Examples of the Potential Errancy Inherent within Patriarchal Blessings

Some naïve Latter-day Saints impute to patriarchal blessings the same level of inspiration as public revelation, such as the Book of Mormon and the New Testament. However, if one surveys patriarchal blessings since the practice was introduced, we find many obvious errors. Take the following examples: 

The recipient promised to live to see the establishment of Zion/Temple in Jackson County

 

Patriarchal blessing of Matthias Cowley by John Smith on March 26, 1843

 

 . . . shalt live to see Israel gathered in fulness—the City of Zion built in Jackson County, Missouri, and the House of the Lord, and the cloud rest upon it, according to the Revelation. (H. Michael Marquardt, comp., Later Patriarchal Blessings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: The Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2012], 22)

 

Promise to Find a Spouse as they errantly believed the recipient was single (and the wrong person)

In the patriarchal blessing of Printha Strong Porter on April 8, 1853, John Smith was recorded as having promised that:

 

You shall have a companion in due time,* suitable to your condition. (Ibid., 59)

 

In a note for the above, we read:

 

Compiler’s note: The following comment was made at this point in the copy of the blessing: “(He thought she was the daughter of Chauncey W. Porter and was not married.)” (Ibid., 60)