Frequently Asked Questions

Since I mentioned light versus darkness, the reader may appreciate reading Bro. Poulton’s paper “Understanding Spiritual Evil in the Context of Psychotherapy.” This teaches the lessons we learn from Jesus Christ’s examples of casting out evil spirits. It is a fascinating read. You can read it here: https://tamarasbook.blogspot.com/2008/12/fascinating-paper-on-evil-spirits.html

Understanding this was key to my daughter being able to overcome suicidal tendencies. Additionally, there are papers by Scott Gillespie sharing years of research collecting quotes on this topic by authorities in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These papers give hope to suffering people! Scott shares his own story of overcoming a pornography addiction in his paper “Pornography, Sickness, Evil Spirits and the Priesthood.” Other stories are on my blogspot.

INTRODUCTION

My first book, Healing Arts - A Gift from God, illustrates how foundational principles of energy healing (which are quantum principles) fit with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Other basic questions are answered here. I hope this will help make a difference as we move through the cycle of paradigm change concerning health. Thomas Kuhn wrote about what happens before a paradigm shift takes place. A society doesn’t suddenly just get an increase of wisdom. There is resistance first and a predictable movement through stages called the Kuhn Cycle. This cycle helps explain current situations where people might experience “pushback” to the novel healing methods that are gaining so much traction in the world.

Not everyone is aware of the advances being made in health and wellness by applying quantum principles. This makes for some interesting interactions with other church members and local leaders at times. One woman wrote to me: “Over the 17 or 18 years I have been involved in these complimentary healing methods (at the insistence of the Spirit, I might add), I have bumped –up against the fears and misinformation of members of the church many times – including church leaders.  Each time, with some time and communication, those fears have eventually been laid to rest.”

Thomas Kuhn, 1962, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Thwink.com

 Here is advice I endeavor to follow as I read and write books on integrative forms of healing and as I attend classes. Pres. Joseph F. Smith taught: 

“It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them.  Let us have this matter clear.  We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine.” (Joseph F. Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3:203) 

I have studied in the “alternative” then “complimentary” and now “integrative” medicine field for over 20 years - searching whether it fits with the gospel. It absolutely can when one follows scriptural advice and warnings. So called Energy Medicine has so much good to offer! All truth fits together! This field of help has blessed my family tremendously.

Open your eyes and discover that terms in this field of work have counterparts in scripture in religious language. For example, the “virtue” that left Jesus Christ when a woman touched his robe is “the spirit of life” or a life force energy. Chi and chakras are in scripture as well as generational healing, long distance healing, transferring energy by touch, and many consciousness principles . The Bible teaches how we store emotion in our body and scripture talks about our bodies (plural) filling with light.

A medical doctor succintly explains what is expounded on in the following graphic by yet another medical doctor. Dr. Lucky wrote in his book, “You have to realize that there are different levels to the spirit, and each of these has its own needs and treatments.” He spoke of a mental body, intuitive body, the energy level and lastly the level that doctors work on: the physical level. (Thomas Lucky, MD; Unleashing the Healing Miracle Within, 100) To find real healing we must listen to doctors who treat our ENTIRE selves and look for root causes - not just sympton relief.

“A Roadmap of Healing Techniques”

THE 5 LEVELS OF HEALING

Dietrich Klinghardt, M.D. is the author of The 5 Levels of Healing. He stated: “This is a metaphysical translation of actually, quantum physics.” (https://vimeo.com/656878198)

Almost everything he teaches fits with my religious beliefs. This world renowned doctor stated: “We can affect healing on many levels.  I hope this chart is valuable in understanding what holistic medicine is.  [It is] kind of a roadmap of healing techniques. “

Here is a link to Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt’s paper “The Five Levels of Healing” which was published in Explore! Vol. 14, Number 4, 2005. https://issuu.com/drsarahcarnes/docs/klinghardt_article_5_levels_of_heal

FAQ’s - Frequently Asked Questions

What is energy healing, energy medicine and energy work?  

Energy Medicine is a field of medicine that takes into account that our bodies are complex systems of energies. This integrative help includes tools and techniques called "modalities," sometimes referred to as energy healing or energy work. 

Energy healing addresses the energetic foundation of life - light - which regulates all other systems. Energy healing uses non-toxic methods to balance biological energy flows. This collection of therapies has demonstrated the ability to impact the unseen subtle energy system of the body. Energy Medicine techniques clear and balance the subtle energy system which in turn restores function to the body and its organs and systems. It is easy to believe that the sun is involved in photosynthesis for plants. Likewise, the light of the Son of God, the light of Christ (which prophets teach is a MENTAL light as well as a physical light) promotes health in humans. This is what life force is!

Energy Medicine is used across the country and the world. It's techniques are implemented by international organizations such as the Green Cross that responds to mental trauma after disasters. Thousands of clinical mental health counselors use Energy Psychology in their treatment plans.

Is Energy Medicine in use by hospitals? Yes!

Christine Northrup, MD wrote:

“Hands on energy medicine techniques are already starting to be used in conventional settings. Some hospitals routinely give patients an opportunity to have their energy fields balanced prior to and following surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or other invasive procedures.   It diminishes shock to body, hastens healing, and ameliorates many adverse effects.  In the medicine of the future, as I envision it, working with the patient’s energy field will be the first intervention!  Surgery will be a last resort. Drugs will be a last resort. They will still have place but shifting the energy pattern what caused the disease will be the first line of treatment.  And before that, teaching people how to keep their energies in healthy patterns will be like flossing or exercise.”  Foreword in Donna Eden, Energy Medicine for Women (qtd. in Healing Arts, 3)

Stan Gardner, MD, CNS wrote, “We need to recognize the volume of energy medicine that is already being utilized in conventional medicine. These are proven modalities, but we still do not understand fully their mechanisms of action.” (Healing Arts – A Gift From God, foreword, vii) Dr. Gardner goes on to list 10 examples used in hospitals and says there are many more. Some hospitals have entire wings devoted to Integrative methods of healing such as Energy Medicine. Dr. Stan Gardner explains, “It is obvious that the body has communication systems of which we are not fully aware, all constantly ‘talking’ with each other.” These unseen communication systems underly Energy Medicine.

Why haven’t I heard of this kind of help?

Peta Stapleton, a psychologist who promotes Energy Psychology, explains reasons why people may not have heard of energy medicine therapies.

“There is what is called a “translational gap”, where any new therapies take some time before they are considered standard care. The American Institute of Medicine says this takes about 17 years and only 20 percent of new therapies are accepted in mainstream.   It is also suggested that it takes a decade for practitioners to adopt new approaches into their clinical practice after they have been approved. (Dilling et al., Ploeg et al.)." (Peta Stapleton, PhD, “The Energy Field,” Spring 2021)

Is there science behind energy medicine? Yes!

James L. Oschman, PhD is a leading authority on the scientific basis of energy healing and lectures worldwide about it. He said: "In a few decades scientists went from a conviction that there is no such thing as an energy field around the human body to a certainty that such fields exist and are medically important." In the same paper he wrote: 

 The body emits light, sound, heat, and electromagnetic fields and, like all matter, it has a gravitational field. . . In a sense, all medicine is energy medicine. This may sound trivial, but it makes an important point. Any intervention with a living system involves energy in one form or another. We are interested in how the body produces these different kinds of energy, and how these energies can be applied to the body for beneficial effects.

. . . . Energy medicine is coming of age now that the old arguments about vitalism vs. mechanism have been resolved and methods have been developed for measuring the human energy field. . . .

It is also important to realize that healing may not always involve projecting healing energy into a person; in some cases it may involve removing energy from a site of injury or disease. So it is also important to study the kinds of fields that can be detected radiating from damaged or diseased tissues.

A psychologist, Dr. Peta Stapleton, gives this amazing report on the science for Emotional Freedom Technique, a popular form of Energy Psychology.

 “While there are over 400 identified forms of psychotherapy, many have little or no research to validate them. Energy psychology, the overarching field of which EFT is one method, is now both evidence-based and in the top 10% in terms of published research for psychotherapy.”[1] 

Science from William Tiller, PhD; Konstantin Korotkov, Fritz Albert Popp and others on biophotons, etc. is quoted in my book Healing Arts. A paradigm shifting point is shared by Dr. Joseph Mercola below. He explains that scientists have found that our brains have circuits to explain short-term memory, but none of them for long-term memory. Instead, (simplifying greatly) we have a mental body in our biofield that:

 “...processes, stores and retrieves information which is then used to regulate your physical body. . . . [Dr. Fitz Albert Popp] proved that biophotons originate from your DNA and that they are laser-like in nature. . . .The DNA inside each cell vibrates at a frequency of several billion hertz. . . . The vibration is created through the coil like contraction and expansion of your DNA—which occurs several billion times per second—and every time it contracts, it squeezes out one single biophoton; a light particle. That photon contains all the information on everything going on in your DNA at that moment.. . . All the photons that are emitted from your body communicate with each other in this highly structured light field that surrounds your body, and which is the actual carrier of your long term memory. .. . . Your DNA sends information out on a photon, and on the same photon the information of all the biophotons from your body is broadcast back to your cells.” [3]

That is fascinating! No wonder everything gets "written" in the body as Bruce R. McConkie states when he wrote about the "Book of Life."  (More science is found on the "Disclaimer" tab here on this website.) 

Marcus Schmieke, quantum physicist (and inventor of Timewaver and Healy) wrote, “…The concept of a field of information (or Information Field) has a solid scientific basis as the next step beyond the limited and naïve belief that physical nature is purely ruled by random processes and that consciousness is not a fundamental ontic reality that has no effect on matter. The very concept of a quantum  theory  and  the  experiments of PEAR Lab (Jahn, Dunne 1999 (103)) actually defeat this unsophisticated, materialistic version which continues to maintain the mechanistic worldview of  Cartesian  philosophy  and  Newtonian  Physics.” [4]

[1] Peta Stapleton, PhD, “The Energy Field,” Spring 2021

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vu0Tibt1bQ

[3]  Dr. Joseph Mercola; “5 Principles that Can Heal Almost Any Illness” part 2; post June 3, 2008; articles.mercola.com

[4] Schmieke, Marcus. (2021). Quantum Entangled Frequencies and Coherence in Bioenergetic Systems: Information Field Processes related to the Concepts of Akasha and Prana. Dev Sanskriti Interdisciplinary International Journal, 18, 10-33. http://dsiij.dsvv.ac.in/index.php/dsiij/article/view/226/206  (page 22)

Does a belief in life force energy fit with Christianity?  Yes, a resounding yes!

The universe-filling, life-giving energy comes directly from Jesus Christ! The Savior tells us that He is the light and the life of the world. Doctrine and Covenants section 84 speaks of a universe-filling energy that is in all things called The Light of Christ. This is what the world calls a vital life force energy (or chi). Bruce R. McConkie explains: “Without this light of life, the planets would not stay in their orbits, vegetation would not grow, men and animals would be devoid of the 'breath of life' (Gen. 2:7), and life would cease to exist. (D&C 88:50).” [1] The First Presidency put out an Official Statement saying we believe in a universe filling essence of light that keeps us alive. Joseph Smith taught that the virtue which left the Savior when a woman who touched his robe was healed was the “spirit of life.” There are several scripture names for this essence. Prophets and apostles use various terms for it - as my first book shows.

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actually uses several phrases for life force energy! The world's books speak of a mostly invisible life force energy that fills and surrounds all creation. It has often been called Chi or Prana. A book by author Marcy Meyers sums up a fear Christians may have.

Why are health-care professionals and Christians so concerned with—even afraid of—the healing practice of energy medicine? Many times Christ laid His hands on people before healing them. . . .

I believe some of the modern-day concerns start with a prejudice against certain words commonly used to describe human energy. Within the Christian community, the Chinese word chi the Hindu word prana, the Polynesian word ha, the Native American word ni, and the Egyptian word ka can evoke disapproval and suspicion. I have researched these words to find their origin and their purest, truest use. They all mean the same thing: sacred breath, life force. The Hebrew word ruach is used close to 400 times in the Old Testament. Ruach also means “sacred breath of life.” This is chi! This is prana! This is ni! These are all words from every tribe, tongue and nation to describe the divine energy that sustains life. It is this divine energy that flows around and through the body, and carries within it the innate ability to heal.[2]

When we include modern scripture, as well as the Bible, we find even more prophets talking about this sacred breath of life essence. They speak of it as being connected to consciousness and that it is a record of all things and connects us all. Apostles talk about this life-giving essence being healing, circulating through our bodies and that it can be shared by touch or over a distance.  Christians certainly can believe in Chi or life force energy because we learn about it in scripture and from prophets!

John A. Widtsoe wrote: 

“A subtle substance, the ether, fills all space. In brief, this theory assumes that a very attenuated, but very elastic, substance, called the ether, fills all space, and is found surrounding the ultimate particles of matter. Thus, the pores of wood, soil, lead, gold, and the human body are filled with the ether. It is quite impossible by any known process to obtain a portion of space free from it. . . . Joseph Smith taught space is filled with a substance comparable to the ether of science. . . .The prophet goes farther than some modern scientists, when he says that this universal substance bears a controlling relation to all things.” (John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith as Scientist, 21, 24, 25)

 “Joseph Smith taught that the energy of matter and of ether is a form of intelligence.  If,  according to this doctrine, matter and ether are intelligent; then life also must reside in all matter and ether.  Hence everything in the universe is alive. Further, since all force is motion, universal motion is universal life.  The difference between rock, plant, beast  and man is in the amount and organization of its life or intelligence.  For instance, in harmony with the doctrine, the earth must possess intelligence or life.” (John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith as Scientist, 62) 

“Every atom of matter; every particle of ether is endowed with a form of intelligence. All the attractions, repulsions, and equilibriums among natural objects are modes of expression of the force of intelligence. The explanations of the mysteries of nature will be greatly simplified when the “Mormon” doctrine of the position of intelligence in universal phenomena is clearly understood by scientific workers.”(John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith As Scientist, 130)

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, “The Savior’s healing touch can transform lives in our day just as it did in in His. If we will but have faith, He can take our hands, fill our souls with heavenly light and healing…. The more we understand and apply the doctrinal concept of light, the more we can guard against spiritual sicknesses…. You are a bearer of light.” (Pres. Uchtdorf, “Bearers of Heavenly Light,”  Oct. 2017, General Priesthood Meeting) Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little wrote that there is a life-giving principle in all nature:

“In one of the generally accepted works of the Church, the energy of nature is actually said to be the workings of the Holy Spirit. The passage reads as follows: “Man observes a universal energy in nature- organization and disorganization succeed each other - the thunders roll through the heavens, the earth trembles and becomes broken by earthquakes; fires consume cities and forests; the waters accumulate, flow over their usual bounds, and cause destruction of life and property; the worlds perform their revolutions in space with a velocity and power incomprehensible to man, and he, covered with a veil of darkness, calls this universal energy God, when it is the workings of his Spirit, the obedient agent of his power, the wonder-working and life-giving principle in all nature. (Franklin D. Richards and James A. Little, A Compendium of the Doctrines of the Gospel, 3rd ed., p 150)” (quoted in John A. Widtsoe, Joseph Smith as Scientist, 18)

[1] (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 447) 

[2] Marcy Meyers, Blessed with Energy – The Mystery of Energy Medicine Explained through Science and Scripture, 27. 

What is the "energy" spoken of in energy medicine?

 “In his book, The Tao of Physics, Fritjof Capra outlined many similarities and parallels between the disciplines of physics and the Eastern mystical philosophies… suggesting that there is an incredible linkage between them and that whether it is called 'energy,' the 'Tao,' or 'the Holy Spirit' its essence appears to be very similar.”  (Brian Luke Seaward, Managing Stress, 176)  I was astounded to find past general authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who compared intelligence in the Light of Christ to the universal energy of science. Today, the church website defines the Light of Christ using the word energy.  There are several names used in scripture for this spiritual essence. Elder Widtsoe teaches that there are many spiritual forces. “Matter, wherever found and in whatever form, always possesses energy… Energy appears in many forms, such as heat, light, electricity, magnetism, gravitation, and, according to the gospel, the many spiritual forces.” (John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, 12)  

Is Energy Work miraculous?  No. It is cause and effect laws at work.

 Orson Pratt explains a principle that pertains to this question, 

“If we had the same wisdom that [the Lord Jesus Christ] has, we could see the workings of the Holy Spirit upon the bones that are broken; we could see the circulation of that spirit in bringing those bones together; we could see the action of that spirit in relieving the optic nerve, so as to impart sight to the eye.  If we could see the workings of that spirit, and then understand by what power it works, these things would not be a miracle to us.  God has no limit to these laws that are called the laws of nature.  He has an infinite number of laws; and he can work according to any of them...."  Journal of Discourses, 21: 232-240 or Masterful Discourses of Orson Pratt, 492-93

Apostle John A. Widtsoe explains, “A miracle simply means a phenomenon not understood, in its cause and effect relations.  A miracle is a law not understood.  There can be no chance in the operations of nature.  This is a universe of law of order.” Parley P. Pratt wrote: 

“Angels and all holy men perform all their miracles ... by being in “communication” with this divine substance. ... And the holy fluid, or spirit, being in communication with them all, goes forth to control the elements, and to execute all the mandates which are legally issued, and in accordance with the mind and wisdom of the Great Eloheim. . . . This agency being invisible and the effect visible, the act performed appears to those who are unacquainted with spiritual agency, as a miracle, or an effect without a cause.” (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology,  107) 

God's laws can work for or against a person. One can study and practice, learning to more consistently work with God's universal laws. (See Dr. West's chart which explains various levels of wavelengths at work in this field of medicine here.) 

Are practitioners of energy work healers?   No, God is the healer.

Author Richard Gordon shares his opinion, "No one can really heal anyone else. The person in need of healing is the healer. The practitioner simply holds a resonance to allow the body to heal itself. . . . Since the true healer is the person receiving the energy, the practitioner is merely acting as the catalyst to allow the healer to heal him or herself, and to access and utilize a higher vibrational field of energy.” (Quantum Touch, 26,31) 

I  would change that author's language even further. I attribute all healing to the Savior. Therefore, I do not use the word "healer" to describe myself or my peers or my clients because I know that Jesus Christ is the true healer.

Are we encouraged to leave foreign sounding help or terminology, such as chi and chakras, alone?  No!

No, for Brigham Young said, “Learn everything that the children of men know, and be prepared for the most refined society upon the face of the earth, then improve upon this until we are prepared and permitted to enter the society of the blessed.”  Journal of Discourses 16:11 Hugh Nibley commented on the above quote of President Young. “What could be more foolish than to reject such gifts because they are found outside the Church? ...We should receive their gifts with gratefulness before we presume to supplant them." Orson F. Whitney taught:

“God has been using not merely his covenant people, but other peoples of the world as well, to carry out a work that is too demanding for the limited numbers of Latter-day Saints to accomplish by themselves.  This has been true down through the ages....Good and great men and women, who have not borne the priesthood or been fully aware of God’s ultimate designs, but who have thought profoundly, accumulated great wisdom, led exemplary moral lives, and unselfishly desired to uplift their fellow beings, have been inspired by God under many circumstances to deliver dimensions of light and truth that the people were able to understand and use wisely.  This includes many reformers, and founders of the religions of the world, such as Zarathustra, Bautama Buddha, Lao Tzu, Muhammad, and Guru Nanak.” (untitled address, 91st Annual Conference SLC 1921 p 32-33)

Elder David A. Bednar encouraged members of the church to use technology when he spoke at BYU Education Week. I like that because after much fasting and prayer the Lord led me to Rapid Eye Technology to help my daughter.  Elder Bednar taught,

“In 1862 Brigham Young said: "Every discovery in science and art, that is really true and useful to mankind has been given by direct revelation from God, though but few acknowledge it. It has been given with a view to prepare the way for the ultimate triumph of truth, and the redemption of the earth from the power of sin and Satan. We should take advantage of all these great discoveries, the accumulated wisdom of ages, and give to our children the benefit of every branch of useful knowledge, to prepare them to step forward and efficiently do their part in the great work” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe [1954], 18–19).”  (Qtd. by Elder David A. Bednar, “To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood,” August 19, 2014, BYU Education Week) 

I like that because the Lord led me to Rapid Eye Technology and this journey has definitely taught me much about truth and the promises mentioned above. Elder Bednar repeated this quote again at a Worldwide YSA Broadcast at BYU-Idaho on Nov. 2024. I believe that means it is important. That quote summarizes for me what this field accomplishes: preparing the way for truth and redeeming us from the darkness of the adversary. It is a rare modality that actually speaks of overcoming the adversary outright. They teach to remove negative energy and such. However, it was facilitators who understood the reality of that darkness that were the most helpful to my family.

Is it appropriate for women to use healing gifts? Yes

Joseph Smith taught: “Respecting females administering for the healing of the sick, he further remarked, there could be no evil in it, if God gave His sanction by healing; that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on and praying for the sick, than in wetting the face with water; it is no sin for anybody to administer that has faith, or if the sick have faith to be healed by their administration.”(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 224) 

“Though the authority to administer to the sick belongs to the elders of the Church in general, some possess this power in an unusual degree, having received it as a special endowment of the Spirit.” James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 228 So women can have spiritual gifts of healing! And some do! That is a basic Bible teaching! The church website says,

(See several other quotes like this in Healing Arts - A Gift from God by Tamara Laing. There is a chapter on spiriutal gifts in An LDS Approach to Energy Healing and in Spiritual Repatterning of Abuse.)

Why have women's roles with healing changed so much in the church since the 19th Century?

An article by LDSLiving, “Latter-day Saint Women Giving Blessings: Everything You Need to Know,” sums this up:

So why do women in the Church no longer practice blessings of healing and other rituals to minister to the sick? In the early 20th century, Church members started to shift away from this practice. In 1923, President Heber J. Grant noted that many stakes began the practice of having women wash and anoint the sick with oil, then call on the Elders to confirm their anointing. "We fail to see the consistency [in this practice]," President Grant stated (The First Fifty Years of the Relief Society, 540, footnote 329).

It was during this time Church leaders began encouraging members to follow the direction of the New Testament to call upon the elders. "[T]he scriptures tell us to call on the Elders, who hold the priesthood of God and have the power and authority to administer to the sick in the name of Jesus Christ," President Grant declared. These statements later influenced Joseph F. Smith to write to the Relief Society general presidency in 1946, outlining the guidelines that have since become the standard for our Church:

"While the Authorities of the Church have ruled that it is permissible, under certain conditions and with the approval of the Priesthood, for sisters to wash and anoint other sisters, yet they feel that it is far better for us to follow the plan the Lord has given us and send for the Elders of the Church to come and administer to the sick and afflicted" (The First Fifty Years of the Relief Society, 541, footnote 329). (https://www.ldsliving.com/mormon-women-giving-blessings-everything-you-need-to-know/s/81418)

More detailed answers are found in a paper titled, "A Gift Given, A Gift Taken,” published by the Sunstone magazine yet written with a very fair tone. This short paper outlined succinctly for me what happened over the decades to change attitudes so much about women doing healing work by faith. It was extremely interesting to read portions of letters exchanged between prophets of God and General Relief Society presidents. (It sounds to me like the sisters of the church as a whole, not individually, went into fear about what they could and could not do. This played in to the events that followed.)  You can read the paper here  https://ldsseminary.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/a-gift-given-a-gift-taken-linda-newell.pdf  or here: www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/029-16-25.pdf 

On the church website there is also a paper titled "Joseph Smith's Teachings on Women, Healing and the Temple.”  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/joseph-smiths-teachings-about-priesthood-temple-women?lang=eng  

Below that paper is a link in footnote 32 to an 85 page paper with many more examples of women doing healing work under the direction of church authorities. The paper is titled "Female Ritual Healing in Mormonism" by J.A. Stapley and K. Wright. (Journal of Mormon History 37, no. 1 (Winter 2011): 1–85.) You can read Stapley and Wright's paper here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1754069 This lengthy paper shares similar stories and also shows the dynamics of how encouragement for women using healing gifts ended. 

Is long distance work like phone appointments viable help? 

Yes. See the science on this and examples from the Bible and church history in Healing Arts - A Gift from God.

Although there is a distance between the facilitator and the client's physical selves, there is no distance between their energy bodies because of the unifying field of life force energy that comes from Jesus Christ. We are individual souls, “each a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents” (First Presidency, “A Proclamation to the World”). Yet, prophets have taught that we are all connected by the unifying holy essence that comes from Jesus Christ that is both a physical light AND A MENTAL LIGHT! 

Parley P. Pratt said the gift of healing can be communicated by a word or by this spiritual fluid from one mind to another mind of strong faith, so we can believe in the efficacy of phone sessions and distance work. Quantum physics predicts this connectedness. 

Read David Feinstein's paper that covers his research on the efficacy of using Energy Psychology [also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or "tapping"] on oneself with the intention of helping another. The paper is titled: "Energy Psychology Treatments Over a Distance: The Curious Phenomenon of "Surrogate Tapping." It is found at:  https://www.innersource.net/ep/images/stories/downloads/Surrogate_Tapping_Paper.pdf

A Physics Nobelist gives this advice while teaching about the connectedness of all things. He said: “I hope you can accept Nature as She is– absurd. I’m going to have fun telling you about this absurdity, because I find it delightful. Please don’t turn yourself off because you can’t believe Nature is so strange.  Just hear me out, and I hope you’ll be as delighted as I am when we’re through.” (Richard P. Feynman, Physics Nobelist, QED-The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, 10) 

Of course intelligence in the Light of Christ is everywhere and connects us all! “Quantum physics refers to this life energy, or ‘chi’ as SUBTLE ENERGY.” (Boyd Martin, “How Quantum Physics Does Health,” PureEnergyRx.com)  Interesting and supportive science also comes to us from research on the heart's field. 

“[Institute of HeartMath] research elucidates the intriguing finding that the electromagnetic signals generated by the heart have the capacity to affect others around us. Our data indicate that one person’s heart signal can affect another’s brainwaves, and that heart-brain synchronization can occur between two people when they interact.” R. McCraty, M. Atkinson & D. Tomasino. “Science of the Heart,” p 21,    HeartMath Research Center, Publication No. 01-001.

Is it proper to desire to affect the elements?

Yes. Enoch is an example of this. Additionally, John A. Widtsoe explains:

 “Each and all of the numerous forces in the universe may be subjected to the will of man. In the universe are untold numbers of intelligent beings, whose main business it is to discover the ways of nature, and by an intelligent control of nature, to acquire greater power of advancing development.” (John A.Widtsoe, Rational Theology, p 155, emphasis added)

“The universe is dual: spiritual and material, composed of “spirit-element” and “matter-element.” These two realms are closely interwoven, perhaps of the same ultimate source; yet they are distinct in their nature. Mastery of the universe means acquaintanceship with and control of both of these elemental divisions of the universe in which we live.” (John A Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, (SLC: Deseret Book, 1965), 72, emphasis added)  

“The exercise of the will upon the matter and energy within reach, enabled the intelligent beings, little by little, to acquire power.” (John A. Widtsoe, Rational Theology, Signature Books, SLC, 1997, p 17, emphasis added)

A leading edge scientist today provides a third area of witness. He sums up his work saying:

“For the last four hundred years, an unstated assumption of science is that human intention cannot affect what we call ‘physical reality.’ Our experimental research of the past decade shows that, for today’s world and under the right conditions, this assumption is no longer correct. We humans are much more than we think we are and Psychoenergetic Science continues to expand the proof of it.” – William A. Tiller, Ph.D.

Is there a need to cleanse one's spirit? Yes

“The body has its own wisdom. Its symptoms represent the ways our spirits get our attention,” says Christine Northrup, MD. What follows is how the brethren say it.

"... The forces through which the mind  is governed have been called spiritual fluids. . . . Human souls are of varied capacity with respect to the higher powers. But as the medium is purified, as obstructions are removed, so resistance to the energy decreases, and the forces manifest themselves with greater intensity. By analogous processes of purification, our spirits may be made more susceptible to the forces of life, which are emanations from the Holy Spirit." (James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith, 161-62

 "With faith we can get the right things to do into our hearts and the words and mental exertion to do them. …Faith taps into divine sources and is a manifestation of unity and partnership with the Lord. .Ideas and words formulated by faith come by inspiration… and the power to accomplish the words formed by faith comes from God.…There are serious obstacles to overcome before we can add the power source of faith in our service…. To really have faith, we must cleanse the instruments of faith—our minds, our bodies, and spirits.” (Elder John K. Carmack, "Faith Yields Priesthood Power," Ensign, May 1993, 41)

“There are basic rules of physical health…There are also rules of spiritual health. …All of us experience some temporary physical sickness. …All of us now and again may be spiritually ill as well. Too many of us, however, are chronically spiritually sick. We don’t need to stay that way. We can learn to avoid spiritual infections and maintain good spiritual health. Even though we have a serious physical ailment, we can be spiritually healthy.”  (Elder Boyd K. Packer, “The Balm of Gilead,” Ensign, Nov. 1977)

“Just as the lame man at the pool of Bethesda needed someone stronger than himself to be healed (John 5:1-9 ), so we are dependent on the miracles of Christ’s atonement if our souls are to be made whole from grief, sorrow, and sin. . . .  Referring to Christ, Alma stated … And he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, … that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people” ( Alma 7:11–12). Whatever the source of pain, Jesus understands and can heal the spirit as well as the body.”(Elder Merrill J. Bateman, The Power to Heal from Within,” Ensign, May 1995, 13)

Sometimes the cause of symptoms will NOT be found by doctors, because it is a trapped emotion or dysfunctional family pattern (generational "iniquity") passed down to the third and fourth generation. Iniquity is different than sin. As we have personal experiences everything gets programmed into the body.  This is evident because a reflexologist or a practitioner of foot zoning can find where your body is out of balance by examining your feet, an iridologist can see the same thing by looking in your eyes, and there are those who can “read” your condition from other parts of your body such as your ears or hair sample. (See many other quotes in Healing Arts - A Gift from God on both spiritual diseases and examples of emotions in scripture affecting health.) 

How can I tell if a facilitator is working in integrity?

Brigham Young said: “We must have the testimony of the Lord Jesus to enable us to discern between truth and error, light and darkness, him who is of God, and him who is not of God, and to know how to place everything where it belongs. That is the only way to be a scientific Christian…”  (qtd. in Journal of Discourses, 3:155)  

This question is to be applied to individuals. It is unacceptable to imply that an entire recognized profession of licensed and certified facilitators of Energy Medicine are all in the wrong. Is it possible to be led by the wrong power doing healing work?  

Yes, there is opposition in all things. Therefore, we are urged to use caution in this field of medicine. Brigham Young taught: 

Have the sick been healed? Yes, both by the power of God and by the power of the devil. We say that we can witness that the power of God has healed the sick. Are there individuals here who have seen the sick healed when they did not know by what power they were healed? Yes, a great many. Mesmerism has healed many persons in the world. Do you know whether that works by the power of God, or by the power of the devil? You do not, unless you have the light of revelation. You may believe the testimony of others, but unless you get a revelation for yourselves, you do not know whether it is by the power of God or by the power of the devil. . .

I know of many whom Mesmerism has led out of this Church; they would see the sick healed, and attribute it to the power of God; would fall under its influence, embrace and practice it, and thus give the devil power over them to lead them out of the kingdom of God. They could not tell whether it was the power of God or the power of the devil. What is the reason? They had not the light of revelation within them; they had not the knowledge of God. Are you not aware how easily we may be deceived? A neighbor comes along and tells you a story, and you are ready to believe him, for, you say, “That man is a man of truth, I must believe his statement. That sister is a woman of truth, I cannot but believe her statement. (qtd. in Journal of Discourses, 3:156)

Energy work is a tool. At any time, the person using this tool is either influenced by the light or they are not. It is the practitioner's responsibility to check themselves and know who is influencing them. Seeking help only from facilitators of integrity is important. This is mentioned in Healing Arts - Gift from God, which has a section of warnings for facilitators. (I wish I had put even more warnings in this book after discovering how confused some people are about what energy healing is and is not. Whole chapters of warnings are in my 2nd & 3rd  books.)