My non-mormon friend said that was one of the weirdest parts, that everyday mormon men can just cure someone's sickness, just like that. He asked, why don't they just go to hospitals and fix everyone? I had to stop myself from regurgitating the chant "it doesn't work like that!"
I said, "you're exactly right. Somehow they convince everyone that although they have this power, it only works if people have the faith to be healed, AND God wills it."
"That is batshit crazy."
He's right, we were taught to believe that we have magic powers, but even in the missionary handbook it says that we are discouraged from walking around hospitals offering blessings.
Oh, and women don't get this power. But technically they do, they just have to pray really hard.
ooh, the salamander letter would be a gooood topic of convo. Most members and missionaries don't know about that one