The Healing of the Spirit

". . . whatever Jesus lays his hands upon lives. If Jesus lays his hands upon a marriage, it lives. If he is allowed to lay his hands on the family, it lives."
(Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Council of the Twelve, 1979.)

"Accept the healing of spirit that He alone can give."
(First Presidency Christmas Message 1985.)


When my father died, I realized that, despite the illness that took his life, in all the essential matters he had in reality been healed. Cancer prevailed in the ravaging of his body, to be sure, but I was witness also to the undeniable healing of soul which had taken place for him. Through the process of battling cancer, relationships with family members were healed, as well as Dad's relationship with his Heavenly Father. For the first time in my life, I heard my earthly father declare his faith in Jesus Christ. Was not that a healing of profound significance? I held his hand as he passed from this life, peaceful in the knowledge that all was well.

Too quickly, I believe, we despair that someone has not been healed, solely because they remain ill in their body. My experience has been that physical illness can be a means for the healing of the spirit within.

In my own case, I have prayed for years to be blessed with the gift of charity. I have been willing to experience whatever was needful for me to obtain that gift. I am not surprised that it is taking a lot of illness to open me up to the reception of so great an endowment.

Now I am feeling charity growing in me, as well as an increased trust in the Lord. I have prayed also to be able to say "thy will be done" and really, truly, to the depth of my soul mean what I am saying, because I truly trust in God. Those being my desires, they are worthy of suffering whatever is necessary to obtain them, are they not? To me, they most certainly are.