Why do some in the church feel that somehow if we were living the Gospel correctly we would not need modern medicine, in spite of the numerous references to modern medicine playing such an important role in health and healing among the saints and leaders in conjunction with Priesthood blessings?
5 Responses to “Why do some in the church feel that somehow if we were livin…”
Miguel Miranda
2007-03-13 01:35:48
For those who are not familiar, LDS "priesthood blessings" are somewhat analogous to what Evangelicals call "faith healings," although "priesthood blessings" tend to be much more private and much less theatrical. Priesthood blessings, of course, cannot trump the will of God; for this reason, priesthood blessings often serve to comfort the sick rather than to heal them.
With that background, I must confess that this question surprised me some. I have never met a member of the LDS Church that believes righteous living will keep you out of the hospital. If fact, LDS leaders routinely speak of their own hospitalizations in General Conference. One LDS Apostle, Elder Russell M. Nelson, was a prominent heart surgeon before he was called as a General Authority. In a recent General Conference talk he spoke of how God inspired him to develop a new surgical technique, hardly a rejection of modern medicine!
While I'm sure there are occasional members of the Church who misunderstand the mainstream LDS view of modern medicine, the vast majority of Mormons see priesthood blessings and modern medicine as working hand in hand. In case of acute, serious illnessand serious illness can happen to any of usall the Mormons I know would both run to the hospital and ask for a blessing. I think very often God works His miracles through the skilled hands of well-prepared doctors.
I'd love to hear the AllAboutMormons.com visitors' comments about the intersection of modern medicine and priesthood blessings. Hope to read your answer/posts soon!
Rebekah
2007-05-16 19:05:33
The Church is perfect, but the members are not. Before I joined the Church I heard many pastors/preachers say (from the pulpit) that illnesses (the flu, cancer, aids, etc.) were all signs of punishment for sin. While personally I didn't agree with it, there were many who did. Who knows? Perhaps when some convert to Mormonism from other faiths they bring those thoughts with them and try to fit them into LDS culture.
I personally would rather stay away from doctors as often as possible, but that is a personal opinion based on my past experiences. There is no doctrinal support for this claim, and, in fact, many of the apostles have been in the medical profession and each of the prophets has had a primary care physical who often travels with them.
Pamela Dean
2009-08-02 01:07:07
For me personally, it has less to do with not needing modern medicine and more to do with the prudent use of modern medicine, being self-sufficient, and having faith in the Lord that sometimes my God-given logic and reasoning skills can improve my health. Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "Too often today, we do not rely on faith so much as on our own ability to reason and solve problems. If we become ill, modern medicine can work healing miracles" ("Shall he Find Faith on the Earth?," Liahona, Nov 2002, 8285). Gordon B. Hinckley said, "Christ healed by the power of God which was within him. That power he gave to his chosen disciples, saying, 'and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' (Matt. 16: 19) That same power has been restored in this generation.... We welcome and praise and utilize the marvelous procedures of modern medicine which have done so much to alleviate human suffering and lengthen human life. All of us are indebted to the dedicated men and women of science and medicine who have conquered so much of disease, who have mitigated pain, who have stayed the hand of death. I cannot say enough of gratitude for them. Yet they are the first to admit the limitations of their knowledge and the imperfection of their skills in dealing with many matters of life and death. The mighty Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that in them are has given to his servants a divine power that sometimes transcends all the powers and knowledge of men. I venture to say that there is scarcely a faithful elder within the sound of my voice who could not recount instances in which this healing power has been made manifest in behalf of the sick. It is the healing power of Christ." ("The Healing Power of Christ, " Ensign, Nov 1988, 52). Faith - including living the gospel - certainly has a huge role to play in some members' beliefs.
I am currently in a natural health practitioner program at an alternative medicine college. From my studies and my own personal experiences with health issues, this is what I have come to believe: 1. The only person who can definitively state whether I am well or unwell is me, 2. I can improve my health and well-being spiritually, emotionally and physically by living righteously, following the Lord's word of wisdom, and doing whatever I can to maintain my health in drugfree ways, and 3. Modern medicine is absolutely necessary for emergency health care and disease eradication.
Remember the old adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? I believe that is very much true. If there are things I can do that will reduce or alleviate my chances of using or becoming addicted to prescription medication, then I feel it is my spiritual duty to do those things. The word of wisdom states, "... All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution... of man... All these to be used with prudence.... And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones" (Doctrine and Covenants 89). If I am prudent in my use of echinecea and oregano oil and combine this with priesthood blessings and faith, it is unlikely that I will need to resort to modern medicine during cold and flu season. At the same time, if I were to break my leg, I would go straight to the emergency room. Prudent use of modern medicine is the key after all we I can do by ensuring I am living the gospel. The church maintains a website on physical health which may be of interest to you. One article that I find most interesting is William T. Stephenson's "Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: One Doctor's Observations" (Ensign, Jul 2008, 4247).
Anonymous
2007-09-25 05:18:50
This has no doctrinal basis, but if we take a look at the principles and guidelines of the gospel, not only your SPIRITUAL Health is taken into consideration but also your PHYSICAL Health. With this in mind, we can say that if we follow its guidelines we will be more likely to stay HEALTHY, but we have no guarantee that we will NEVER get SICK.
Whitney Henkel
2009-05-03 04:51:47
Unfortunately, people misread the scriptures (both the Bible and Book of Mormon) and forget that the meaning of some words and phrases were different when they were written. Also, there are many who have their own ideas about what they think is true and will interpret certain passages in a way that will support their beliefs. This was an excellent question and I'm really glad you brought it up. :)
Webmaster: Very good point, Whitney. It's sometimes alarming how many "folk doctrines" like those you describe still exist in the church.
With that background, I must confess that this question surprised me some. I have never met a member of the LDS Church that believes righteous living will keep you out of the hospital. If fact, LDS leaders routinely speak of their own hospitalizations in General Conference. One LDS Apostle, Elder Russell M. Nelson, was a prominent heart surgeon before he was called as a General Authority. In a recent General Conference talk he spoke of how God inspired him to develop a new surgical technique, hardly a rejection of modern medicine!
While I'm sure there are occasional members of the Church who misunderstand the mainstream LDS view of modern medicine, the vast majority of Mormons see priesthood blessings and modern medicine as working hand in hand. In case of acute, serious illnessand serious illness can happen to any of usall the Mormons I know would both run to the hospital and ask for a blessing. I think very often God works His miracles through the skilled hands of well-prepared doctors.
I'd love to hear the AllAboutMormons.com visitors' comments about the intersection of modern medicine and priesthood blessings. Hope to read your answer/posts soon!
I personally would rather stay away from doctors as often as possible, but that is a personal opinion based on my past experiences. There is no doctrinal support for this claim, and, in fact, many of the apostles have been in the medical profession and each of the prophets has had a primary care physical who often travels with them.
I am currently in a natural health practitioner program at an alternative medicine college. From my studies and my own personal experiences with health issues, this is what I have come to believe: 1. The only person who can definitively state whether I am well or unwell is me, 2. I can improve my health and well-being spiritually, emotionally and physically by living righteously, following the Lord's word of wisdom, and doing whatever I can to maintain my health in drugfree ways, and 3. Modern medicine is absolutely necessary for emergency health care and disease eradication.
Remember the old adage "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? I believe that is very much true. If there are things I can do that will reduce or alleviate my chances of using or becoming addicted to prescription medication, then I feel it is my spiritual duty to do those things. The word of wisdom states, "... All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution... of man... All these to be used with prudence.... And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones" (Doctrine and Covenants 89). If I am prudent in my use of echinecea and oregano oil and combine this with priesthood blessings and faith, it is unlikely that I will need to resort to modern medicine during cold and flu season. At the same time, if I were to break my leg, I would go straight to the emergency room. Prudent use of modern medicine is the key after all we I can do by ensuring I am living the gospel. The church maintains a website on physical health which may be of interest to you. One article that I find most interesting is William T. Stephenson's "Cancer, Nutrition, and the Word of Wisdom: One Doctor's Observations" (Ensign, Jul 2008, 4247).
Webmaster: Very good point, Whitney. It's sometimes alarming how many "folk doctrines" like those you describe still exist in the church.