Washing and anointing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:38, 30 January 2025

Revision as of 16:14, 30 January 2025

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In the following Relief Society meeting, on April 28th, 1842, Joseph Smith said that anyone who has faith can give [[priesthood blessing|priesthood blessings]] to heal the sick. Smith said that God had sanctioned female healing by the laying on of hands and that anyone who disagreed should "hold their tongues."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snow |first1=Eliza R. |title=Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book |url=https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book/59 |website=Joseph Smith Papers |publisher=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |access-date=16 July 2024 |pages=35-37}}</ref>

[[Brigham Young]] and [[Ezra TaftT. Benson]] encouraged women to perform these healing rituals at home. However, by the April 1921 [[general conference (LDS)|general conference]] the consensus was that healings should only be performed by Melchizedek Priesthood holders (who are exclusively male).<ref name=":0" />

In 1946, President [[Joseph Fielding Smith]] sent a letter to [[Belle S. Spafford]], the General Relief Society President at the time, discouraged the practice of female healing, indicating that it was likely still happening at this time.<ref name=":0" /> <ref name=female_healing/>