145 years ago today - Apr 6, 1878

[Patriarchal Blessing of Melvin Omer Porter by Elijah R. Billingsley ... Jesus, the Only Begotten of the Father, placed His hands upon your head and blessed you and gave you a name and sent you to this earth to take a body in the dispensation of the Everlasting Gospel. And, when you was baptized into His Kingdom, Holy Angels shouted for joy. Your calling is to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth. You will be wafted over sea and land as it were an angels wings. You will be reigned before Kings and Rulers and suffer much persecution, but you will have great faith given to you of the Lord, so that the elements and the water will obey you, and by the help of the Almighty, no power will be able to stand against you. Your calling is more particular to the House of Israel. You will have power given unto you to preach the gospel in their own language. ... You and they will go before the Lord and put His enemies to flight, for no power will be able to stand against you. You will have many wives given to you of the Lord, and because you are a literal descendant of Abraham, your posterity will grow up to be very great in the Holy Priesthood. And the Holy Priesthood will remain with thy posterity through all generations of time. You with your wives will enter into the Holy Temple of the Lord and go through the ordinances of that house for yourselves and your dead. Holy Angels will visit you there, they will acquaint you of your dead, their names, ages and birth places.

... You will go before the Lord to the Center Stake of Zion. The Glory of God will be there. You will be at the crowning of Ephraim. You will live to see the winding up scene. You will live to see the enemies of your Lord become ashes under His feet. You will live to see Babylon fall and the kingdoms of this world become the Kingdom of God and His Christ. You will live to see the seas rolling off the North Country and the ten tribes coming to Zion, and when that great cry is made "Behold the Bridegroom Cometh" you will have oil in your lamp and it will be trimmed and burning, and you will be changed in the twinkling of an eye and be caught up to meet your Redeemer and His Holy Messengers, and you will be permitted to go with them to that great feast, the Supper of the Lamb. ... I seal upon you Eternal Life, and upon your head a crown of Celestial Glory, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

[Patriarchal Blessings]