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My esteemed BIL co-hosts a monthly study group in the OC that features Mormonism-related presentations from scholars, including amateur and professional historians, within and outside the Church. Recently, they had a presentation from Jonathan Stapley concerning the above-referenced topic that sounded very interesting. Here's a partial summary from Russ Frandsen, which I'll quote rather than paraphrase. I've omitted portions of the summary relating to the Church's early view of medicine, and a discussion about gifts of the spirit. Sill, a lot of interesting points here...
Jonathan Stapley was our presenter. He has a PhD in chemistry, and he is president of a start-up in Seattle. After graduate school, he started to study Mormon History.
Jonathan’s topic was “WOMEN, RITUAL and AUTHORITY”. He began his discussion by pointing out that the gift of healing is among the charismatic gifts bestowed on all believers, as indicated in the letters of Paul and in the Doctrine and Covenants. These are charismatic gifts apart from the Priesthood. Joseph Smith wanted the Latter-day Saints endowed with power to make these gifts efficacious. The topic created quite a bit of discussion about women and the Priesthood, about the nature of the priesthood, and about the temple....
His discussion of healing as a gift of the spirit, and not of the Priesthood, was very informative. He described the practice of laying on of hands and healing, including anointing, by women from the beginning of the Church to about 1920. He indicated that up until 1968, the Relief Society Book of Instruction contained a section on healing by women. He described the “healing rooms” in the temple, where women gave healing blessings in the temple into the 20th century. They were discontinued as the temples became busier. He described the move away from healing administrations by women partly as an emphasis on encouraging a greater male role in the church, rather than a decision to circumscribe the roles of women. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, only about 15% of men came actively to Sunday meetings. Heber J. Grant placed an emphasis on awakening men to greater participation in the church. This greater call to duty to men may have had the effect impacting activities previously carried on by women, including healing administrations.
One wonders if we'll see a return to more active female participation in healing administrations. Let's keep those attendance numbers up, brethren.
Jonathan Stapley was our presenter. He has a PhD in chemistry, and he is president of a start-up in Seattle. After graduate school, he started to study Mormon History.
Jonathan’s topic was “WOMEN, RITUAL and AUTHORITY”. He began his discussion by pointing out that the gift of healing is among the charismatic gifts bestowed on all believers, as indicated in the letters of Paul and in the Doctrine and Covenants. These are charismatic gifts apart from the Priesthood. Joseph Smith wanted the Latter-day Saints endowed with power to make these gifts efficacious. The topic created quite a bit of discussion about women and the Priesthood, about the nature of the priesthood, and about the temple....
His discussion of healing as a gift of the spirit, and not of the Priesthood, was very informative. He described the practice of laying on of hands and healing, including anointing, by women from the beginning of the Church to about 1920. He indicated that up until 1968, the Relief Society Book of Instruction contained a section on healing by women. He described the “healing rooms” in the temple, where women gave healing blessings in the temple into the 20th century. They were discontinued as the temples became busier. He described the move away from healing administrations by women partly as an emphasis on encouraging a greater male role in the church, rather than a decision to circumscribe the roles of women. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, only about 15% of men came actively to Sunday meetings. Heber J. Grant placed an emphasis on awakening men to greater participation in the church. This greater call to duty to men may have had the effect impacting activities previously carried on by women, including healing administrations.
One wonders if we'll see a return to more active female participation in healing administrations. Let's keep those attendance numbers up, brethren.
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