On Giving Priesthood Blessings

I once heard a stake patriarch say that it is easier for him to give patriarchal blessings than it is to give blessings of healing because inspiration always comes clearly when giving patriarchal blessings, but things aren't always clear when giving priesthood blessings for healing. This reminds me of two things in regard to knowing what to say in priesthood blessings. First, a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants indicates that some who have the faith to be healed won't be healed because they are appointed to unto death. Doctrine and Covenants 42:43-48 reads:

And whosoever among you are sick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be nourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild food, and that not by the hand of an enemy. And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called, and shall pray for and lay their hands upon them in my name; and if they die they shall die unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me. Thou shalt alive together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not hope of a glorious resurrection. And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them; And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter. And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed.

So, regardless of what is promised in a blessing, in some cases, it is not the Lord's will that healing occur. This leads me to the second thing that the patriarch's comment reminds me of. Marion G. Romney, former first counselor in the First Presidency, spoke to the difficulty in discerning between your own emotions and the Spirit.

"If you can learn to discern between your own feelings and the inspiration of the Lord, you don't have to be in doubt as to what you are to do. It's quite an accomplishment, however, to be able to learn the difference between your own feelings and the promptings of the Lord. It is very difficult for me and so I think it must be difficult for you. For example, I am frequently called to the hospital to administer to someone. If it is someone that I know well, someone who is close to me, I want that person to get well just like you want your loved ones to get well. As I put my hands on his head to give him a blessing, I have the desire in my heart to bless him to get well. I know that if I do promise him out of the wisdom of Marion G. Romney that he will get well, he very likely won't get well. But if I can discern the Spirit telling me what to say, and I can say under the direction of the Spirit, "You will be well," he always gets well. Have you ever had that experience? I have laid my hands on the heads of people and just made a fabulous promise that scared me. But it all came true because I was inspired of the Lord. I have given people promises which have not been realized. I know one good woman who carries a great burden, and she partly blames me, because I blessed her daughter that she would get well. She had cancer, but she did not get well; she died. The people were my neighbors, and they leaned on me. I had been their bishop and their stake president, and they were just sure that the girl would get well if I administered to her. I wanted her to get well but she didn't. I tried to be guarded in what I said, but I wasn't sure whether I was speaking under the direction of the Spirit and I guess I said something in a way which the mother took as an outright promise that she would get well.” Marion tried to follow this and other scriptural patterns in his own personal prayers. He felt he had learned to distinguish between the inspiration which comes from the Lord and that which came from his own "uninspired hopes and desires." Howard, F. Burton. Marion G. Romney: His Life and Faith. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1988, pg. 225.

It can be challenging to discern between emotion and the Spirit when giving a blessing to a loved one. It can also be difficult knowing what to say when clear inspiration does not come. These facts make me grateful for the blessings where clear inspiration does come.