Blessing of the sick

JS revelations instructed elders to lay their hands on those who were ill and offer a blessing of healing. By 1834, blessings were often accompanied by an anointing with oil. As in the New Testament, having faith in Christ was a necessary component of being healed, and such healings were among the signs of “them that believe.” By 1842, some women were also laying hands on the sick for healing. In the 1840s, baptism, either by complete immersion or by dipping the afflicted part of the body in the Mississippi River or Nauvoo temple font, was also performed for healing purposes. See also “” and “.”