As a meeting held on June 12, 1901, President Lorenzo Snow made reference to the fulfillment of the promises in his patriarchal blessing:
He related his first attempt to speak in public and how he made up his
mind solidly what whatever he was asked to do in the Church and Kingdom of God,
he would try and do it. He reverted to the time of his first patriarchal
blessing when Father Smith placed his hands upon his head and blessed him while
an aged brother wrote the blessing, and then continued: “He told me many
extraordinary things. When the written blessing was shown to the Patriarch he
said that this brother had not written it all, as it was impossible to him,
reared as he was in the sectarian traditions, to grasp it all but I felt that
it was enough. This blessing has been written off in a beautiful style by
Brother Moench, and I now have it banging in the Salt Lake Temple. He told me
many extraordinary things that have occurred to me since in my past history,
from 1836 to this hour.”
The President then related his doubts caused by his not having any
great manifestation at the time of his confirmation. He felt that he had made
great sacrifices in becoming a Mormon and in blighting his prospects as a young
man but he was ashamed now that he had never called it a sacrifice. He related
his visit to his many relatives after he became a Mormon and how he had gained
light and knowledge of the truth after being thus disturbed in his mind by not
receiving the gift of tongues or prophecy when confirmed; an d how the spirit
had come down upon him once when kneeling in prayer with a power that had
passed through his body and had given him an absolute knowledge that God lived,
that he was our Father and that Jesus was his son and had come to earth and
talked with the Prophet Joseph, receiving a perfect knowledge, of the truth of
this work. “I shall never forget it,” the speaker said, “so long as I draw breath.”
(“Notable Reunion of Weber Stake,” The Deseret Evening News no. 177
[June 15, 1901]: 1)
In an earlier
report of President Snow’s sermon, we read that:
He referred to his own baptism at Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836; told many
reminiscences of the early days of the church, and state that the patriarchal
blessings which he had received from Patriarch Smith, father of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, had been fulfilled. (“First Presidency of Church in Ogden Today,” Ogden Daily Standard 31, no. 139
[June 12, 1901]: 5)
With that as
background, the following is President Snow’s patriarchal blessing. It should
be read in light of how President Snow would interpret the language and promises
therein (which may also reflect how his contemporaries understood such concepts
vis-à-vis prophecy):
Patriarchal blessing of Lorenzo Snow on
December 15, 1836]
At a Patriarchal blessing meeting held in the Lord[’]s House in
Kirtland this the fifteenth day of Dec. eighteenth hundred and thirty six.
Joseph Smith Sen the Patriarch of the Church of LD. Saints being present and
holding the meetting [meeting] a Patriarchal blessing was confer[r]ed on the
head of Lorenzo Snow son of Oliver Snow born in Mantua Portage Co State of Ohio
the 3d of April 1814.
Brother—In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the authority of
the Holy Priesthood which God has confer[r]ed on me and by the Holy Anointing I
lay my hands on thy head and give thee a Father’s Blessing I ask God the
Eternal Father who has call[e]d me to the of[f]ice of the Priesthood to open
the visions of my mind and give me the Holy Spirit. I ask him to have mercy on
thee who art but a youth—thou hast been dilligent [diligent] and ardent in thy
application to thy learning. God has looked upon thee from all Eternity — has
been propitious has been bountiful in his gifts — given thee Intelligence—
tallent [talent] and great faculties of mind that thou mightest be useful in
his Cause Thou hast a great work to do in thy day and generation God has call[e]d
thee to the ministry.
Thou must preach the Gospel of thy Savior to the inhabit—inhabitants
of the earth, Thou shalt become a mighty man in the Earth—Thou shalt have great
faith—even like that of the Brother of Jared.— thou shalt have power to
translate thyself from one plannet [planet] to annother [another]—power to go
to the moon if thou shalt desire it. Power to preach to the spirits in prison —
power like Enoch to translate thyself to heaven, — thou shalt have power to
rend the vail [veil] of heaven and see Jesus standing at the right hand of his
Father. Theare [There] shall not be a mightier man on Earth than thou. Thy
faith shall increase and grow stronger and stronger it shall be liken like that
of Peter thy shadow shall restore the sick— the diseased shall send to thee their
handkerchiefs and aprons and by thy touch their owners shall be healed. Thou
shalt have power over unclean spirits; at thy command the powers of darkness
shall stand back, and Devils shall flee away. If it be expedient the Dead shall
rise and come forth at thy bid[d]ing even those that have long slept in the
dust shall come foarth [forth] to life.
Thou shalt have long life thou shalt live to the age of Moses yet not
be old, for old age shall not come upon thee, the vigor of thy mind shall not
be abated and thy vigor and strength of thy body shall be preserved. Thou shalt
have power to stand in the flesh and see Jesus come come in the clouds, no
power shall take thy life so long as it shall be useful to thy fellow men thou
shalt preach the gospel so long as theare [there] shall be an ear to hear or an
heart to believe.—Thou must open thy mouth and the Lord will fill it with
arguments. thy voice shall cause the Earth to tremble. Thou must pray for thy
kindred and be dilligent [diligent] and thou shall see All thy kindred shall be
brought into the kingdom and have a Celestial Glory
Thou art of the House and lineage of Abraham thy descent is thro’
[through] the loins of Joseph and Ephraim and art entitled to the
Priesthood—God will give thee a companion of thy hearts desire—thou shalt have
posterity — thy sons shall be large and mighty men — even large in stature like
unto the Jaredit[e]s their strength shall be like the strength of Sampson Thou
shalt sit in council with the one hundred and forty four thousand and shall
stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion and shall be able to sing thy song. This is
thy Blessing. In the name of Jesus Christ I seal them on thy head and by the
authority of the Holy Priesthood I seal thee up to Eternal life — even so Amen
& Amen
NB. The above blessing is to be recorded in the name of thy Father it
is his Blessing on the head of L Snow (Early Patriarchal Blessings of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, comp. H. Michael Marquardt
[Salt Lake City: Smith-Pettit Foundation, 2007], 94-95)
