Patriarchal Blessing #6

Submitted October 21, 1999

Okay, here it is. When you post it, I humbly request that you include absolutely NO identifying information about me: No e-mail address, no g32y6xA1, and no names, not even my "ytr82 8i*%1" web handle. Is that cool by you? Here goes, with my comments contained in [brackets]:

--- My Patriarchal Blessing ---

H3yZ8, in the name of Jesus Christ, and with the authority of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood, and with the authority of the calling of Stake Patriarch, I place my hands upon your head and give you a patriarchal blessing.

I know that the Lord heard the sweet prayer you gave prior to this blessing. I add my prayer to yours that I will be inspired to say those things which will be of importance for you to hear at this time and read many times throughout your life.

I am grateful that you came at this time in your life for this blessing from your Heavenly Father, for I feel that you are a special, sweet spirit, a special son of God. You are one who has a great mission to fulfill as you serve here on this earth. And I pray that the words of this blessing will remind you of that fact and that they will give you the encouragement and understanding that you will desire several times in your life.

I pray also that as you read these words, the feeling of nearness to your Heavenly Father which you feel at this time will be refelt and rekindled in your heart. For the spirit of our Heavenly Father is indeed here this day to give us the warmth and the understanding you desire at this time.

Now you are of the lineage of the tribe of Ephraim, he who was a son of Joseph, he who was a descendant of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And through this lineage, you have been given responsibilities which you will fulfill as you serve here on this earth. In fact, you have already begun to fulfill these requirements and those of a great mission you accepted as you came here. And you have been given talents and blessings which will allow you to accomplish and to go forward and to achieve righteous goals which you have and will set before you.

Know that you are a special child of God. Know that you do have a special mission here to fulfill. Desire to learn and to progress. Desire to serve and the opportunities you desire, the privilege will be yours to serve your Heavenly Father in many ways. And you will be called to important positions to allow you to use those talents you have in accomplishing those things He would have you do. [I assumed by this that I was destined to be at least a bishop at some point. In reality, I was called to be the co-chair of the Stake Youth Council when I was seventeen, but that was the highest calling I ever received. I'm not dead yet, so who knows whether this would have been "fulfilled" if I had stayed in the Church, but nevertheless God should have known I'd end up leaving and thus this statemend failed as a prophecy.]

Your testimony will be a strength in your life. Protect it with all that you do. For from its strength, will you be able to thwart the attempts of Satan to lead you astray. And from the strength of this great testimony, will you be able to convey to others your knowledge of the truthfulness of the Gospel. [I'm sure my prayer before the blessing as mentioned above is what impressed him to say this, not any special inspiration from diety. Also, although the Church would probably consider me "astray," it was due to their own doctrinal flip-flopping and history obfuscation, not some orchestrated campaign by a demon.]

Honor the great Priesthood which you hold. For from this power and through this authority, will you be able to bless the live of many with whom you serve. Your life will be blessed because of your service to others.

Seek, again, to serve your Heavenly Father. Learn to progress and to fulfill the needs and callings which lie before you. [In reality, I didn't have too many callings after this statement was delivered. I was the type that doesn't socialize at church much, so I suppose no one noticed me when looking for people to fill callings.] And I bless you that as you go forth in a manner pleasing to your Heavenly Father, your mind will be clear and you will be able to retain those things you desire to learn and to hold. You will be able to use these things at specific times in your life when you desire to give these things to others. [This came true, but not in a way the church was expecting, I'm sure! As it was, I retained enough to know when the prophets contradicted other prophets, hence my awakening to the fact that LDS doctrine isn't as rock-solid and consistent as I had thought it was.]

Now you will be a father and you will be a leader in your home, and you will be able to give unto your family those blessings afforded you through this great church and through the Priesthood you hold. Life eternal will be a great goal for which each of you will be working and which goal will give you the desire before you to seek after those things which will carry you there. [Notice that it doesn't say I will be a husband. Of course, in the LDS church one usually isn't a father without having first been a husband, so I assumed for years that my future wife would die early and I'd spend the majority of my family life raising my children as a widowed parent. Perhaps it was an oversight on his part, or perhaps my being a husband was simply a given in his mind, but I was a diehard believer that a patriarchal blessing was prophecy, so that nagging worry was always with me.]

Now you will be a strength in your family and a leader to whom your brothers will turn and your fine parents will turn. [This intrigued me even at the time, since my parents had recently separated. I think I even told him as much before the blessing. I didn't know whether to interpret this to mean that they'd end up together again at some point, or if we'd all keep in close touch. Neither came true.] Through your work, they will grow stronger and closer to the church and you will find the love and the affection, one for another, will be beautiful in your heart and in theirs. [I dislike my father to this day, perhaps as bad as ever. Again, who knows what the future holds, but the "through your work" and "closer to the church" parts certainly failed as prophecy.]

Seek the Gospel in all that you do and it will grow in your heart and soul. [This can probably be applied to anything--If you seek any one thing in all that you do, that thing tends to grow in your heart and soul as a matter of course.] Remain close to your Heavenly Father in prayer and listen intently for His answers. Many will be the occasions in which you will know that your prayers are being answered and that your Heavenly Father has indeed heard your prayers.

Now these are special blessings and I seal them upon you. I seal you to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, there to enjoy and participate in those things which will transpire at that time. And these things I say unto you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.


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