splendidsun

Your reasons for the practice are simply mistaken. It had nothing to do with the lack of men around. As to the Priesthood that women shared with men, as you say, I would refer you to the link in my previous comment.

I am quite sure on the oxen thing. In the movie, they don't show the actual blessing. For more on this particular healing see Lavina Fielding Anderson, "Mary Fielding Smith: Her Ox Goes Marching On," Dialogue 14 (Winter 1981): 91-100. You can read it online here. To understand female participation in healing ordinances, it is important to realize that it was a very common thing until the 1920's or so. Women were allowed to anoint and confirm the anointing. This is no longer the case, so one must realize that all the teachings by the prophets and apostles on this matter are no longer in force.

Current Church policy is that only Melchizedek Priesthood holders participate in blessings.

You are probably thinking of Joseph F. Smith's editorial in the Improement Era when he was President of the Church: A wife does not hold the priesthood in connection with her husband, but she enjoys the benefits thereof with him; and if she is requested to lay hands on the sick with him, or with any other officer holding the Melchizedek priesthood, she may do so with perfect propriety. It is no uncommon thing for a man and wife unitedly to administer to their children, and the husband being mouth, he may properly say out of courtesy, "By authority of the holy priesthood in us vested.” (Joseph F. Smith Improvement Era, 1907, vol. 10 pg. 308) There are random occurences of women invoking their husband's priesthood, but there are thousands and thousands of references where they do it simplyin the name of Jesus. RE: the healing of the oxen. Again, it wasn't Eliza Snow, it was Mary Fielding's oxen. And she didn't do it. She had some men in the wagon company do it.

Note that there are several different topics on this thread. Female ritual healing started in Kirtland and Joseph taught the Relief society "according to revelation" that they could administer healing rituals. The first presidency wrote a circular letter in 1914 that described the rituals that women could administer. This was very common until the 1920's and died out practically-speaking in the 1940's. The story that Mary Fielding administered to her oxen is an urban legend. She asked men in her company to do it. There are accounts of healing animals sporadically into the Utah era. Note that healing wasn't considered a uniquely priesthood ordinance until the twentieth century. So, be careful not to conflate healing power and participation in healing rituals with priesthood authority. Here is a brief update on my research that deals with this. You can also listen to my presentation at the Mormon History Association last spring, that deals with this topic entitled "Baptism for Healing and Women as Healers: Twin Trajectories of Early Mormon Ritual." As far as women and the priesthood, see here.