Source: Fred W. Woods, A Gamble in the Deseret: The Mormon Mission in Las Vegas (1855-1857) (Salt Lake City: Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, 2005),146-49:
Healing the Sick
Another ordinance administered to the Native Americans was the
anointing of oil for the healing of the sick. [237] Apparently, the Indians
exhibited immense faith in this ordinance. For example, in December 1855,
George W. Bean wrote, “Administered to a sick Indian child, they seem to have
great faith in us.” [238] The missionaries administered to ill children and
adults, and even the local chiefs eagerly accepted this gift.
Just weeks after the Mormons arrived at Vegas, Bean recorded, “This
evening Tatsearo a Piede came said he was sick & wanted us to lay hands on
him. after explaining the ordinance as well as we could we administered &
he soon said the pain & sickness had left him.” [239] This good news
apparently spread quickly. The following day, Bean also noted, “Onetump the
Chief came & said he was sick & wanted to be administered to by the
brethren after explaining the ordinance to him it was attended to by the prest.”
[240]
Consequently, another Indian chief was especially eager for the
Mormons to administer to him. IN a letter to Elder George A. Smith, John Steele
explained, “The Indians here desire very much to be baptized and the head
chief, Autunip, came to our prayer meeting and said he wanted all ‘Mormons’ to
lay their hands on him, on his head, arms, all over his body, for he was sick
all over, and pray to the Lord for him that he might get better.” [241]
A precarious situation arose when the results of one administration
became a matter of life or death for the missionaries. Some of the Vegas men
were on an exploring expedition that included visits to Native American settlements
in the region. Near an area referred to as Salt Cave, they encountered hostile
Indians. The natives were distraught because of the illness of their chief’s
child. Aroet L. Hale explains how the missionaries’ lives were at stake if the
child died:
Their Chief had a very Sick Child . . . this Child had ben verry Sick
for a Long time they had heard their was white men on their Land & their
Child was groen worse. they Said the greate Spiret was Mad because they allowed
white men to Com among them they Said if the Child Dide that we was all to be kild
his hole Band was ready to Carry the Excsution [execution] . . . President
Bringhurst requested to See the Chief & the Child & talk with him but
for a Long time we was deprived of the prevelige but finley they Consented . .
. the Indian Chief Like a marbel statue he would not Speak nor move for a Long
time. his Squaw sat on the side of the Cave by a Little Fire with the Sick
Childe in her arms. after a Long talk by our Interpreter Gorge Been he begun to
move his head a little finley he Spoke a few words Nothing Could be don until
the pipe of Peace was smoked by him & our Inerpreter after that we was
premeted [permitted] to see the Child. The Squaw unroled the Lttle Pappoos from
an Old Bundle or rags. their Lay before us the most horred Speciman of humanity
that I Ever beheld. I thought that if our Lives depended on the Life of that
poor Little Skileton that we ware in a bad row . . . the Child appeared to be
about four months Old . . . Presidetn Bringhurst took the Child warmed some
watter. & bathed it from hed to foot. took some bread & Shugar from our
grip Sack made it Some food. after it was washed Clean, we formed a Circul
around the Child and administerded to it. in two Minets after Our hands was
taken of the Childe head it Opened its Eyes and looked around & Commenced
eting [end of p. 13] the food that our President had prepaired. The Child was
healed by the Power of God. the Indians, his hand about 60 in number was told
to go to their Wickeups the Chief and his Squaw was made a few presents of a
Little four bred and Shugar & we was allowed to depart and go on our way
rejoysing, which we felt very thankful for. [249]
Notes for
the Above:
[237] This Latter-day Saint practice grew out of a biblical passage
found in James 5:14: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the
church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord.”
[238] Journal of George W. Bean, December 15, 1855. The RLVM for this
same date reveals that President Bringhurst had given a discourse this same day
in which he encouraged the brethren to conduct themselves in a proper manner so
the Native Americans could feel confident in them. He said, “Be very careful
and use the power of the Priesthood in a manner that we may do them good and
not harm. After meeting the Indians brot in a sick child and have it administered
to by the Elders.”
[239] Journal of George W. Beam, July 22, 1855.
[240] Journal of George W. Beam, July 23, 1855.
[241] Letter of John Steele to George A. Smith, in Andrew Jenson “History
of the Las Vegas Mission,” October 1, 1855, 170.
[242] “Third Book or Journal of the Life and travels of Aroet L. Hale,
February 2, 1856, LDSCA. The Journal of George W. Meab, February 4, 1856, also documents
this blessing: “Met about 50 Indians on the sand hills near a cave, as it was
now raining we adjourned to the cave & I took the names of all the Indians present.
went on over to chief Thomas’s camp. he met us a little way off. Clad in battle
array demnded in perumptory tones that we should go heal his sick child. he led
us down into a narrow defile close to the top of the River where under the
projecting ledge of rocks we found his family one of which was very sick &
besides & been very barboursly treated by making holes in her neck to let
the disease out & in so doing had almost let her life we administered to
her then climbed up in the mountain by a steep rugged pass.”
