The following is a revelation received by the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints organized in 1844, James Strang. We ask members of the Fellowship to read this revelation prayerfully to determine if it should be added to the Fellowship Doctrine and Covenants. Additions to the text, added for clarity and by Holy inspiration, are in italics. Chapters 17-18, were originally Chapters 16-17. This has been changed by inspiration to make for a more logical order of topics.
CHAPTER 17
Healing
1. If Satan afflict thee that thou be sick, thou shalt send for the Elders, and they shall anoint thee with oil, and pray for thee, and rebuke the power of the adversary, and bless thee that thou recover of the disease.
2 ¶ But if thy sickness continue, and God deliver not thee therefrom, thou shalt confess thy sins to them, and they shall forgive thee;
3 nd thou shalt come to the assembly of those who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
4 ¶ If an evil spirit enter into any of thine, and torment them, or lead them about, thou shalt send for the Elders or High Priests or High Priestesses, and they shall put their hands upon them, and look upon them, and rebuke the evil spirit, and cast the evil spirits out.
CHAPTER 18
Absolution
1 If thou sin a sin against God, or do an evil thing unto man, thou shalt go unto them who is God’s Shepherd, wheresoever thou art, and between them and thee alone shalt confess unto them, and shalt keep nothing back;
2 And they shall lay upon thee restitution, and penance, and shall judge thee in righteousness;
3 And what they judgeth, that shalt thou do, according to all the words of the Law of the Lord thy God, and they shall tell thee thou are forgiven of thy sin, according as God hath spoken.
4 ¶ And thou shalt in all things make restitution, as they judgeth thee;
5 And if they require thee to confess unto the Judge who sitteth in judgment, or to any who is placed in authority, or to them thou hast injured, thou shalt do it; and otherwise thy sin remaineth upon thee.
Interpretation
The Fellowship interprets this revelation to denote the will of the Lord on healing for demonic possession or sin, and absolution for more serious sins or sins one needs assistance from the Priesthood in overcoming.
If accepted, this chapter of the Book of the Law of the Lord will be added either after what is commonly known as the Lectures on Faith, or at the end of the collection of the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Thoughts, comments, and other interpretations are welcome below.