3 Ways To Get More Out Of Your Patriarchal Blessing

When was the last time you listened to your patriarchal blessing? Have you ever read it aloud? How often do you read your blessing? Your patriarchal blessing is a letter from God. It will help guide and shape your choices and life! As President Monson put it. “A patriarchal blessing contains chapters from your book of eternal possibilities.” As a missionary, I viewed helping the converts and less-actives I worked with to receive their patriarchal blessing as a vital step in preparation for the Temple.

President Monson taught, “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.”

Faithful study of your patriarchal blessing can provide insight and guidance for your whole life, so the question becomes, how can I get more out of my patriarchal blessing? Here are three ways to get more out of your patriarchal blessing!

1st. To get more out of your Patriarchal Blessing the first step is to receive it!

The requirements to get a patriarchal blessing are simple. Be a Baptized and Confirmed member of the Church who is keeping your baptismal covenant. Your membership in the Church is the only thing that is required. Therefore, if you do not have one ask your bishop, he can help prepare you to receive your blessing!

A large cultural issue that is prevalent within the church is “wait till you will understand it.” So, I did that, I waited for over ten years after I was baptized to get my patriarchal blessing.

Guess what? Even at 18 years old I did not understand it, at 27, I still learn “new” things! I regret that I let others discourage me from getting my patriarchal blessing. To think I could have had a personal letter from my Father that I could turn to when I was a young teenager and I had a crisis of faith. I made it through it, but how many youths do not?

It is just foolishness. Your patriarchal blessing will be of value if you get it at 8, 18 or 88. The only difference is how long you live without the guidance it gives. Considering all the challenges and trials that await the teenage years why do we discourage our youth from receiving it? So what if they don’t understand it? The little bits they do will help them prepare and survive the most dangerous phase of membership in the pre-endowment stage. Consider the words of a Prophet:

“Your patriarchal blessing is your passport to peace in this life. It is a Liahona of light to guide you unerringly to your heavenly home”
Thomas S. Monson.

2nd. Highlight your Patriarchal Blessing.

When I was a missionary, I copied my Patriarchal Blessing and started to highlight it — as with all scripture marking, developing a personal system is best. In addition, with the varied nature of each patriarchal blessing, it would be impossible to make an all-encompassing system. That being said, here are a few things that I highlighted.

• Christlike attributes
• Things the Lord wants me to do
• Blessings He has promised me
• Life events
• Quotes (anything in my blessing that uses “” marks)

I then use these markings to develop goals. Am I doing the things He wants me to do? Am I striving to develop the attributes He told me I have? How am I progressing towards the life events it dictates, am I preparing for a mission? For the Temple? Or to raise a family?

An important thing to remember with your blessing is that it is eternal. President Monson taught, “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.”

3rd. Read/Listen to your Patriarchal Blessing

I drive a lot, and I realized I was listening to the Book of Mormon, and I was finishing it every 3-4 months. However, I realized I was only reading my patriarchal blessing every couple of months, not give it nearly the time it deserves.

Therefore, I have decided I will record it so I can then listen to it as I prepare, or drive to church on Sunday. Allowing me to be immersed in my patriarchal blessing weekly! It also gave me an exciting experience, I both read my blessing aloud, and now I listen to my blessing. Both listening and reading it aloud are things that I usually did not do that have allowed me to get more out of my blessing.

Read the blessings of your forebears.

Do you know you can request a copy of a deceased direct-line ancestor’s patriarchal blessing? Moreover, did you know that you can read your blessing online? https://apps.lds.org/pbrequest is the link, so you either read yours online or get a copy of your ancestors.