Lesson 178: For the Strength of Youth: Making Choices

Patriarchal Blessings

“Personal Scripture to You”

Our loving Father in Heaven has many ways of providing guidance and direction to His children. One way He does this is through patriarchal blessings. This lesson can help students feel of the Lord’s desire to guide them through their patriarchal blessing.

Possible Learning Activities

Direction in our lives

Consider displaying the following picture or drawing a picture like it on the board.

• What are some aspects of your life in which you might feel like the person in this picture? Why?

• What can help us know what to do when we are unsure of the direction we should take in life?

Explain that the scriptures teach important truths about God that can help us when we need direction.

Read Doctrine and Covenants 6:14; 42:61; and 112:10, looking for truths that can help us when we face uncertain situations.

Invite the students to share the truths they found. Using their own words, they could share truths similar to:

As often as we inquire of God, He will instruct us through His Spirit (Doctrine and Covenants 6:14).

If we ask, God will bless us with revelation upon revelation (Doctrine and Covenants 42:61).

God will lead us by the hand and give us answers to our prayers (Doctrine and Covenants 112:10).

You could also ask students to share other scriptures they know of that demonstrate God’s eagerness to provide us with guidance and direction.

• How can remembering these truths impact your feelings or attitudes toward God?

• What are some ways God provides us with direction for our lives?

Patriarchal blessings

If needed, mention that patriarchal blessings are one way we can receive direction from God. To help students assess their current knowledge about patriarchal blessings, consider displaying the following content and giving students time to respond to the statements silently or in their study journals.

Using a scale from one (not true) to five (very true), ponder how true each of the following statements is for you:

1. I understand what a patriarchal blessing is.

2. I know how a patriarchal blessing can impact my life.

3. I believe God can give me direction for my life through my patriarchal blessing.

Give students time to write down questions they have about patriarchal blessings on the board. They might have questions like the following:

• What is a patriarchal blessing?

• How can a patriarchal blessing impact my relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

• How can I prepare for my patriarchal blessing?

• When should I receive my patriarchal blessing?

Choose at least one question about patriarchal blessings that you would like to answer. Write your questions at the top of a journal page or in a notes page on your mobile device. Seek Heavenly Father’s guidance through the Holy Ghost to help you find answers to your questions.

Answering questions about patriarchal blessings

Give students time to find answers to their questions about patriarchal blessings. Consider the needs and abilities of your students in determining how they will look for answers. It may be helpful for some to look for answers in small groups.

Choose from the following options to find answers to your questions about patriarchal blessings:

1. Search available resources in the Gospel Library app. For example, you could study “Patriarchal Blessings” in Gospel Topics or search for “patriarchal blessings” in general conference talks.

2. Study one of the following talks from the April 2023 general conference: “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing” by Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita (Liahona, May 2023, 88–90) or “Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father” by Elder Randall K. Bennett (Liahona, May 2023, 42–43).

3. Study the statements on the handout titled “Answering Questions about Patriarchal Blessings.”

Answering Questions about Patriarchal Blessings

President Russell M. Nelson shared:

[A patriarchal blessing] is precious. It is personal scripture to you. It declares your special lineage. It reminds you of your linkage with the past. And it will help you realize your future potential. Literally, you can lay claim upon the Lord for fulfillment of those blessings through your faithfulness. (Russell M. Nelson, “Thanks for the Covenant” [Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 22, 1988], 5)

Elder Kazuhiko Yamashita of the Seventy testified:

I frequently and prayerfully read my patriarchal blessing; it always gives me encouragement. I recognize what the Lord expects of me, and it has helped me to repent and be humble. When I read and ponder it, I desire to live worthy of receiving its promised blessings. …

… I bear my witness that Heavenly Father and His Beloved and Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, live. They love us. Patriarchal blessings are sacred gifts from Them. When you receive your blessing, you will realize and feel how They love you and how They focus on you individually. (Kazuhiko Yamashita, “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing,” Liahona, May 2023, 90)

Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, former Young Women General President, shared:

At an FSY conference, I met two young women who had been struggling. Both young women mentioned turning to her patriarchal blessing to rediscover the Lord’s love and guidance for her personally. Find your patriarchal blessing, blow off the dust if you must, but study it often. If you don’t have one, get one—soon. Don’t delay finding out what the Lord wants to tell you now about who you are. (Bonnie H. Cordon, “Come unto Christ and Don’t Come Alone,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 10)

© 2023 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

After students have had an opportunity to study, consider inviting them to share what they learned by asking questions like the following:

• What did you learn from your studies that you found to be most helpful?

• What were some answers that you found to your questions?

• How do you think a patriarchal blessing can impact your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Consider sharing how God has blessed or directed you through your patriarchal blessing. You could also encourage students who have received their patriarchal blessing to share their experiences. Be sure students understand that they should not share details of their blessings. It is, however, appropriate to share about their experiences receiving a patriarchal blessing and how it has blessed their lives.

You could also show one of the following videos, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, to show examples of how individuals received guidance from God through their patriarchal blessings.

• “Enemy Territory” (time code 0:00 to 2:25) — An account from the life of President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (1924–2015).

• “Without Fear” (3:30) — A young man from Italy described how his patriarchal blessing helped him make the decision to serve a mission.

Think about what you have learned

To help students reflect on what they have learned and felt, consider inviting them to do the following:

Ponder the promptings or impressions you have felt today from the Holy Ghost. In your study journal, write a few sentences about the guidance and direction Heavenly Father has given you today and how you might act on those promptings.

Encourage students to act on the impressions they have felt today. Testify of the guidance and direction from Heavenly Father available to us through patriarchal blessings.

Additional Resources

What is a patriarchal blessing?

Sister Rebecca L. Craven, formerly of the Young Women General Presidency, taught:

A patriarchal blessing is an inspired blessing from Heavenly Father given by an ordained patriarch, usually from within your stake. It is a personal, revelatory message just for you. Your blessing will give you counsel, warnings, advice, and promises to help guide your life. (Rebecca L. Craven, “Your Book of Possibilities,” For the Strength of Youth, Aug. 2022, 26)

How can Heavenly Father bless me through a patriarchal blessing?

In April 2020, a young woman named Laudy Ruth Kaouk was invited to speak in general conference. She testified:

How the Priesthood Blesses Youth

I have learned to turn to my patriarchal blessing whenever I feel sad or lonely. My blessing helps me to see my potential and the specific plan God has for me. It comforts me and helps me to see beyond my earthly perspective. It reminds me of my gifts and of the blessings I will receive if I live worthily. It also helps me to remember and feel at peace that God will provide answers and open doors for me at exactly the right moment when I need it most.

Patriarchal blessings help prepare us to return to live with our Heavenly Father. I know patriarchal blessings come from God and can help us turn our weaknesses into strengths. These are not messages from fortune-tellers; these blessings tell us what we need to hear. They are like a Liahona for each one of us. When we put God first and have faith in Him, He will lead us through our own wilderness. (Laudy Ruth Kaouk, “How the Priesthood Blesses Youth,” Liahona, May 2020, 56–57)

How do I receive a patriarchal blessing?

The following guidelines are described in the General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

The bishop or an assigned counselor interviews members who desire to receive a patriarchal blessing. If the member is worthy, the interviewer prepares a Patriarchal Blessing Recommend. …

After receiving a recommend, the member contacts the patriarch to set up an appointment to receive a patriarchal blessing. On the day of the appointment, the member should go to the patriarch with a prayerful attitude and in Sunday attire. Members may fast, but fasting is not required. (General Handbook, 18.17; 18.17.1, ChurchofJesusChrist.org) .

Supplemental Learning Activities

Requesting a copy of your Patriarchal Blessing

Consider teaching students how to access their patriarchal blessings, or the blessings of deceased family members, at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. You could share the following website with them, or provide it to them as a QR code, and have them log in with their Church account username and password.

https://pb.churchofjesuschrist.org/pbrequest/home/personal

You could also display the following instructions to guide them.

1. Go to ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

2. Click on Sign In.

3. Log in using your Church account.

4. Click on Resources and select Patriarchal Blessing.

5. Click on Request My Blessing and complete the submission form.

6. Or click on Family Blessings and complete the submission form. (When requesting a family blessing, be prepared to provide names and approximate birth dates.)

Students could take a few minutes and request a copy of their patriarchal blessing or a copy of a deceased family member. You might discuss with students how reading a patriarchal blessing of a deceased family member can help them draw closer to their ancestors.

You can also help students access their patriarchal blessing on the home screen of the Gospel Library App.

Declaration of lineage

Some students may wonder why it is important to receive a declaration of lineage in a patriarchal blessing. To help them understand why their lineage is important, you could display the following statement:

When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing

As you receive a declaration of lineage, you will come to know that you are of the house of Israel and the seed of Abraham [see Abraham 2:10]. To understand the significance of this, focus on the promises the Lord made to the house of Israel through Abraham.

Those promises include:

• “His posterity would be numerous (see Genesis 17:5–6; Abraham 2:9; 3:14).

• “His seed, or descendants, would receive the gospel and bear the priesthood (see Abraham 2:9).

• “Through the ministry of his seed, ‘all the families of the earth [would] be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal’ (Abraham 2:11)” [Gospel Topics, “Abrahamic Covenant,” Gospel Library].

(Kazuhiko Yamashita, “When to Receive Your Patriarchal Blessing,” Liahona, May 2023, 89)

Students could also read “You are part of the house of Israel” (Inspiration, ChurchofJesusChrist.org) or “Declaration of Lineage” (in Gospel Topics, “Patriarchal Blessings,” Gospel Library) to learn more about lineage.

You could then ask students to explain why they think a declaration of lineage is an important part of a patriarchal blessing.

Church history examples

To help students see how patriarchal blessings impacted the lives of individuals in church history, consider sharing one or more of the following stories. You could create QR codes for each story and display them on the board. Students could then choose to study one or more of the accounts.

• Phebe Carter Woodruff’s faith in her patriarchal blessing helped her move forward even though she had not yet received things she desired (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 1, The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846 [2018], 262–64).

• Connie Taylor’s faith and diligence enabled her to see the fulfillment of promises in her patriarchal blessing (see Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days, vol. 3, Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893–1955, 350–53, 536–37).

• Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s patriarchal blessing helped him to stand strong and faithful in the dangers he faced while fighting in World War II (see Saints, 3:465–68).

• Ruben Gapiz’s life changed and his prayers were answered because of his patriarchal blessing (see Global Histories, Philippines, “Growing While Serving the Lord,” Gospel Library).

• Eva Hernández saw the fulfillment of a promise in her patriarchal blessing (see Global Histories, Spain, “A Blessing Fulfilled,” Gospel Library).