I am sure some of you may notice a pattern in my posts, in that I still believe and cannot make up my mind. Silly right? Mormons say to avoid these sites because its satan taking truths and slightly twisting them, and yet, I found the church is doing the same thing with Joseph Smith and his upbringing and history. Just when I think I am understanding the lies, I remember something that was a "witness". So here I go again, my patriarchal blessing. Before you may explain basic psychological explanations for why things came true etc, I need to explain that the man who gave me the blessing was not a close family friend or relative. There are certain things he said that were just so spot on, even now I wonder if it is a witness that the church is true. Here is the kicker....my patriarchal blessing says ...and yes I know a faithful mormon would not share it, but I am taking a risk by doing so in search for truth..."there will be many tempting you, trying to divert you from the path of truth and virtue you are on" now, that may be generic, but some specific stuff he mentions later was so spot on, its hard for me to doubt all of my patriarchal blessing. Does that make sense? In order to leave mormonism, I have to denounce this as a revelation given to a priesthood holder, I am confused. Compassionate words would be most helpful and if any one can relate with personal experience, it would help a lot. Thanks so very much.

I lived by my PB. I read it regularly. I had met some really wonderful people who were not mormon at the place I worked. Several were nonmormon guys and the mormon men I worked with even could not understand why I didn't marry one of them.

So 5 years after I turned down the marriage proposal for that man (and a few other nonmormons, mormon guys didn't seem to like me, it seems I was a bit too devout), I met a guy who I had actually dreamed would come into my life. Seven months after we started dating, he told me he is gay.

If you want to believe the church isn't true, deal with this issue for a while. As I sit here typing this, he is over at the stove fixing his dinner (I work at home and I ran out of work). We now share the house we purchased 30 years ago. I am now back with that nonmormon I gave up in my 20s. Our old boss was the one who got us back together and he is a GOOD mormon.

Live the experience of dealing with leaders over your gay boyfriend including Packer. I even asked one of these bishops (a good friend at the time) why I should keep going to church after my husband left me. He told me he really didn't have any answers except it was the right thing. It took another 10 years when I was out walking and IT ALL FELL APART.

I thought the nonmormons I met were the ones I was being warned about. I reread my PB a few years ago and it made me cry. None of it fit now that I'm in my 50s. My mother thought it was the most special of all her kids' PBs. Before she died, she said to me "you can be spiritual without being any religion." She and my dad had watched my life go to hell because I chose to believe. I was their most devout, the one they NEVER thought would leave. Most of my siblings and all but one of my nieces and nephews are out.

If you read here long enough, you will find out that the most devout are leaving.

Best of luck in sorting things out. Remember what ghawd allegedly said happens to tepid people.

Several years ago, I had a tarot card reading that was so spot on that my jaw dropped. To this day, I can't explain it.

I didn't devote my life to tarot card readers. I don't give them 10% of my income.

Patriarchal blessings, like tarot card readings, are inexplicably accurate once in a great, great while, but 99% of the time, they are either hopelessly vague or dead wrong.

Our stake patriarch was a very good and spiritual guy. Someone who was actually Christlike and tried to be a humble christian, he talked with my Bishop, and my parents and some other leaders in the ward before my blessing. I found this out later. He told me things about myself that he learned from others. Other parts of my blessing are very generic and found in lots of other blessings. Several years ago there was a study published in Sunstone or Dialog that had wordings used in blessings - the form letter basically hit all the main parts of mine except for a few special facts - my patriarch was a scientist in the same field I as interested in and in my blessing he gave me advice about what directions to take in life in the scientific field.

Take your blessing and count what percentage is spot on.
Now look at that and see how much of that wording is probably repetitive form letter for young people when they are going through questioning of the church at that stage of life.

Do some research on how fortune tellers and psychics work. There was a good example a few years ago --- a guy wrote several identical psychic readings and gave them to a group of young women. All but one of the women were amazed at how well the readings fit them. Spot on, over and over.

There are people out there who are very good at saying things that *sound* really convincing. And others who are very good at finding out remarkably specific information about their targets. And, sometimes, the conmen are bound to hit a few correct things, just by chance. Overall, it is not that hard to do.

But the different people who read those identical psychic readings truly believed that the readings were amazingly, personally correct. Until they found out that it was all a sham.

This one is up my alley.

I have had very accurate Tarrot card readings. I have witnessed accurate 'revelations' from priesthood holders, I have obtained accurate 'revelations, visions, etc. etc.'.

We all have 'psychic' abilities. I have know few people that can control them, and I cannot. However, over time one gets a better feel for what is 'psychic' or a brain fart.

My PB was not so 'accurate'. Some people are just more 'open' and get more accurate things.

However, pats/people etc. who 'ask God' for insight, etc. have a 'good chance' if they don't go into some memorized rant they 'normally do' but really expect to get something and are patient.

You can always check out what is true by asking and being patient by waiting or doing something else. Eventually, think about it again and see how you think and feel about the question if you haven't got an answer yet by not thinking about it.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day, you know. Just because it says some very insightful things that it seems uncanny, even the most compelling PB does not mean that everything else in Mormonism is divinely ordained and sanctioned.

It is actually not hard for a complete stranger to say very specific seeming things about any given person. Fortune tellers have been conning people for just about ever with a technique called cold reading. Also, ponder this: I think you can reasonably say Mormonism teaches and even coerces conformity from its members in dress, behavior, culture and even thought. It is not hard to say spot on things about a Mormon, even one you've never met, because they simply are really not that diverse in their individuality, their habits, their lifestyle, choices, or desires.

So you got a cool PB. Does that make JS's marriage of Helen Mar Kimball inspired? Or the Mountain Meadows Massacre? The changes to the supposedly immutable BOM and temple ordinances? The despicable treatment of GLBTQ people? There are many reasons to leave Mormonism and you need to consider whether a seemingly specific PB is reason enough to set the other evidence aside and stay.

As for Satan working through us here on this site to mess with you, honestly, that's scare tactics perpetuated by a cult trying its best to convince you to keep yourself in their cage, and give them money and attention, obedience, adulation and precious time out of your life. Satan is a myth invented for just these reasons. The only entity messing with your mind is the so-called church.

Good luck disentangling yourself. I was very much frightened and confused when I first left, too. Now I am assured that I made absolutely the right choice in leaving.

My PB was nice. I read it often. I shrank it on the printer and used copies for bookmarks in my scriptures lol. It said I would meet and marry an RM and we would get married in the temple! And wow! I did. So it must be true... or I made it happen, cos that's what I wanted.

It also said that that if I kept reading the BoM constantly, I would be protected against Satan. Years later my reading fizzled away to nothing.. Oops.

The point is.. neither of these things make startling revelation
They are natural consequences of actions. Of course I wanted to marry an RM in the temple.. of course, the chances of falling prey to satan (disengaging and thinking for yourself) if you stop doing every minute thing the church demands (there's a reason there is so much to do) I find it hard to believe that a testimony of this great and mighty restoration of the lords true church, Jesus, prophets back on the earth!! can all be lost cos I missed my morning study, or drank a cup of coffee. Buts that's a whole other topic.

There's an article on Mormon think about patriarchal blessings.
You have to scroll down to it

http://www.mormonthink.com/testimonyweb.htm#introduction

I'm in my 60's. I got my PB when I was about 15.

I'd say that as far as any predictions, it was way off. Mostly it was telling me to read the scriptures etc. etc.

I married in the temple when I was 18. PB forgot to mention that I would divorce 24 months later because he wouldn't keep his pants on when he got around 15 year olds. PB also forgot to mention that I would be persecuted for being mormon. Not by non mormons, but the mormons themselves. Decades later I finally called a halt to the insanity.

PB was a huge fail IMO. The patriarch didn't have a clue who I was or am, and it shows.

My PB has something very close to yours, essentially the same phrase, except scarier to a TBM. It was given to me in 1978, which IIRC is 12 years before you were born.

"Cling steadfastly to the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is a sure source of strength unto thee, for there are many about thee which would readily destroy thee."

See? It's a standard boilerplate warning to stay in the Old Ship Zion, or else. Mine also told me to limit my friends to faithful Mormons and to "isolate" myself from "carnal friendships," i.e. non-Mos. Hard to do that in Southern California.

As for the part of your PB that was "spot-on," it's difficult to comment directly without knowing what was said. However, just because the patriarch wasn't a relative or family friend doesn't mean he knew nothing of you beforehand.

You didn't just show up unannounced on the patriarch's doorstep asking for a PB, did you? No, you had to schedule an appointment to "prepare yourself spiritually" for the occasion. Scriptures, prayer, maybe even some fasting. What was it, a few days, a week or two?

During that time, he would have called people who knew you to get a sense of who you are, along with some details of your background – your bishop, your YW leaders, possibly even your parents. I mean, they wouldn't have refused a call from the patriarch, right?

If your experience was like mine, there was also a pre-blessing chat with the old guy where he could probe for more information to be used in the PB if needed. What I'm saying is, you weren't simply a brand-new blank slate for the patriarch to write on. He had plenty of opportunities to get whatever he needed to impress you with his "inspired insight." Not that mysterious when you really think about it.

We know what you're going through, and we understand how hard it is to let go. I think you understand that we're not tools of Satan twisting things. But we can see through the church BS, and (I hope) we're able to communicate it clearly.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2016 11:28PM by Book of Mordor.

"I have to denounce this as a revelation given to a priesthood holder, I am confused."

No, you don't. This is called remote viewing. Most of the Church's patriarchs aren't much good at it, and even trained remote viewers are hit and miss. You caught yours on a good day.

Priesthood blessings are an interesting thing if you've seen them work. Yeah, fine, any religion with faith produces the same experiences. Group prayer has been scientifically studied and shown to work. No priesthood required.

The priesthood is a kind of "white folk magic" that works the same way most magic practices work, by faith and intent. To Mormons' credit they have it set up so you can only do good with it. If you want to keep believing in it, that's up to you. I don't see why it should stop you from getting to the bottom of what's what. Even if it works as advertised, it doesn't mean the church is true.

EDIT: Of course this discussion is academic. No matter how you slice it, you can't be true to yourself and embrace Mormonism. I once heard a horrible story about a woman who left her baby to go work in the fields. When she returned, she found that a rat had chewed through the skull and eaten the baby's brain. Rats excrete an anesthetic so you don't feel pain as they eat you alive. You are like that baby and the Church is the rat eating your brain. They have you so turned around that you can't see how horribly they dishonor your being.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2016 12:02AM by bradley.

Thanks everybody it really is helping me understand. I had no idea how many devout mormons have left. The church is really good at telling you only people with half truth are on these sites...I dont know that that is true now. Thanks for your patience with me, this is a tough journey, and its nice to not feel judged.

That was a big surprise to me too. I had no idea there were ex bishops, stake Presidents Relief Society pres. and many many more that were multi generational members that had been members for decades. Then they went online and found out things they'd never been told in their 40, 50, 60, 70, years plus as mormons.

A lot of heart ache, broken families and marriages. However, there are also a lot of joyful stories of finding their true selves and having a life they never dreamed was possible.

All of that was a big surprise. The mormon church never ever discusses the good outcomes of people who leave the church. Believe me, there are a a lot of good stories in these threds

I had one of those "special, spiritual" PB experiences. At least that's what I thought when I got it at 13. There were some things that I indeed thought were spot on and there was one specific instance involving my single mother (she mentioned after that she thought since the PB mentioned to cherish her before it mentioned marriage, that she wouldn't be alive when I got married - funny enough she died 8 months later, 8 years before I married) that really had me convinced it was a lifeline. I clung to it for quite a while. Then things started to happen differently than the PB said (I didn't marry in the temple, among other things). And now I see it for what it is....basically a list of very stereotypical things that Mormons "should do" to keep on the "right path". It discusses staying on the straight and narrow path although attractive voices from other buildings may be calling. It discusses how I'll have an important calling here on earth as well as in heaven. It discusses how all my sins will be washed away if I remain true...

It's all a step by step guide of "how to get to heaven by staying true to the LDS church". And I assume that's very much what other people have experienced, probably yourself included.

Mine said I if I was faithful, I would come forth in the first resurrection. If I still had it, I would ball it up real tight and shoot trashcan hoops.

My patriarchal blessing was a blessing of sorts during my adolescence. It brought me comfort during my parents divorce, and being shuffled from one high school after another throughout high school.

I don't believe it kept me on the straight and narrow so much, but I read it even when I was a rebellious youth, and agnostic. After I came back to church activity as a young adult it continued to inspire me until I fell away for the reasons I did later on.

My patriarch, like yours, seemed to be an inspired man of God. I believe it is possible to have inspired people in the LDS church regardless of whether it is true or not itself.

If your blessing brought you comfort or continues to for whatever reason, I'd still cherish that aspect of your upbringing. There are those things that are unique and personal to each of our experiences, PB included.

I still have mine tucked away inside the envelope it was mailed in, after all these years. Haven't read it in a good long while, but I keep it as a part of my personal history for my life.

Most of it didn't come to pass. I didn't marry in the temple. I'm not a teacher in the church, young people don't come to me for advice nor do I lead them in the paths of righteousness (it told me all this when I was 12!) It promised me great blessings, many did not come true. Was it because I left the church? They hadn't come true while I was still there, so I don't believe so.

But I don't worry about it. I still believe my patriarch was inspired when he gave his blessings, even if the church isn't true. And it helped me through a rocky childhood, and helped me grow as a person. It even helped me be a better daughter to my parents, and strive to be a good person.

There was more good I derived from getting my blessing when I turned 12, than negative. It's all in the eyes of the beholder. If I'd waited to get my blessing later on, I probably wouldn't have, that's how turbulent my adolescence was following my parents divorce. It was a rite of passage so I felt obliged to get mine when I did. I got it with my brother on his 16th birthday. We got ours on the same day. Most kids wouldn't get them as young as me, but it was something I felt strongly about, and my parents arranged it, with the patriarch's blessing.

H. Aldridge Gillespie was my stake patriarch who gave me my PB. It is four full pages of single spaced crap. I mean he spoke and rambled on for 22 minutes. I remember thinking he was the long-windedest bastard I'd ever heard! I guess all religions have to have their specific good yarns for the individual as well as the collective. The LDS are just a lot more polished at it.