HEALING
POWER OF THE PRIESTHOOD
The severity of the disease and
sickness in Nauvoo forced the Saints to put into action the Lord’s command to
call in the elders who would “pray for and lay their hands upon [the sick] in
my name” (D&C 42:44). In the summer and fall of 1845, “There was an unusual
amount of sickness in Nauvoo and in all the surrounding country.” (Journal
Erastus Snow, 92) During this time, Erastus Snow and his family were healed by
the laying on of hands by the elders. He indicated that he and most of his
family were
afflicted with canker and bowel complain[t]s
most of the time, insomuch that I was but just able to do my small matters of
business about home and secure the few crops that I had put into the ground, I
had several attacks of fever but by faith and the use of wholesome herbs accompanied
by the administration of the elders, they were removed and I was eventually in
the fall fully restored to the enjoyment of good health and my family. (Erastus
Snow, Journal of Erastus Snow, 92)
Even from his own sick bed, Joseph
Smith rose to heal the sick. In response to complaints from Sidney Rigdon, the
Prophet
arose in great power, shook off his
own sickness, went to brother Rigdon, rebuked his fearful and complaining spirit,
and told him to repent or a scourge from the Lord awaited him. Those being sick
he commanded to be healed, which they were. He then called for a skiff and
crossed the river to Montrose, where he found Elijah Fordham, drawing
apparently his last breath. By his command life returned and he was at once made
whole. The Prophet then visited Brother Noble and other places, full of the
power of God, healing the sick. (Benjamin Johnson, My Life’s Review, 62)
After Elijah Fordham was blessed,
he “immediately arose from his bed, and shook from his feet the onion poultices
which was on them” and being assisted in dressing, he walked with the Brethren
to the house of Joseph Bates Nobles. (Wandle Mace Autobiography, 42)
Elder Fordham was called upon to
pray, and while praying he fainted. He soon recovered and proceeded with his prayer,
which when finished, they lay hands upon Brother Nobles and raised him up, many
likewise “miraculously” healed as they went from house to house ministering to
the sick, and blessing them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and they
recovered. (Wangle Mace Autobiography, 42)
The Prophet sent members of the Twelve
to the outlying areas to heal the wick. Sickness was so widespread that “the
Prophet Joseph called a special fasting and prayer Sunday in Nauvoo for the
benefit of the sick and the elders went forth among the people with power.” (Edward
Stevenson, Autobiography, J. G. Stevenson, ed., 1986, 59)
Helen Whitney recorded that the “Apostles
and their brethren were in the habit of meeting together every evening, and
sometimes oftener, at Brother Willard Richard’s house, to unite their faith in
the holy order of the priesthood in behalf of Israel.” She also indicated that
her “mother’s babe was very sick at this time, which fact father mentions in
his journal as being a source of anxiety and sorrow to witness his suffering.
Two successive days some of his brethren came into [sic] join him in
prayer for him in the holy order.” Her father took her sister, Sarah, and “sister
Winchester to the river and baptized them for their health.” (Women Exponent
1882, 11:170) In addition, Joseph Hovey’s wife became so ill that she miscarried,
but “she was healed by going to the baptismal font and was immersed for her
health and baptized for her head.” (Joseph Hovey Autobiography, 37)
Not only did the Saint sheal by
the power of the priesthood but they also exercised faith to control sickness.
In the latter part of 1844, Sarah Leavitt had four boys who were
sick at once with black canker.
There were many who died in Nauvoo with the same disorder and some of my boys
were brought to the very gate of death, to all appearances. But by watching
over them day and night and administering, the Lord raised them up; thanks be
to his holy name. One of the boys had gotten about and could walk out while the
other lay at the point of death. We had to watch over him every moment. The one
that could walk as soon as he laid down at night, he took with a toothache and
would roll and groan. After a few nights (I had lain down to rest a few
moments) he began to groan. I had a strange feeling come over me. I thought it
was the power of the devil that he was destroying our peace, and I had borne it
as long as I could. I jumped out of the house, and as sure as he would go, I
stepped up very spry to the bed and put my hands on his head in the name of
Jesus and asked God to rebuke the spirit. I did not say a loud word, but as
soon as it was done, he went to sleep and never was troubled any more. (History
of Sarah Leavitt, Juanita Pulsipher, ed. [n.p, 1919], 21)
Sister Leavitt indicated that,
through the use of faith, she had administered “to very many to rebuke disease,
but never had the same feeling before or since.” She had a different experience
with her daughter, Mary, who had a felon (a painful inflammation of the tissue
of the finger or two) on her finger. Sister Leavitt’s new baby was just a few
days old, and Sarah had very little strength. Mary’s “felon was growing worse
every day. I told her to get up on the bed beside me. I took her hand in mine
and asked the Lord to heal it. The pain stopped while I held her hand in mine
and she had no more pain. The next day the core came out and the whole remains
there yet where the core was, and always will be. In this case I said nothing
aloud, but I had faith as much as a grain of mustard seed.” (See Leavitt
History, 21-22) (H. Dean Garrett, “Disease and Sickness in Nauvoo,” in Regional
Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Illinois, ed. H. Dean Garrett
[Provo, Utah: Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University,
1995], 177-79)
