Patriarchal Blessing
May 16, 1877
Ephraim, Utah
A Patriarchal blessing given by James M Works upon the head of James Peter Anderson son of Neils and Ingeborg Anderson, born in Ephraim August 28th, 1862.
Brother James, I lay my hands upon your head at this time to seal a patriarchal blessing upon you that shall be a comfort unto you while you live upon the earth, for you have embraced the gospel in the days of your childhood with a pure heart and full determination to keep the commandments of God according to the best of your abilities, and consequently the Lord has been mindful of you and His angels watched over you and you have been preserved from harm and from accidents and from sickness when the adversary has sought to destroy you and take your life from the earth and bring you to untimely end, but the Lord has preserved you for a wise purpose in Himself. He has a work for you to perform and in His own due time He will qualify you for that work and you will be blessed with the Holy Priesthood with its attendant graces you shall lay hands upon the sick and they shall recover, and you shall have power over foul and unclean spirits, and you shall speak with new tongues and have interpretation thereof and you shall see visions and dream dreams and those will be calculated to instruct you in the plan of salvation as it exists in heaven. You shall live to be a father in Israel, and raise up a righteous posterity in holiness to the Lord. You are descendant from Jacob through the loins of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, and you shall have the blessings of the new and everlasting covenant sealed upon your head through that lineage, for you were present when the foundation of the earth was laid and the stars of the morning sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy and you agreed to come forth and take a tabernacle upon the earth in this last dispensation and help to build up the kingdom of God for the last time, for the Lord’s time has come for the Lord to favor Zion and the earth will be cleansed form wickedness and you shall receive your washing and anointings in the house of God and become a Savior upon Mount Zion
