If you need a kick start on studying your patriarchal blessing…here are a few of the things that are bringing it alive for me:

• First, make a copy of your blessing that you can mark up.  (I even went as far as to number the lines so that I can reference them quickly.)

• Start underlining and hi-lighting any word or phrase that stands out to you. This small and simple action puts your patriarchal blessing on your radar and the ‘noticing’ process will officially begin.  In your regular course of study, attending meetings, engaging in conversations, singing hymns,  etc. you will start to notice that there are times when words or phrases from your blessing are mentioned and you will be drawn back into your blessing.  Write these down so that you can reference them later.  (Did I mention that it is extremely useful to take a composition book everywhere you go?  You never know when revelation is going to come…)

•  I have taken plain old lined paper and written out significant lines from my blessing on the top of each piece.  Now I hit the topical guide, bible dictionary, and index.  I look up scriptures that contain the same word/words that are in my blessing. I write out on my paper the actual scripture that has that particular word or phrase in it. (So if your blessing contains the word “ensign” you would write “ensign” at the top of a paper and look up all of the scriptures that reference this word.)

•  I look up words in the dictionary…even if I think I know the definition.  I write those definitions down as well.  Dictionary definitions always shed light on my study topics and sometimes give me profound new avenues for pondering.

• I have rearranged lines and collected ideas or phrases that I feel go together.  This one action has brought my life into much closer focus…and revealed much about things I must have done pre-mortally.  (And that’s a very exciting thing to think about!)

• What things have come to pass?  (Or that you think have come to pass! 🙂 –  I will never forget Pres. Hinckley telling us that when he prophesied at the end of his mission he thought that had fulfilled a part of his patriarchal blessing that he would testify to the world…) Write down actual names and dates, thoughts and feelings.  Connect your personal prophecies with actual events from your life.  Make a list.  Search ‘outside the box’ meanings that might also shed light on your experiences.  See what else comes to your heart as your write down verified revelation-write down these new thoughts as well. Remember, this is an eternal blessing and some things will come to pass in the next life.

• Throughout this process,  I ponder really deeply about what I am finding and putting together.  How do these scriptures and ideas apply to me…DO they apply to me?  What more is required of me from what I am learning…My blessing makes special mention of the Word of Wisdom (DAC 89).  I have never been tempted to break the WOW.  (Or at least what we think of as the WOW…no tea, coffee, tobacco, alcohol…) so I’ve wondered why it is in my blessing.  That is a deep question for me to ponder which has led me to a strong belief that there are higher laws associated with all of the lower laws and that the WOW is SOOOO much more than a set of restrictions.  This alone contains hours of study for me.  BUT, it’s the kind of study that is vibrant and powerful because I KNOW that it applies to me and that the Lord will reveal more truth to me on this subject because my very own personal destiny lies there.

• Eventually you will probably need a small notebook to house all of your notes, thoughts, talks, and ideas that have become a part of your patriarchal blessing. Just get one now.

Can you see why this process is thrilling?  This kind of study will change your life because it is about something God loves deeply and wants to reveal to you…YOU!