Question: Is it wrong to call on a class of sisters to form a circle around sick persons and take turns in prayer over them, as long as they do not do it in the authority of the priesthood, but through the power of our Savior; and is it wrong for the priesthood to take their turns in prayer over the sick? Answer: Much praying or praying at great length should not be indulged in, and to form a circle for this purpose would be an innovation. It is the prayer of faith, not of many words, that avails, and wisdom ofttimes suggests brevity in prayer, and especially is this the case when a delicate or weak patient is the subject of administration.
[First Presidency, Letter to Philemon C. Merrill, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
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