What happens when a Patriarch gives a blessing with serious ramifications to LDS Church leadership? Quite a bit, as it turns out! Tune in and find out what happens in this amazing but true story of a patriarchal blessing gone amok!
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Fascinating
My understanding is that we could have a pretty good idea who is patrilineally descended from Aaron, if Aaron were a real person. Men with the surname “Cohen” or related names are likely descended from those who served in the temple in Jerusalem.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cohen_(surname)
I think the church has learned its lesson about hereditary offices. Joseph Smith may have loved them, but current leaders are concerned that they will not be able to control someone with a “legal right” to an office. Of course a patriarch will be required to give a new blessing. Church leaders have no more faith in patriarchal blessings that the most hardcore atheists. I just think they don’t have a good way to shut them down right now without causing some severe doubt in members’ minds.
The addendum does not specifically deny the previous statement that “your lineage is through the loins of Aaron”. I am surprised that the SP and others further up the food chain didn’t demand some more explicit statement to negate the initial pronouncement. Perhaps that would have caused too much embarrassment.
The Mormon Church strikes again. My Patriarchal Blessing reads as follows: ” Tonto, I bless you to know that you are a descendant of the mythical Aaron who was the brother of the mythical Moses who led 2-3 million Hebrews on a mythical 40 year journey to the never Promised Land of Canaan where the Hebrews mythically slaughtered every man, woman and child of the Canaanites on command of their mythical God, YHWH.” Anyone who takes the truth claims of the Mormon Church seriously needs serious help, perhaps in the form of a frontal lobotomy. The church is a fraud and a con, but it is only carrying on the tradition of its founder.
One explanation might be that they (the gen. authorities) have seen this more than once over the years. Perhaps it even occurs with some (relative) frequency? In the same way that many have been promised to be around for the return of JC, some fewer but still problematic (and I guess more than one in a generation is something of a problem) number of folks have been told they are lineal descendants of Aaron. Patriarchal blessings can be a real mind f__. Mine said I would have the opportunity to teach the gospel to men who sit in high places. I held on to the faith, against all evidence, for a long time because of that one. It’s on me, of course. Maybe if I’d been faithful, I’d have gotten to Putin before this war.
The Stake Pres was just doing his duty per the handbook Section 6.6.4. I assume this is to ensure that these patriarchs called by prophets, seers, and revelators don’t go rogue.
6.6.4
Supervising the Work of the Stake Patriarch
“The stake president supervises the patriarch’s work as outlined in Information and Suggestions for Patriarchs. He does not delegate this responsibility to one of his counselors. A patriarch benefits from a close relationship with his stake president. The stake president interviews the patriarch at least twice a year. They discuss the patriarch’s feelings about the work, the health and welfare of his family, and any other matters on which he needs counsel. At least twice a year, the stake president reviews the blessings the patriarch has given. As needed, he may make general suggestions about the content of the patriarch’s blessings.”
Here is another tidbit regarding lineage:
18.17.1
If a patriarchal blessing does not include a declaration of lineage, the patriarch may later give an addendum to declare lineage.
I was really surprised at the end of your story when you said the Patriarch gave that blessing with full understanding of what it implied. He resisted the prompting for that reason, but was obedient to God (I’m speaking from his point if view). Then he gets an order countermanding that from his church leadership, and obeys that instead. If you ever wondered what a Patriarch has on his shelf….