Question: What is a Patriarchal Blessing and How Can I Get One?
Maybe you already know the answer, but you still might learn something new. Also, if you’ve lost yours, you can request one from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the Patriarchal Blessing Requests page of their website. You can even obtain a copy of a Patriarchal Blessing for a deceased direct line ancestor or a direct line descendant (a parent can get a child’s).
Answer:
A patriarchal blessing is a blessing (similar to a prayer) given to worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by a stake patriarch (a Melchizedek Priesthood holder ordained to this calling) and is a sacred, personal blessing from the Lord. Members who are worthy and ready may receive their patriarchal blessing by first meeting with their bishop, and once approved by the bishop they make an appointment with their stake patriarch. The blessing given by the patriarch is recorded and later typed up (usually by the patriarch’s wife) and is sent to LDS Church headquarters where it is kept on file in the Church records archive. A printed copy of the patriarchal blessing is also given to the recipient. Patriarchal blessings vary in length and detail; some are very long and some are quite short. The length or detail of a patriarchal blessing does not indicate a person’s worthiness or Heavenly Father’s love for him/her.
Receive a patriarchal blessing. Study it carefully and regard it as personal scripture to you; for that is what it is. A patriarchal blessing is the inspired and prophetic statement of your life’s mission together with blessings, cautions, and admonitions as the patriarch may be prompted to give…. Receive your patriarchal blessing under the influence of fasting and prayer, and then read it regularly that you may know God’s will for you. (Ezra Taft Benson, “To the ‘Youth of the Noble Birthright’,” Ensign, May 1986, 43-44)
A patriarchal blessing:
1) Declares a person’s lineage in the House of Israel, meaning which tribe of Israel he/she belongs to.
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.
2) Can be received by any worthy member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when he/she is old enough to understand a blessing’s opportunities and responsibilities, is spiritually mature enough, and desires one.
A patriarchal blessing is not having your fortune told. It is a source of guidance as you grow in maturity and spirituality. (Richard P. Lindsay, “Chart Your Course by It,” New Era, September 1990, 4)
A patriarchal blessing is a revelation to the recipient, even a white line down the middle of the road, to protect, inspire, and motivate activity and righteousness. A patriarchal blessing literally contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities. I say eternal, for just as life is eternal, so is a patriarchal blessing. What may not come to fulfillment in this life may occur in the next. We do not govern God’s timetable. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (Thomas S. Monson, “Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light,” Ensign, November 1986, 66)
3) Gives insight about a person’s life, may include promises of blessings, warnings about temptations or weaknesses, or counsel about how the person should live.
A patriarchal blessing from an ordained patriarch can give us a star to follow, which is a personal revelation from God to each individual. If we follow this star, we are less likely to stumble and be misled. Our patriarchal blessing will be an anchor to our souls, and if we are worthy, neither death nor the devil can deprive us of the blessings pronounced. They are blessings we can enjoy now and forever. (James E. Faust, “Priesthood Blessings,” Ensign, November 1995, 63)
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. (True to the Faith, 2004, 111-113)
4) Is a sacred and personal scripture for the recipient that should be read and studied often but should not be shared casually with others, although it can be shared with close family members.
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. (True to the Faith, 2004, 111-113)
Your patriarchal blessing is yours and yours alone. It may be brief or lengthy, simple or profound. Length and language do not a patriarchal blessing make. It is the Spirit that conveys the true meaning. Your blessing is not to be folded neatly and tucked away. It is not to be framed or published. Rather, it is to be read. It is to be loved. It is to be followed. Your patriarchal blessing will see you through the darkest night. It will guide you through life’s dangers. (Thomas S. Monson, “Your Patriarchal Blessing: A Liahona of Light,” Ensign, November 1986, 66)
5) Is conditional on a person’s faith, righteousness, and obedience to God’s commandments.
Patriarchal blessings [are] an inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient, and also where 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, the realization of all promised blessings is conditional upon the faithfulness to the gospel of our Lord. All [patriarchal blessings] are recorded and generally only one blessing should be adequate for each person’s life. (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d. ed., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966, p. 558; italics added.)
6) Will not answer every question about our lives, and will probably not mention every major event that will occur in our lifetime.
A patriarchal blessing is a sacred guideline of counsel, promises, and information from the Lord. However, a person should not expect that the blessing will detail all that will happen to him or her or be an answer to all questions. The omission from the blessing of a great event in life such as a mission or marriage does not necessarily mean it will not happen. (James E. Faust, “Patriarchal Blessings,” New Era, November 1982, 4)
7) Contains promises that may not all be fulfilled during our life on earth. However, if a person is righteous they will eventually receive all their promised blessings.
Sometimes someone will worry because a promise made in a patriarchal blessing is not yet fulfilled. That does not mean that the blessing will go unfulfilled. It is well to know that things happen in the Lord’s due time, not always in ours. Things of an eternal nature have no boundaries. From the pre-mortal existence to our existence beyond the veils of death, our life is an eternal life. (Boyd K. Packer, “The Stake Patriarch,” Ensign, November 2002, 45)
It should always be kept in mind that the realization of the promises made may come in this life or the future life. Men have stumbled at times because promised blessings have not occurred in this life. They have failed to remember that, in the gospel, life with all its activities continues forever and that the labors of earth may be continued in heaven. (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, Bookcraft, 1960, p. 75.)
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. (True to the Faith, 2004, 111-113)
Conclusion:
I can truly say that my patriarchal blessing, though short, has been a guide to me during my entire life. Your patriarchal blessing can do the same for you, if you read it often and chart your course by it. In these challenging times, when you are faced with temptations and pressures to compromise your beliefs, a patriarchal blessing can be the source of great strength that will instill faith in a loving, personal Heavenly Father. (Richard P. Lindsay, “Chart Your Course by It,” New Era, September 1990, 4)
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