Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. - James 5:14-15

"That power to heal the sick is still among us. It is the power of the priesthood of God. It is the authority held by the elders of this Church," said President Gordon B. Hinckley in an address at the October 1988 general conference.

"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."

President Hinckley said there is much of sickness other than that of the body, such as the sickness of sin, and of conflicts, quarrels and "arguments which are a debilitating disease particularly afflicting families." He appealed: "If there be such problems in the homes of any within the sound of my voice, I encourage you to invite the healing power of Christ. To those to whom He spoke on the Mount, Jesus said: `Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

" `But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. . . .

" `And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.' " (Matt. 5:38-41.)

President Hinckley said the application of this principle, difficult to live but wondrous in its curative powers, would have a miraculous effect on troubled homes and would do wonders for the sickness of society. He noted that it is not always easy to "turn the other cheek" when one's very nature impels one to fight back. However, he added, the Savior taught:

" `Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

" `But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matt. 5:43-44.)

President Hinckley said: "Most of us have not reached that stage of compassion and love and forgiveness. It is not easy. It requires a self-discipline almost greater than we are capable of. But as we try, we come to know that there is a resource of healing, that there is a mighty power of healing in Christ, and that if we are to be His true servants we must not only exercise that healing power in behalf of others, but, perhaps more important, inwardly."