“Patriarchal Blessings,” True to the Faith (2004), 111–13
“Patriarchal Blessings,” True to the Faith, 111–13
Patriarchal Blessings
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 full-time 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.