Clark, Kris Wright, presented at MHA a couple of years ago on consecrated oil and Mormon community; I’d love to see that published. It looks like I may also be working a history of consecrated oil or anointing for an edited volume.

J., is there another of your posts that you would recommend as a general overall historic view?

(The Brigham Young post with the head scratcher is here; I can see why that puzzled you, Clark, if you hadn’t realized that oil was ever used other than a few drops on the crown of the head. In that specific context, the oil no doubt was intended to be helpful as a lubricant, too.)

We’ve never had the practice of people performing blessings on themselves, but consecrated oil used to be used as a sort of cure-all medicine. People drank it, and rubbed it on ailing parts without necessarily having a blessing or any other ritual along with it. I think this kind of use is what GQC is referring to.

I kind of like the neighborly view expressed here, too. I hadn’t thought about it before, but I guess my mental image, which I would expect to be similar to most other people’s, has been that the kingdoms occupied separate geography. When it comes right down to it, though, not enough has been revealed for us to have any clear idea of what comes next, no matter how detailed our imaginings are.

I was also interested in the questions about blessing/healing the sick. Does the sentence: “it is, however, perfectly proper and advisable for the sick to use oil for their afflictions, and God will sanctify the anointing to their good,” mean that people can perform their own blessings and such? Perhaps this is common knowledge and I’m just in the dark.

I was also taken with the question about telestial and terrestrial beings invading celestial space (this one probably has the most relevance for my future). The answer makes a great deal of sense and I think is a novel way to look at it, no? At least, I’m used to people imagining the three kingdoms to be absolutely separate, if not distant, pieces of heavenly real estate. I must say I like George Q.’s version a lot better, but that might be because it allows that I’ll be able to visit with y’all…

“How many lawyers can round dance on the head of a pin?”

I’ve been to some of the junior high dances at my wife’s school where she teaches. In some aspects, it’s like a stake dance with looser dress standards, but every so often, you see things that make even my head explode. And as the spouse of a teacher, I have exactly no authority, except to stop the 7th grade boys from running in the gym with an open can of Pepsi. I say, bring back the round dances!