Patriarchal blessings are given to worthy members of the Church and contain personal counsel from God. A patriarchal blessing is intended to be a road map that helps guide a person through life. There is no set age for receiving a patriarchal blessing, but recipients need to be of sufficient age and maturity to understand its significance.
A patriarchal blessing is given by a patriarch, a man called by Church leaders to give such blessings. The patriarch places his hands on the head of the recipient and says the words he receives through divine revelation. The words of the blessing are transcribed so the recipient can have a written copy to study throughout his or her life. The Church also keeps a copy of the blessing in case it is ever lost.