Brother *****, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the authority of the holy Melchizedek Priesthood which I bear, and by virtue of my ordination as a patriarch in the _____ Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I lay my hands upon your head and pronounce upon you a patriarchal blessing.

*****, you have desired to receive this blessing because of the righteous way you are living your life, because of the growing testimony that you have within your heart, and because of the knowledge that you have gained as you have continued to study the scriptures, all of which have pointed you toward this day. This blessing is given to you, through me, by a wise and kind Heavenly Father who knows you and loves you, who guided you during your premortal life with Him as you prepared yourself to come to earth. Because of that which you did in His presence, and because of the covenants that you made at that time, you were reserved to come to earth in this, the dispensation of the fullness of times, that you might serve the Lord and your fellowman and become an instrument in the hands of the Lord in blessing the lives of many of your Father in Heaven's children.

You were sent to this earth through a royal lineage, for you are of the House of Israel. You are a member of the tribe of Ephraim. You are an heir, therefore, to the blessings promised to Abraham, all of which will be bestowed upon you as you go through life and continue to live as the Lord would have you do. As your Father in Heaven sent you to this earth, He blessed you to be born in the covenant, blessed you with loving, kind, and patient parents who have taught you the gospel. He also gave you immense spiritual gifts. You have been blessed with a sensitivity to the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. You have been blessed with a sense of caring and love. You have been blessed with the gift of faith. You have been blessed with great intelligence and with the capability to reason, to ponder, and to understand. You have been blessed with patience and love.

All of these gifts were given to you, that as you discover and develop them, you might be prepared to serve the Lord; for it will be your privilege to be called to be a servant of God here upon the earth, to teach and to lead and to preside in the kingdom of God. It is therefore very important that you prepare yourself for those callings that the Lord will extend to you as you sojourn here upon the earth.

Gain all the education that you can. Learn of the things of the earth, things that were, and things which will come to pass. Learn of nations and of people. Learn that which will enable you to serve the Lord and to accomplish the professional activities which you will wish to do in life.

It will be your privilege to receive the blessings of the gospel in their fullness. If you will continue to live righteously, you will be blessed to be endowed and prepared to serve the Lord in this life and in the eternities to come. You will be blessed to be called to serve the Lord as a missionary and to be sent forth to teach and to preach the gospel. Therefore, if you will be obedient and faithful to the calling that is given you, and be diligent in that which you do, you will have experiences of great spiritual significance to you. You will hear the voice of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost directing your paths as you travel through the communities where you will serve, and you will be led to those who will be desirous of receiving the gospel. Throughout your life, *****, listen to the voice of the Holy Ghost and have the courage to do that which you are prompted to do, and the Lord will guide you and protect you.

It will be your privilege to find an eternal companion and to be sealed to her in a temple of the Lord. You will be blessed to be a father in Israel, and as you show your family by example the things that they should do, they will serve the Lord as well. Teach your children through family prayer, through family home evening, through study of the scriptures. Counsel with them. Bless them as a father.

Keep the commandments throughout your life, *****. The Lord has been very explicit in teaching you the things that you should do. Do them, and He will bless you and protect you. At this time, I bless you that you will continue to enjoy health and strength. I bless you that your mind will be open and attentive as you study the scriptures and promise you that if you will ponder them and pray about them, you will gain an unshakable testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel. I counsel you to fill your mind with righteous thoughts so that when you are called upon to counsel and to teach in the Church, you will be able to remember and the Spirit will be able to prompt you regarding that which should be said. I bless you that the gift of patience with which you have been blessed will serve you well throughout your life and that you will be able to be patient in all situations, some of which will be trying and difficult.

I bless you that you will be strengthened in times of sorrow and that you will find comfort always in the knowledge that your Father in Heaven loves you. I bless you that when you are called to preside and to serve in leadership positions in the Church, that you will have the courage and the wisdom to perform that which your Father in Heaven would have you do. I bless you that the spirit of Elijah might attend you. I bless you that you might have a great, great desire to fulfill the missionary assignments that have been promised you, that you will be able to spend these next few years preparing for those great callings. I bless you that as you prepare to go forth to teach, that you will do that which your Father in Heaven would have you do.

*****, your Father in Heaven loves you. He is pleased with that which you have done thus far in your life. He would have you continue to so live throughout your existence here upon the earth. He would have you draw near to Him through prayer and through fasting, that you might be in a position and be attuned to receive the guidance that He will give you. I bless you with the power to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, and I seal upon you the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and these things I do in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.