Patriarchal Blessings

I love my patriarchal blessing. It's one of my most prized possessions, and it's one that will not break or become less valuable with time. I've read it many times, enough that, while I haven't made a special effort to memorize it, the Holy Ghost can bring the lines from my blessing to my mind when I need them most. It brings me comfort, peace, instruction, and inspiration. It contains promises and knowledge about myself that I wouldn't give up for any monetary sum or any bowl of pottage. However, since I despise lentils, Jacob's offer would not be at all tempting to me.

Many sections of the Doctrine and Covenants are, or are similar to, a patriarchal blessing. People often went to Joseph asking what the Lord would have them do, and the reply was written by Joseph in the form of a revelation. For example, section 15 is a very personal revelation to John Whitmer, in which the Lord tells him that the thing that would be the most worth for him to do is to “declare repentance” unto the people. It does not declare lineage, as our patriarchal blessings do today, but it is a revelation specific to John Whitmer in the Lord's voice.

Section 25 is a patriarchal blessing to Emma Smith. It contains specific instruction and guidance and also information about her strengths and weaknesses. Interestingly, it ends with the phrase, “I say unto you, that this is my voice unto all”. Unlike our patriarchal blessings today, which are only meant to be shared in certain instances under the direction of the Spirit, Emma's blessing was meant to be shared with the world. Some sections of the Doctrine and Covenants were written to the whole church, while others were written to specific people. The only major difference between sections of the Doctrine and Covenants written to a single person and a patriarchal blessing, besides the obvious absence of a declaration of lineage, is that while canonized scripture is written for the whole church to read, patriarchal blessings are extremely personal and are not meant to be read by the church.

Recently, while visiting Salt Lake, I visited the Family History Library by Temple Square and requested permission to view the patriarchal blessings of a few of my ancestors, including my grandmother, who died when I was 8 years old. The copies of these blessings should come in the mail soon, and I am anxious to read them and come to know these ancestors better. There is something about being connected to our ancestors that is deeper than I have understanding for at present, but I know it is very important. D&C 128:15 states; “And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.” I very much believe that this is true and hope to do more in the future to connect myself to these people who have gone before me and paved the way for me with their trials and hardships so that I could grow up in the gospel of Christ.