Priesthood question

[Godsdaughter]

My last night on my mission, my mission president told me he felt impressed to give me a blessing. I had never talked about my epilepsy and injuries that came from it and had accepted it to be a part of my life. He gave me a blessing and is said that every vein, tendon, muscle, and nerve was now healed including my brain (I have seizure from scar tissue on my brain) and that I would not have to suffer from them from that point on. He told me after the blessing that I should exercise my faith and part of that meant that I should throw away my medic bracelet and to not continue taking my meds. I had seen many miracles on my mission. I had no doubt; I had complete 100% faith that I was healed. I came home to my inactive family. My sister mentioned that she does not believe in miracles. I told her that she was wrong and that I was healed. I had the best 3 weeks of my life after I got home. And then I had the worst seizure I had ever experienced. They became out of control but my doctor got them controlled. It really shook my faith. I believe in every little bit of the gospel...except in the healing power of priesthood blessing. I want to though. I just don't know how to find answers. I have spent years on my knees asking and I still don't have an answer.

[Vort]

Please go talk to your stake president.

[skippy740]

John 9:1-3

1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Think about it this way: Do you think it might possibly not be about you? Is it possible that you were to have this seizure for others to see the works of God made manifest in you?

I'm not your doctor and I truly believe that doctors CONTRIBUTE to medical miracles today.

There are always reasons to doubt the Lord, your faith, testimony, scriptures, experiences. That's why it's called FAITH. And now your faith is being tested.

Without trial, there is no testimony.

And, as Vort recommended, go talk to your stake president for additional counsel and (I would recommend) a blessing.

[Guest saintish]

either one of three things happened:

1. your mission president overstepped his bounds and was either unworthy to bless you or tried to give you a blessing HF wasn't ready for you to have.

2. Part of your blessing required faith on your part and somewhere you lost it, perhaps upon seeing your inactive family members.

3. there really is no healing power and/or priesthood.

Talk to your Stake pres. and make your choice.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I am so sorry you had that experience. I don't think it was lack of faith on your part because I had a similar sort of experience, and I was shocked...it was not a lack of faith. Honestly I don't know why these things happen. I think the counsel to talk to your Stake President is good though.

You may wonder what could he say that would help? I don't know, but I remember a time when I was feeling very, very bad and I went to talk to my previous Bishop who at that time was serving in the Stake Presidency. I couldn't imagine what he could possibly say that would help, but I was desperate. So I went to see him and it was amazing. I didn't tell him exactly why I was there (I kind of skirted around it), but he knew. That was very comforting to me. The whole discussion was very healing. So, yes, give your Stake Pres. a chance.

[Godsdaughter]

I have talked to him and my mission president. They both basically said that they don't have an answer for that. I need to find my answer on my own. I haven't though...

[SQUARE]

This sounds like a difficult situation. I think of that story in the Bible when the man with Leprousy goes to one of the Prophets and the Prophet tells the man to go to a river and wash 7 times. This man washed 7 times and the Leprousy was healed. This man went off faith to do as the prophet said, and because he did so was healed. Your Mission President was called and set apart by an Apostle of the Lord. If your Mission president gave you a blessing that said your condition would be healed, then I would continue with the direction and instructions of your Mission President. Pray and let Heavenly Father know what you are doing and that you will be following the instructions that were given you, and leave the rest in our Heavenly Fathers hand. You can do it.

[Just_A_Guy]

I cannot fathom a Church leader counseling a member to go off his or her meds. My wholly unjustified, uninformed, anonymous internet snap-judgment is that either you misunderstood your MP or he was off his rocker.

[dahlia]

either one of three things happened:

1. your mission president overstepped his bounds

I'd stop right there. I cannot imagine telling someone with epilepsy that they should stop taking their meds, etc. What's next, tell the Type 1 diabetic s/he can stop insulin? Doesn't this start to sound like Christian Scientists or other belief systems that marginalize medical practices?

This seems like irresponsible behavior to me. But what do I know? Maybe you guys do this all the time. Speaking personally, and having a chronic disease, I'm not going to base a 'cure' on what someone with no medical expertise says or does - and I'm the child of a litigator who sued doctors left and right. It's not that I have a love for doctors, but I do understand science and I understand standard and customary medical care.

I'm in a ward full of doctors doing residencies and special fellowships. Why on God's green earth should they continue their studies if all sick people need to be cured is a laying on of hands?

Yeah, yeah, I know folks are going to chew me out. I've had blessings when I was ill, I'd have one again, but a blessing, to me, is a heck of a lot different than some member of the ward telling me I'm cured. While faith is a wonderful thing, so is medicine.