Valentine's Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries

            With Valentine's Day approaching, we start thinking about people we love. We think of our sweethearts. We think about our parents, and our children. Children think about their friends and their teachers. So, why is this date so important? It's really only a day in February, right? Yet, more flowers and cards and jewelry gifts are purchased for loved ones for this particular day that almost any other day throughout the year.

      We Love to Be Loved

            Humans really like to celebrate special days, and if it's set aside as a day to express our love, we're all for it. And the Lord, really likes certain days too. He set aside Sundays for rest. Then there are all of those Old Testament celebrations that are remembered every year or season after season. Bet you never thought about why the Lord likes certain dates, have you? I'm going to talk about this more in my next blog, but now I'd like you to go get out your patriarchal blessing and look at it. What date is there?

"To See if You Have Additional Insight into Your Blessing, Read it With Prayer"

SCRIPTURE:

            “And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.”–Moses 6:63           

           

            The scriptures are full of dates, places and events. Many of these have significant symbolic meaning to Latter-day Saints. In fact there is a certain consistency within our scriptures about the importance of dates, days, times and seasons, as well as anniversary celebrations of many types. These are all days of remembrance just like Valentine's Day, or Birthdays or Anniversaries.

MY QUESTION FOR YOU:  What is the date was your patriarchal blessing given?

I’m not saying that this particular date is fraught with heavy significance, but it is useful in pondering a few things. How old were you when the Lord parted the veil to speak to your stake patriarch about your mission in life? How old was Joseph Smith when God began talking with him?

There is some significance that our Latter-day youth are usually in their teens when they receive their patriarchal blessings. New converts often receive their own blessings within the first two years of active membership. The Lord wants to be sure to give each of us a heads up on what our mortal life should be about as soon as we are able to understand the importance of His will for us.

            I hadn’t placed much importance on that January day as a twenty-two year old convert, when my stake patriarch placed his hands on my head to provide me with a road map to guide me, pronounce blessings to protect and encourage me, and speak such wonderful promises that have uplifted me throughout my life. Now, I am placing this date to remember on my calendar, because I am filled with gratitude for the guidance it has given me.

            I think feeling grateful for the Lord’s watchful care over us is so very comforting. Our expression of this in prayer to our Heavenly Father pays Him the reverence we owe deity. Our debt of gratitude is the essence of our act of remembering.