Grandpa's Patriarchal Blessing- February 7, 1943

A blessing given by Samuel H. Hurst, Patriarch, upon the head of Leon Harley Jackson, son of Henry Leon Jackson, and Ina Vivien George, born December 16, 1926 at Salt Lake City, Utah.
Brother Leon Jackson: Responding to your request, and by the virtue of the Holy Priesthood, I place my hands upon your head and give unto you a Patriarchal Blessing. You are desireous of knowing the things that will be of the greatest worth to you while here upon the earth, and also have sealed upon your head the covenants to which you are heir through birth. You are of the royal blood of the House of Israel, and particularly that of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by his brethren, for you came through the loins of Ephraim, he who received the greater blessings from their father as they pertain to the spiriual things. This made you heir to the Priesthood, therefore, continue on in well doing until through your worthinness you attain the highest order of the Priesthood, for it is within your power to attain the highest blessings that the Lord has for any of His children, but rember you must seek for them.
I bless you that you may have the gift of faith. Without this gift you can never attain the highest things that are available to you. During the course of your days upon the earth, you shall be tried and tested in the same spirit in which you are given examinations in school, even that you may have opporunity of proving your worth, thereby placing yourself in position to merit the rewards of those who overcome. In your day, distress shall be manifest in the world as never before in it's history. Pestilence and earthquakes, and other disturbances of the elements shall become prevalent, but they shall have no ill effects upon you providing you cultivate and develope a faith in the Lord and rely upon Him under all circustances and conditions. For the Holy Ghost shall be your guide and companion, and as you learn to detect His whisperings you shall be kept securely in the paths of safety and honor.
It shall be your privilege to preach the gospel to many people and teach them the way of life. You shall receive joy in your ministery, for the inspiration of the Almighty shall bear tiestimony in your soul that you are engaged in the work of your Redeemer. In the due course of time, you shall take unto yourself one of the choice daughters of Zion as a companion who shall be an inspiration to you in your ministery and shall bear you sons and daughters, that your name shall be perpetuated in the earth, thus you become a partaker of the blessings that were given to that weregiven to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and become a companion of God in His work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. So long as you are true and faithful to your covenants, and honor every calling you receive in the Holy Priesthood, your table whall never lack the necessities of life, nor your home be found wanting in things pertaining to the spirit of God.
I seal you up against the poswer of the destroyer, that your life upon the earth may not be shortened, but that you may live according to the will of your Heavenly Father, and perform every labor that in His wisdom is essential to exaltation in His kingdom. In the morning of the holy resurrection you shall come forth an eternal immortalized being, to dwell with your loved ones, enjoying their love and fellowship through-out all eternity.
These blessings I seal upon your head through your worthiness, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Approved by Samuel H. Hurst- Patriarch

Worth of Souls (part of)

Have your ever asked yourself, "Just how important am I as an individual?" I've found in my research upon this subject that nearly every man and woman who has lived, has experienced this feeling, and has at some time in their life tried to deal with the question.

We often look at someone who has greater wealth, or greater knowledge, or better looks, or better attributes and think how insignificant we really are. But that isn't so in the sight of our Heavenly Father.

David the Psalmist in his 8th Psalm wrote," What is man, O Lord, that thou art midful of him, or the Son of man, that thous visitist him? For thou has made him a little lower than the angels and has crowned him with glory and honor. Thous made him to have dominion over the works of they Lamb: thou hast put all things under his feet. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.

Shakespeare exclaimed,"What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals

And Gladstone penned ,"Man himself is the crowning wonder of creation: the study of his nature the noblest study the world affords."

Have you ever wondered- is there anyone else just like me? Thr Lod, through the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke to Oliver Cowdry and David Whitmer in the 18th Section of the D&C.

" Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth. Wherefore, you are called to call repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bringsave it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D&C 18: 10-16)

Remember the worth of souls (an individual) is great in the sight of God.

Luke 15 is the parable of the ninety and nine.

Now that we have a little better insignt into the what and how and importance of man, lets take a little closer look at this matter of the individual and how he or she interacts one with another.

I imagine in my mind that there are 3 main influences that affect me as an individual. First is the effect of other individuals in shaping my life or trying to shape my life, either directly or indirectly, by force or by love. Second is the effect that I personnally influence my life by. And third by the influence that I personally have on shaping the life of someone else.

Let me give you a good example: 1)Sarah Hine (Sorry! He didn't write the story and I don't know who she is.) 2) President Howard W. Hunter