In the March 1, 1894 issue of The Juvenile Instructor (the editor of the newspaper, and author of the following piece, was George Q. Cannon), we read the following article which, among other things, shows that, even in the late 19th century, Latter-day Saints allowed for miracles to take place within non-LDS faiths (though such would be in spite of, not because of, the [false] doctrines contained therein), and the belief that those outside the Church are not “Totally Depraved”:
Administering to Non-Members
We are asked:
Is it proper for an Elder, when requested, to anoint with oil the sick who do not belong to the Church? An Elder from the Southern States mission says he was instructed not to do so, while one from Europe says he was instructed to do so when requested.
It is always lawful to do good. We say this on the authority of the Savior of mankind. If a person has faith to seek health through the ministrations of the Elders in the name of Jesus, even though he have not the greater faith to accept and obey the fullness of the everlasting gospel, he should not be deprived of the lesser blessing of bodily soundness of by any lack of willingness on our part to magnify the name of God.
We nowhere read in the scriptures that when the sick came to Jesus Himself and sought His healing blessing that He first asked, Have you been baptized? He did not inquire of the blind or paralytic, Are you a member of the Church?
It is true these gifts of the Holy Spirit are to follow the believer; they were not placed in the Church to make converts. But the man or woman who asks for the administration of the Elders (we are not now taking of sign-seekers) is, to a certain extent, a believer, though not yet a member of Christ's holy Church, and is no doing wrong by seeking the blessing. That God is not offended at this manifestation of faith is evident from the fact that He often honors these ministrations by healing the subject. The writer while laboring in the ministry in foreign lands was frequently called upon to administer to the sick. He never refused, and many were healed under these circumstances by his administration of the ordinance of anointing with oil and laying on of hands. It was his invariable custom, however, before doing so to explain the principle to the afflicted one, and to show him or her that it was his or her duty to covenant with the Lord to forsake sin (by truly repenting) and to be baptized, etc. But there was at least one instance where a covenant thus made was not kept, though the person was healed. She afterwards had a return of the malady; and, as the writer believed it was because she had not kept her covenant.
There was one notable instance that now occurs to us which illustrates the principle of which we are now speaking. A man, afflicted with palsy, heard of the writer, and that he taught the New Testament doctrine concerning the gifts of the gospel. The desire sprung up in his heart to hear this teaching. He sent for the writer, who upon going to his house found him confined to bed, and scarcely able to move. He listened gladly to the principles of the gospel taught to him, and begged to be administered to. He covenanted to keep the commandments of God. By the administration of the ordinance he was healed. Baptism and confirmation followed. Shortly after he was ordained an Elder, and traveled and preached the gospel, bearing testimony to the people of that which the Lord had done for him through the restoration of the gospel and its gifts.
That men, authorized of God, will in Christ's name perform wondrous works is evidenced from the words of the Savior. He tells us (Matthew 7:22, 23) that in the great hereafter men will come to him and say, did we not do this, that and the other in thy name? Have we not cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And he will say unto them, "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity." They had never received authority from Him to use His name. Nevertheless they will state they had used it, and that, too, if they can be believed, effectually, in performing many wonderful works.
We hear of miracles being performed in the Roman Catholic, the Methodist and other churches. Some of these, doubtless, were works of imposture, but all were not. In many cases they were the result of true faith in the power of Jesus' name; in many instances those who received the blessings were living up to the best light they had, dim though it might be. (The Juvenile Instructor, volume 29 no. 5 [March 1, 1894]:144-45, emphasis added)
