I was just curious, how many of you know of people who were specifically told in their PB that they would live to see the 2nd Coming and have already passed away?

Wouldn't you think that would wake up some people?

Or many some other obvious "fails" in the PB that is definitely not going to happen, even the person lives faithful to the gospel.

Just wondering

The way it was explained to me is this: You should not discuss your PB. If you do, it may not come true.

So, all those people that talked about being around for the second coming - well, they shouldn't have talked and maybe Jesus is waiting to have enough faithful, closed mouth people to come back a second time.

I thought that was birthday candle wishes.

So... let me get this straight. This "blessing" works the same way as making a wish on a wishbone? Don't tell or it won't come true?

Magical thinking much? Sheesh.

Well isn't that the way the church deals with most of its really bizarre beliefs? Don't talk about the temple ceremonies, don't discuss your PB, I don't believe we teach that.....

But it's all sacred folks, not secret!!!!

...is because they don't want people knowing how much alike two blessings by the same patriarch are. My daughter was so inspired by her PB. It was long and gave her some very specific details about her future and promised her some very unique blessings if she were faithful. They seemed totally directed at her. Then her friend got her blessing and was so excited about it, she called my daughter to tell her about all the special things she'd been promised in her blessing. You guessed it, they were all the same "special" promises given to my daughter. Luckily it was one of the things that always nagged my DD and helped her figure TSCC out a few years down the road from that incident.

I saw my grandma this past week and she had a huge bumper sticker that read, "Jesus is Coming Soon." I am putting her in the category with the people that thought Jesus was coming on May 23rd. She told me growing up that her PB stated she would live long enough to see Jesus come again. She is 80 and acts like she is about 65. I think living in a fantasy world may do a body good(but of course not worth it) My little brother lives up in Montana with her and is still on the fence about the church. I told him he really needs to stop going over there for dinner and move to AZ because she is putting something in his food that is brain washing him.

'she had a huge bumper sticker that read, "Jesus is Coming 'Soon."'


Can you buy another bumper sticker to go alongside or underneath it; one which reads "pass him a tissue"?

(sorry - just too good to resist)

Mine said my testimony would grow by studying the life of Joseph Smith. The attempt to get this blessing... brought me here.

Mine was so incredibly generic. I remember thinking at the time that this could have been given to anyone. Nothing that specifically related to me alone.

I remember feeling very let down and disappointed by the whole event after all the hype you receive about how special it would be.

but she'd hung on every word. No - she did not, as promised, live to see the 2nd coming.

It is just Gypsy Petulengro stuff. By the way, the name Petulengro is the gypsy name for Smith dontcha know.

Now THAT is true for sure!

Briggy

Mine was very generic as well. I was rather disappointed with it. It did say that I'd marry in the temple. I never married at all.

Peppered throughout my blessing is their perfect 'out' though. "... according to your faithfulness."

If it doesn't come true, they blame you. You weren't faithful enough.

Mine said I would become an "Judge in Israel" (bishop-I presumed that meant). I have worked hard to keep that from happening!!! I'd rather have my fingers cut off.

FC

Or something to that effect. Since they're total bullshit, the church is smart enough to place the burden of the promises coming true on the one receiving the blessing. That way it's always the member's fault, not the church's.

Didn't live to see the Second Coming? It's your fault. Either you died too young because of your sins, or you and others like you failed to sufficiently prepare the world for the Lord's return. Too bad.

TBM's will say that those who have died will see the 2nd C from beyond the veil or that the deceased didn't live a life worthy of the blessings in their PB. It's always magical thinking with the sheep.

the house of Isriel that is not of her linage. So when it came time to make a decision to take a job on a Native American reservation that little blurb in her PB confirmed it and off we went.

PB,s are just the Mormon version of Horiscopes.

If they would just be a little more specific... some thing like-" YOu will meet your eternal companion in the ugly Ogden temple on July 4th 2002, ignore the weight issue and remember we will all have perfect bodies in the next life."

My father worked hard to be known as a spiritual giant, though he abused my mother dreadfully in almost every way (including sexual abuse in the name of the priesthood - unrighteous dominion in the worst way). He was, and remains, evil, and I don't use that word lightly. We put on a good front as a family - as kids we didn't fully understand what was going on, although we knew things were bad. But, the facade fooled a lot of people, including the patriarch, who met with my parents right before the blessing (and me, for a short time - found out info he used in the blessing).

So, in the blessing itself he plunged right into what he had been sold, talking about how I had been raised in a "family with great love - parents who love each other, children who love their parents, and siblings who love each other as well". Uh, not. Not even CLOSE. We couldn't stand each other, my parents didn't love us (they couldn't wait to get rid of us, not only in the long term, but every day when we went to school and other activities), and our home was filled with manipulations, deceit, vitriol, and playacting. The patriarch fell for the facade completely and even as a teenager I knew the "blessing" was totally bogus. I stuffed that feeling away for a long time, but once asked a bishop if I could get another one, one that might actually be from an inspired patriarch (I was still trying to be a good TBM at that time). He said no. Flat-out. So much for the "blessing".

Truthseeker - I think it's also always going to be our fault if the supposed promises don't come true. If something doesn't happen that they said would happen it's because we didn't live righteously enough. If someone dies before a supposed statement comes true it's because they didn't have enough faith and have to learn more lessons on the other side. Blah, blah, blah - people are in a complete no-win situation. No matter what the fault lies with the person, not the patriarch. There is always a way to explain it away. When I asked my bishop about my flawed blessing (mentioned above), he went on a bit about how it probably meant my spiritual family in the pre-existence. I was embarrassed to even hear that - one of the worst stretches ever.

Wondering whether you could get another blessing if you never told anyone you had the first blessing.
Maybe move to a ward and use your middle name or something.
I wish some people who are still going would try this and let us know what happens.

One of my very best friend's father was a Patriarch. Hearing the stories of how he neglected and emotionally abused his wife and children made me sick. The daughter says he is looked up to in his stake because of his calling. He would spend tons of time volunteering to help others with house projects, etc.... Everyone thought he was such a thoughtful and selfless man.

What no one knew was that his disabled wife at home sat in front the T.V. all day eating sandwiches and crying with loneliness and depression.

The great and wonderful Patriarch wouldn't even spend the money to get her cable T.V. so she had to sit all day and just watch whatever came on with the antenna.

Her children took care of most of her needs. Patriarch Hubby was too busy serving the Lord and his flock.

She died a lonely and broken person. Patriarch Hubby re-married within 6 months.

Most of the children are now inactive. Why my friend stays, I will never know. She knows her dad is not a good person.

This man has made my friend's life so difficult by offering help but with very large strings attached.

Oh, I forgot to mention, a couple of the older daughters also claimed he molested them as well. My friend was quite a bit younger and missed out on the molestation thank goodness.

The current prick-oh yeah Patriarch- in Charlotte, NC was a bishop for over 10 years. He was the most self righteous jerk. Loved to put others in their place. His daughter married a guy who divorced her and said what a two-faced prick he really is. I definitely would not leave my child alone with him in HIS HOME...

When do you get these patriachial? I remember when I was married to my ex-husband, we were visiting in Temple Square, SLC, and two elders came up to us to talk. I told them I wasn't a Mormon. They asked to give my husband a blessing and he said ok. They took us to a room, told him to get on his knees, which he did. They told me to kneel as well, and I refused.

They gave him his blessing,I forget what was said. He was tearful and apologetic to me for being such a terrible husband when we were walking away across the square. I will tell you as soon as we got home, which was another state, he was back to his same old tricks.

So, do you get these blessings often, one time only or what. I'm sure those elders probably added to give him strength because I was such a staunch nevermo.

Best friend told she would have three babies covenanted with in pre-existence. It destroyed her. She tried everything to econceive.
She was uber uber TBM but was told shemust have not been faithful enough.

Go back in time and there was also a mormon blessed with going to preach the gospel on the moon (whose inhabitants looked like quakers). Don't remember who, but I think it was more than one who got this silly blessing. - Wait a minute, there is no inhabitants on the moon, and if it were, wasn't every other planet (and moon) supposed to be more rightious than earth anyway? I think if you research 19th century blessings you'll strike gold. Today they are more like horoscopes, most likely to fit anybody.

Wow! Would love to read some of those!

@Regulargal. Was this Stake President in Phoenix? If so he was my Patriarch and he was SO revered by the Stake. It just goes to show you don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

I bet that would be gold. No wonder they're locked in a vault inside under granite. The church would implode if it were exposed the outrageous things members were promised in blessings.

The promise of being around for the second coming, unfortunately, can be explained through a loop hole. Since Christ is supposed to return with "the city of enoch" and other righteous souls, plus some righteous will be resurrected and caught up to meet him, the true believer can continue to believe their loved one will accompany Christ at the second coming.

My brother's wife had two ancestors who were told they would LIVE to see the second coming. Both are, of course, long, long, since dead and gone.

You can get PBs from the church if you are a descendant of so and so. That is how my bro got these PBs.

It's all just happy crap and vague promises. Roughly equivalent with your horoscope.