1) It is not contested that women have the power to heal. That being the case, it does not matter whether that power comes from the priesthood, from our foundation of faith, or from the mercy of God accessed through prayer. If we heal, we heal. With that knowledge, do we need anything more?

2) If there is an issue of a blessing being given or not given, that seems to be more of an issue of a marital communication problem than anything else. Husbands often feel that their wives overreact. That being said, husbands also often respond very well to having the matter explained to them frankly and directly.

Communication seems to me to be 9/10ths of this issue. We are given guidelines for a reason. We may never have a satisfactory response as to why women don’t “get” the priesthood handed down from the first presidency. I personally believe that a large reason we do not all have it is so that we may learn to have to ask for help, learn to be dependent on others, especially within a marriage. If we all had it, why would we need each other? It is one more contributor that teaches and binds our families together. At least that’s my take.

But how many Mormon men and women would also agree? I think the very idea of a woman laying hands on and healing is threatening to average Mormons’ conception of priesthood responsibility. I can’t even tell you how many LDS people I know who would be horrified by the idea – even though there lots of scriptural and historical precidents.

So let’s bring on the change. But how to go about that?

Or we could just give women the priesthood. That would work too.

Caroline, our scriptures say you don’t need the priesthood or the current priesthood rituals to heal. You can be a healer today. That is the point of my responding post I linked to in #4.

A couple of years ago I accidently poisoned my 14 pound pug Penelope. I left the door open to my garage, and she got in and ate enough rat poison to kill a much larger dog. Luckily, I realized it right away, took her to the vet, got her stomach pumped, etc. The vets seemed to think she would make it, but I was agonized and heartsick. The dog I loved like a child had almost died because of me.

I felt strongly that she should have a priesthood blessing. I know some of you might find that ridiculous, but it was incredibly important to me that we do everything in our power to save her. I asked my husband. He wasn’t comfortable with blessing an animal.

I begged my husband. I cried. I was so disgusted with him refusing that I couldn’t even look at him. I was humiliated that I had to beg for this – especially when he knew how hard it is for me to ask for a priesthood blessing under any circumstance. I had never felt so powerless in my marriage before. He had something I didn’t – something that I knew would help her – and he was refusing to use it. And there was nothing I could do about it.

Eventually, he reluctantly performed the blessing. I held her as he spoke. He was overcome with the Spirit and sobbed and told me later that he now knew it had been the right thing to do.

So my story ended happily. But only because he eventually gave in. Having experienced the feeling of terror and helplessness with my dog ill, I can only imagine what it would be like with a child.

This experience made me believe it is wrong to concentrate that kind of power within only one partner of the marriage. In my ideal world, both women and men would share their priesthood and bless and annoint jointly. (But if one wasn’t willing, then the other could step in and do it.) However, I would be happy with smaller steps. If it was acknowledged that wives shared with husbands equal decision making power on when to bless, then I’d be more comfortable. Or, if it were acknowledged that healing by faith and by the gift of healing were just as powerful as a priesthood blessing, then that would be ok as well.

As it stands now, perhaps I do have the gift to heal. But I wouldn’t know it since it’s such a cultural faux-pas to even entertain the idea that a woman can heal. I think it’s time for the church and its members to stop ignoring/rejecting this empowering and ennobling doctrine and give women the permission to find this talant and gift within themselves.

Or we could just give women the priesthood. That would work too.

A couple of years ago I accidently poisoned my 14 pound pug Penelope. I left the door open to my garage, and she got in and ate enough rat poison to kill a much larger dog. Luckily, I realized it right away, took her to the vet, got her stomach pumped, etc. The vets seemed to think she would make it, but I was agonized and heartsick. The dog I loved like a child had almost died because of me.

I felt strongly that she should have a priesthood blessing. I know some of you might find that ridiculous, but it was incredibly important to me that we do everything in our power to save her. I asked my husband. He wasn’t comfortable with blessing an animal.

I begged my husband. I cried. I was so disgusted with him refusing that I couldn’t even look at him. I was humiliated that I had to beg for this – especially when he knew how hard it is for me to ask for a priesthood blessing under any circumstance. I had never felt so powerless in my marriage before. He had something I didn’t – something that I knew would help her – and he was refusing to use it. And there was nothing I could do about it.

Eventually, he reluctantly performed the blessing. I held her as he spoke. He was overcome with the Spirit and sobbed and told me later that he now knew it had been the right thing to do.

So my story ended happily. But only because he eventually gave in. Having experienced the feeling of terror and helplessness with my dog ill, I can only imagine what it would be like with a child.

This experience made me believe it is wrong to concentrate that kind of power within only one partner of the marriage. In my ideal world, both women and men would share their priesthood and bless and annoint jointly. (But if one wasn’t willing, then the other could step in and do it.) However, I would be happy with smaller steps. If it was acknowledged that wives shared with husbands equal decision making power on when to bless, then I’d be more comfortable. Or, if it were acknowledged that healing by faith and by the gift of healing were just as powerful as a priesthood blessing, then that would be ok as well.

As it stands now, perhaps I do have the gift to heal. But I wouldn’t know it since it’s such a cultural faux-pas to even entertain the idea that a woman can heal. I think it’s time for the church and its members to stop ignoring/rejecting this empowering and ennobling doctrine and give women the permission to find this talant and gift within themselves.

Or we could just give women the priesthood. That would work too.