What is the Church’ policy on giving blessings to pets?
Question
Gramps,
What is the Church’s stand or policy on administering (giving a blessing of healing through the priesthood) to pets?
Danney
Answer
Dear Danney,
I know of no place in Church policy or practice that advocates administering to animals. The blessings of the priesthood are given in response to and in accordance with the principle of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ on the part of the one receiving the blessings. The lower forms of creation are not endowed with this lofty principle, so an essential element in priesthood administration would be missing. We can, however, pray to the Lord to invoke his healing powers on any of his creations.
Gramps
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Generally unnecessary but could come in handy =)
Oxen healed – Later, during the journey west, young Joseph F. once again saw the power of his mother’s faith demonstrated. Having traveled a good share of the way to Zion, one of their best oxen fell to the ground. “The ox stiffened out spasmodically evidently in the throes of death. The death of this faithful animal would have been fatal to the progress of Widow Smith on the journey to the valley. … Producing a bottle of consecrated oil, Widow Smith asked her brother and James Lawson if they would please administer to the ox just as they would do to a sick person, for it was vital to her interest that the ox be restored that she might pursue her journey. Her earnest plea was complied with. These brethren poured oil on the head of the ox and then laid their hands upon it and rebuked the power of the destroyer just as they would have done if the animal had been a human being. Immediately the ox got up and within a very few moments again pulled in the yoke as if nothing had ever happened. This was a great astonishment to the company. Before the company had proceeded very far another of her oxen fell down as the first, but with the same treatment he also got up, and this was repeated the third time; by administration the oxen were fully healed” (Smith, comp., Life of Joseph F. Smith, 150).
https://www.lds.org/manual/presidents-of-the-church-student-manual/joseph-f-smith-sixth-president-of-the-church?lang=eng
That was a great demonstration of faith on the part of the widow Smith.
There are records of pioneers crossing the plains who gave blessings to their oxen when the animals were ill.
The mother prophet Joseph. F. Smith gave a blessing to an animal and the prophet never spoke against it.
I disagree whole-heartedly. Just because animals may not display faith in a way that we don’t understand, does not mean that they don’t. We bless babies. Do they have faith? Again I pose the same. Just because babies don’t display faith in a way that we understand doesn’t mean that they don’t. Animals are spirits of our Heavenly Father. They experience emotions and premonitions such as the oncoming of a siezure. They grieve at the loss of both human and animal companions. And given that the most faithful saints of the pioneer trek blessed Mary Fielding Smith’s ox when it got sick, I’m gonna go with that they knew what they were doing. And just because there is no church policy advocating the blessing of animals, there is also no church policy advocating that you can’t. It’s an exercise in faith for all involved. Especially children. IMHO…thanks.
The priesthood is the power and authority that God uses to bring to pass His purpose. It is quite clear from Moses 1:39 that His purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of MAN. Healing animals through priesthood blessings does not bring to pass the immortality or eternal life of MAN. We can pray in faith for animals, and it might make us happy to have them healed, but animals lack cognitive thought and don’t have the same kind of neurological faith building experiences humans do. In 2 Nephi 9:21 we learn that Christ atoned for those who belong to the family of Adam. Animals do not belong to the family of Adam. There is no reason to bless animals.
In “the infinite atonement” it clearly states that animals and pets will be resurrected and be with us in celestial glory. Therefore.. Immortality for animals.
There are many Church stories of animals receiving blessings and being healed. Here is one such story about healing oxen directly from LDS.org:
https://www.lds.org/friend/1993/07/mary-fielding-smith-mother-in-israel?lang=eng
In short – yes, animals can receive blessings. Were it not so, these stories would not be true.