Comments on: Ethical Question

By: Cathy

Cathy — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:42:35 +0000

My obstetrician assisted in a blessing while I was delivering my youngest child (doc anointed, husband acted as voice). I labor hard and quickly and didn’t want to wait while another priesthood holder was paged. All parties were comfortable with the arrangement (I’d been a patient for nine years).

So I’d say sometimes it’s appropriate, sometimes not. I’m not comfortable with the word “should” in this question.

By: bfwebster

bfwebster — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:30:50 +0000

All good comments, though the situation itself is unlikely to come up outside of Utah, except in those situations where the patient has knowingly chosen an LDS physician. Others have already stated my own feelings: I would do it only in a situation where for whatever reason I could not get family or ward members to do it.

As per some of Seth’s comments (#11, etc.) — but from the client/patient/customer side — I have long made it a practice not to retain the services of a doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant, etc., whom I know on a personal level (family member, friend or ward member). Why? Because (as I have found) things get very awkward if you are unhappy with the services being provided. It’s not that I mind being friendly with my professional service providers — it’s that I want the freedom to criticize or drop them without repercussions in my personal life or at church. I also don’t particularly want family/friends/ward members (outside of the bishop and possibly my home teachers) knowing intimate details of my health, finances, or legal matters.

Finally, as per #10 (blessings to ease dying), Sandra and I lived in the District of Columbia Branch (later Chevy Chase Ward) for six years. During the first few years we were there, a large percentage of the ward were elderly members. Our high priest group leader at that time, one of the sweetest and finest men I’ve ever known, spent much of his time giving blessings to those members. He noted once wryly that most of his blessings were ‘releases’ rather than ‘healings’, and it showed — we had quite a few funerals of branch/ward members during those years. ..bruce..

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:02:31 +0000

Thanks for that, Sam. I am new to both situations (Bishop and blogging). Thanks for looking out for me.

By: Sam MB

Sam MB — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:58:22 +0000

Thanks, #54, these are tricky areas, and your comment is not a threadjack. I suggest exercising caution in mentioning identifiable situations on the web, as they are part of public discourse and have anonymized your name for the post.

By: Visitor

Visitor — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:46:43 +0000

This may be a bit of a thread-jack, but I have a similar situation where it is difficult to divorce my professional responsibilities from my Priesthood responsibilities and where they overlap a little. I am currently a Bishop as well as a safety manager over employees at work. One of my ward members is also one of the employees whom I oversee. Recently, this brother’s wife was baptized. She received the discussions in our home. Her husband was very supportive of her decision to be baptized and all seemed well. Unfortunately, shortly after the baptism the marital problems that they kept hidden from me surfaced with a vengeance. For a while I offered counseling as their Bishop but this brother/employee has since stopped coming to church but his wife continues to attend. I am finding it difficult to fill both roles (Bishop and employer). This leads to some awkward situations at work.

I can empathize with the ethical dilemma that could be faced by a Priesthood-holding physician. I don’t think there is any easy, one-size-fits-all, answer here.

By: lamonte

lamonte — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:24:42 +0000

This is a facinating discussion and I wonder if it is more relevant where the majority of citizens are church members – probably not. Bare with me while I share a somewhat related anecdote. Several years ago there was a tragic, yet courageous and uplifting situation in our ward. A young mother of three, who was pregnant at the time was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The doctors weren’t sure whether she would live for the full term of the pregnancy. They suggested that an abortion would give her another few months to live. The couple decided to focus all of their attention on saving the baby. Our bishop gave her a blessing and promised her that she would see her baby born alive. Her doctor, who was not a church member, was present in the room when the bishop blessed her.

In the end she only lived 41 days beyond the date of her diagnosis. The doctors decided that in order to save the baby they would have to take it early because she would not live another day. In the delivery room the young mother was holding on to life as they removed the baby from her womb. The doctor, remembering the blessing, said to her, “Open your eyes and see your baby boy.” As she opened her eyes the bishops blessing was fulfilled. The mother died within the next hour and after heroic efforts to save his life, the baby died a day later. They were buried together in the same casket.

I wonder if the doctor’s actions in this case could be questioned. Some could claim that his desire to help carry out a priesthood blessing may have tainted his decision making. I think he did the right thing.

By: John

John — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:46:47 +0000

What ever happened to being led by the Spirit? If the patient asks, the physician feels ok about it, why not have a blessing? The physician can certainly demur if he feels so inclined. I don’t feel it is appropriate for the physician on his own to offer a blessing, that does kind of smack of priestcraft.

Of course, being led by the Spirit, presupposes that we are living such a life that we are entitled to that kind of guidance. Sometimes it’s just easier to check in with the crowd on the bloggernacle. (Just a joke, folks!)

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:51:06 +0000

I’m not going there, Kyle. It’s too easy. *grin*

By: KyleM

KyleM — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:41:32 +0000

Maybe this is why I always prefer women doctors.

By: Sam MB

Sam MB — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 01:02:09 +0000

48 is a wonderful reminder about moneychangers in the temple and the blight of many business and investment practices in the Mormon Corridor.

One curiosity in Mormon blessings for healing is that it’s a two-step process, an anointing and a sealing, and the anointing itself doesn’t proclaim anything except a shared religious identity and a desire to help. Such may be a compromise position to mediate desires to share with other Saints while respecting ethical mandates.