Usurping Patriarchal Blessings

[wuapinmon]

Nice going, Wuap. Any other painful memories you'd like to dredge up?

Remember that one time that Babs was mean to you?

You got a painful boil or something?!

Super mean post. Click me if you dare.

That was nice of you to recall this, but it was a little tough to read. Several weeks after I wrote that, Mrs. PAC and I drove to the Oakland Airport to meet our son who had returned way too soon from his mission due to unresolved pre-mission issues, among other things. Watching him walk toward us, slumped and obviously devastated, was one of the toughest moments of our lives. Several here have commented that the day one's kid comes home from a mission is one of the greatest days of one's life. I know from personal experience that this is true. I also know from personal experience that it can be one of the worst.

But good things can often flow from even the greatest disappointments. Our son's return sparked a lot of conversations between my wife and me, and with our youngest. In some respects our relationship is even better than before; it's certainly more open and honest. I think a major reason why a person who leaves the faith becomes estranged from, or is shunned by, faithful family members is that the faithful sometimes see the apostate's rejection of faith as a rejection of them; they take it very personally. My wife and I now realize that isn't the case at all. A person's rejection of the Church isn't necessarily a rejection of the person's family, especially not if the family remains loving, understanding and accepting (of course, if that rejection includes behaviors that are truly immoral, illegal or simply destructive, then that's a different story).

Our family members have a wide range of belief and activity in the Church, but everyone is leading good, productive lives, we remain very close as a family and everyone loves to get together (of course, Levin may disabuse me of this notion, but I'm blissful in my naivete). As I've mentioned before, it'd be nice to gather around the altar of the temple, but we think it may be even more important that all of us love to gather around the kitchen table.

I'm stealing this the next time I speak in Sacrament meeting.

[woot]

Isn't the idea that mormons are adopted into the house of Israel when they are baptized? The vast majority of people on Earth are certainly not literal descendants of any of the tribes of Israel.

[Joe Public]

For the sake of discussion:

What Does the Term Lineage Mean As It Pertains to Patriarchal Blessings?

The basic meaning of lineage is “descent in a line from a common progenitor.” Thus, in a patriarchal blessing, lineage is being declared (from Abraham, or Israel, or Ephraim, etc.) when terms indicating direct descent are used, such as “son of,” “daughter of,” “seed of,” “blood of,” “descendant of,” or “from the loins of.”

Concerning the responsibility of the patriarch to declare such lineage, the First Presidency of Heber J. Grant, J. Reuben Clark, Jr., and David O. McKay announced: “Patriarchal blessings contemplate inspired declaration of the lineage of the recipient.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 6 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1975, 6:194.)

Patriarchs have also been counseled: “A vital part of every patriarchal blessing is the declaration of lineage. … The patriarch should be responsive to the whisperings of the Spirit as he identifies lineage and the special promises and blessings attendant thereto. … The declaration of lineage is to come by the promptings of the Holy Ghost. This inspiration can come to the patriarch regardless of the race or nationality of the person receiving the blessing.” (Information and Suggestions for Patriarchs, p. 4; quoted by permission.)

In view of the foregoing statements, we can see that the lineages declared in patriarchal blessings are almost always statements of actual blood lines; they are not simply tribal identifications by assignment.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1991/01/o...srael?lang=eng

[old_gregg]

For the sake of discussion:



https://www.lds.org/ensign/1991/01/o...srael?lang=eng

i was really looking for a "not" somewhere in that last sentence

[woot]

For the sake of discussion:



https://www.lds.org/ensign/1991/01/o...srael?lang=eng

It occurs to me that from a young-earth creationist perspective, which, despite the lack of an official position is clearly essential to mormon doctrine, the odds of literal descent from Israel would be quite a bit higher. There was still quite a bit of time between the flood and Israel, so it still doesn't seem like all that many people could claim literal descent.

[byu71]

That was nice of you to recall this, but it was a little tough to read. Several weeks after I wrote that, Mrs. PAC and I drove to the Oakland Airport to meet our son who had returned way too soon from his mission due to unresolved pre-mission issues, among other things. Watching him walk toward us, slumped and obviously devastated, was one of the toughest moments of our lives. Several here have commented that the day one's kid comes home from a mission is one of the greatest days of one's life. I know from personal experience that this is true. I also know from personal experience that it can be one of the worst.

But good things can often flow from even the greatest disappointments. Our son's return sparked a lot of conversations between my wife and me, and with our youngest. In some respects our relationship is even better than before; it's certainly more open and honest. I think a major reason why a person who leaves the faith becomes estranged from, or is shunned by, faithful family members is that the faithful sometimes see the apostate's rejection of faith as a rejection of them; they take it very personally. My wife and I now realize that isn't the case at all. A person's rejection of the Church isn't necessarily a rejection of the person's family, especially not if the family remains loving, understanding and accepting (of course, if that rejection includes behaviors that are truly immoral, illegal or simply destructive, then that's a different story).

Our family members have a wide range of belief and activity in the Church, but everyone is leading good, productive lives, we remain very close as a family and everyone loves to get together (of course, Levin may disabuse me of this notion, but I'm blissful in my naivete). As I've mentioned before, it'd be nice to gather around the altar of the temple, but we think it may be even more important that all of us love to gather around the kitchen table.

So very, very will said. I have children and as a by product grandchildren who cross the spectrum of activity in the church. Non activity to activity. Not what I could call gung ho activity, except a couple of the grandchildren who are still naive.

All right now, knock on wood, are doing great. I have been asked by well meaning members if my heart just doesn't break that 3 of my grandchildren are being raised in a home with a Catholic father. I always give them a funny look and then explain what a great father and husband he is. I see how some husbands are and I am just so greatful for him.

Of course sometimes I get the yes but reply, and I think to my credit I don't tell them to F off.

[Donuthole]

i was really looking for a "not" somewhere in that last sentence

It has one, it's just on the wrong side of the semicolon.

In view of the foregoing statements, we can see that the lineages declared in patriarchal blessings are almost always statements of actual blood lines; they are not simply tribal identifications by assignment.

[Joe Public]

i was really looking for a "not" somewhere in that last sentence

It has one, it's just on the wrong side of the semicolon.

I'm guessing he started with the Joseph Fielding Smith quote in his "Statements from Church Leaders" section and worked backwards from there.

[Harry Tic]

Are patriarchal blessings still a thing? I don't mean to sound cheeky but I very rarely hear about them anymore. Maybe I'm just running with the wrong crowd, but I can't remember the last time I heard one mentioned in a talk or heard anyone encouraged to get one. Maybe in YM and YW the topic comes up more often but I kind of wonder if they are fading away.

[SCcoug]

Are patriarchal blessings still a thing? I don't mean to sound cheeky but I very rarely hear about them anymore. Maybe I'm just running with the wrong crowd, but I can't remember the last time I heard one mentioned in a talk or heard anyone encouraged to get one. Maybe in YM and YW the topic comes up more often but I kind of wonder if they are fading away.

You have to go all the way back to October 2014 GC to find a reference to one.

[Harry Tic]

You have to go all the way back to October 2014 GC to find a reference to one.

Of course people still get their PBs, they are mentioned in conference now and then, yadda yadda yadda. My question is whether PBs are beginning to fade a bit from church culture anyway. Does every active kid get one these days like they used to? Are lessons still taught about them with the same frequency? Nobody would argue that they have just disappeared.

[SCcoug]

Of course people still get their PBs, they are mentioned in conference now and then, yadda yadda yadda. My question is whether PBs are beginning to fade a bit from church culture anyway. Does every active kid get one these days like they used to? Are lessons still taught about them with the same frequency? Nobody would argue that they have just disappeared.

Yes, of course people still get their PBs and it is mentioned in GC most of the time. It still shows up in the youth curriculum once a year like it always has.

[Moliere]

Yes, of course people still get their PBs and it is mentioned in GC most of the time. It still shows up in the youth curriculum once a year like it always has.

Yeah, but I'd venture a guess that most people stop reading, or caring, about their PB once they get decently far along in life. I don't think I've read mine in probably over 7-8 years and frankly haven't even thought about it since then either.

[BigPiney]

Of course people still get their PBs, they are mentioned in conference now and then, yadda yadda yadda. My question is whether PBs are beginning to fade a bit from church culture anyway. Does every active kid get one these days like they used to? Are lessons still taught about them with the same frequency? Nobody would argue that they have just disappeared.

We just had a fireside in our ward with an emeritus Partiarch on PBs.

It was advertised for the youth but we had close to 40 show up, which is a lot since we only have 70 people show up for sacrament

[Jeff Lebowski]

Are patriarchal blessings still a thing? I don't mean to sound cheeky but I very rarely hear about them anymore. Maybe I'm just running with the wrong crowd, but I can't remember the last time I heard one mentioned in a talk or heard anyone encouraged to get one. Maybe in YM and YW the topic comes up more often but I kind of wonder if they are fading away.

Definitely still a thing.