I lost part of my notes. A husband and wife provided a great fireside. They were Susan and Geroge Durant. Here are the wife’s comments. Both have delightful senses of humor. The theme was on the purposes of patriarchal blessings.

• How to you have your best day: Complementing people and tell them it is your best day. This is the thing that has helped me.
• The patriarch means a father who blesses.
• Patriarchs are given a stewardship to bless people in a geographic area.
• A prophet was once asked, what is the hardest job in the church. To be a patriarch. Why, because he doesn’t have councilors. He has to tell that person who they are.
• Spencer w. Kimball: got an assignment to go to Freeport LA. His assignment to ordain a man who would be the patriarch. Stake president collected a bunch of brethren in a room. The man was not there. As people entered conference Kimbal chose a man who didn’t’ have hands. The mantel lands on the man
• Patriarch has the right to say what tribe you are from and the purpose you have as related to that tribe.
• Brigham Young said the men in the tribe of Ephraim, the men are unruly. Ungovernable, warlike. The one trait that stands out is their spirit of adventure.
• Every tribe has responsibility. In the old synagogues has 12 windows and each tribe is assigned a window. The reason for the windows each one has a different route to return to the great Jehovah.
• The responsibility for Ephraim is saved for the latter days. They are the forerunner of the last days. Like John the Baptist to forewarn the last days. To prepare the earth for the second coming.
• She broke into columns her patriotical blessings into the categories of blessings, commandments, and warnings. Commandments (strengths) for every blessing there is an attached commandment. I.e.: if you don’t do such and such you have no such promise.
• David o McKay: had an old patriarch named Smith. Smith gave a lot of blessings. He sensed he was missing giving a blessing for a boy. He went from door to door, from town to town, to find that boy. Smith eventually knocks on David o McKay’s house. 13 yr old David is playing marbles. Patriarch says he found who he is looking for. His blessing to David: You will be a leader of the church. 13 yr. David went to his mother in the kitchen and told her, I will not give up my marbles.
• George Albert Smith grew up across the street from the Salt Lake temple. Legally blind. Got patriarchal blessing: as his grandfather before him, he’ll be a leader of the church. The only good thin Arl z mazser could say about George: George is punctual. He always attended conference, but one Sat missed conference to go to the fair with his daughter. When people saw him later, they started congratulating him. He finally asked why. He as voted in to be a member of the council of the 12.
• If you wait to be happy, you’ve waited too long.
• George asked her to marry him in the first min. he entered her house.
• Happiness is a choice.
• What can make you be happy start with: it’s your best day. Complement people. It makes you feel good.
• One way to be happy is to be nice. It goes a long way.
• Figure out in your patriarchal Blessing. See what the blessings are, what are the commandments. What are the warnings / thing to avoid.
• Each of us have known happiness in different phases in our lives.

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