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This thought just crossed my mind. I’m going into the hospital for elective surgery. (knee replacement) After the surgery, I stay in the hospital over night & come home.
My wife just asked me if I was going to have a PH blessing. The thought didn’t cross my mind until now.
In my entire life I have had, maybe 4 – 6 blessings.
I am curious how everyone feels about having a PH blessing in a situation like this.
What is the purpose of a PH blessing? (I’m ambivalent at this point.)
Have they helped you in the past?
Have you had a spiritual experience as a result of having one?
I have received meaningful priesthood blessings at various points in my life. The ones that matter most to me are perhaps better termed father’s blessings. I have asked for one before starting a new phase or making a life changing decision. I have been asked to give blessings/participate in blessings a number of times that were meaningful to me. I do think that it is a sign of respect and admiration to be asked. I especially appreciate those times when I have been asked to bless a family member or someone close to me.
Finally, I find meaning in giving father’s blessings to my own children at the beginning of each school year. I hope that they find meaning in it too.
I guess I answered my own question when I said I’m ambivalent to having a PH blessing. If I would of had a miraculous recovery after a PH blessing I would probably want one every time I had a cold.
In my entire life there has been only one time when I saw someone receive a blessing & the outcome was miraculous. (IMO)
Someone else may say it was a coincidence or it was the Doctors skills or the individual’s faith or God’s will.
Regardless, I’m not sure about the power of the PH anymore.
I do not expect a PH blessing to produce external results. For me, a PH blessing is sort of like a long hug where words of encouragement are spoken.
I like hugs. I like encouragement.
I think faith in the blessing can help calm anxiety. I also believe that calming anxiety can make a huge difference. Stress has negative impacts to our overall health. Requesting a blessing can get you on the ward’s radar. The request for a PH blessing could serve as an icebreaker that makes the ward aware of a family’s situation. I see this as a good thing, especially for people that have trouble asking for help. In this context, I might not ask for meals or help with yardwork, but if I asked for a PH blessing before surgery the ward becomes aware of my situation and volunteers the help I may be too timid to ask for.
Minyan Man wrote:
I am curious how everyone feels about having a PH blessing in a situation like this.
If I felt inspired to ask, I’d ask for one. These days that might be never, but if I felt my wife needed me to have a PH blessing I’d also get one. I’ve both given and received PH blessings based more on the faith that other people have in them.
Minyan Man wrote:
I guess I answered my own question when I said I’m ambivalent to having a PH blessing.If I would of had a miraculous recovery after a PH blessing I would probably want one every time I had a cold.
In my entire life there has been only one time when I saw someone receive a blessing & the outcome was miraculous. (IMO)
Someone else may say it was a coincidence or it was the Doctors skills or the individual’s faith or God’s will.
Regardless, I’m not sure about the power of the PH anymore.
I wasn’t inclined to comment on this thread because this is how I feel as well. I’ve known people who call for a blessing every time they have the sniffles and have great faith in them. That’s not me, and on the very few occasions I have received one I can’t say there has been anything near a miracle – or anything at all actually. My miracle bar is pretty high, but I do believe they can and do happen. That said, I can’t say I have ever had a personal or first hand experience with such a miracle related to a priesthood blessing. That doesn’t mean others haven’t or that I don’t believe others who believe they have.
Mostly your last statement about being unsure about the power of the priesthood sums up my cynicism succinctly. I’m probably more than unsure, I am doubtful.
I have given hundreds of blessings in my life. I go into it trying to have a clear mind and say whatever comes to me, with the foundational expectation of comfort and hope. Probably 3 or 4 have been what I consider to be revelatory – which means they included specific statements I did not know and that the recipient said were spot-on and needed OR were proven to have been inspired / prophetic later in life. Of those few revelatory experiences, one was the undeniable example of something truly unique, specific, and unexpected being proven later in life (and not something the other person could control and make it a self-fulfilling prophecy). The other blessings I have given were essentially prayers of comfort and hope. I am glad I gave the hundreds of prayers of comfort and hope – for themselves but also to have had the experience of the revelatory.
It can’t hurt to get a priesthood blessing. My only concern is when the giver of the blessing uses it as an opportunity to tell you you have to start doing X or stop doing Y to get the blessing. I have heard people do this on different occasions and it can be unsettling… Have I had good experiences giving blessings of healing? Yes I have. We aren’t supposed to talk about them, I was told, but suffice to say, I’ve seen people experience health improvements that puzzled doctors. One was right after I got home from the temple for my own endowment. The first time I went I felt on a spiritual high for 3 solid days. Just completely immersed in the spirit. My home teacher asked me to give a blessing to his mother who had many dire symptoms and who seemed pretty out of it and nearly unconscious when I laid my hands on her head. I felt the Spirit overcome me in a powerful way as soon as I laid my hands on her head.
The scariest blessing was one I had to give to a 90 year old lady. She was clearly dying when we saw her, mouth as wide open as it could go, eyes wide looking up to the ceiling in her bed with no motion from her body or eyelashes. She looked as though she’s already died. That was tough but I just said what came into my mind — that her time had come but she would be able to say goodbye to her family. That was what happened.
Anyway, I believe these blessings can help.
SD, what interesting & spiritual experiences. Thank you. I have seen what I can describe as a miraculous healing once: a friends wife was pregnant with her first child.
During the pregnancy, the baby must of moved & pinched a nerve in her leg & back. The Doctors said that they
thought they should abort the pregnancy or the Mother’s life or ability to walk, could be in jeopardy.
Our Bishop gave her a blessing & the next morning the child moved to another position & the pain went away.
There was not further problems with the Mother or child.
(I’m sure there are examples too where the situation was the same but the outcome more tragic.)
I’m wondering if blessings that bring comfort & peace are just as miraculous & important. Maybe just not as dramatic.
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