women & priesthood

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Latter-day Saint women have historically pevforrned blessings and other healing rites we currentlyregard as solely priesthood duties. But $Joseph Smith and other Mormon prophets condoned and even

at times encouraged such practices, when did women lose this privilege? And why?

WA SHING, AN OIN TIN G, AND BLESSINGTHE SICK AMO NG M ORMON W OM ENBy Linda King Newell

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F R MEMBERS OF THE MODERN CHURCH OFJesus C hrist of Latter-day Saints, the term "w ashing andanointing" is synonymous with the initiatory ordi-nances of the temple endowment. Joseph Smith first intro-duced the practice to male members of the LDS church in theKirtland Temple; he included women when he gave the en-dowment and sealing ordinances to his select "Quorum of theAnoin ted" in ~ au v oo . 'By the time the Mormons had estab-lished a refuge in the Great Basin, washing and anointing hadalso been combined with healing. Although it grew out of thetemple ordinances in Nauvoo, the practice by women was car-ried on outside the tem ple. Even after the establishm ent of theEndowm ent House in Salt Lake in 185 5 and the later dedica-tions of the St. George, Manti, and Logan temples, the ordi-nance took place both within the confines of those sacredstructures and in the privacy of individual homes. This paperfocuses on the latter practice. These washings and anointingswere clearly done in connection with "administering to thesick." The wording took different forms as the occasion de-manded. One of the most common uses of the washing andanointing blessing came as wom en adm inistered to each otherprior to childbirth.

PIONEER WOMEN'S PRACTICESWomen's washings and anointingsfor healingwere officially sanctioned.

T AT women could an d did participate in blessing andhealing the sick was a clearly established an d officiallysanctioned fact by th e time the Saints had established arefuge in the G reat Basin. Women like Sarah Leavitt and EdnaRogers left records of their ex periences with hea ling othe rs in~ i r t l a n d . ~n Nauvoo, the Prophet Joseph Smith not onlyformed the Relief Society as an essential part of the Church,but he also introduced the ceremony of the temple endow-ment, including washings and anointings. With the coming ofthe Relief Society, the women had an organization throughwhich they manifested the gifts of the spirit. Of this period,Susa Young Gates, a daug hter of Brigham Young, wrote: "Theprivileges and powers outlined by the Prophet in those firstmeetings [of the Relief Society] have never been granted towomen in full even yet." Then Susa asked, "Did those wom en,do you an d I, live so well as to be worthy of themThere is considerable evidence within the minutes of theNauvoo Relief Society meetings to suggest that Joseph SmithLlNDA KING NEWELL is the co-author of Mormon Enigma:Emma Hale Smith and is a past president of the Mormon HistoryAssociation. She presented this paper a t the 1981 SunstoneTheological Symposium (tape #SL81-002), and it was published inthe September-October 1981SUNSTONE.he complete,fuller ver-sion was later published in Sisters In Spirit: Mormon Wom en inHistorical and Cultural Perspective, edited by MaureenUrsenbach Beecher and Lavina Fielding Anderson. Newell is cur-rently living on a ranch in Deep Springs, California, where her hw-band, L. Jackson Newell, is president of Deep Springs College.

seemed to envision the Relief Society as an independent orga-nization for women parallel to the priesthood organization formen.4 Yet both seemed to come un de r the aegis of the priest-hoo d as a pow er from G od, not as an administrative entityThe wom en themselves saw their organization as more thana charitable society Spiritual gifts such as speaking in tonguesand healing the sick were not only discussed in their meet-ings-the sisters openly practiced them. With Joseph's ap-proval, Emma a nd he r counselors laid hands o n the sick andblessed them that they might be healed. The fifth time theRelief Society convened, Sarah Cleveland invited the sistersto speak freely, and women stood one at a time in this testi-mony meeting. Sister Durfee was among those who spoke.She "bore testimony to the great blessing she received wh enadministered to after the last meeting by Emma Smith and[her] Counselors Cleveland and Whitney, she said she neverrealized more benefit through an administration." She addedthat she had been healed and "thought the sisters had morefaith than the brethren." Following the meeting, SarahCleveland and Elizabeth Whitney administered to anotherRelief Society sister, Mrs. Abigail Leonard, "for the restorationof health."*In the intervening week, someone apparently reported toJoseph that the wom en were laylng their hands on the sick andblessing them. His reply to the question of the propriety ofsuch acts was simple. He told the wom en i n the next meeting"there could b e n o evil in it, if G od gave his sanction by healing. . . there could be n o mo re sin in any female laylng hands onthe sick than in wetting t he face with w ater." He also indicatedthat there were sisters who were ordained to heal the sick andit was their privilege to d o so . "If the sisters shoul d have faithto heal," he said , "let all hold their tongu es."6In 18 57 , Mary Ellen Kimball recorded her visit to a sickwoman in company with Presindia, her sister wife. Theywashed and anointed Susannah, cooked her dinner, andwatched he r "eat pork a nd potatoes" with a gratifying appetite."I felt to rejoice with he r for I shall never forget the tim e whenI was healed by the power of God through faith in him w hichpower ha s again been restored with the priesthoo d (a phrasethat indica tes a distinction in Mary Ellen's min d).But after I returned ho me I thought of the instructionsI had received from time to time that the priesthoodwas not bestowed upon woman. I accordingly askedMr. [Heb er C.] Kimball if wom en h ad a right to washan d ano int the sick for the recovery of their health oris it mockery in them to do so . He replied inasmuchas they are obedient to their husbands, they have aright to administer in that way in the name of theLord Jesus Christ but not by authority of the priest-hoo d invested in them for that authority is not givento woman.Mary Ellen then noted an argument that would calm appre-hensions for the next four decades: "He also said they mightadminister by the authority given to their husban ds in as mu chas they were one with their husband."'At the sam e time, strong official encouragem ent for women

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to develop an d use their spiritual powers is evident. BrighamYoung, speaking in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on 14 November1869, scolded both men and wo men for not improving them-selves. The exa mple he cited w as of "W hy do you n ot live so asto rebuke d isease?" he d em and ed. "It is your privilege to do sowithout sending for the Elders." He laid dow n som e practicaladvice; if the child is ill of a fever or of an u pset stom ach , treatthose symptoms by all mean s, beware of too m uch medicine,and remember that prevention is better than cure. He endedby addressing himself specifically to mothers: "It is the privi-lege of a mother to have faith and to administer to her child;this she can d o herself, as well as sending for the E lders to havethe ben efit of the ir faith."8 Havin g enoug h faith to heal w asclearly, for Brother Brigham, "practical religion" like havingenough food on han d.The previous y ear in Cach e Valley, Apostle Ezra T. Bensonhad called on all the wom en who h ad been "ordained to washand anoint" to exercise their powers to rebuke an unspecifieddisease, which had so destructively coursed its way throughthe valleyg This record neither identifies the ordained w omennor w ho ordained th em. It says only that they were "ordainedto wash and anoint." Zina Huntington Young's journal men-tions several healings. O n Joseph Smith's birthday in 18 81 , shewashed and anointed one woman "for her he al th a nd admin-istered to another "for her hearing." She remembered theProphet's birthday and reminisced about the days in Nauvoowhen she was one of his plural wives: "I have practiced much

with My Sister Presindia Kimball while in Nauvoo & eversince before Joseph Smiths death. H e blest Sisters to bless thesick." Three m onth s later: "I went to see Chariton [her son] &adm inistered to him , felt so sad to see him suffer. The next yearshe notes with satisfaction hearing an address by BishopWh itney in the Eighteenth Ward wherein he "blest the Sistersin having faith to administer to there own families in hum blefaith not saylng by th e Authority of the H oly priesthood bu t inthe name of Jesus Christ. . . ."loTHE LATE 18 00 s: QUESTIONS ARISE

Were women performing "ordinances"?What was their relationship to priesthood?

TILL, healing by women caused some confusion; thisquiet, routine practice on the local level occasionallyraised questions that, when answered publicly byCh urch leaders or the Relief Society, seem ed to start a ripple ofuneasiness that sooner or later set off another inquiry. Churchleaders began to issue general cautions about wom en blessingthe sick. Angus Cannon, president of the Salt Lake Stake, in-cluded the following in his answer to a question about wom enholding the priesthood: "Women could only hold the priest-hoo d in connection with their husband s; man held the priest-hood indepen dent of wom an. The sisters have a right to anointthe sick, and pray the Father to heal them , and to exercise thatfaith that will prevail with God; but women must be careful

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Thereh a n d sw a t e r .le t all

. .c o u l d be n o m o r e s i n i n a n e m s e a i ny f l y - go n t h e s i c k t h a n i n w e t t in g t h e face w i th. . . Il the s i s t e r s s h o u l d have faith to heal.ho ld t h e i r t o n u e s .g -JOSEPH SMITH

how they use the authority of the priesthood in administeringto the sick."ll Two years later, on 8 August 1880,John Taylor'saddress on "The Order and Duties of the Priesthood" reaf-firmed that women "hold the Priesthood, only in connectionwith their husbands, they being one with their husband^."'^

A circular letter sent from Salt Lake that October "to all theauthorities of the Priesthood and Latter-day Saints" describedthe organization of the Relief Society, its composition, its pur-poses, the qualifications for its officers, and their duties. Theletter includes a section called "The Sick and Afflicted":

It is the privilege of all faithful women and laymembers of the Church, who believe in Christ, to ad-minister to all the sick or aflicted in their respectivefamilies, either by the layng on of hands, or by theanointing with oil in the name of the Lord: but theyshould administer in these sacred ordinances, not byvirtue and authority of the priesthood, but by virtueof their faith in Christ, and the promises made to be-lievers: and thus they should do in all their ministra-tions.13

It seems clear that the First Presidency was answering onequestion: anointing and blessing the sick is not an officialfunction of the Relief Society, since any faithful member mayperform this action. However, by specifying women's right toadminister to the sick "in their respective families," the Churchleaders raised another question: what about administering tothose outside the family circle? They gave no answer, althoughthe practice of calling for the elders or calling for the sistershad certainly been established.

Another question also bears on the topic: "Is it necessary forsisters to be set apart to officiate in the sacred ordinances ofwashing, anointing, and layng on of hands in administering tothe sick?" Eliza R. Snow used the columns of the Woman'sExponent in 1884 to answer:It certainly is not. Any and all sisters who honor their

holy endowments, not only have the right, but shouldfeel it a duty whenever called upon to administer toour sisters in these ordinances, which God has gra-ciously committed to His daughters as well as to Hissons; and we testify that when administered and re-ceived in faith and humility they are accompaniedwith all mighty power.

Inasmuch as God our Father has revealed these sa-

cred ordinances and committed them to His Saints, itis not only our privilege but our imperative duty toapply them for the relief of human suffering.

Eliza Snow, in 1884, then echoed the language of Joseph Smithin his 28 April 1842 instructions to the Relief Society: "thou-sands can testify that God has sanctioned the administration ofthese ordinances [of healing the sick] by our sisters with themanifestation of His healing infl~enc e." '~In answering the question of who should "officiate in the sa-cred ordinances," Eliza Snow's language is instructive. By lim-iting its performance to those who have been endowed, shedefinitely places the source of their authority under the shelterof those ordinances in the temple. In other words, she sawwashing and anointing the sick as an ordinance that could anddid take place outside the sacred confines of the temple.Women, through their endowment, had both the authorityand obligation to perform them.

Two differing points of view were now in print. Eliza Snowand the First Presidency agreed that the Relief Society had nomonopoly on the ordinance of administration by and forwomen. The First Presidency, however, implied that the ordi-nance should be limited to the woman's family without speci-fylng any requirement but faithfulness. Eliza Snow, on theother hand, said nothing of limiting administrations to thefamily-indeed, the implication is clear that anyone in need ofa blessing should receive it-but she said that only womenwho have been endowed may officiate.

As the washings and anointings continued, women at-tending an 1896 Relief Society conference in the LoganTabernacle heard a Sister Tenn Young urge: "I wish to speak ofthe great privilege given to us to wash and to anoint the sickand suffering of our sex. I would counsel every one who ex-pects to become a Mother to have these ordinances adminis-tered by some good faithful sister." She later gave instructionson how it should be done. Her counsel was endorsed by MaryAnn Freeze, who "said she attended to this and the curse tobring forth in sorrow was almost taken away"15

But doubts kept surfacing among women whose desire forapproval from their presiding brethren inevitably led to ques-tions of propriety Answers varied, however, depending onwho provided them.

In 1888, Emmeline B. Wells, editor of the Exponent andsoon to be general president of the Relief Society, sent Wilford

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Woodruff a list of questions on the topic of washing andanointings. Her qu estions, and his response follow:First: Are sisters justijied in admin istering the ord i-nance of washing and anointing previous to confinementsto those who have received their endowments and havemarried men outside of the Church?Second: Can anyone who has not had their endow-ments thus be administered to by the sisters ij he is afaithful Saint in good standing and has not yet had the op-portunity ofgoing to the templefor the ordinances?To begin with I desire to say that the ordinance ofwashing and anointing is one that shou ld only be ad-ministered in Temples or other holy places which arededicated for the purpose of g~v in g ndow men ts tothe Saints. That ordinance might not be administeredto any one whether she has received or has not re-ceived her endowments, in any other place or underany other circumstances.But I imagine from your question s that you refer toa practice that has grown up among the sisters ofwashing and anointing sisters who are approachingtheir confinem ent. If s o, this is no t, strictly speaking ,an ordinance, unless it be d one un der the direction ofthe priesthood and i n connection with the ordinanceof laylng on of hands for the restoration of the sick.There is no impropriety in sisters washing and

anointing their sisters in this way, under the circum-stances you describe; but it should be understoodthat they do this, not as members of the priesthood,but as members of the Church, exercising faith for,and asking the blessings of the Lord upo n, their sis-ters, just asking the blessings of the Lord upon theirsisters, just as they and every member of the Churc h,might do in behalf of the m emb ers of their families.16President Woodruff's careful distinctions between thetemple ordinance of washing and anointing, the Church mem-ber? practice of washing and anointing, and the priesthood ordi-nance of ano inting in connection w ith a healing blessing doesnot directly address the position Eliza R. Snow had taken ear-lier that only endowed women should administer to others.Inevitably, the issue became more confused. Wh en preciselythe same act was performed and very nearly the same wordswere used among women in the temple, among women out-side the temple, and amo ng men adm inistering to women , thedistinction-in the average mind-became shado wy indeed.In 188 9, Zina D. H . Young, addressing a g eneral conferenceof the Relief Society, gave the sisters advice on a variety oftopics. Between wheat storage an d silk culture came this para-graph: "It is the privilege of the s isters, who are faithful in thedischarge of their duties, and have received their endowmentsand blessings in the ho use of the Lord, to administer to theirsisters, and to the little ones, in time of sickness, in meeknessand humility, ever being careful to ask inthe name of Jesus, and to give God theglory"17 Although s he does n ot specifywhether the "privilege" refers to washingand anointing or both, she reaffirms-with out saylng so-that it is not a priest-hood ordinance. She also reiterates Eliza's

position that it was a privilege of the en-dowed.As the last decade of the nineteenth cen-tury closed, procedural refinements werebeing added, both officially and in thewards and stakes. In 1893, the YoungWomenkJournal publishe d a spritely articleadvising girls to get enough faith to behealed, since it is "much easier . . . muchless troublesome and expensive withal"than obtaining medical treatment. Thewriter then offered a program for in-

I creasing faith:Do not wait until you are sicknigh unto death before making atrial of you r faith and the p ower ofGod. The next time you have aheadache take some oil and askGod to heal you. If you have atouch of sore throat, try the oil"Well, I just don't believe that it5 our divine role to be only

gatherers and the men to be only hunters."an d a little prayer before you try asingle thing besides. Go to bedan d see if you are not better in th e

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It i s t h e p r i v i l e e of a m o t h e r to have f a i th a n dto a d m i n i s t e r to her c h i l d ; t h i s she c a n d oherself, a s w e l l a s s e n d i n g for t h e E l d e r s tohave t h e b e n e f i t of t h e i r faith

morning. If you a re, then go on a dding experience toexperience until you hav e accum ulated a store of faiththat will all be needed w hen your b ody is weak, andyou are sick unto d eath. . . . [Aln d if you still feel sickask your mother o r your father to administer to you.Try that; th en if tha t fails, an d they wish to call inElders, let them do so, and thus exhaust the ordi-nances of the priesthood before you take the otherstep [of calling a doc tor] 18The b risk matter-of-factness echoes Brigham Young's prac ticalheartiness-there is noth ing mysteriou s or mystical hereabout faith and spiritual gfts. But perhaps most revealing isthe attitude of spiritual self-sufficiency and the interchange-ability of the m other an d father as administrators. If this articlereflects practice among the membership at large, administra-tions were far from being confined to the m en ordained withthe priesthood.Another revealing example occurred in 189 5 when BrotherTorkel Torkelson, widely in dem and in his co mm unity to blessthe sick, records that two sisters "came to my house to washand anoint my wife before her confinement. Since it happen ed

that I was at home, the sisters called upon me to bless her.After I had blessed her and then sealed the holy ordinancewhich the sisters had performed, . . . I could see the power ofGod come upon [Sister Phelpsl," and she prophesied intongues upon him, his household, and the unb orn child.19 Itis interesting that Torkelson blesses his wife because "it hap-pened that I was at home" and that he terms the sisters' servicea "holy ordinance." The distinction drawn at the higher levelswas not so restricting at the lower.EARLY 1900s: A GIFT IMPERILEDGrowing uneasiness, greater uncertainty-until Monnon w omenhave no Church sanctionfor healing administrations.I the twen tieth century, controversy continued over thetraditions and policies touching on women's administra-tions to the sick in general and washing and anointingspecifically On 16 September 1901, a Relief Society generalboard meeting discussed "whether the sisters should seal theanointing after washings and anointings. Pres. [Elmina S.]Taylor said that she thought it was all right. She had receivedjust as great benefit from th e sealing of th e sisters as from t hebrethren, but thought it wise to ask the Priesthood to seal the

anointing when it was get-at-able." Her own testimony thatshe had been as greatly benefitted from the sisters as from thebrothers suggests that she did not believe that a man withpriesthood ordination might be more efficacious, only that shethought there was wisdom in includ ing the priesthood holdersas much as possible. This interpretation is borne out by hernext statement: "And if the brethren decided that womencould not seal the anointing then we should do as they say,"bu t she could not see any reason why women could n ot, since"Aunt Zina did."Ove r five years earlier, Ruth Fox recorded a d iscussion withthat same gently redoubtable Zina Young. "When asked ifwomen held the priesthood in connection with their hus-bands, [she said] that we sho uld be thankful for the manyblessings we enjoyed a nd say nothing about it. If you plant agrain of whea t an d keep poking an d looking at it to see if it wasgrowing you would spoil the root. The answer was very satis-fylng to me ."20But always someone was eager to pok e, an d each time thespiritual roots of the wo men were impe riled. Som e, like LouisaLulu Greene Richards, former editor of the Womenk Exponent,responded indignantly O n 9 April 1 901 , she wrote a some-what terse letter to Church President Lorenzo Snow con-cerning an article she read in the Deseret News the previousday, which stated: "priest, Teacher or Deacon may administerto the sick, and so m ay a member, male or female, but neitherof them can seal the anointing an d blessing, because the au-thority to do that is vested in the Priesthood after the order ofMelchizedek." The qu estion of sealing was thu s add ed to thelong list of amb iguities. Lulu says, "If the informa tion given inthe answ er is absolutely correct, then myself and thousand s ofother memb ers of the Churc h have been misinstmcted a nd arelaboring under a very serious mistake, which certainly shouldbe authoritatively corrected." She gves a hint of the kind ofauthority that would be necessary by stating firmly,Sister Eliza R. Snow Smith [Lorenzo's sister], who re-ceived the instructions from the Prophet JosephSmith, her hu sban d, taught the sisters in her day, thata very important part of the sacred ordinance of ad-ministration to the sick was the sealing of theanointing and blessings, and should never beomitted. And we follow the pa ttern she gave us con-tinually We do not seal in the authority of thePriesthood, but in the name of our Lord and Saviour,

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Jesus ~ h r i s t . ~ ~Over the next few years, however, an emerging definition ofpriesthood authority, and an increased emphasis on its impor-tance, would remove more and more spiritual responsibilitiesfrom women and cluster them to the priesthood. The verystatements authorizing the continuance of women3 blessingsonly signaled their dependence on that permission. Onemonth later, the Relief Society general presidency sentPresident Lorenzo Snow a copy of President Woodmffk 1888letter to Emmeline B. Wells. This letter, discussed earlier, dis-tinguished between washings and blessings as an ordinance(and hence confined to the temple under priesthood au-thority) and as a sisterly act.22As president of the Church,Lorenzo Snow reaffirmed the position explained in that letterwith the exception that blessings should be "confirmedn ather

than "sealed."23Sometime during the first decade of the new century, the

Relief Society circulated a letter on Relief Society letterhead,called simply "Answers to Questions." Undated, it ended withthe notation: "Approved by the First Presidency of theChurch." This two-page letter was the most complete docu-ment on the subject thus far.

Depending on the extent to which this letter was circulated,it may have been a response to an unsigned 1903 YoungWoman? Journal lesson that asserted: "Only the higher orMelchizedek Priesthood has the right to lay on hands for thehealing of the sick, or to direct the administration . . . thoughto pray for the sick is the right that necessarily belongs to everymember of the This may be the earliest publishedclaim that only the Melchizedek Priesthood had authority to

heal. But the Relief Societvb aDDr0ved letterIn w h a t year did Jesus Christleave the carpentry t rade?What were the market principlesunde r l y i n~he Last Supper?Compare the literary sty les o fthe N ew Testament and 6eowu l f .

I I Idirectly countered that position.This letter clarified some issues that had

previously been ambiguous or contradictoryAdministrations by women to the sick werenot necessarily a Relief Society function, butthe letter clearly indicated that women didnot need priesthood permission to partici-pate in the performance of these duties. Itquoted Eliza R. Snow's position that any en-dowed woman may perform such services. Itsaid that confining blessings to one's ownfamily was not necessary. The letter also cau-tioned women to avoid resemblances in lan-guage to the temple forms, and although theblessings should be sealed, the sisters did notneed a priesthood holder to do it.25

Nephi Pratt, the mission president inPortland, Oregon, wrote Church PresidentJoseph E Smith in 1908 to inquire if heshould, in setting Relief Society sisters apart,give them the authority to wash and anointsisters for their confinement and alsowhether there were any forms they shouldfollow in canylng out these services.President Smith answered that the washmgsand anointings in question were practicesthat

Some of our Relief Society Sistersappear to have confounded . . . withone of the temple ordinances. . . .We desire you therefore to impressupon the sisters of your ReliefSociety that this practice is in nosense whatever an ordinance, andmust not be regarded as such, un-less it be attended to under the di-rection of proper authority in con-nection with the ordinance of layingon of hands for the healing of thesick.

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Where a d e f i n i t e s t a n d a g a i n s t i t h a s b e e n-t a k e n by t h e Priesthood . . . w e c a n n o t doa n t h i n b u t acce t t h e i r w il l. . . . Where t h eY g Psis ters a re e r m i t t e d to do th i s for e x p e c t a n tP -m o t h e r s w e w i sh it d o n e ve ry . . . It i s

J 1 Js o m e t h i n g t h a t s h o u l d be treated ve ry c a r e -

hu l ly , w i t h n o s o w o r d i s c u s s i o n m ad o f it.

He emphasized, however, that even women who had not re-ceived their endowments could participate in the washing andanointing

as there is no impropriety whatever in their doing so,inasmuch as they do it in a proper way, that is, in thespirit of faith, and prayer, and without assumption ofspecial authority, no more in fact than members of thechurch generally need to be barred from receiving ablessing at the hands of faithful women. . . .As to theparticular form of words to be used, there is none, notany more than there is for an elder to use in adminis-tering to the

On 17December 1909, the First Presidency again endorsedPresident Woodruff's 1888 letter to Emmeline B. Wells,making one correction:namely in the clause pertaining to women adminis-

tering to children, President [Anthon H.] Lund hadsaid those sisters need not necessarily be only thosewho had received their endowments, for it was not al-ways possible for women to have that privilege andwomen of faith might do so [give blessings] 27

Apparently for the first time, directly and decisively, a pres-ident of the Church had enunciated a policy about who couldgve and receive such blessings, separating such actions clearlyfrom the temple ceremony and malung the rites accessible toany member of the household of faith, male or female. But thematter was not yet laid to rest: the quiet practice of washingand anointing among women went on, but it was accompa-nied by greater uneasiness, by more questions, and by greateruncertainty about the propriety of such actions.

The Oakley (Idaho) Second Ward Relief Society minutebook contains a rare, undated item: the written-out blessing tobe pronounced in a washing, anointing, and sealing beforechildbirth. Even though Joseph E Smith had said that therewas no special form for such occasions, it seems that the sisterswere more comfortable with one written out. To what extentthey followed the pattern, or deviated from it, is not known,

but the very existence of the document bespeaks an insistencethat it be done, that it be done in a certain way, and that it belinked to the Relief Society. They did follow earlier counsel toavoid the wording used in the temple. To insure that the sacrednature of the temple ordinances is not infringed upon, the au-thor carefully checked those portions of the blessing quotedhere against wording used in the temple. They are, indeed, dif-ferent. And, of course, the blessing and sealing are also dif-ferent in concept from the temple washing and anointing.

The first two blessings follow each other closely with onlyminor changes in the wording here and there. The blessingswere specific and comprehensive.

We anoint your spinal column that you might bestrong and healthy no disease fasten upon it no acci-dent belaff [befall] you, your kidneys that they mightbe active and healthy and preform [sic] their properfunctions, your bladder that it might be strong andprotected from accident, your Hips that your systemmight relax and Qve way for the birth of your child,your sides that your liver, your lungs, and spleen thatthey might be strong and preform their proper func-tions, . . . your breasts that your milk may come freelyand you need not be afflicted with sore nipples asmany are, your heart that it might be comforted.

They continued by requesting blessings from the Lord on theunborn child's health and expressed the hope that it might notcome before its "full time" and that

the child shall present right for birth and that the af-terbirth shall come at its proper time . . . and youneed not flow to excess. . . .We anoint . . .your thighsthat they might be healthy and strong that you mightbe exempt from cramps and from the bursting ofveins. . . . That you might stand upon the earth [and]go in and out of the Temples of ~ o d . ~ *

The document combines practical considerations, morecommon to women's talk over the back fence, with the reas-suring solace and compassion of being anointed with the balm

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of si~ te rho od. ~~he women sealed the blessing:Sister we unitedly lay our hands upon you toseal this washing and anointing wherewith you havebeen washed and anointed for your safe delivery, forthe salvation of you and your child and we ask God tolet his special blessings to rest upon you, that youmight sleep sweet at night that your dreams might bepleasant and that the good spirit might guard andprotect you from every evil influence spirit and powerthat you may go your full time and that every blessingthat we have asked God to confer upon you and youroffspring may be literally fulfilled that all fear anddread may be taken from you and that you mighttrust in God. All these blessings we unitedly seal uponyou in the name of Jesus Christ ~r n e n . ~ '

The tender attention to both the woman's psychological andphysical state is an example of loving service and gentleness.That this widespread practice continued in similar form forseveral more decades is illustrated by the account written by aCanadian sister.

In the years from the early 1930s on, in the CalgaryWard R.S. under presidents-Bergeson, MaudeHayes, Lucile Ursenbach, the sisters often asked for a

washing and blessing before going into the hospitalfor an operation or childbirth. In this ordinance twosisters washed the parts of the body, pronouncing ap-propriate words of prayer and blessing, being advisedto avoid similarity to expressions used in a temple or-dinance, and at the conclusion put their hands on thehead of the recipient and, in the name of the Lordpronounced a further blessing.31

In Cache Valley, a 1910 Relief Society meeting was givenover to testimonies of healing. President LucyS. Cardon "readsome instructions to the sisters on the washing and anointingthe sick and how it should be done properly," adding a testi-mony of the importance of having the Spirit of the Lord. Onesister "asked a question of the subj " of washing and anointing,and Sister Martha Meedham, with a brisk earthiness thatcomes off the page, answered that

she had done as much washing and anointing asanyone in this Stake. Related an experience of ablessing which she had given while she was in SaltLake. Said she wanted to spend the rest of her life indoing good to others and blessing and confirmingthem. Related of experiences where all had blessedand anointed people. Said she had written Pres. J. E

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W h i l e t h e a u t h o r i t i e s of t h e C h u r c h have r u1ed. .tha t i t is p e r m i s s i b l e . u n d e r c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n sa n d w it h t h e approva l of t h e pries thood, Lrs is te rs to w a s h a n d a n o i n t other sis ters .yett h e v Lel tha t i t i s far better ibr u s to s e n d for

Jt h e Elders to c o m e a n d a d m i n i s t e r to the s i c ka n d a f f l i c te d .

Smith on the sub. and he told her to keep on andbless & comfort as she had done in th e past. It was agift that w as only given to a few, but all sisters who de-sired and are requested can perform this.Along with a num ber of o ther wo men , the local Relief Societypresident, Margaret Ballard, "spoke of her explerience] inwashing and anointing and said they had carried out these in-structions given." The next sen tence speaks volumes, not onlyfor the inde pen denc e of the Relief Society but perhaps also ofmingled pride and trepida tion: "The sisters felt that the B ishopshou ld be acquainted w ith the w ork w e do."32 Sister Ballardcontinued, telling the sisters, "how she had been impressed tobless and administer to her father who was sick and sufferingand he had been healed. Had also been impressed to bless her

husband and he was healed." The meeting closed, appropri-ately, with sing ing, "Count Your Many Blessings."This rare glimpse into a Relief Society group discussinganointings and blessing s is revealing. In a ddition to the stro ngassociations with faithfulness, the gift of th e H oly Gho st, andthe importance of personal worthiness, there were other kindsof teach ings. One was the irreplaceable testimony of pe rsonalexperience. The docum ent also shows a sharing of informationthe sisters had about current policy, former policy, and folk-lore, along with asking: how do these experiences relate to thepriesthood? T hat, after all, was the cruc ial question.In O ctober 1914 , President Joseph F! Smith and his coun-selors sent a letter to bishops and s take presidents establishingofficial policy on "Relief Society Sisters Regarding Anointingthe Sick." For the first time, such a document did not comefrom th e Relief Society itself.33Little of the information was new. It formalized policy thathad taken shape over the years: Lorenzo Snow's stipulationthat the blessing must be confirmed rather than sealed,Wilford Woodruff's that it was neither a Relief Society functionnor an ordinance. The only new policy seems to be that su chwork comes under "the direction of" the bishop. At the 13April 1921 general conference, First Presidency Counselor

Charles W Penrose reported women asking "if they did nothave the right to administer to the sick," and he, qu oting Jesus'promise t o his ap ostles of th e signs that will follow the be-lievers, conceded that there might beOccasions when perhaps it would be wise for awoman to lay her hands upon a child, or upon oneanother sometimes, and there have been appoint-ments made for our sisters, some good women, toanoint and bless others of their sex who expect to gothrough times of great personal trial, travail and"labor;" so tha t is all right, so far as it goes. But whenwomen go around and declare that they have been setapart to adm inister to th e sick and take the place thatis given to the elders of the Church by revelation as

declared through James of old, and through theProphet Joseph in modem times, that is an assump-tion of authority and contrary to scripture, which isthat wh en peo ple are sick they shall call for the eldersof the Church and they shall pray over them and offi-cially lay hand s o n them.34Even though he cited the authority of Joseph Smith, and eventhough Joseph Smith certainly taught the propriety and au-thority of elders to heal the sick , President Penrose also contra-dicted the ex tension of healing privileges to women by Jose phSmith. In fact, Joseph Smith had cited that same scripture(James 5:14) in the 12 April 18 42 Relief Society meeting but ,ironically, had made a far different commentary: "These signs. . . should follow all that believe whether male or female."35Throughout the 1920s, Church leaders increasingly drewbolder lines between spiritual gifts and priesthood powers.W ith the clarification of the priesthoo d role came restriction inthe women's sphere. Chu rch leaders made it clear that womendid not have right to priesthood power. Further definition ofpriesthood included he aling, anointin g with oil, etc., as exclu-sive functions of elders.By 1 92 8, President Heber J. Grant defended the priesthoodagainst "complaint . . . about the domination of the people by

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those who preside over them." He quoted the description ofthe ideal way in which priesthood authority is to function,found in D octrine and Covenants 1 2 1, then asked, somewhatrhetorically, "Is it a terrible th ing to exercise the priesthood ofthe living God in the way that the Lord prescribes: 'By kind-ness and gent lene~s" '?~~he pattern had now been estab-lished, clarified, and validated.The strength of that pattern can be seen through a letterfrom Martha A. Hickm an of Logan, who wro te to Relief SocietyGeneral President Louise Yates Robison, ask ing:Is it orthodox and sanctioned by the C hurch todayto perform "washing" and "anointings" for the sick(sisters) especially in preparation for confinement inchildbirth?Some have advocated that the proper procedurewould be to have a special administration by somemember bearing the Priesthood for those desiring aspecial blessing at this time.Some years ago when ou r temples did away withthis ordinance for the sick and expectant mothers, in

many of ou r ward s in this stake , as well as adjoiningstakes, comm ittees of sisters, generally two o r three i neach committee, were called and set apart for thiswo rk of "washing" and "a nointing," in their respectivewards, wherever this ordinance was desired.I happen to be the head of this committee in theFirst Ward of Logan Stake. We have officiated in thiscapacity some ten years, have enjoyed our calling,

How in t h e Wor l d? - -C o l ~ ~ b i aouse Reco r d s

and have been appreciated. However, since abovequestions have arisen we d o not feel quite at ease. Wewould like to be in harmony, as well as being able toinform correctly those seeking information. OurStake Relief Society President, no r ou r S take Presidentseem to have n othin g definite on this matter.37Sister Robison sent the letter back to the stake Relief Societypresident with an attached letter explaining:In reference to the question raised, may we say thatthis beautiful ordinance has always been with theRelief Society, and it is ou r earnest hope that we maycontinue to have that privilege, and up to the presenttime the Presidents of the Church have always al-lowed it to us. There are some places, however, wherea definite stand against it has been taken by thePriesthood Authorities, and w here suc h is the case wecannot d o anything but accept their will in the matter.However, where the sisters are permitted to do thisfor expectant mothers we wish it done very quietly,and without any infringement upon the Temple ser-

vice. It is in reality a mother's blessing, and we do no tadvocate the appointment of any committees to havethis in ch arge, bu t an y worthy goo d sister is eligible toperform this service if she has faith, and is in goodstanding in the C hurch. It is something that shou ld betreated very carefully, and as w e have suggested, withno show or discussion made of it.We have written to Sister Hickm an an d told her toconsult you in thismatter, as it is alwaysour custom to discussmatters of this lnndwith our StakePresidents, and havethem advise the sistersin theirThere is an air of almost wistfultimidity about Sister Robison'sletter that bespeaks near-resig-nation toward the change thatwas happening, not necessarilybecause the policy against bless-ings had changed per se, but be-cause policy about the priest-hood had changed theenvironment in which they oc-

curred. Non-priesthood bless-ings were now suspect. One ofthe last documents on the sub-ject is a little notebook con-taining a record of "Washing[sland A nointingls] done by sistersin 3 1st W ard" in Salt Lake CityIt begins i n 192 1: "Sister DallieWatson for confinement. Dec.u

E

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1. 1921-by Emma ~ o d d a rd

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There i s t he prayer t h a t i s u n l i k e t h e[pr iesthood] a d m i n i s t r a t io n ; i t m a k e s t h er e q u e s t to t h e Lord to heal a n d m a y be offeredby a n y s o u l w h o has a d e s i r e to do s o a n d isn o t a n o r d i n a n c e . The prayer is a re CIu e s t fo rt h e Lord to act. wh e r e a s . . . the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n

hs g i v e n by t h e b r e t h r e n i n t e n a m e oIC h r i s t .-SPENCERW IMBALL

and Mary E. Creer. 1033Lake Street." Every few weeks there isanother entry, usually for childbirth, but sometimes for illness.The last entry is 2 July 1945, to a Jane Coulam Moore by threesisters, one of whom is the same Sister Goddard who had offi-ciated twenty-four years earlier at the first anointing.39

The next year brought the official death knell of this partic-ular spiritual gift. On 29 July 1946, Elder Joseph FieldingSmith of the Quorum of the Twelve wrote to Belle S. Spafford,the Relief- Society general president, and her counselors,Marianne C. Sharp and Gertrude R. Garff.

While the authorities of the Church have ruled that itis permissible, under certain conditions and with theapproval of the priesthood, for sisters to wash andanoint other sisters, yet they feel that it is far better forus to follow the plan the Lord has given us and sendfor the Elders of the Church to come and administerto the sick and affli~ted.~'

It would certainly be difficult for a sister to say that she didnot wish to follow "the plan the Lord has gven us" by askingfor administration from her sisters rather than from the elders.One Relief Society worker in Canada recalled: "This ordinancewas a comfort and strength to many. But it was discontinuedand the sisters were asked to call for administration by thePriesthood instead when necessary and desirable."

Elder Smith's pronouncement ended the practice where ithad not already stopped. There is no further evidence of suchblessings being given by women.

A 1981 article in the New Era, "President Kimball Speaksout on Administration to the Sick," bears on the topic at hand.Although it does not deal with the long-forgotten practice ofwashing and anointing the sick, it does state what appears tobe current Church policy in regards to blessing the sick.

The administration proper is an ordinance of twoparts, the anointing and the sealing. An elder pours asmall quantity of oil on the head of the one to beblessed, near the crown of the head if convenient,

never on the other parts ofthe body [italics mine], and inthe name of the Lord and by authority of the priest-hood, he anoints the person for the restoration ofhealth. The sealing is performed by two or more el-ders, one of whom, as mouth, seals the anointing andgves an appropriate blessing, also in the name ofJesus Christ and by authority of the priesthood.

Allowances can be made for unusual circumstances, for ex-ample, when only one Melchizedek holder is present. In thiscase, the article states, "a substitute program is followed. Oneelder, presumably acting alone, may "gve a blessing, likewisein the name of the Lord and by authority of the MelchizedekPriesthood. . . . Only by the priesthood are results manifested."

Nowhere in the article does it mention an instance where amother, wife, or other female could assist the priesthoodholder. It does, however, state:

Then there is the prayer that is unlike the administra-tion; it makes request to the Lord to heal and may beoffered by any soul who has a desire to do so and isnot an ordinance in the same sense. The prayer is arequest for the Lord to act, whereas the blessing or theadministration is pven by the brethren in the name of~ h r i s t . ~ ~

Perhaps women can gain some measure of comfort fromElder James E. Talmage, who wrote:

When the frailties and imperfections of mortality areleft behind, in the glorified state of the blessed here-after, husband and wife will administer in their re-spective stations, seeing and understanding alike, co-operating to the full in the government of their familykingdom. Then shall women be recompensed in richmeasure for all the injustice womanhood has enduredin mortality. . . . Mortal eye cannot see nor mind com-prehend the beauty, glory, and majesty of a righteouswoman made perfect in the celestial kingdom ofGO^.^^

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1. For the most comprehensive studies to date of the history of the templeBut President Joseph Smith 'poke more lo the point ordinance, see D, Michael Quinn, "Latter-day Saint Prayer Circles,"B W Studies 19when he said: "There is in the . . . gospel which de- (fall 1 97 8) an d D avid Jo hn Buerg er, 791e Mysteries of Godliness: A History ofM ormonclares that men are superior to women. . . . Women do not Temple Worship (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1994)

that implies that they w ll be p e n authority " ' Linda King New ell, "Gifts of the Spir it: Wo men's Sha re," Sisters in Splrit: MormonSusa Young Gates's statement still rings clear: "The privi- Women in Historical and Cu ltural Perspectives, eds. M aureen U rsen bac h Beec hera ndleges and powers outlined by the prophet Uoseph smith] , , , Lavina Fielding Anderson , 111 -150, hereafter cited as "Gifts of the Spirit." For ad-ditional acco unts, see Carol Lynn Pea rson, Daughters of Light (Salt Lake City:have never been granted to women in full even yet." Wh en the Bookcraft, 1973),lives of Latter-day Sain t women-their faith, spirituality, devo - 3. Susa Young Gates, "The Ope n Do or for W omen," Young Women'sJournal,tion, an d sacrifice-are seen across the history of the restored 16 (1905):117.Chu rch, we find a record as venerable as that of men . To Susak 4. See Newell, "Gifts of th e Spirit," %11, for a more detailed discussio n ofthis issue.question, "Did those wom en . . . live SO well as to be worthy of 5. "A Record of the Organization, and Proceedings of The Female Reliefthem all?" we mu st respo nd i n the affirmative. Society of Nauvoo," 1 8 Apr. 1 842, DS Church Archves, microfilm of original,Jose ph S mith collection, hereafter cited as "Relief Society Minute s of N auvoo."

NOTES 6. Relief Society Minutes of Nauvoo , 28 Apr. 184 2.7. Mary Ellen Kimball, Jou rnal, 2 Mar. 185 6, Church Archives; emphasisadded.The author is indebted to Vella N. Evans and Carol Comwall Madsen for 8. Brigham Young, 14 Nov. 1 86 9, ournal of Discourses, 26 vols. (London andsharing some of their extensive research and to Lavina Fielding Ander son for her Liverpool: LDS Booksellers Depot, 1 8 ~ ~ ~ 6 1 ,3 ~ 1 ~ ~ .able assistance in putting the m aterial together. 9. Cache Valley Stake Relief Society Minu te Book A, 18 69-188 1, 18 June1868, Ch urch Archives.

10. Tina Diantha Huntington Smith Young,t Diary, vol. 1 3, Aug.-Dec. 188 1, Church Archives.11 . Woman's Exponent 7 (1 Nov. 18 78): 86.12. Journal of Discourses 21 (8 Aug. 1 880):367-68.13. C ircular Letter, Salt Lake City, Utah, 6 Oct.

A 188 0, Church Archives.14. Woman's Exponent 13 (15 Sept. 1884):61.15. Cache Valley Stake Relief Society MinuteBook B, 11 Sept . 18 86 ,4 64 8, Church Archves.16. Wilford Woodruff to Emmeline B. Wells,editor, Woman's Exponent, 27 Apr. 1Corresp onden ce of the First Presidency, Ct~r ch iv is . uestions italicized.17. Woman's Exponent 17 (1 5 Aug. 1889):17 2.18. Young Woman's Iournal 4 (4 Jan. 1893):176-77.19. Torkel Torkelson. diarv 7 Nov 1895.. ,Church Archives, trans. Richard Jensen.20. R uth May Fox, diary, 8 Mar. 189 6.21 . Louisa L. G. R ichards to Pr esident Lo1I Snow, 9 Apr. 19 01, Church A rchives.22. Relief Society Minutes, 1901, ChurchArchives.23. Relief Society Minutes, special meeti~officers of the Gen eral Board, 2 May 19 01, vol. 1,Church Archives.24. Young Woman's Journa l 14 ( 8 Aug. 1 903 ):384. 25. James R. C lark, ed., Messages of the RrstPresidency, 5 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 19701,316. The first question concerned washing andanointing:Is it necessary for one or more sisters to beset apart for that purpose? . . . or should itbe done under the direction of thePre side ncy of the Relief Society, or co uldany good sister officiate?%\ I Thii seems to include three questions.

" I don't know what's wrong with me. . . . It5 getting so I can't tellthe di_fferencebetween the Truth and a tru ism anymore!"

Firstly, our late President Sister Eliza R.Snow Smith said manv times. "Anv good-sister who had received her endowmentsand was in good standing m the Church,might officiate in washing and anointing

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previous to confinement, if called upon, or requested to do so by thesister or sisters desiring the blessing: (but should not offer her ser-vices.)

Secondly, Not necessarily under the direction of the Presidency ofthe Relief Society, although it is most likely whoever was called upon torender such services would be a member of the Relief Society in herown Ward. Some sisters are gifted in ministering and comforting withfaith, and adaptability, who might not be chosen to preside or fill anyofficial position in the Relief Society, then the sister herself who desiresthe blessing might have some choice as to whom she would prefer, andthere are many little things might be taken into consideration, all casesare not alike, all circumstances are not the same, wisdom and the guid-ance of the Holy Spirit are things necessary in all such matters.

Thirdly, in reference to children in sickness, one could not alwayswait to consult the Presidency of the Relief Society; mothers, grand-mothers, and often other relatives attend to a sick child both in admin-istering and in the washing with pure water and anointing with theconsecrated oil; but generally in neighborhoods, there are sisters whoare specially adapted to minister to children, and who have in a largedegree the gift of healing under the influence of the Holy Spirit, whoare possessed of greater humility and have cultivated the gift, or whomthe Lord has greatly blessed.

Second question: "Should the washing be sealed?" It is usual to dot h n a few simple words, avoiding the t e r n used in the Temple, andinstead of using the word "Seal" we would use the word "Confirm" inthe spirit of invocation.

Thrd question: "Have the sisters a right to seal the w a s h g andanoint, using no authority, but doing it in the name of Jesus Chnst, orshould men holding the Priesthood be called in?" The sisters have theprivilege of laying their hands on the head of the one officiated forand confirming the anointing in the spirit of invocation, and in thename of Jesus Christ, not mentioning authority The Lord has heardand answered the prayers of the sisters in these ministrations manytimes.

In suggestions made in reference to washing and anointing the sis-ters are always advised to h ee l and offer prayer previous to officiatingin any sacred duty

26. Joseph E Smith to Nephi Pratt, Dec. 18-21, 1908. Correspondence of theFirst Presidency, Reel 39, Church Archives.

27. Relief Society Minutes, 17 Dec. 1909, 136, vol. 3:184.28. Oakley [Idaho] 2nd Ward Relief Society Minutes, Church Archves.29. Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Comments, n.d., 1-2.30. Oakley [Idaho] 2nd Ward Relief Society Minutes, Church Archives.31. Lucile H. Ursenbach statement, 14 Aug. 1980. In possession of Maureen

Ursenbach Beecher.32. Cache Valley Stake Relief Society Minute Book B, 1881-1914, vol. 2 , 5

Mar. 1910,438-440, CR 1280, 14.1. Other testimonies borne that day included:Sister Moench felt that we had had so much good said today Said

w h e she was very young she went out to wash and anoint the sick.Said Sister Richards had given them a foundation to go by and had saidto get the spirit of the Lord then they would do right. Relatedan expe-rience in blessing a chl d who had been given up by the doc and it gotwell. Know that if we get the faith and the spirit of God with us we canbless as well as the Brethren. . . .

Pres. Hattie Hyde spoke of her experiences in Wyo. where thebrethren had helped the sisters to bless and anoint the sick.

Sister R. Moench said that Pres. Young had said that the sistersneed not be set apart for this calling but if they can call in any goodbrethren to seal the anointing so much the better.

Pres. Lucy S. Cardan said they use to in the Temple have thebrethren seal the anointing but now they do not. Knows that one sistercan bless another. We have that privilege but when we can get thebrethren we should have them seal the blessing.

33. Messages of the First Presidency, 4:314-15.To the Presidents of Stakes and Bishops of wards:-

Questions are frequently asked in regard to washing and anointingour sisters preparatory to their confinement. In a circular issued by theleading sisters of the Relief Society a number of questions on thismatter have been answered and correct instructions given, butnotwithstanding this having been done, we judge from the contents ofletters received by us that there exists some uncenainty as to the

proper persons to engage in this administration; we have thereforeconsidered it necessary to answer some of these questions, and givesuch explanations as will place this matter in the right light. We quotesome of these questions and give our answers:

1. Is it necessary for one or more sisters to be set apart to wash andanoint the sick?

2. Should it be done under the direction of the Relief Society?Answer: Any good sister, full of faith in God and in the efficacy of

prayer may officiate. It is therefore not necessary for anyone to be setapan for this purpose, or that it should be done exclus~vely nder thedirection of the Relief Society

3. Must the sister officiating be a member of the Relief Society?Answer: It is conceded that most of our sisters, qualified to per-

form thls service and gifted with the spirit of healing and the power toinspire faith in the sick, belong to the Relief Society, but if the sickshould desire to have some good sister who is not a member of theRelief Society administer to her, that sister had the right to so admin-ister.

4. Have the sisters the right to administer to the sick children?Answer: yes: they have the same right to administer to sick chil-

dren as to adults, and may anoint and lay hands upon them in faith.5. Should the administering and anointing be sealed?Answer: It is proper for sisters to lay on hands, using a few simple

words, avoiding the terms employed in the temple, and instead ofusing the word "seal" use the word "confirm."

6. Have the sisters a right to seal the washing and anointing, usingno authority, but doing it in the name of Jesus Chnst, or should menholding the priesthood be called in?

Answer: The sisters have the privilege of laylng their hands on thehead of the person for whom they are officiating, and confirming andanointing in the spirit of invocation. The Lord has heard and answeredthe prayers of sisters in these administrations many times. It should,however, always be remembered that the command of the Lord is tocall in the elders to administer to the sick, and when they can be calledin, they should be asked to anoint the sick or seal the anointing.

7. Are sisters who have not received their endowments competentto wash and anoint sisters previous to confinement?

Answer: It must always be borne in mind that t h dministering tothe sick by the sisten is in no sense a temple ordnance, and no one isallowed to use the words learned in the temple in washing andanointing the sick. Sisters who have had their endowments have re-ceived instructions and blessings wh~ch end to give them strongerfaith and especially qualify them to officiate in this sacred work; butthere are good faithful sisters, who through circumstances have not re-ceived their endowments, and yet are full of faith and have had muchsuccess in ministering to the sick, who should not be forbidden to act,if desired to do so by our sisters.

In conclusion we have to say that in all sacred functions performedby our sisters there should be perfect harmony between them and theBishop, who has the direction of all matters pertaining to the Churchin h1.5ward.

Your brethren,Joseph E Smith,Anthon H. Lund.CharlesW Penrose.First Presidency

34. Conference Report, 3 April 1921, 190-91.35. Relief Society Minutes of Nauvoo (sixth meeting), 12 Apr. 1842.36. Conference Report, 5 Oct. 1928,8-9.37. Martha A. Hickman to Pres. Louise Y. Robison, 28 Nov. 1935, Church

Archives.38. Louise Y. Robison, 5 Dec. 1935. Copy in possession of author.39. Photocopy of holograph, courtesy Charlott Boden Erickson, Church

Archives.40. Quoted in Messages of the First Presidency, 4:314.41. "President Qmball Speaks out on Administration to the Sick,"New Era,

Oct. 1981,46, 50.42. James E. Talmage, "The Eternity of Sex," Young Women's]oumal, 25 (Oct.

1914):602-03.43. Doctrines of Salvation 3:178, as quoted in Choose You This Day, Melchizedek

Priesthood Personal Study Guide, 198&81,200.

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women & priesthood

Documents