About Patriarchal blessings

[_GoodK]

I am feeling conflicted, especially lately, with my fondness for the LDS church (mostly the social aspects of it) and my overwhelming conviction that there is no such thing as God, let alone the God described in the Old and New Testaments. That being said, when I was 16 years old I had my Patriarchal blessing and it had a profound effect on my life both at the time and a little later. To this day, it makes my lack of faith more difficult than any other spiritual experience I have ever had. I am curious as to why I haven't seen this church practice mentioned here or at MAD more, and am wondering if other's here feel the way I do their Patriarchal blessings.

[_Doctor Steuss]

If I recall correctly, John W/Runtu did a thread both here and on MA&D a while back on boilerplate PBs.

My PB is actually one of the things that have led me to reciprocating the silent treatment to G-d.

[_Gazelam]

I love my patriarchal blessing. It was a great experience getting it, and I love to go back and read it from time to time.

[_Imapiratewasher]

A PB is kinda like a lot of things in church, it s seen as sacred. The Patriarch said something different to what I read on the paper of mine. It made me cry once, but doesn't generally have much affect on me. I don't quite know where it is at the moment.

[_Moniker]

I'm not familiar with Patriarchal blessings. Is this something seen as momentous in the Church?




Stu, sorry.

[_Gazelam]

For Moni:

Patriarchal Blessings
Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the Church by ordained patriarchs. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person's lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.

Additional Information

Declaration of Lineage

A patriarchal blessing includes a declaration of lineage, stating that the person is 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 a person's lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption. Church members are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant (see Abrahamic Covenant).

Learning from a Patriarchal Blessing

Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should read it humbly, prayerfully, and frequently. It contains personal revelation and instructions from Heavenly Father, who knows our strengths, weaknesses, and eternal potential. Patriarchal blessings may contain promises, admonitions, and warnings.

Those who follow the counsel in their patriarchal blessing will be less likely to go astray or be misled. Only by following the counsel in a patriarchal blessing can one receive the blessings contained therein.

While a patriarchal blessing contains inspired counsel and promises, it should not be expected to answer all of the recipient's questions or to detail all that will happen in his or her life. If the blessing does not mention an important event, such as a full-time mission or marriage, the person should not assume that he or she will not receive that opportunity.

Similarly, the recipient of the blessing should not assume that everything mentioned in it will be fulfilled in this life. A patriarchal blessing is eternal, and its promises may extend into the eternities. If one is worthy, all promises will be fulfilled in the Lord's due time. Those promises and blessings that are not realized in this life will be fulfilled in the next.

Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. They may be shared with immediate family members, but should not be read aloud in public or read or interpreted by others. Not even the patriarch or bishop or branch president should interpret it.

Those who have received a patriarchal blessing should treasure its words, ponder them, and live to be worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in the life to come.

To find out how to receive a patriarchal blessing, Church members should speak with their bishop or branch president.

—See True to the Faith (2004), 111–13

[_Mercury]

Patriarchal blessings are form letters.

Here's a thought. Do some GA's (especially multi generational GA's) share Patriarchs who bestowed their blessings?

Also, if your dad or grandfather is a GA do you think the stakes patriarch wouldn't dress up a normally bland operation?

Patriarchal blessings are just another form of Mormon currency.

[_Mercury]

I love my patriarchal blessing. It was a great experience getting it, and I love to go back and read it from time to time.

Gaz, you know they play MadLibs to get those things right? "patriarch" Hardy (i think that was his name) even asked me if I knew a synonym of "blessed".

chucklechuckle

[_Inconceivable]

My PB is actually one of the things that have led me to reciprocating the silent treatment to G-d.

The blessing I was given blew myself and parents away. It was kind of like Christmas. I was given several major gifts and some amazing promises. It really said quite a bit about the future and future events. Mine really did Trump any that I have ever seen.

I suppose I was destined for greatness until I screwed it up by leaving the church.

My kids have horribly bland boilerplate PB's. They are a joke.

[_Trevor]

I was promised I'd be the one to revive the Battlestar Galactica series so that many more would inadvertently be brought to a knowledge of the truth. I was so devastated that someone beat me to it, that I lost my testimony.

Until I saw a heavenly vision...