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UNFULFILLED PROMISES
By Elder Boyd K. Packer, Apostle
“Sometimes someone will worry because a promise made in a patriarchal blessing is not yet fulfilled,” taught President Boyd K. Packer (1924–2015), former President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “For instance, a blessing may indicate that a member will be married, and they do not find a companion. That does not mean that the blessing will go unfulfilled. It is well to know that things happen in the Lord’s due time, not always in ours. Things of an eternal nature have no boundaries. From the premortal existence to our existence beyond the veils of death, our life is an eternal life.”
TRIPPING POINTS AND STUMBLING BLOCKS
By Richard D. Kirkham
PEACE. One of the purposes of patriarchal blessings is for the blessing to bring peace to the heart of the recipient. My blessings says, “This Patriarchal blessing shall bring peace and understanding to your heart. That it may be a joyful thing in your life.”
The Lord does not trifle with us. He does not deliberately put stumbling blocks into our patriarchal blessings. We sometimes grow impatient and want all our blessings right now. But a patriarchal blessing is largely eternal in nature. God expects us to be faithful.
I Nephi 9:6 says, "The Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen."
D&C 1:38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
If you have a stumbling block in your blessing, do not focus on it or you shall surely will trip on it. Focus instead on having more faith. (See FAITH IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER ALWAYS below)
We must be faithful in ALL things. Not just MOST things.
Abraham was tested to see if he would be faithful in ALL things. - Abraham 3:25-26 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.
Abraham was 99 years old when Sarah, who was 89, conceived their miracle son.
Mosiah 18:8-10 “That ye may stand as a witness of God at all times, in all things, in all places ye may be in, even unto death, that ye may be redeemed of God.” It does not say to stand as a witness MOST of the time, in MOST places, and in MOST things. We are faithful ALWAYS.
Question your faith before you question you blessing.
"DAYENU" - IT IS ENOUGH! BE GRATEFUL
By Richard D. Kirkham, Patriarch
How ungrateful are we with all the Lord has given us if we say in our hearts, "You gave me this and this and this. My arms are full of blessings. But you didn’t give me this. Why? We should say, as taught in the passover seder, DAYENU! It is enough! You have given me so much! I cannot imagine having anymore!
We gain insight on gratitude by studying the New Testament story of the healing of the 10 lepers:
"And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Luke 17:11-19
All 10 lepers were happy! They had their blessing! The leprosy was gone. However only one of the ten was made WHOLE. He was COMPLETE. Jesus said it was because he had faith. He was truly grateful!
FAITH IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER! ALWAYS!
By Richard D. Kirkham, Patriarch
On July 25, 2021 while on a vacation we dropped into a random church service so we could worship and take the sacrament. The speakers that day were Brother and Sister Maples who gave their mission farewell talks. They were going on a mission to Nauvoo. I thought that was amazing! I would LOVE to go to Nauvoo on a mission. The Maples said they have no connections to anyone in the Nauvoo mission. They don’t know anyone special in Salt Lake City or in the Mission Department. They didn’t pull any strings. They just opened their mission call and it said, “You are called to Nauvoo!” But the story of how they got to the point they could receive this call is even more amazing.
Their family has had a 15 year struggle with financial problems that never seemed to be solved. One day it was a roof that blew off. Another time it was a medical bill. Next a crop failure. Then a tractor broke down. Some of their adult children borrowed money that couldn’t be repaid. The problems went on and on. Evelyn said, “All of this nearly consumed us. We showed faith but nothing happened.
After 15 years I said to myself, ‘Do I even have any faith any more? The Lord will not answer my prayers! We will never be free from this bondage.’” In desperation she turned to her stake president. He said, “Evelyn, faith is always the answer. Always”.
Then suddenly, after 15 years of difficulties her prayers were miraculously answered. She received perfect guidance and direction as she prayed. “It was as if I had a spiritual financial advisor who would tell me, “OK, first pay this bill. Good. Now pay that bill. Good. Now do this. Now do that.” In two years time they had paid off all their debts and their financial problems were solved. For them it was an absolute miracle!
She continued, “If the problems had gone away earlier, things would have been entirely different than they are today. We wouldn’t have been able to retire like are doing now. We would not have been called to go serve a mission in Nauvoo like we are doing now. Most of all we would not have developed the strong faith that we now have in our Heavenly Father. We will be far better missionaries and of more value to Him in the mission field because of what we have learned about faith.”
She continued, “If we can’t change the Lord's purpose and if we can’t change His timetable, then what good does it do to have faith in the first place? Answer: Faith is to teach us to trust in Him.”
She shared an insight from Ether chapter 6 in the Book of Mormon. She said, “After launching their barges the scriptures say that, ‘A wind blew!’ What? A wind? Yes. A FURIOUS wind. They were tossed upon the sea. They were buried many times in the depths of the ocean. The wind NEVER ceased for 344 days. Finally they reached the promised land.”
In a sense, this is what happened to the Maples. Their prayer was that the wind would cease. If the winds would just let up for awhile they could get on top of their financial challenges. But the winds for them never did cease. What they eventually realized was that the winds, furious though they were, were sent from God to teach them to have faith in Him during their trials.
What would have happened if the Jaredites had prayed for the winds to cease and the Lord had answered their prayers? They would not have made it to the promised land. TRUST THE LORD! Remember, faith is always the answer. ALWAYS. Our faith unlocks the power of God in our lives.
SEEING THE PROMISES A FAR OFF
Important components of faith are patience, long-suffering, and enduring to the end. The Apostle Paul recounts the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sara, concluding that “these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (see Hebrews 11:4–13). These faithful Saints knew that this earth life was a journey, not their final destination.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:4–13
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