Patriarchal Blessings

Patriarchal Blessings are a unique facet of the LDS Church. Patriarchal Blessings are blessings given by Patriarchs, an office in the Chruch Lay's Melchizedek Priesthood. The Patriarch would lay his hands upon the recipient's head. The Patriarch will then describe the recipient's character, delivers various blessings and warnings, and the envisions the percipients possible future. 

Joseph Smith Sr.

The first examples of Patriarchal Blessing are within the Old Testament and Book of Mormon. But their origin in this dispensation was in 1833, when Joseph Smith Sr, Joseph Smith's father, was appointed to the office of Patriarch over the whole church, followed by Hyrum Smith, John Smith and John Smith the Younger. In 1837, Issac Morley became the first local Patriarch ordained. Eventually more and more local patriarchs were ordained to the point that in 1979, the office of Patriarch over the whole church was retired. 

I wanted to share a small sample of patriarchal blessings from prominent church members. I found these blessings in the book Early Patriarchal Blessings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by H. Michael Marquardt off of Archive.org.

Patriarchal Blessing given by Joseph Smith Sr. on December 9, 1934, upon the head of his son, Joseph Smith Jr.

Joseph, my son, I lay my hands upon thy head in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to confirm upon thee a father’s blessing. The Lord thy God has called thee by name out of the heavens: Thou hast heard his voice from on high front time to time, even in thy youth. The hand of the angel of his presence has been extended toward thee by which thou hast been lifted up and sustained; yea, the Lord has delivered thee from the hands of thine enemies and thou hast been made to rejoice in his salvation: thou hast sought to know his ways, and from thy childhood thou hast meditated much upon the great things of his law. Thou hast suffered much in thy youth, and the poverty and afflictions of thy father’s family have been a grief to hy soul. Thou hast desired to see them delivered from bondage, for thou hast loved them with a perfect love. Thou hast stood by thy father, and like Shem, would have covered his nakedness, rather than see him exposed to shame: when the daughters of the Gentiles laughed, thy heart has been moved with a just anger to avenge thy kindred.

Thou hast been an obedient Son: the commands of thy father and the reproofs of thy mother, thou hast respected and obeyed—for all these things the Lord my God will bless thee. Thou hast been called, even in thy youth to the great work of the Lord: to do a work in this generation which no other man would do as thyself, in all things according to the will of the Lord. A marvelous work and a wonder has the Lord wrought by thy hand, even that which shall prepare the way for the remnants of his people to come in among the Gentiles, with their fulness, as the tribes of Israel are restored. I bless thee with the blessings of thy fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and even the blessings of thy father Joseph, the son of Jacob. Behold, he looked after his posterity in the last days, when they should be scattered and driven by the Gentiles, and wept before the Lord: he sought diligently to know from whence the Son should come who should bring forth the word of the Lord, by which they might be enlightened, and brought back to the true fold, and his eyes beheld thee, my son: his heart rejoiced and his soul was satisfied, and he said.

As my blessings are to extend to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills; as my father’s blessing prevailed above the blessings of his progenitors, and as my branches are to run over the wall, and my seed are to inherit the choice land whereon the Zion of God shall stand in the last days, from among my seed, scattered with the Gentiles, shall a choice Seer arise whose bowels shall be as a fountain of truth, whose loins shall be girded with the girdle of righteousness, whose hands shall be lifted with acceptance before the God of Jacob to turn away his anger from his anointed, whose heart shall meditate great wisdom, whose intelligence shall circumscribe and comprehend the deep things of God, and whose mouth shall utter the law of the just: His feet shall stand upon the neck of his enemies, and he shall walk upon the ashes of those who seek his destruction: with wine and oil shall he be sustained, and he shall feed upon the heritage of Jacob his father: the just shall desire his society, and the upright in heart shall be his companions: No weapon formed against him shall prosper, and though the wicked mar him for a little season, he shall be like one rising up in the heat of wine — he shall roar in his strength, and the Lord shall put to flight his persecutors: he shall be blessed like the fruitful olive, and his memory shall be as sweet as the choice cluster of the first ripe grapes. Like a shief [sheaf] fully ripe, gathered into the garner, so shall he stand before the Lord, having produced a hundred-fold. Thus, spake my father Joseph.

Therefore, my son, I know for a surety that those things will be fulfilled, and I confirm upon thee all these blessings. Thou shalt like to do the work which the Lord shall command thee: thou shalt hold the Keys of this ministry, even the presidency of this church, both in time and in eternity. Thy heart shall be enlarged, and thou shalt be able to fill up the measure of thy days according to the will of the Lord. Thou shalt speak the word of the Lord and the earth shall tremble; the mountains shall move and the rivers shall turn out of their course. Thou shalt escape the edge of the sword, and put to flight the armies of the wicked. At thy word the lame shall walk, the deaf shall hear and the blind shall see. Thou shalt be gathered to Zion and in the goodly land thou shalt enjoy thine inheritance; thy children and thy children’s children to the latest generation; for thy name and the names of thy posterity shall be recorded in the book of the Lord, even in the book of blessings and genealogies, for their joy and benefit forever.

And now, my son, what more shall I say? Thou art as a fruitful olive and a choice vine: thou shalt be laden with precious fruit. Thousands and tens of thousands shall come to a knowledge of the truth through thy ministry, and thou shalt rejoice with them in the Celestial Kingdom: Thou shalt stand upon the earth when it shall reel to and fro as a drunken man, and be removed out of its place: thou shalt stand when the mighty judgments go forth to the destruction of the wicked: thou shalt stand on mount Zion when the tribes of Jacob come shouting from the north, and with thy brethren, the Sons of Ephraim, crown them in the name of Jesus Christ: Thou shalt see thy Redeemer Come in the clouds of heaven, and with the just receive the hallowed throng with shouts of hallalujahs, praise the Lord. Amen.

Patriarchal Blessing Given Great Salt Lake City, Dec. 25, 1857, by John Young upon the head of Brigham Young.

Brother Brigham, In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I lay my hands upon your head and bless you in the name of Israel’s God, and you shall be blest from this time henceforth and forever. I seal upon your head the blessings which were given to you by our natural father. You are a lawful heir according to the promises made over unto the Fathers, for you are a literal descendant of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim and have a right to the blessings of the everlasting gospel and to the fulness of the priesthood, the power of which shall rest upon you henceforth and forever. Your mind shall expand; the visions of the heavens shall be opened before you that you may comprehend the fulness of the truths of heaven. You are blest with many great and precious blessings, for the Lord has had His eyes upon you, and you are a chosen vessel to bear the weight of the kingdom and the vessels of the Lord, to stand as a mighty man upon the earth. Thou shalt be qualified for all the duties which thou art or ever shall be called to perform; thou shalt be blest with knowledge, wisdom and understanding; the revelations of Jesus shall be with you; you shall have power to control yourself, your household, and to manage all the affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ agreeably to the mind of the heavens, in connection with those that are associated with your [you], and no power shall overcome you; you never shall fall by the hand of an enemy for that is not the mind of the spirit, but the mind of the Lord is that you shall escape, and be able to circumscribe the wisdom of the world.

You shall be able to administer the words of eternal life to the saints, and of eternal death to your enemies, and the time shall come when the great men of the earth, who think themselves wise shall seek unto you for knowledge and safety, and you shall have power over them, and the time also shall come when you shall not only have power over the United States, but over the nations of the earth, and you shall do a mighty work. Your name shall be honorable; you shall rise in the scale of intelligence until you become associated with the Gods. From your loin's apostles, prophets and kings shall spring; your posterity shall be very numerous, even as the sands of the sea, and they shall call you blessed, and you shall bless them. Be of good cheer, for thou shalt always have strength according to thy day.

Notwithstanding your enemies may hunt you like a roe upon the mountains yet you shall escape as the bird from the hands of the fowler, and not a hair of your head shall fall, but you shall be sustained in all times and places, and you shall yet converse with the Lord as did the brother of Jared; you shall do the work whereunto the Lord has called you, and that is to establish righteousness and truth. I confer upon you the blessings of the heavens and of the earth; you shall be blest in your family, be able to administer health and life to the afflicted. If you keep humble, which you will, you shall have a fulness of joy, live on the earth many years, even till your head is white as the pure wool or as snow, and your mouth shall continue to speak words of life to thousands and millions of the inhabitants of the earth, who shall rejoice to hear your voice. You shall come forth in the first resurrection, be numbered with the great and good, with Joseph the prophet and seer, and all that innumerable company and the blood washed through [throng] which no man could number.

This is thy lot, brother Brigham, therefore be glad and rejoice for thou canst have these and every other blessing, privilege and mercy thy heart may desire in righteousness. The spirit of God like a river shall be bestowed upon you continually, because you have walked uprightly before the Lord in the days of your youth; you have also past through sorrow and grief, and made sacrifices for the kingdom of heaven[‘]s sake, therefore all is yours, and I seal them upon you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, even so, Amen.

Patriarchal Blessing on the head of Anthony W. Ivins, by W. G. Perkins 4th Oct. 1871 at St George, Utah

Anthony, I place my hands upon your head and in the name of the Lord Jesus seal upon you a Patriarchal Blessing Your lineage is that of Joseph and a lawful heir to the blessings that were pronounced upon him. Thou hast a great work to do in this probationary state. Thou are a chosen vessel of the Lord, and in due time you shall go to the nations afar off and preach the everlasting Gospel. Thou will have great power of speech. You will learn their language by the power of the Holy Ghost. Your tongue will be loosed that you will speak fluently and with great power and authority. They will oppose you, but you will have friends wherever you go You will bring many souls to a knowledge of the Truth and bring them into the new and Everlasting Covenant. You will have a companion with you who will stand by you as a brother and assist you in all your labors.

You will ordain men to the Holy ministry and set them to work in preaching the Gospel and in due time you will return to the Center Stake of Zion laden with many sheaves. You will have power over the winds and waves of the sea. You will be tossed to and fro but by your word the sea will be calm. You will have an inheritance in Zion. You will assist in building up the New Jerusalem the city that shall be paved with pure gold. You will see that Holy Temple finished off and be there at the dedication There you will see your Redeemer, you will be caught up to meet him with his Holy Angels and return with them to His holy Temple. There you will see Joseph and Hyrum and many of the Latter-day Saints with their resurrected bodies. You will be a strong pillar in the House of the Lord; there you will do a great work for yourself and your dead. It will be common with you to see the graves open, and the dead come forth. You will witness the return of the Ten Tribes. And I seal the blessings of life, health, and strength upon your body, that you may do all this work with a single eye to the glory of God. And I seal you up to Eternal Life, and seal upon your head a crown of Celestial Glory. This I do in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.