priesthood blessing

A few Sundays ago (the Sunday after Caty's bridal shower), I asked Jake to give me a blessing.  On the way to and from Caty's shower, I listened to an interview of Julie Beck where she talked about the Priesthood and how it related to women and the Relief Society.  It was really inspiring.  She talked about how we can ask for Priesthood blessings whenever we feel the need or want one.  And Jake and I have heard the council that we should ask for blessings often, a lot more often than we do.  Sister Beck said that the words spoken during a blessing are the words that Heavenly Father would say to us, and I've heard that many times before, but I never desired to have that happen to me so much as I did that day.  I was feeling drained, tired, and exhausted... needing extra help especially in my role as a mother.

In that interview, Sister Beck said something like this, which is a quote from her 2011 Women's Conference talk:

I’ve learned through studying the history of Relief Society that we have and live with an inseparable connection to the priesthood. The Prophet Joseph Smith put the sisters in the position to receive all the gifts, blessings, and privileges of the priesthood. We need never confuse the idea of those who hold the priesthood in trust, with the priesthood. The priesthood is God’s power. It is His power to create, to bless, to lead, to serve as He does. The priesthood duty of every righteous man is to qualify for the blessing of holding that priesthood and trust for the Lord so that he can bless his family and those around him. And I will say the priesthood duty of sisters is to create life, to nurture it, to prepare it for covenants of the Lord. Don’t confuse the power with the keys and the offices of the priesthood. God’s power is limitless and it is shared with those who make and keep covenants. Too much is said and misunderstood about what the brothers have and the sisters don’t have. This is Satan’s way of confusing both men and women so neither understands what they really have. Sisters and brothers each have every ordinance, every gift, and every blessing available to them to get back to our Father in Heaven, and no one, male or female, is left outside of those blessings to qualify for exaltation. There is a unity in the council and the covenant that is required us to get there. Neither the man nor the woman can ascend without the other. We are inseparably connected in that way. And I understand how special women are. I understand how special men are. And together we’re more special. We become what the Lord wants us to become.

Here is some of what was said to me in the blessing.  It was the sweetest blessing I've ever received from Jake.  The Spirit was so strong.  I felt so much love for and from him, and for and from my Heavenly Father.  I felt so strongly that I really am His daughter and that he knows and loves me.

• Seek to understand the trust Heavenly Father has in me. My capacity to understand that trust will increase.


• My mind will be open to revelation about the angelic support in my life; angels are supporting me.


• That my love and respect for the life within me will grow, work towards that. And for lila too.


• I will be blessed and am being blessed for the gospel study and application of that study I am doing in our marriage and family.


• Heavenly Father will support me and guide me through any trial and situation


• When things are hard, ask heavenly father for help and he will bless me with help.


• Stand as an example of a virtuous woman


• My marriage will continue to improve and I will feel supported.


• Focus on the most important things in life, especially what it most important for my children.


• felt so strongly of heavenly father's love for me. he knows me. i am his daughter. i am not raising my children alone, he is helping me and i can call on his power whenever i need to. fear and faith cannot exist in the same place. do not fear and have faith.


• blessed to see the hand of god more, and to see and better understand the help that he sends


• while giving me the blessing, jake really felt that i am 100% committed and in this partnership with him. he said he feels so blessed for that reason. it was a sweet moment. he whispered that into my ear, we were cheek to cheek.  i love him.