Healing Objects

[Sleeping in EQ]

According to Wilford Woodruff, a man asked Joseph Smith to heal his children who were some distance away, and,

The Prophet said he could no go; but, after pausing some time, he said he would send some one to heal them; and he turned to me and said: "You go with the man and heal his children." He took a red silk handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me, and told me to wipe their faces with the handkerchief when I administered to them, and they should be healed....I went with the man, and did as the Prophet commanded me, and the children were healed. I have posession of the handkerchief unto this day. (Woodruff, 1881, p. 65)

Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards used healing canes made from the boxes used to carry the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum to Nauvoo, and Richards also used to loan out a cloak that people could throw on their beds and be healed. (Journal of Discourses 4:294)

Lorenzo Snow used handkerchiefs and Endowment aprons for healing (LeRoi C. Snow, 1942).

Have you witnessed anything similar in our day?

[Indy Coug]

Does consecrated oil serve the same function?

[Sleeping in EQ]

Does consecrated oil serve the same function?

I'm wondering about that too.

[I.J. Reilly]

According to Wilford Woodruff, a man asked Joseph Smith to heal his children who were some distance away, and,



Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards used healing canes made from the boxes used to carry the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum to Nauvoo, and Richards also used to loan out a cloak that people could throw on their beds and be healed. (Journal of Discourses 4:294)

Lorenzo Snow used handkerchiefs and Endowment aprons for healing (LeRoi C. Snow, 1942).

Have you witnessed anything similar in our day?

Never seen anything like it (unless, of course, oil does the trick) but I'll take the opening to point out that the differences between the Church at Joseph's time and the modern church is great, and many modern members would be astounded and taken aback by the happenings in the earlier church.

(Of course, this is often at least a tangential point with the issues you raise, SIEQ; I just thought I'd point it out in a more obvious manner.)

[creekster]

Does consecrated oil serve the same function?

The function being what? AN object through which healing power is bestowed or an object upon which the subject's faith can be fixed to effect a powerful result? Or something else?

[SloanHater]

Could these objects simply be placebos to increase the faith of the one healing/being healed?

I've often thought that about consecrated oil.

[Edit]I'm slow posting today and didn't catch creekster's post.. I'd agree with creekster's latter premise. I think it is easier for most to have faith in a tangible element than simply a prayer or blessing.

[RobinFinderson]

Have you witnessed anything similar in our day?

Late at night, on BET, there are these snake oil preachers who sell healing objects... different vials of holy water and other miracle objects, usually for $19.99, plus shipping.

[RC Vikings]

Lorenzo Snow used handkerchiefs and Endowment aprons for healing (LeRoi C. Snow, 1942).

Have you witnessed anything similar in our day?

I have heard of little blue pills helping the downtrodden.

[Solon]

I have heard of little blue pills helping the downtrodden.

The handkerchief thing comes from Acts 19.12. You can see Joseph Smith's handkerchief in the church history museum in downtown SLC.

It's a good example of sympathetic magic, where a representation of something replaces the original. Voodoo dolls are also sympathetic magic, as are many curse tablets.

[clackamascoug]

Does consecrated oil serve the same function?

Personally, I think consecrated oil facilitate's the conductivity between the fingertips and the crown of the head. Something like increasing the bandwidth connection.

[RobinFinderson]

Personally, I think consecrated oil facilitate's the conductivity between the fingertips and the crown of the head. Something like increasing the bandwidth connection.

Kind of like wetting the leads for the electric chair?

[Clark Addison]

In the NT, Jesus would sometimes do something like rub mud on someone's eyes to heal their blindness (I liked it best when he would use spit). I just always assumed that the handkerchief, mud, etc. was to introduce some sort of tactile stimulation to increase faith or provide physical feedback.

[wuapinmon]

It's like the Syrian who is told to wash in the Jordan River and he scoffs at first. Perhaps the healing thing is just a macguffin to distract the conscious and doubting mind from analyzing the power of the priesthood, which I imagine has no physical representation. Deus ex machina, literally, with healings.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Late at night, on BET, there are these snake oil preachers who sell healing objects... different vials of holy water and other miracle objects, usually for $19.99, plus shipping.

**Whiff***

Kind of like wetting the leads for the electric chair?

***Whiff***

"Forget about the curveball Ricky. Give him the heater!"

[Donuthole]

Have you witnessed anything similar in our day?

Michael Loyd's jumper healed an entire fan base today.