Patriarchal Blessings

As some of you know, I have posted a couple of ancestors' Patriarchal Blessings on this blog, but I have removed them.  This is not because I am not willing to share - far from it!  The whole point of my blog is to share the information I find with as many as who wants to see it!  However, these blessings were such an important and sacred part of our ancestor's lives, and the more that I thought about them being out on the internet the more it felt wrong to me.  There are too many people out there who do not hold anything to be sacred, people who would want to use this information to distort its intent.  I have searched and found nothing that states that I can NOT publish a deceased ancestor's blessing, so if anyone knows for sure how the Church feels about this topic, please let me know!

A Patriarchal Blessing, for those who read this who are not LDS, is a special blessing bestowed upon any member who seeks guidance in their life - not just for this life, but for the life hereafter. For more information on Patriarchal Blessings, I invite you to read a message from President Monson, the current LDS Prophet, at http://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/02/on-being-spiritually-prepared?lang=eng&query=patriarchal+blessing.  In this talk, Pres. Monson speaks about how one should treat their own personal blessing, and says that it should not be published or read to just anyone because of its personal and private nature.  It was when I read this that I really felt that my ancestors would not want just anyone to access their sacred blessings, but that they would definitely wish for their descendants to read them, members of the church, or not!

So, if you would like a copy of this blessing there are two ways to go about getting it:

1. You can ask me for a copy - just send me a message, or leave a comment, (if I don't know you, please let me know how you are related to our common ancestor!) and leave me contact information so that I can send it to you.  I don't care if you're a member of the church, or not - I'll send you a copy!
2. If you are a member of the LDS church, and a "direct line descendant" (meaning that you are a child/grandchild/ great grandchild, etc.) then you can go to lds.org and order a patriarchal blessing directly from the church.  If you are not a direct line descendant, then you will need to contact me for a copy.

I'm sorry if this causes inconvenience!  It is not my intent to frustrate or offend anyone.  Thank you for your understanding.  ~Mary Ann Overson

Patriarchal Blessing for Elizabeth Brierley Simister

NOTE!!!  I have decided not to post this blessing online) please see my post on "Patriarchal Blessings" for the reason why.)  If you would like a copy of this blessing there are two ways to go about getting it:

1. You can ask me for a copy - just send me a message, or leave a comment, (if I don't know you, please let me know how you are related to our common ancestor!) and leave me contact information so that I can send it to you.
2. If you are a member of the LDS church, and a "direct line descendant" (meaning that you are a child/grandchild/ great grandchild, etc.) then you can go to lds.org and order a patriarchal blessing directly from the church.  If you are not a direct line descendant, then you will need to contact me for a copy.

John William and Elizabeth Brierley Simister

Elizabeth Brierley Simister is my Great Great Grandmother - she and her husband, John W. Simister, had many children, one of them being Hannah Simister Bale, who was the mother of Emma Louisa Bale Jensen, who was the mother of Rose Afton Jensen Whitehead, my mother.  She died from contracting pneumonia January 28, 1912, at age 66, a little more than a month after receiving her blessing.

Clifford Bale Patriarchal Blessings

NOTE!!!  I have decided not to post this blessing online) please see my post on "Patriarchal Blessings" for the reason why.)  If you would like a copy of this blessing there are two ways to go about getting it:

1. You can ask me for a copy - just send me a message, or leave a comment, (if I don't know you, please let me know how you are related to our common ancestor!) and leave me contact information so that I can send it to you.
2. If you are a member of the LDS church, and a "direct line descendant" (meaning that you are a child/grandchild/ great grandchild, etc.) then you can go to lds.org and order a patriarchal blessing directly from the church.  If you are not a direct line descendant, then you will need to contact me for a copy.

Clifford Bale was the son of Richard and Sarah Miller Bale, and would be my Great Grand Uncle.  

Today we know that when you get your patriarchal blessing, you get one and only one in your lifetime.  So, why does Clifford Bale have SIX patriarchal blessings?  When Clifford was alive, it was common practice to get mulitple blessings (from multiple patriarchs).  I'm not sure when, but at some point the church put an end to this, mostly because the patriarchs in the church were swamped all the time with requests for blessings, and because people were going to get other blessings simply because they didn't like what they heard in the previous blessing. It is interesting to me that all of these blessings for Clifford Bale say essentially the same thing repeatedly, even though they were all given by different people.  Of course they would - because the gospel is true and inspiration is given by the same source, our Heavenly Father!  NOTE:  All these blessings have originals that I used to transcribe.  If you would like a copy of any of the originals, please let me know and I'd be happy to email a jpeg file image to you!  Also, you can obtain free copies from the church (for any direct-line ancestor) by going to LDS.org.