I recently read a story about a woman whose patriarchal blessing told her to keep her opinions to herself. Mine doesn't say that, but when I received my blessing, the patriarch spent a lot of time talking and "counseling" me before and after the blessing. He told me several times that he was prompted to tell me that any ideas or opinions I may have during my life should most often be kept to myself. He told me that I would feel the urge to share my thoughts and opinions at church, at home or with my future husband and that I usually should keep my mouth shut.

When I was active in the church, this caused me a lot of worry and anxiety. As it turns out, I sometimes had a really hard time keeping my opinions to myself. After I spoke up, I always wondered if this was a time that I shouldn't have said anything. I felt intense guilt for weeks or months afterward. I went through a time that I was very afraid to say anything in church meetings because I was worried that I would say something that Heavenly Father didn't want me to share.

Blessings and counsel from priesthood leaders can often be just another way the church tries to control its members and it all seems so ridiculous now. But I'm wondering if any other women (or men) were told something similar in a blessing or a "prompting" by a priesthood leader?

What horrible priesthood leaders those were. . .

You probably had leaders telling you this, but you were so busy formulating the presentation of your opinions that you never noticed!

Oh, I was told to keep my opinions to myself all the time. So, to a lesser extent, were most men.

But yes, as you intimate, I was not especially responsive to such "advice."

...to sometimes keep my mouth shut (I find that I learn better that way), I have to say that male priests and other church leaders shouldn't be telling you to do this in their "Mormon blessings." It's a negative, and it sometimes prevents people, especially women, from speaking up when they absolutely should!