In Mormon 9:24 we find: "And these signs shall follow them that believe--in my name shall . . . they lay hands on the sick and they shall recover."
According to Vicki Alder, when the Lord healed someone, He often touched the afflicted area of their body. For example, when Peter cut off the ear of the centurion, Jesus "touched his ear and healed him" (Luke 22:51) At times it is also recorded that Jesus anointed the person with a substance. For example, Jesus anointed the eyes of a blind man with a substance. (John 9:6-7) Jesus put His fingers in a man's ears and anointed his tongue with a substance, and he was healed. (Mark 7:32-35)
It is interesting to note that in the early days of the restored Church, the anointing oil was often applied directly to the part of the body that was to be healed or restored and sometimes the oil was taken internally. However, according to Joseph Smith, laying on of hands is the "sign" of the healing of the sick. He said: "What is the sign of the healing of the sick? The laying on of hands is the sign or way marked out by James, and the custom of the ancient Saints as ordered by the Lord, and we cannot obtain the blessings by pursuing any other course except the way marked out by the Lord." (Teachings, pp. 198-199)
After Christ's death and ascension, the "laying on of hands" method of healing was used by His disciples. It was promised to them: "they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:18, see Acts 3:7, 9:17, 28:8; Mormon 9:24) [Vicki Alder, Mysteries in the Scriptures: Enlightenment through Ancient Beliefs, pp. 242-244]