Creating Recommends in the Patriarchal Blessing System

A progress menu appears at the top of the screen to identify the steps to create a recommend. The label of the current step is highlighted. The leader may click Save at any time to save the current information. The leader may click Cancel at any time to cancel the blessing recommend and return to the Overview screen. The screens automatically advance as the recommend progresses. Click on earlier steps to edit information previously entered.

Type the name of the member. Once the name of a member has been entered, his or her information will appear on the screen. Verify that this is the correct person. A history of prior recommends, if any, will also be displayed below the member information.

Addendums and Additional Blessings

If the selected member already has a blessing, the leader will be notified and given the option to cancel the recommend, request an addendum to the current blessing, or request an additional blessing for the member.

Addendums—"On rare occasions after giving a blessing, a patriarch may recognize that he has omitted the declaration of lineage. He may then lay his hands again on the recipient’s head and give an addendum in which he identifies the lineage.”

An addendum is given only when a declaration of lineage was not included in the original blessing. It should be brief—only two or three sentences to declare lineage. No other additions are authorized. An addendum is considered part of the original blessing, not a second blessing.

Additional Blessings—Occasionally a member may request a second patriarchal blessing. However, this is generally not encouraged and is rarely approved. An additional blessing requires approval of the area, stake, or mission president and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

This step is very important. Verified information will appear on the header of the blessing and will be used to link the blessing to the member’s official membership record.

Leaders can make corrections right away in Member and Leader Services (MLS) or Leader and Clerk Resources (LCR) and then refresh this page, or they can make them on this screen of the Patriarchal Blessings System. To make changes to the recommend, click Edit at the bottom of the page.

Clicking the ellipses at the top of the page will allow the leader to cancel the recommend or save the recommend and exit.

To move to the next step, click Next.

Select the member’s preferred language.

A recommend is usually sent to a functioning patriarch assigned to the unit. To do this, select the desired patriarch from the list of patriarchs.

A recommend can go outside of the stake for the following reasons:

• No functioning patriarch is assigned to the unit.
• No assigned patriarch speaks the preferred language.
• The member prefers to use a patriarch with a family relationship. A patriarch may give patriarchal blessings to his own lineal descendants (children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) regardless of where they live.

To select a patriarch outside the unit for any of these reasons, click Other Patriarch and then select the reason from the drop-down list that appears.

When a recommend is going outside of the stake, the recommend can follow two different tracks:

Member related to a patriarch—Type the name of the desired patriarch. A list of patriarchs matching the name will appear. Select the correct patriarch and click Next.

No functioning patriarch in unit or language unavailable—The selection of the patriarch will be done by a presiding area, stake, or mission leader.

An area, stake, or mission leader will request a patriarch by name in one of the following ways:

1. Choose a patriarch from a list of recently used patriarchs.
2. Choose a patriarch within his coordinating council.
3. Search for a patriarch by name, language, unit name, or distance from the member.

Review the information for accuracy. Once the information has been reviewed, click Submit to submit the recommend to the patriarch approver (if necessary).

Submitting the Recommend

The results of submitting the recommend will depend on three factors: 1) the ecclesiastical role of the recommender, 2) the type of blessing requested, and 3) which patriarch is desired to fulfill the recommend. The following rules apply.

Ward and Branch Leaders as Recommenders

• If an initial blessing is requested using a functioning patriarch assigned to the unit, the recommend will move to the Recommends Submitted list on the Overview page with a status of “Recommend Submitted.” Once this occurs, the recommend is ready for the patriarch.
• Any recommend for an addendum or additional blessing or using a patriarch not assigned to the unit must be approved by a presiding area, stake, or mission leader. The recommend will stay in the Recommends in Progress list on the Overview page, and the status will change to “Local Approval.”

Mission Leaders as Recommenders

• A recommend for an additional blessing must be approved by the Office of the Quorum of Twelve. The recommend will stay in the Recommends in Progress list on the Overview page, and the status will change to “Q12 Approval.”
• A recommend using a patriarch not assigned to the unit must be approved by the patriarch’s presiding area, stake, or mission leader. The recommend will stay in the Recommends in Progress list on the Overview page, and the status will change to “Remote Approval.”
• In all other instances, the recommend will move to the Recommends Submitted list on the Overview page, and the recommend will be ready for the actions of the patriarch.

Once a recommend has received any necessary approval and is available for patriarch action, the following document may be printed to assist the member in locating and scheduling an appointment with the patriarch. A paper recommend will no longer be issued.