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Question

 

Gramps,

I know in years past people could ask the apostles for priesthood blessings. Can we still do this and if so how do we go about it? My daughter has some kind of undiagnosed illness and has been suffering for the last 4-5 years. She barely made it through high school and has had to quit college. She lives at home and struggles to make it through the day.

Kate

 

Answer

 

Kate,

First, let me say that my heart goes out to you and your daughter.  Severe and chronic health issues are always a sore trial.

There was a time when people would bring their sick to leaders of the Church, or call them and ask them to administer.  But it is not the practice anymore.  Lately, the General Authorities have made it a policy to re-direct such requests back to local leaders, home teachers, and families.  As President Nelson said this past conference:

An Elder has no more or less priesthood than an Apostle.

While in the early days of the Church, there was something about certain individuals giving blessings, this led more to faith in the person rather than faith in the authority God has given to his children to act in his name.

We do not worship the Apostles or other general authorities.  We do not worship our local leaders, home teachers, or fathers and husbands.  They are only instruments in the Hands of the Lord.  And it is His power by which we are healed. And sometimes, we are not healed.  We do not know the will of the Lord.  It may be that your daughter will be healed at some point, but it is the Lord’s will for her to continue with some struggles because He knows that, for now, she needs to go through trials to develop and grow in spirit.

There are also those cases where there might be some recurring cause.  She could be healed by a priesthood blessing.  But because the underlying cause is still present (like a reaction to something in the air at her home, or a change in diet, for instance) the symptoms and problems will all come back.  I can only speculate since I’m not a doctor who is involved in your daughter’s diagnosis.

The best advice in these cases is that we must pray and have faith as if everything depends upon the Lord.  Then we must do everything possible as mortals as if everything depends on us.

 

 Gramps

 

 

 

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