A Blessing Upon You

To my daughter, 

                Shortly before Lehi died, he gave blessings to his children and grandchildren. Nephi recorded one of these blessings in these words: “[My father] called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my firstborn, I would that ye should give ear unto my words. For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it. Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents. Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever” (2 Nephi 4:3-7). As you remember, Laman and Lemuel were rebellious and I think Lehi could see that they were not going to continue in the gospel path after his death. I am sure that Lehi worried greatly about these children of Laman—his grandchildren—and he blessed them that even if they were not going to keep the commandments (because of their parents’ choices), ultimately the Lord would bless their posterity to be able to return to Him. I was struck with the thought this morning that this promised blessing from Lehi was fulfilled over a thousand years later when the Lamanites were not destroyed, and it is still being fulfilled today (2600 years after it was given) as descendants of the Lamanites continue to receive the gospel today. We can consider his blessing a patriarchal blessing, and the lesson from these chapter for us is that the Lord will fulfill the promises of these blessings, even if it takes centuries.

                I want to encourage you today to consider receiving your own patriarchal blessing. The Church website describes a patriarchal blessing in these words, “Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to and should receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from the Lord. Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person’s lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. As a person studies his or her patriarchal blessing and follows the counsel it contains, it will provide guidance, comfort, and protection.” I know that my own patriarchal blessing, which I received at about your age, has been a great source of guidance for me. The Church handbook suggests this about when a person should choose to receive a blessing: “The person who issues a Patriarchal Blessing Recommend ensures that the member is mature enough to understand the significance and sacred nature of the blessing. Ideally the member should be young enough that many important decisions in life are still ahead.” You can choose when you feel ready to receive your own patriarchal blessing, and it is best to do so before you make the many life choices that you will be forced to make regarding school, a mission, marriage, a vocation, and other things that young adults must decide. Recently in general conference, Elder Randall K. Bennett spoke about patriarchal blessings and said this: “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.’ 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.” You will come to feel through your blessing that your Father in Heaven knows you very well and has great things in store for you in your life. Elder Bennett continued, “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.’” Your Father in Heaven has known you for a very, very long time—long before you came to the earth—and He has counsel and direction unique for you to help you in your life. Prayerfully consider when you want to receive this great blessing from the Lord, and it will be a powerful guide to you throughout your life.  

Love,

Dad