My father was recently called to be the Stake Patriarch. You may remember last month that we took a very quick trip to Winslow. That was the day Dad was ordained and we wanted to be there with him.
If you aren’t familiar with the term–and maybe even if you are–I strongly recommend reading this article, as it is especially helpful in explaining the role of a Patriarch. In case you don’t want to take the time, though, here’s the gist of it:
A Patriarch’s role is to give a specific type of blessing–called (unsurprisingly) a patriarchal blessing–to those who desire it. He places his hands upon a worthy individual’s head and declares promises and counsel from the Lord as the Holy Ghost prompts him. Jacob in the Old Testament gave similar blessings to each of his sons, as well as to Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.
Each patriarchal blessing is unique, and its contents are recorded for the individual to study and use as a guide throughout his or her life. As President Packer says in the article above: “Whenever a patriarch is ordained or pronounces a blessing, that same
light [the spirit of the Lord], though it may be unseen, is present. It empowers a patriarch to
declare lineage and to give a prophetic blessing, notwithstanding that
he himself may be a man of very ordinary capacity.”
My father would be the first to claim that he is a man of “very ordinary capacity.” He has devoted his life to his family and his work and his faith, and he has done so with quiet humility and dedication. He adores his three granddaughters, tries to maintain a close relationship with all of his children and their spouses, and clearly worships my mother. He’s tall and quiet and has piercing blue eyes; I don’t blame many
people for finding him intimidating at first. Those of us who know him
well, though, know he is strong and kind, hard-working almost to a
fault, and fiercely loyal to the things and people that are important to
him. Plus he’s got a really weird sense of humor and a special love of The Cosby Show, which amuses me to no end.
He’s a good man, my dad. He’s a wonderful patriarch of our family. He
leads by example, gives sound advice when we seek it, and loves us all
unconditionally. He is “a man of wisdom, possessed of the gift and
spirit of blessing as well.” The people in his Stake are blessed to have
him serve in this new role. More importantly, though, I feel blessed to
have him as a father.
Amen. And that picture is adorable. Seriously adorable.
Amen and Amen.
I think I actually started to tear up while reading this. It is so true.. all of it. Love you dad.