation line for me I think blessings are more for comfort and spiritual healing and not necessarily God sewing up some wound or whatever affliction the person might have.

 

 

Obviously, if we're going to say that "healing" doesn't actually mean "healing", that changes everything. 

 

I would also point out that you don't necessarily need the Priesthood to make someone feel better or be more comfortable.  This is where the placebo effect is most powerful, so there are two forces at work in these situations.

Edited April 4, 2014 by cinepro