Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the
Church by ordained patriarchs. Your patriarchal blessing
declares your lineage in the house of Israel and contains personal
counsel from the Lord to you.
As you study your patriarchal blessing and follow the
counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and
protection. To find out how to receive a patriarchal blessing,
talk with your bishop or branch president.
Declaration of Lineage
Your patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of your
lineage, stating that you are of the house of Israel—a descendant
of Abraham, belonging to a specific tribe of Jacob. Many
Latter-day Saints are of the tribe of Ephraim, the tribe given
the primary responsibility to lead the latter-day work of the
Lord.
Because each of us has many bloodlines running in us,
two members of the same family may be declared as being of
different tribes in Israel.
It does not matter if your lineage in the house of Israel is
through bloodlines or by adoption. As a member of the
Church, you are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an
heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the
Abrahamic covenant (see “Abrahamic Covenant,” pages 5–6).
Learning from Your Patriarchal Blessing
Once you have received your patriarchal blessing, you
should read it humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. It is a personal
revelation from your Heavenly Father, who knows your
strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. Through your
patriarchal blessing, He will help you learn what He expects
of you. Your blessing may contain promises, admonitions,
and warnings. As time goes on, you will recognize the power
of the revelation in it.
As you follow the counsel in your blessing, you will be
less likely to stumble or be misled. If you do not follow the
counsel, you will not be able to receive the promised blessings.
While your patriarchal blessing contains inspired counsel
and promises, you should not expect it to answer all your
questions or to detail all that will happen in your life. If your
blessing does not mention an important event, such as a fulltime
mission or marriage, you should not assume that you
will not receive that opportunity.
Similarly, you should not assume that everything mentioned
in your patriarchal blessing will be fulfilled in this life.
A patriarchal blessing is eternal, and its promises may extend
into the eternities. Be assured that if you are worthy, all
promises will be fulfilled in the Lord’s due time. Those that
are not realized in this life will be fulfilled in the next.
Your patriarchal blessing is sacred and personal. You
may share it with immediate family members, but you
should not read it aloud in public or permit others to read it
or interpret it. Not even your patriarch or bishop or branch
president should interpret it.
Treasure in your heart the precious words in your patriarchal
blessing. Ponder them, and live so that you will be
worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in
the life to come.
3 comments:
On one occasion at the School of Prophets in January 1833, as Joseph knelt down to wash his father's feet in a gesture of love reminiscent of the Savior, Joseph was moved to ask for a father's blessing. Joseph Sr. responded by laying his hands on his son's head and pronouncing a beautiful blessing with powerful promises. Several months later, the roles were reversed as Joseph Jr. ordained his father as the first patriarch in the young Church, thus beginning a modern legacy that has touched the lives of millions.
Page, A Father's Blessing: The Power and Privilege of the Priesthood, 99-100
A personal experience of Rebecca Rose in the New Era.
"My Miracle"
Patriarchal blessings contemplate an inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient and, when so moved upon by the Spirit, an inspired and prophetic statement of the life mission of the recipient, together with such blessings, cautions and admonitions as the patriarch may be prompted to give for the accomplishment of such life's mission, it being always made clear that the realization of all promised blessings is conditioned upon faithfulness to the gospel of our Lord, whose servant the patriarch is.
Monson, "Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light," Ensign, November, 1986, 66.
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