I was wondering what kind of training, instruction, or guidance you were given before you started doing your calling. I’ve heard that newly called patriarchs are told to read many patriarchal blessings. Perhaps that’s why they tend to be so similar and generic. What guidance (if any) were you given for determining lineage? Where you told to not be too specific, or at least to remind every recipient that all PB promises are conditional?

Did you believe that you were delivering real messages from deity, or did you just think you were giving good advice?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

My father in law is a patriarch and I've talked to him a little about it.

Lineage - he was told that lineage should be Ephraim or Manasseh unless they felt very strongly that it should be one of the other tribes. I guess they're allowed to racially profile to get the Manasseh label (i.e. do they look like a lamanite?)

My wife insisted that he do the patriarchal blessings for some of my kids. During the preliminary explanations for my daughter's blessing he gave this counsel (paraphrased):

"There was a circumstance where a mother came to a patriarch upset because her son had died, yet had been promised all of these things in his patriarchal blessing that were unfulfilled."

He then went on to tell my daughter..."Understand that there may be things that are not intended for this life, but for the next and just because something doesn't happen now doesn't mean that it won't be fulfilled."

Needless to say, my BS meter was spiking. How convenient.

It sounds like the tripe I hear in General Conference. "Be patient in the Lord and you will be blessed....and if you're not blessed, don't lose your faith because it's god's will that you're not blessed."

My PB talks about me having children HERE ON EARTH, and our family being an example that others HERE ON EARTH will learn from and emulate. I was told how my children were in the pre-existance, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to come join my family! Honestly, THAT is what my PB said!

I was 19 at the time I got it.

Then, a few years later, I married a LDS guy, and being a TBM at the time, eagerly looked forward to the arrival of the children I had been promised.

When two years went by and we couldn't get pregnant, I went to a GYN. Did everything possible to conceive - even had surgery to try and increase my chances. Unfortunately, the Mormon god didn't provide insurance or enough money for me to pursue the test tube baby option (which cost about $12,000 at the time - payable in advance - for a 15% chance of successful delivery of a child), but I did everything else medically possible at the time to increase my chance at conceiving.

The children my PB promised me never materialized.

For years, I carried the GUILT around that I must not be living right (even though I sure did my best to, and I think others would agree that I lived a "worthy" life).

Then when I was 50-something, I was hit with cancer of the womb. It was caused by a long standing imbalance of the hormones in my body - insulin, estrogen and progesterone. It was a MEDICAL problem, not a spiritual problem, that caused my cancer.

I actually had a former bishop's wife tell me that IF I had just stayed at home, instead of pursuing my career as a college professor, that I would not have gotten cancer of the womb. That was God's punishment, because I did not stay at home like I was "supposed to."

She said this only 6 weeks after major abdominal surgery, when I had my uterus and a gigantic, solid tumor removed from my abdomen. I was still in pain from the surgery and cancer staging at the time, and had restricted mobility. It was while I was shopping at Costco, and she saw me using one of those motorized scooters to get around. She could see I was struggling, but rather than lend me a helping hand, she gave me her "advice."

Turns out, even at age 19, the hormonal imbalance was all ready in place, and it was medically impossible for me to have a child with the technology available at the time.

Funny, the PB soothsayer didn't pick up on that! Could have saved me alot of agony and feelings of guilt if he had.

Thank you for sharing. Stories like these are so important.

Yes, thank you for sharing. It hurt my heart to read your story.

Patriarchs... they're ordinary guys. I was related to one (now deceased). He had an increase in stress and pressure after reluctantly accepting, leading to untold health issues and eventually, declining to continue in the role, even though it's supposed to be a "life long calling." The person who assigned him the job had zero idea what he was doing. That person was .... drum roll.... Mr.Tommy M.

Many of the blessings in my PB never came true. When I left the cult, I shredded my PB. It was just projection based on the scriptures and words of living false prophets so I could stay addicted to the cult via guilt, fear and obligation, i.e., emotional blackmail.

I was a convert to LDS Inc. at the age of 17 and bought it hook, line and sinker. I received the Patriarchal Blessing soon afterward. My parents were divorced, but the Patriarch said if I was faithful I would have an eternal family in this life...talk about pressure.

During my missionary experience my mother began going to church and my parents remarried each other. I thought, “Wow, this stuff really works!” Dad never did buy into Mormonism so that’s as far as it went but it was good enough for me. Eventually DW and I quit the church as did Mom. They had a happy marriage until Dad died last year.

Of course the Patriarchal Blessing had nothing to do with these events—just a good example of association not being identical with causation. Nevertheless, it’s a nice story and I’m glad it happened to me.

Even the long island medium wouldn't charge ten percent and require odd looking undies...death oaths...handshakes and two miserable years...prolly just as accurate...or more so...just gotta love such a long running scam...chosen generations now worm food for decades...and the new kids are still slurping up the Sam old crap

My grandfather was a partriarch for many years of his life.

He even went on a mission where he would do nothing but give patriarchal blessings.

Back in the days When he gave partriarchal blessings it was customary to accept payment. I don't know how much he got paid, or if he charged, or merely accepted payment if someone felt so inclined.

I was told that he would fast all day before he was giving a blessing.

I often wondered how he felt about his calling. He was a practical kind of guy, not into fortune telling.

Then I got my hands on a couple of his blessings. As I read them, it occurred to me that he wasn't so much predicting a person's future, as he was DICTATING that future.

For example, he told his daughter that "no one would ever leave her table hungry."

The daughter became a fanatic about giving away food. Not only did she always have a fully-loaded table, like every meal was Thanksgiving, but she would pack a picnic baskeet for all her guests to take home with them.

Grandpa gave partriarchal blessings for everyone in his small town, so it was like he was dictating how everyone should behave for the rest of their lives. He was literally shaping the future of the town, by telling everyone what their role in life should be.

Quite a responsibility.

Also he gave PB to people who ALREADY HAD PB's so I don't know what was up with that.