To Be (Patriarch Blessed) Or Not To Be?

[Coreyb]

There!  All fixed!

Nope, I meant strangest

[Calm]

Also, I have known a few patriarchs, and they are the strangest of Mormons.

Hey, my grandpa was a patriarch and he was a pretty normal guy....

[teddyaware]

I'm amazed that you're amazed. There is a small amount of skepticism among some here who were raised in the Church, served missions, married in the temple, have season passes at Disneyland (ie, FAITHFUL Mormons). So why would you expect that someone who lived almost his entire life OUTSIDE of the Church would find the concept of a patriarchal blessing to be so obviously reasonable?

And while it is easy to dismiss someone like me, it might help to hasten the work of The Lord if we can answer such questions for the 99.8% of the world's inhabitants who weren't born in the covenant and might be just as skeptical (but not so "silly" as to ask the question).

The Gospel only brings happiness when its is approached by genuine faith. This being the case, one can't help but wonder if you're absolutely miserable attempting to live a Gospel life informed by constant skepticism and cynicism. Hopefully you're finding joy in spite of your seemingly hardwired doubtfulness.

[Kenngo1969]

Nope, I meant strangest

OK.  You should have said strongest.  

[theplains]

Other than your lineage (probably Ephraim), there won't be a lot of new information given to you.

 

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

[Duncan]

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

 

I doubt that's possible, even if we aren't from a tribe we are adopted into one anyhoo

[JLHPROF]

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

I honestly don't know why they keep that as part of the blessing.

We no longer teach that any certain lineage has any more right to priesthood than others.  Being a descendant of Ephraim used to imply birthright blessings, but now all are considered equally adopted so it becomes a pointless statement.

[Rain]

After listening to Bill's podcast about his patriarchal blessing being nearly identical to his girl friend (?), it makes me think they don't want you to share them or talk about them because you might compare and feel like everyone else's is like your own.

I got mine done when in my 30's because no one even encouraged me to get one when I was younger. I liked mine okay, it basically said I was a peacemaker in my home.

I know mine, my husband's and my daughter's are all very different.  Really very little similar in each one.  I don't want to talk about mine because it is very personal to me.  Ithas things in it that I just don't want others to read if they are not close to me.  

 

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

I know Ephraim is predominant in the places I have lived, but I have no idea if that holds true in Asia, Africa and other places.  I do know of several people who are not Ephraim - one instance was a large family who were all from Ephraim except 2 children from Benjamin. 

 

mormonnewb - nope, mo fortunate telling involved. I have found that it is most advice for the one who it is given to, sometimes very specific advice.  Mine tells of trials I may have and things to know during those trials.  It also tells me some specific blessings along with advice for obtaining those blessings.  I think of it more along the lines of for-ordination rather than destiny.     

[BlueDreams]

Ok I haven’t read most of the thread. Currently I’m avoiding writing up something else far more pertinent to my school performance that I don’t want to think about. And I LOVE my PB, so this seems far more pleasant to distract myself with.

 

1.       Yes…..I mean no….but it would be so cool if he would, right? I mean come on, who wouldn’t want a bonafide fortune telling? But in all seriousness, no-ish.

 

The message is more along the lines of  what’s described as a prophet in the BD. Where one is more of a forth-teller and a foreteller….and definitely different from a fortune telling. A fortune telling, in my mind, is some person with your palm/cards telling you about some good or bad event that’s about to come into your life. A foreteller would tell you about some future event. A forthteller delivers a message from God to you. In the case of a PB/patriarch, they are to getting a message from God about who you are and what He desires for you. It is not a reader’s digest for everything that is to come in your life that you should expect, but gentle guiding marks to help you along the way.  

 

Sometimes there can be something that seems like foretelling to the person. I have 1 or 2 things in mine that people could describe as that…or something that a normal person wouldn’t just put down without knowing the person. The usual example that I find cool, is that mine is very specific about saying I would be especially talented in art. I didn’t know the guy from Adam, was 14 and was just really getting into art, and in a new state across the country. But it’s not, in my mind, a foretelling….it’s a forthtelling. This is something God wanted me to know to guide me and encourage me in my life.

 

 The passage has meant different things to me at different points in my life. When I was 14 I took it as a point that this PB was for real. I couldn’t easily reason my way around it and I’m naturally a questioner. At other times it’s a point to just be assured that God really does know me. At others it reminds me that what I’m given is a gift and to use it in a manner that is honest and good. In this way, even with something pretty straightforward and simple becomes something meaningful for me and more pertinent at differing points in my life. And to me that’s the big difference. Fortunes and foretellings have an expiration date to their pertinence. Even if/when they’re accurate. Say I really did meet a mysterious dark stranger this week. That’s great, well I met him that that’s done and good and over. Cool, psychic out. A PB is like scripture….its meaning changes and alters as you change and alter. The same verse/section will mean something and carry a different message to you at different points in ones life. In short the message does not have an ending.

 

2.        No Idea. I’ve only met 3 patriarchs in my life. The first was for my PB and I saw very little of him afterwards. The second was middle aged and at a dinner. He was younger than most that I picture as patriarchs. He had seemed just as surprised about it, and noted that it came when he needed it. The last was also for a quiet dinner and a lesson. He and his wife were amazing IMO. He was a convert….one of those that you were wondering how in the world he got here in the first place. His newly ordained friend, wanted to test out his power and baptized him on the fly for fun. It was many years later that he'd actually be apart of the faith. And yet there he was and he had served his faith for many many years. Whether it came before or during I would be hard-pressed to tell you. But it wasn’t a gift that was based in solely 1 act. I don’t think any of them would say it just came naturally and they were always basically prophetic.

 

 What I personally saw was a joint effort in all involved to prepare a place open to receive the word of God. Much of it is reflected in our own lives. It was a joint effort of both spouses  to create a proper environment for it. The patriarch would ponder, reflect and pray about it and humbly come to the Lord. This couple designated a room of their house solely to giving blessings.  The room was clean, like their entire house and in similar sentiments as that of the temple. And the room felt like a temple (though it looked nothing like it....you just got a sense that beautiful things happened there). So I’d say it’s just like us in any call. Some of it could be a natural inclination. Some of it is about receiving/having that call. Much of it, though, is about our own preparation and humbling before the Lord. And that is in continual practice.

 

3.       In short answer: yes….and no. I say yes because of an odd experience sitting with that patriach and his wife after a dinner with me and my companion. I say no for the exact same reason. In short it can make it less clear to receive, but it is still a living message meant for you. And from what I saw with my companion, who got it because it was the thing everybody was doing, it didn’t stop the blessing from having deep meaning for her later. When I met her, she loved her PB. When she got it, it was nice but nothing special.

 

If it were me, I would say wait till you feel it’s right….but humble yourself and seek info on it to get yourself there. Personally, I was in a place where I needed it, I felt prompted to get one, and I followed that without question because I wanted something better for myself. And the experience was beautiful beyond description. Others don’t get that even if they were super ready for whatever reason. But I figure it doesn’t hurt to be prepared in heart and mind for whatever you receive.   

 

 

 

 

With luv,

Bd

Edited April 23, 2014 by BlueDreams

[mfbukowski]

I'm amazed that you're amazed. There is a small amount of skepticism among some here who were raised in the Church, served missions, married in the temple, have season passes at Disneyland (ie, FAITHFUL Mormons). So why would you expect that someone who lived almost his entire life OUTSIDE of the Church would find the concept of a patriarchal blessing to be so obviously reasonable?

And while it is easy to dismiss someone like me, it might help to hasten the work of The Lord if we can answer such questions for the 99.8% of the world's inhabitants who weren't born in the covenant and might be just as skeptical (but not so "silly" as to ask the question).

You're right.  I joined at 31 and didn't get my P blessing til I was- 50 I think.

 

It took me that long to be ready and I am glad I waited.  Incidentally I am also sorry I didn't get it earlier.  I know that's contradictory, but the cool part is that there are things in there I thought were just pap and then they actually happened.

 

So part of me is happy I waited and part of me would have liked to have seen how much more would have come to pass.  The problem was it was phrased kind of like reading a fortune cookie with LDS jargon thrown in.

 

But then stuff started to happen that he could not possibly have known about- specific stuff.  Very strange I must admit

[BlueDreams]

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

 

Yes, kinda. One i met said his just said he was of the house of israel with no other specificity to it. Most I've heard are from the tribe of Ephraim though.

 

 

After listening to Bill's podcast about his patriarchal blessing being nearly identical to his girl friend (?), it makes me think they don't want you to share them or talk about them because you might compare and feel like everyone else's is like your own.

I got mine done when in my 30's because no one even encouraged me to get one when I was younger. I liked mine okay, it basically said I was a peacemaker in my home.

 

I've only seen 2 from living people. My mom's was very different from my own...which is fitting since we're very different people. My cousin's is like reading the reader's digest version of my own with just a few distinctions. That seemed pretty fitting...we're much alike. All of us had different patriarchs give them to us. So I don't think that's it exactly. It could easily be a mix of avoid comparisons period and over-sharing.

 

With luv,

BD 

[mfbukowski]

Is Ephraim the predominant tribe mentioned when receiving one's patriarchal blessing?

Have you ever heard of a Mormon being told by the patriarch that he or she is NOT from

any of the 12 literal tribes of Israel?

 

Thanks,

Jim

Scientifically speaking it is highly likely that all of us are actually descendants of someone among the millions who were/ are "of the tribes of Israel".  Many of us probably have progenitors who are among ALL 12 tribes.

 

If you are of European descent you are extremely likely to be a descendant of Charlemagne- ONE PERSON who lived roughly 1700 years ago.

 

Imagine millions of people who lived thousands of years ago and whose descendants have continued reproducing for thousands of years since then.

 

There may be some native tribes somewhere which have not intermarried with any such people yet, but for the rest of us who are not pure descendants of some obscure people from some backwater isolated from the rest of the world, it is practically certain that we are descendents of Israel.

 

But really it is not about that anyway.

[mormonnewb]

Ok I haven’t read most of the thread. Currently I’m avoiding writing up something else far more pertinent to my school performance that I don’t want to think about. And I LOVE my PB, so this seems far more pleasant to distract myself with.

 

1.       Yes…..I mean no….but it would be so cool if he would, right? I mean come on, who wouldn’t want a bonafide fortune telling? But in all seriousness, no-ish.

 

The message is more along the lines of  what’s described as a prophet in the BD. Where one is more of a forth-teller and a foreteller….and definitely different from a fortune telling. A fortune telling, in my mind, is some person with your palm/cards telling you about some good or bad event that’s about to come into your life. A foreteller would tell you about some future event. A forthteller delivers a message from God to you. In the case of a PB/patriarch, they are to getting a message from God about who you are and what He desires for you. It is not a reader’s digest for everything that is to come in your life that you should expect, but gentle guiding marks to help you along the way.  

 

Sometimes there can be something that seems like foretelling to the person. I have 1 or 2 things in mine that people could describe as that…or something that a normal person wouldn’t just put down without knowing the person. The usual example that I find cool, is that mine is very specific about saying I would be especially talented in art. I didn’t know the guy from Adam, was 14 and was just really getting into art, and in a new state across the country. But it’s not, in my mind, a foretelling….it’s a forthtelling. This is something God wanted me to know to guide me and encourage me in my life.

 

 The passage has meant different things to me at different points in my life. When I was 14 I took it as a point that this PB was for real. I couldn’t easily reason my way around it and I’m naturally a questioner. At other times it’s a point to just be assured that God really does know me. At others it reminds me that what I’m given is a gift and to use it in a manner that is honest and good. In this way, even with something pretty straightforward and simple becomes something meaningful for me and more pertinent at differing points in my life. And to me that’s the big difference. Fortunes and foretellings have an expiration date to their pertinence. Even if/when they’re accurate. Say I really did meet a mysterious dark stranger this week. That’s great, well I met him that that’s done and good and over. Cool, psychic out. A PB is like scripture….its meaning changes and alters as you change and alter. The same verse/section will mean something and carry a different message to you at different points in ones life. In short the message does not have an ending.

 

2.        No Idea. I’ve only met 3 patriarchs in my life. The first was for my PB and I saw very little of him afterwards. The second was middle aged and at a dinner. He was younger than most that I picture as patriarchs. He had seemed just as surprised about it, and noted that it came when he needed it. The last was also for a quiet dinner and a lesson. He and his wife were amazing IMO. He was a convert….one of those that you were wondering how in the world he got here in the first place. His newly ordained friend, wanted to test out his power and baptized him on the fly for fun. It was many years later that he'd actually be apart of the faith. And yet there he was and he had served his faith for many many years. Whether it came before or during I would be hard-pressed to tell you. But it wasn’t a gift that was based in solely 1 act. I don’t think any of them would say it just came naturally and they were always basically prophetic.

 

 What I personally saw was a joint effort in all involved to prepare a place open to receive the word of God. Much of it is reflected in our own lives. It was a joint effort of both spouses  to create a proper environment for it. The patriarch would ponder, reflect and pray about it and humbly come to the Lord. This couple designated a room of their house solely to giving blessings.  The room was clean, like their entire house and in similar sentiments as that of the temple. And the room felt like a temple (though it looked nothing like it....you just got a sense that beautiful things happened there). So I’d say it’s just like us in any call. Some of it could be a natural inclination. Some of it is about receiving/having that call. Much of it, though, is about our own preparation and humbling before the Lord. And that is in continual practice.

 

3.       In short answer: yes….and no. I say yes because of an odd experience sitting with that patriach and his wife after a dinner with me and my companion. I say no for the exact same reason. In short it can make it less clear to receive, but it is still a living message meant for you. And from what I saw with my companion, who got it because it was the thing everybody was doing, it didn’t stop the blessing from having deep meaning for her later. When I met her, she loved her PB. When she got it, it was nice but nothing special.

 

If it were me, I would say wait till you feel it’s right….but humble yourself and seek info on it to get yourself there. Personally, I was in a place where I needed it, I felt prompted to get one, and I followed that without question because I wanted something better for myself. And the experience was beautiful beyond description. Others don’t get that even if they were super ready for whatever reason. But I figure it doesn’t hurt to be prepared in heart and mind for whatever you receive.   

 

 

 

 

With luv,

Bd

Wow! That very thoughtful answer turned me around about 156 degrees (not a full 180 but damn close enough). Wow!

[rpn]

It is like your Heavenly Father is telling you things about yourself and your possibilities, some of which you may already know or suspect and some which you haven't ever thought of.   You will find that your possibilities are a lot like all other covenant people in many respects.  But it is like having your own scriptures picked out just for you.   

 

It is true that if you get your patriarchal blessing when you are not worthy or when you have little or no belief that it is a conversation with Your Father, that you will doubt every word in it and not be inclined to let it guide you (similar to how Esau reacted when giving a similar blessing in the bible).  And there are even rare times in the church when a member is allowed to get a second PB when a patriarch is known publicly to have been secretly wicked when he gave one to someone (though I suspect that is because of the concern of the member, after all God was perfectly capable of using a donkey to tell His unwilling prophet what God wants them to do.  So it is also possible for you to get the RIGHT blessing despite the frailties or wickedness of mortals.) 

 

What you will likely find if you get it (and I do not urge you to do so until or unless you really are interested in whatever Heavenly Father has to say to you about your life), is that you will re-read it at different times and understand things differently about yourself and what He wants you to do.   And sometimes if  you follow the counsel, you will find yourself where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there in which you will recognize the blessings therefrom.

 

OTOH, there are members who will tell you that their PB was rubbish and never blessed their life one bit and couldn't have possibly been really from God.

Edited April 23, 2014 by rpn