Given by Dustin Tyler Joyce | Sunday, 2 February 2014
Bushwick First Branch, Brooklyn New York Stake

Our Father in Heaven, by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, we bring this child into our arms to give him a name and a blessing. The name we give him is Colin Everett Joyce.

Colin, you have been born into a family that loves you. You have parents who have testimonies of the gospel of Jesus Christ and who were sealed in the temple by proper priesthood authority. Because of that, you have been born into an eternal family—a family whose goal is, like your Father in Heaven’s, to help you be happy in this life and to gain eternal life and joy.

We bless you as you grow up that you will develop properly physically and mentally and spiritually.

We bless you with the knowledge that your body is a temple where the Holy Ghost can dwell if you are obedient to Heavenly Father’s commandments.

We bless you that you will be curious about the world around you, that you will enjoy learning and exploring and seeing new things and that as you do so you will gain understanding and knowledge that will help you in your life as you serve your family and as you serve in the Church and as you serve others.

Above all, Colin, we bless you with the knowledge that your Heavenly Father is real, that he loves you. We bless you that you will be able to gain a testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We bless you that you will be eager to learn of his life and his ministry and to follow his example in your own life. We bless you that you will be able to be ordained to the priesthood and go to the temple and make covenants there and that you will have the opportunity to be a missionary and teach others the truth that you know. And we bless you that in all things you will follow the example of your Savior.

We love you very much, and we leave these blessings with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

This article appeared on page 13 of Issue 14 | April 2014.