For my LDS readers, in response to October 2017 General Conference remarks
On Sunday afternoon October 1, 2017 Apostle M. Russell Ballard of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints mentioned these words in a general conference to the members of the Church:
“In some places, too many of our people are looking beyond the mark and seeking secret knowledge in expensive and questionable practices to provide healing and support.An official Church statement, issued one year ago, states: ‘We urge Church members to be cautious about participating in any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings or that claims to have special methods for accessing healing power outside of properly ordained priesthood holders.’The Church Handbook counsels: ‘Members should not use medical or health practices that are ethically or legally questionable. Local leaders should advise members who have health problems to consult with competent professional practitioners who are licensed in the countries where they practice.’Brothers and sisters, be wise and aware that such practices may be emotionally appealing but may ultimately prove to be spiritually and physically harmful.”
Since then many LDS church members have been asking us about this statement and how and if it relates to our work. As noted above, the original statement was issued last year and resulted in a small stir among the LDS community then as well. That stir is the conjecture that this statement applied to energy work. We recognize that those of the LDS faith may be trying to reconcile the definition, meaning and at whom this statement is directed.
First of all, I would also advise caution against “any group that promises—in exchange for money—miraculous healings.”I am not personally aware of what group is being referred to here, but anyone in the healing profession that makes a promise of healing, miraculous or otherwise, is foolish. As far as The Emotion Code and The Body Code, I have taught all our students in every seminar worldwide for the last ten years just the opposite, as these samples slides from our German, English and Spanish seminars show clearly:
All Emotion Code and Body Code practitioners sign a contract with our company agreeing to the following, among other things, in this regard:
- I agree that I shall never make any promise to cure or treat any disease or disorder, whether human or animal, and shall at all times act in a professional manner when performing any act related to, or with an apparent relation to, the Emotion Code™. (same wording in Body Code practitioner contract)
- I agree that I shall never diagnose the presence or absence of any disease or condition in any individual, whether human or animal, unless I am a licensed physician or healthcare provider and such diagnosis falls within the scope of my legal practice. I shall not hesitate to recommend that my clients seek medical advice for any conditions or symptoms that are beyond my knowledge, or that are unusual or suspicious to me or my client.
- I shall not interfere with the recommendations of my client’s medical providers and shall avoid the appearance of practicing medicine without a license.
Clearly, if there are Emotion Code or Body Code practitioners that are making promises of healing, they are in violation of their contract with us, and, if this is brought to our attention, they are subject to losing their certification status with us. We understand that there are claims made in the field of healing which are indeed false and untrue, both on the part of Western medicine and alternative medicine; both caution and discernment must be exercised by all. We make no claims of healing but share many testimonials and individual experiences which are truly amazing and life-changing. Our evidence so far is similar to all religious evidence – anecdotal and personal. Many people do indeed experience healing. It is my belief that healing is innate to every person on this earth through the Light of Christ (D&C 88:13) and the things of this mortality become blocks and imbalances to that light which affect us physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.
Elder Ballard mentions the church handbook that counsels members about health practices that are ethically and legally questionable. From the point of view of Western medicine, alternative medicine may be suspect, but there are healing practices that are so ethically and legally questionable in Western medicine that I am left to speculate what Elder Ballard was actually referring to. For example, here are some headlines:
- Doctors perform thousands of unnecessary surgeries – USA Today, 06/18/2013
- Unnecessary surgery rate as high as 30 percent – Health Serv Res. 1989 Aug; 24(3): 351–407.
- Unnecessary Back Surgery On The Rise, Study Says : NPR, April 6, 2010
- Death by Doctor: Medical Error Is Killing Hundreds of Thousands Each Year Fiscal Times, May 4, 2016
- Death by Doctor: A Hidden Holocaust American Free Press, September 29, 2017
- Medical errors may be third leading cause of death in the U.S.: CNN May 3, 2016
- Prescription Drugs Now Kill More People than Illegal Drugs Mercola.com, October 6, 2011
Practices that are considered to be mainstream will be, for the most part, unique and different to individual countries and cultures; doctor, medicine-man, acupuncturist, herbalist, etc. each has it’s place and prominence in various cultures throughout the world. We have many practitioners throughout the world who work in hospitals in conjunction with mainstream medicine, in countries that I believe are more forward-thinking than the United States, whose citizens are not subjected to the same level of pharmaceutical company propaganda that we here in America are.
I personally believe that the source of all healing is Christ. And although he had no recognized worldly authority, yet He is the very source of all healing in this world. It was through prayer that The Emotion Code and The Body Code came about. I believe that this is my mission in this world, to bring these new forms of healing into this world, that acknowledge faith in God and prayer. In The Emotion Code, you will find the following teachings, which will surprise you only if you have not actually read it:
- God Lives and loves us all; we are his spirit children, brothers and sisters, in a literal sense.
- Adversity is how God helps us to progress
- Charity or pure love should be our highest goal
- Pride, or enmity between ourselves and others, and particularly between ourselves and God, will hamper our progress
- There was a life that we lived before this one, where we lived with God in a place of beauty and love
- A veil divides us from the memories of our life before we came here
- There is a spirit within us, that is the template for our physical body, that looks just like we look now
- Forgiveness arises from our ability to have Charity
- The body is in reality a temple of God
- God has a purpose for each of us
- Integrity is living what we know or believe to be true
- The principle of proxy work is a true principle (think temple work and the atonement; both performed by proxy)
- Love is the highest vibration of all; we are meant to live in a state of love
- All things are accomplished by faith and belief
- We are strangers here; “trailing clouds of glory do we come from God, who is our home.”
- We are here to gain the experience of living in physical bodies, and to learn to choose between good and evil, and to gain faith
- We have always existed
- The universe is filled with intelligence
- Prayer to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ is how I received The Emotion Code, and I encourage others to do likewise whenever they use The Emotion Code
We read that, “there are many gifts, and to every man (and woman) is given a gift by the Spirit of God.” Healing and being healed are gifts of the Spirit that are among those gifts given to all people, and anyone can attain them by asking for them, whether they are male, female, professional, or layperson (D&C 46:19-29).
Is it reasonable to assume that any advances in healing will, of necessity, come through Western medicine? I don’t think so. While Western medicine makes many wonderful advances, it has no monopoly on truth. Can we suppose that we have gotten all the truth about healing that we are ever going to get? I do not believe this is true. Instead, I believe that there are many things that are “yet to be revealed” by our Father in Heaven, even in relation to the healing arts, and that they may not necessarily come through mainstream medicine.
There is no ingenious mind that has ever invented anything beneficial to the human family but what he obtained it from the one source, whether he knows or believes it or not. There is only one source whence men obtain wisdom, and that is God, the fountain of all wisdom; and though men may claim to make their discoveries by their own wisdom, by meditation and reflection, they are indebted to our Father in Heaven for all.-Brigham Young
One has only to look at history to see that the great advancements made by mankind have typically happened not by the committee, but by the individual, toiling alone to find a better way. Note that there has always been resistance to new information coming into the world. Remember, “If God had wanted man to fly, He would have given him wings.”
From D&C 89 we read:
18 And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones;19 And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;
I believe that the above Scripture is true. If we had all the knowledge that was available about everything why would these verses speak of “hidden treasures of knowledge?” And who will those “hidden treasures of knowledge” come through? A humble man or woman who earnestly desires to gain truth and knowledge, who follows the guidance above, is more likely to receive a breakthrough than a team of professionals who are relying on their own training and their own wisdom. God is the source of all wisdom, and He invites to go to Him and tells us He will share it with us. Also, remember that:
22 Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed…
There was a woman in our congreation a couple of years ago that was very skeptical about the Emotion Code. She later told us that she prayed about it, and in answer to her prayer she heard a voice which said to her, “Just because you don’t understand this doesn’t mean that it is not true.”
Ultimately, I think that Elder Ballard’s advice is to be cautious. We also second that statement to be cautious and wise (Jacob 6:12). We recognize that there are many in this world who, either from ignorance or malice, actually do harm; therefore, each person must use their best judgment in selecting health practitioners. We humbly believe that The Emotion Code and The Body Code are inspired from God, and if practiced as taught, provide a wonderful new means for people to learn the art of healing, to heal themselves and their loved ones, to open their hearts and increase their faith, in preparation for a better world soon to come.
-Dr. Bradley Nelson
St. George, Utah
October 9, 2017
