David Osborn (1807-1893), in his journal for September 6, 1882, recording his daughter’s patriarchal blessing:
While I was at Montpelier, Jane
gave me a Patriarchal Blessing she received last spring, which I will here
record for safe keeping, by Thos. R. McCaxin.
Sister Harriet J., in the name of
Jesus of Nasareth, I place my hands upon thy head to bless you with a father's
blessing. The heavens shall be opened to you and thou shalt converse with
Angels and with the Church of the First Born, and the Spirit of the Lord shall
rest upon thee and it will lead thee into all truth. Thou shall receive much
valuable information concerning the Genealogies of the dead, for thy lineage is
of Joseph and thou shall go into the Temple of the Lord and receive thy
washings and annointings, and shall represent thy Father's and Mother's House
in the interests of humanity until thou art satisfied; for they have heard of
thy privilege in as much as it is a Dispensation of building Temples, that thou
wouldst remember them. And thou should go into the Sisters meeting and bear thy
testimony of the goodness of God. And thou shalt pray in secret and be rewarded
openly. And thou shalt have the gift of discernment, and have power over foul
spirits, to rebuke them. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon thee. And
thy mind shall be enlightened by its blessed influence. And thou shalt be able
to discern thy cunning of Satan. Thy name shall be had in honorable remembrance
among the Daughters of Israel, and shall be handed down from generation to
generation, in as much as thou wilt seek unto the Lord and observe his
commandments. Thou shalt see many signs of the coming of thy Redeemer. Thou
shalt see many hearts fail them for fear of the things that are coming upon the
earth. Thou shalt see the Heavens clothed with blackness and war poured out
upon all generations. Thou shalt see signs in the Sun and in the Moon. Thou
shalt see Israel returned from the North where they have been hid up for a long
time bringing with them the Records of Jesus, and an account of God's dealings
with them. And thou shalt see the Lamanites become a white and delightsome
people, and turn unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. And thou shalt
teach thy children the ways of the Lord, and plant in their minds the Standard
of Truth, and the time worn ages of Eternity will not obliterate it. I seal
these Blessings upon Thee through thy faithfulness and I seal thee up to come
forth in the morning of the first Resurrection, and against the powers of the
destroyer. Amen. (David Osborn, Journal, September 6, 1882, in Personal Journal
of David Osborn, c. 1964, [69], emphasis in bold added, Church History Library,
MS 23445, copy in my possession)
Harriet Jane received her patriarchal blessing 18 years
after the end of the U.S. Civil War. However, the patriarchal blessing uses the
language of war being poured out at a then-future time (cf. D&C 87:2). This
indicates that Latter-day Saints did not interpret D&C 87 to speak of one
then-future war (i.e., the U.S. Civil War) that would spread all over the
world (a criticism some critics raise against D&C 87).
Further Reading:
Resources
on Joseph Smith’s Prophecies
