Latter-day Saint Life

A Better Way to Carry Oil for Priesthood Blessings

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The following story is a true story. 

In the spring of 2016, a father from California was traveling in the heavily-jungled villages of Thailand’s countryside with his family. This trip was the adventure of a lifetime: ancient ruins, a river cruise and shopping in the local marketplaces. On the final night of their journey, he and his family shared heaping portions of Pad Thai and sat for hours around the table reliving the memories they had made together.

Suddenly, in the middle of the night, the father was jolted out of his sleep by one of his sons. His son was dripping with sweat from a high fever and intense abdominal pain. The father dug through his suitcase for the bag of over-the-counter medicine that was packed just in case someone got sick. While comforting his son and hoping the medication would take effect quickly, he felt prompted to administer a priesthood blessing. 

He didn’t have consecrated oil! It was the middle of the night—there was no one at the front desk. He didn’t remember seeing a market anywhere near the resort. He wondered if they sold olive oil in Thailand? And then he remembered that a friend had given him a little packet that had olive oil in it a few weeks prior. He flung his backpack open and rummaged around until he found his wallet. The glossy black packet was in the slot between his driver’s license and his credit card. Relief washed over him as he held the packet in his hands and prepared himself to administer a priesthood blessing.

This is one of many amazing and sacred experiences that have been relayed to Handcart Studios, manufacturer of Oil Packets, by members of the Church who have found themselves in situations, some dire, where priesthood blessings with oil were needed. The members sharing their experiences either did not have olive oil with them or went to administer a blessing and found that their oil had leaked out of their keychain vial, evaporated or was rancid.

Oil Packets, single-use pouches of unconsecrated, pure, extra-virgin olive oil, are changing the way that members carry oil for priesthood blessings, making it easy and convenient for them to carry oil with them wherever they go. Each packet contains a few drops of oil—enough for one priesthood blessing. A priesthood holder opens the packet, consecrates the oil and then administers the blessing. 

Hermetically sealed, Oil Packets eliminate the inherent issues with keychain oil vials: leaking, spoiling, a messy filling process, and not being able to see how much oil, if any, is present in the vial.  The packets are the size of a business card, which allows both men and women to carry them in a variety of convenient locations: phone cases, wallets, purses, first aid kits, and glove compartments.  Oil Packets allow members to always be prepared for priesthood blessings—whether they are exploring distant and exotic lands, camping in remote locations, working in dangerous environments or simply walking next door to administer a blessing to their neighbor who isn’t feeling well.

Oil Packets are available at Deseret Book and other retail and online locations throughout the United States and Canada. Please visit handcartstudios.com for more information.

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