Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-04-25
TnE HEALING OF THE SICK.

ASSOCIATED press reports have
caused some comment from various
public journals over an Incident said TO
have occurred nj the late Conference Of
the "Joscphites" at Independence,
Missouri. Tho press dispatch stated
that n day had been appointed for
healing tho sick by the laying on Of
hands, that many AFFLICTED persons
were In attendance, hut no cures were
effected. The papers that take this
telegram for truth, Of course find
a good deal Of amusement In II, and
the remarks they make are not alto
gethor complimentary or Indicative OF
faith In "miraeulous healing"
Among tho editorial acquisitions
evoked by the subject was ono from
the "Liboral" organ In this city. II
went further than the ordinary dorisivo
newspaper article, and attempted to
enter Into the principle OF tho healing
power, TO define It, limits and TO give
advice to the Church rs to what II
should and should not do In relation 10
its exercise.
II suggested that "this laying on OF
hands is not = promlscuous gift." That
"there Is occasionally human being
Of wonderful magnetic power" That
"when such person finds another
whose nerves are shat cred, the stronger
person can exercise a healing influence
on the weaker" That "whsh Church
finds such n man they should work
him for nil the healing and sll the rep.
! utation there IA In him" That sin
that way the Church would get credl,."
That when a man who has not this
gift "lays his clumsy fingers ON deli.
cate child" II Is ga Sin against com.
mon sense II not againet God" And
II the child dies, IL Is enough 10 make
"the ordinary man" feel like scaling
ON his shotgun, filling each barrel with
twelve good buckshot, and going on n
hunt TO extermlnate healers." The
writer, too, seems to be under the im-
preston that the Church assumes that
"whona man goes through certain forms
and makes certain confessions, aud II
properly blessed and sprinklej aud
hoodooed, In some incomprehenslblc
way that git is bestowed upon him."
Now to come down TO facts; In the
first place the press dispatch which has
provoked these various comments was
incorrect. There was no such day
appointed or display attempted M tele.
graphed to the country. Some person.
present at the "Josephite" gathering
testified to having been healed by
prayer and the laying on Of hands.
With all the mistakes Of that body, II
has not, 40 far as we are aware, made
any attempt AT claiming power to heal
at will, or 10 make an exhibition oil
sacred gifts or to take to itself the glory
which belongs to God alone.
In the next place. when professedly
Christian papers ridlcule the laying on
Of hands for the healing OF the sick
they rldicule Christ and tenet oil
New Testament Christianity, Further
the Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter.
day Saints, commonly called "Mor,
mon," which holds to that as wei
~ all other parts OF tho primitiv,
Christian creed, does not think thai
the fact that q man has gone through
certain forms aud ceremonies, what,
ever they may be, endows him with
the gift Of healing, or that this gift /,
a matteroi priestly authority.
As TO "the laying on Of hands" being
ga promltcous gin" We have this tC
say. That is not a "gilt" at all. Heal
Ing Is another matter Anyone who
believes may lay hands upon the sick
That IL part OF Christ's dsctrinc, OF
Christianity. See Mark xvi, IL, Is. II
the sick recover, the result is the effect
offaiih. Christ taught that faith wa,
force, According to His doctrine
things that are ordinarily impossibl,
may bo wrought by faith. Among
them Is the healing Of the sick. TIL,
manifestations Of power under His All
minisirations were not "magnetl,
power over shattered nerves" They
were the effects Of faith, 80 He said
"do thy way, thy faith hath made The,
whole" was His word " the Restored