Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father
My patriarchal blessing helped me understand my true eternal identity—who I really was and who I could become.
I was raised by wonderful parents who loved and faithfully taught us, their children, the gospel. Sadly, my beloved parents struggled in their marriage for years. I was a Primary child when I was told that they would likely divorce someday and my siblings and I would need to choose which parent to live with. As a result, for years I experienced significant anxiety; however, a gift from my Heavenly Father ultimately helped change everything for me—my patriarchal blessing.
At age 11, increasingly worried about my parents’ relationship, I deeply desired my patriarchal blessing. I knew that my Heavenly Father knew me perfectly and knew my specific circumstances. And I also knew I would receive direction from Him. Immediately after my 12th birthday, I received my patriarchal blessing. That was more than half a century ago, but I vividly remember the details of that sacred experience.
Gratefully, we have inspired direction about patriarchal blessings in the Church’s General Handbook:
“Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from Heavenly Father.”
A member should be “mature enough to understand the significance and sacred nature of the blessing” and “understand the basic doctrine of the gospel.”
“Ideally the member should be young enough that many important decisions in life are still ahead. … Priesthood leaders should not establish a minimum age for a member to receive a patriarchal blessing. …
“Each patriarchal blessing is sacred, confidential, and personal. …
“A person who receives a patriarchal blessing should treasure its words, ponder them, and live to be worthy to receive the promised blessings in this life and in eternity.”1
Our beloved President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly taught about the importance of a patriarchal blessing,2 that it gives each recipient “a declaration of lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”3 and that each blessing “is personal scripture to you.”4
My patriarchal blessing was critically important to me when I was young for numerous reasons. First, through the power of the Holy Ghost, my patriarchal blessing helped me understand my true eternal identity—who I really was and who I could become. It helped me know, as President Nelson has taught, that I was “a son of God,” “a [child] of the covenant,” and “a disciple of Jesus Christ.”5 I knew that I was known and loved by my Heavenly Father and my Savior and that They were personally involved in my life. This helped me desire to draw closer to Them and increase my faith and trust in Them.
A dear friend who joined the Church as a young adult shared: “When the patriarch placed his hands on my head and spoke my name, everything changed, … not just then but for the rest of my life. I immediately sensed that—through the power by which he spoke—I was known intimately and deeply. The words he spoke penetrated my entire being. I knew that Heavenly Father knew me, inside and out.”
Knowing who I really was helped me understand and desire to do what God expected of me.6
This led me to study the covenants I had made and the promised blessings in God’s covenant with Abraham.7 It gave me an eternal perspective that inspired me to more fully keep my covenants.
I studied my patriarchal blessing frequently and, as a youth, often daily, which helped me feel the comforting, guiding influence of the Holy Ghost, who helped reduce my anxiety as I followed His promptings. This increased my desire to actively invite light, truth, and the Holy Ghost by studying my scriptures and praying daily and trying to more diligently study and follow the teachings of God’s prophet and apostles. My patriarchal blessing also helped me desire to be more submissive to the will of my Heavenly Father, and that focus helped me experience great joy, despite my personal circumstances.8 ~For Elder Bennett’s complete remarks on Patriarchal blessings, click: “Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father.
