Hinckley's Blessing

So, this time around, my mom wasn't at our church with all her recording equipment and everything, and nobody there knew shorthand. So, it's a decent thing that I actually prepared a little bit for Hinckley's baby blessing. Last night, I thought about what Heavenly Father would want me to bless him with and I wrote it down and did my best to remember all the pertinent points. As an added benefit, I can share with everybody else who wasn't able to make it, what was said. So I'll write what was said in the blessing part, so far as I wrote it down last night, as the giving the name part is usually pretty standard:

"Hinckley, we have given you the name of a prophet of the Lord, that when you remember your name, you may remember him; and when you remember him, you may remember his works; and when you remember his works you may know that they were good. Therefore, Hinckley, we would that you should do that which is good. We counsel you to follow the example of wise and faithful men who have gone before you. We bless you that you might choose to be disciplined in all aspects of your life, and that you will do what needs to get done, when it needs to get done, so that you can dedicate your life and talents to the work of the Lord.

We bless you with unshaken faith and a firm testimony of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and his atoning sacrifice. We bless you that you will be filled with love for all of God's children, and that you will be able to let that love, and the Spirit of the Lord, guide you in all of your decisions. Throughout your life, never stop learning. We bless you with desires to obtain knowledge AND wisdom and to use these gifts as the Lord would desire of you.

We bless you with charity, and that as you grow, you might learn how to interact with all people, and in all situations, in a way that will always show your love for them and for Heavenly Father. As you do this, others will feel that love and because of your actions, they will glorify Heavenly Father and be more able to feel His love.

We bless you that as you follow this counsel, and apply the blessings you have received, you might find joy and happiness throughout whatever situations you face in life. We further bless you that if you follow the guidance that Heavenly Father will give you through the Holy Spirit, eventually you'll be able to return to His presence and become like Him. We love you and we perform this blessing in the name of the Savior, Jesus Christ, amen."

Again, there were some things that I may have said differently, but for the most part, this is pretty accurate to what was said.

Anyways, while on the topic of priesthood blessings, I'd like to share my feelings briefly. When I blessed Orion, it was a fairly short blessing. What I remember most of all was that I advised him to develop his talents, and that the most important talent he could ever obtain is the ability to love others and develop true charity. As we've watched him grow, we've been amazed at how true this blessing has been. He tells everybody how much he loves them. Elliot got a kick out of it shortly after we moved back from South Carolina. Orion would walk up to him and say, "You know what Elliot?" And then after Elliot asks, "What?" Orion would respond very matter-of-factly, "I love you."

And it hasn't just been his words, his actions are gentle and soft. He truly does have charity. And as far as his other talents, he does a great job of developing them. He loves learning how to read, he organizes his toys in a way that shows really strong engineering traits, etc. Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging. My point in all of this is that Orion and Chrysalis both have really followed what was said in their baby blessings. It's taught me more about the importance of taking my role as a priesthood bearer, and especially father, more seriously. I'm really grateful that I took the time to prepare for Hinckley's blessing.