Study Guide for "Your Patriarchal Blessing—Inspired Direction from Heavenly Father"

In this talk, Elder Randall K. Bennett shares his personal experience with his patriarchal blessing and how it provided him with comfort, direction, and a deeper understanding of his divine identity during a challenging time in his life. He emphasizes the importance of patriarchal blessings in providing inspired direction from Heavenly Father and encourages members of the Church to seek, study, and treasure their own patriarchal blessings.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What is a patriarchal blessing and what is its significance?
How can a patriarchal blessing provide comfort and direction in challenging times?
What is the connection between patriarchal blessings and understanding our divine identity?
How can studying our patriarchal blessings increase our faith and trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
How can a patriarchal blessing help us withstand temptation and find joy in the process of repentance?

Topics

Understanding the Significance of Patriarchal Blessings

Elder Bennett explains that a patriarchal blessing is a sacred, confidential, and personal blessing that provides inspired direction from Heavenly Father. It is a personal scripture and declares our lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from Heavenly Father.

Our beloved President Russell M. Nelson has repeatedly taught about the importance of a patriarchal blessing, that it gives each recipient "a declaration of lineage back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" and that each blessing "is personal scripture to you."

What is a patriarchal blessing?
What is the purpose of a patriarchal blessing?
How is a patriarchal blessing personal scripture to you?
How have you felt directed by Heavenly Father through your patriarchal blessing?
In what ways has your patriarchal blessing served as personal scripture in your life?

Discovering Our True Eternal Identity

Through the power of the Holy Ghost, patriarchal blessings can help us understand our true eternal identity. Knowing who we really are can inspire us to draw closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and increase our faith and trust in Them.

My patriarchal blessing helped me understand my true eternal identity—who I really was and who I could become.

Knowing who I really was helped me understand and desire to do what God expected of me.

How can a patriarchal blessing help us understand our true eternal identity?
How can knowing our true eternal identity influence our actions and decisions?
How has your patriarchal blessing helped you understand your true eternal identity?
How has this understanding influenced your actions and decisions?

Studying Patriarchal Blessings for Comfort and Guidance

Studying our patriarchal blessings frequently can help us feel the comforting, guiding influence of the Holy Ghost. It can also help us desire to be more submissive to the will of Heavenly Father and experience great joy, regardless of our personal circumstances.

I studied my patriarchal blessing frequently and, as a youth, often daily, which helped me feel the comforting, guiding influence of the Holy Ghost, who helped reduce my anxiety as I followed His promptings.

My patriarchal blessing also helped me desire to be more submissive to the will of my Heavenly Father, and that focus helped me experience great joy, despite my personal circumstances.

How can studying our patriarchal blessings provide comfort and guidance?
How can it help us be more submissive to the will of Heavenly Father?
How have you felt comforted and guided as you've studied your patriarchal blessing?
How has studying your patriarchal blessing helped you be more submissive to the will of Heavenly Father?

Using Patriarchal Blessings to Withstand Temptation and Repent Joyfully

Studying our patriarchal blessings can increase our desire to withstand temptation and find joy in the process of repentance. It can also inspire us to strive to do better and be better.

Frequently studying my patriarchal blessing increased my desire to withstand temptation. It helped me have the desire and courage to repent, and repentance increasingly became a joyful process.

How can studying our patriarchal blessings help us withstand temptation?
How can it inspire us to find joy in the process of repentance?
How has studying your patriarchal blessing helped you withstand temptation?
How has it inspired you to find joy in the process of repentance?

Receiving Patriarchal Blessings at a Young Age

Elder Bennett shares that receiving his patriarchal blessing while he was young and while his testimony was still growing was vital for him. He encourages members to prayerfully seek to know when they are ready to receive their patriarchal blessing.

It was vital for me to receive my patriarchal blessing while I was young and while my testimony was still growing.

Not everyone will desire their patriarchal blessing when I did. But I pray that members who have not yet received their patriarchal blessing will prayerfully seek to know when they are ready.

Why might it be beneficial to receive a patriarchal blessing at a young age?
How can we know when we are ready to receive our patriarchal blessing?
How did receiving your patriarchal blessing at a young age impact your life?
How did you know when you were ready to receive your patriarchal blessing?