How can a patriarchal blessing help me?

Prepare Yourself Spiritually

A patriarchal blessing is personal revelation for our lives. It helps us understand our potential and the blessings we can receive if we are faithful. It may contain promises, admonitions, or warnings to guide our lives. It also helps us know that Heavenly Father knows and cares about us personally.

Resources to Help You Prepare

These resources are to help you prepare for the “Learn together” section of the meeting.

Alma 16:16–17; 3 Nephi 17:2–3 (We should prepare our hearts to receive instruction from the Lord)
3 Nephi 20:25–27 (The house of Israel blesses families of the earth)
Doctrine and Covenants 82:10; 130:20–21 (Blessings are conditioned upon obedience)
Henry B. Eyring, “Help Them Aim High,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 60–67
Boyd K. Packer, “Counsel to Youth,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 16–19
“About Patriarchal Blessings,” New Era, Mar. 2004, 32–35
“Patriarchal Blessings,” True to the Faith (2004), 111–13
“Face to Face: How can I get comfort from my patriarchal blessing?” (video)

Questions to Ponder before You Teach

If you have received a patriarchal blessing, how has it guided your life? How has it helped you in times of adversity? How has it inspired you?

In what ways can a patriarchal blessing be a guide in the lives of the young men you teach? Why is it important for them to know their lineage in the house of Israel? How can you help them prepare to receive a patriarchal blessing?

What can the young men do to prepare to learn? For example, they could read a talk, watch a video, or study a scripture related to this doctrine.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way

The Savior knows the young men in your quorum, and He knows who they can become. He has a work for each of them to do, and He wants to help them accomplish that work. How can you teach the young men about the Savior’s love for them as you talk about patriarchal blessings?

Meeting Outline

1. Counsel Together and Share Experiences

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Lead a discussion about items such as the following:

Our quorum: Who is missing today? What visits do we need to make? Who should we invite to an upcoming activity? Who needs our help and prayers?
Our duties: What assignments do we need to make? What assignments have we fulfilled? How have we invited others to come unto Christ, and how can we invite others now?
Our lives: Remind the quorum of the discussion from the last meeting. What experiences have we had with applying what we learned? What experiences have we had in the past few weeks that strengthened our testimonies of the gospel?

If possible, discuss these items beforehand in a quorum presidency meeting.

2. Learn Together

Led by a leader or teacher or a member of the quorum; approximately 25–35 minutes

After studying the above resources and following the inspiration of the Spirit, you may select one or more of the activities below to help quorum members understand the doctrine.

Invite one or more young men to share their experiences receiving a patriarchal blessing (or share your own experience). How have their patriarchal blessings helped them? (Remind the quorum that the specific content of patriarchal blessings is sacred and should not be shared.) Cut a copy of the article “About Patriarchal Blessings” into pieces, one for each question and answer. Invite the quorum members to take turns selecting one piece of the article and sharing the question and answer with the quorum. What other questions do the young men have?
With the bishop’s permission, invite the stake patriarch to talk to the quorum about patriarchal blessings. Encourage the young men to ask any questions they have. As an alternative, you could show the video “Face to Face: How can I get comfort from my patriarchal blessing?”
Ask the young men to write down any questions they have about patriarchal blessings. As a quorum, look for answers in True to the Faith, pages 111–13.
As a quorum, read President Boyd K. Packer’s comments about his patriarchal blessing in “Counsel to Youth” or President Henry B. Eyring’s story about receiving his blessing in “Help Them Aim High.” Ask the young men to identify ways a patriarchal blessing could help them and share what they find.
Invite the young men to read the scriptures suggested in this outline and share what they feel each scripture teaches them about patriarchal blessings.

3. Plan to Act

Led by a member of the quorum presidency; approximately 5–10 minutes

Ask the young men to discuss any feelings or impressions they had during the meeting. What was meaningful to them? Is there something they can do personally or as a quorum to apply what they have learned?
Give the young men a few minutes to record what they will do in the coming weeks to act on their impressions. Invite them to share their ideas.
Remind the young men that they will have the opportunity to share their experiences at the beginning of the next meeting.