My Personal Liahona

 This week I have been studying and pondering the talk given by Elder Randall K Bennett in the Spring General Conference, Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father.

I remember the day I received my patriarchal blessing, one of my deepest concerns had been addressed. It was my first experience of feeling the Lord's love and concern for me through my patriarchal blessing.

I was encouraged a few years ago, by a good friend, to list the desires of my heart. It is a list I revisit often, in fact, I rewrite it every year. With not one, but two talks on patriarchal blessings in general conference I renewed my determination to learn from my patriarchal blessing. I have studied it more intensely and with more focus over the last few months - specifically looking for where the desires of my heart pop up.  It has been a beautiful experience. I have learned so much, and I feel like my personal connection with God has deepened.

My patriarchal blessing has done so much for me. It has:

• brought great comfort at different times in my life
• helped me feel personally known by my Heavenly Father
• given me evidence of God's generous, personal care for me
• given me an eternal perspective
• helped me feel valued and needed when the world told me otherwise
• instilled in me a deeper desire to study the scriptures
• motivated me to deepen my prayers
• given me a greater sense of purpose in my life
• intensified my desire to be a faithful covenant daughter of God
• given me a greater appreciation for the generations of good parents in my lineage
• helped calm my fears
• increased my sense of divine watch-care and protection
• increased my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father, my Savior, and in the words of the prophets
• filled me with hope when discouraged, anticipation of good things to come, and a determination to be better every day
• moved me to seek after specific spiritual gifts and develop my talents further

I feel my patriarchal blessing is a gift to me from God. I believe it helps me see myself (a tiny bit at least) through God's eyes. I know that as each of my children received their blessing, I was overwhelmed by the potential and the love that I could discern for them from the Lord. I know it is the same for me. What a great, personal gift it is to have specific personalized counsel from my Heavenly Father.

ADDENDUM

I would like to invite everyone to study their patriarchal blessings. I have found some suggestions for different ways to do this. I personally have found great insight in crunching specific words, as well as dividing the blessing up into 12 sections to study each month of the year. Can I also invite you to study the meaning of your name? I can't believe all that I learned by doing that!!! Another idea is to match the words of your blessing with words from the scriptures or general conference talks. I have loved the deeper insight this provides. More recently I am also focusing on writing affirmations from my blessing. When I use the phrase [I AM] in a sense it becomes a statement where Jesus [who is the great I AM] and I are working together. I love that idea! One more thought... greater revelation can come as we study our blessings. It is not the end of all that the Lord wants us to know about ourselves and our purpose and His love for us.