Treating Personal Revelation as Annotations to Scripture: A Method of Deep Study

For those of us committed to the eternal work, the scriptures are our primary guide—the foundation upon which we build our lives and our understanding of the Plan of Salvation. We are trained, through decades of study, to treat the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Bible not merely as historical accounts, but as living, sacred covenants given by the hand of the Lord. Yet, there is another form of scripture that often receives less academic rigor: the patriarchal blessing.

It is a profound truth that a patriarchal blessing is not merely poetic encouragement; it is a sacred gift containing personal revelation and instructions directly from Heavenly Father. It details our strengths, our weaknesses, and our eternal potential. Because its source is divine, its study belongs in the same scholarly tradition as any other sacred text we encounter.

The Mechanics of Divine Annotation

How, then, do we approach this unique repository of personal revelation with the gravity and diligence it deserves? The principle is simple, yet requires deep commitment: treat your blessing as if it were a chapter of revealed scripture waiting to be annotated by the Holy Ghost.

The process, as demonstrated in recent teachings, is nothing short of remarkable. It suggests a systematic method of cross-referencing. When a specific word or phrase in your blessing catches your spirit—a phrase that seems to resonate with a deep, intrinsic truth—do not let it pass. Instead, allow the Spirit to guide you. Take that word, and use the Gospel Library app not just as a search tool, but as a conduit to the universal scriptures. Seek out corresponding passages, doctrines, or even quotes from modern prophets and apostles.

The goal is to build a scholarly connection. You are not simply collecting quotes; you are charting the divine trajectory of that word across time and across revelation. This is how you build what could be called a personal theological corpus—a collection of divine annotations that makes your blessing look, in essence, like a highly annotated page of scripture.

The Spirit as the Ultimate Scholar

It is crucial to understand that this process is not simply an academic exercise; it is a deeply spiritual one. The ability to connect a phrase in your blessing to a passage in the Book of Mormon, or to a principle taught in General Conference, is a function of the Spirit. The Spirit acts as the ultimate scholar, illuminating the threads of truth that connect all of God’s divine communications.

“And it shall come in the last days that the revelations which were given unto the prophets shall be restored to the children of men, that they may know the truth of God.”

Every time you perform this study, you are participating in the Restoration of knowledge. You are demonstrating the principle of doctrinal unity—that all divine sources, whether ancient scriptures, modern covenants, or personal revelation, point toward the same eternal Truth. The iron rod of doctrine is held by the covenants we keep and the knowledge we diligently seek.

A Lifelong Covenant of Study

This work is not a sprint; it is a lifetime commitment to seeking greater knowledge. The profound realization is that the deeper you study, the more you realize that revelation is cumulative. What seemed vague or esoteric when you were a novice disciple may click into place years later, forming a complete doctrinal picture. This scholarly approach honors the covenant path: study, seek, and remain humble enough to accept the further illumination of the Spirit.

We are called to be diligent students of the gospel. If we can approach our own patriarchal blessings with the same scholarly rigor we apply to the revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith, we deepen our capacity to receive and understand the covenants given to us. This commitment to continuous, deep study is the hallmark of a true disciple of the latter-days.

We invite you to take the sacred record of your blessing and approach it with the eyes of a scholar and the heart of a covenant keeper. Let the Spirit guide your search, connecting the dots of personal revelation to the eternal tapestry of divine truth.