October 1, 1974

A special blessing given to me by my Bishop – Edward Fillerup. [Kirk notes in the margin that “This blessing was given to me at my request because of my concern for guidance and direction in establishing a family business]. “Kirk J. Anderson, by the authority of the Priesthood which I bear and by the authority of a Bishop I lay my hands upon your head and give you a Bishop’s blessing. This is a great privilege for me to be associated with one such as you and have the close association we are able to experience, to bear testimony to each other and acknowledge the workings of our Father in Heaven in our behalf. I’m grateful for you and for Sister Anderson, I’m grateful for your family.

            At this time I pronounce a blessing upon your head that you might be invigorated in mind and body and Spirit that the infirmities which are afflicting your body will be rejected that you might be made strong and whole and to receive your full health and strength and go about your affairs as you desire to do. [Kirk notes in the margin that “2 days prior to this blessing I had been in the hospital”] I pray that the conflicting elements pressing your system will be cast off.

            Now I bless you that you might have wisdom that you might have intelligence and knowledge to fulfill your foreordination here upon this earth, to continue to be the great learder that you are. Now we’re conscious of the earth foreordained to be a celestial sphere and everything created hereon has the potential to be a celestial being or celestial person. We bless you that you might indeed fulfill this destiny and that you might be a celestial being and reap the benefits of celestial life during the eternities. Now you have been concerned about your family and about the opportunities the family might have and we know of your concern that they grow up in righteousness, that they love and serve the Lord and we bless you that you might have insight into the lives and workings and thinking of your family that you might be of great assistance in rearing and teaching them to be a righteous and mighty family.

            The Lord is mindful of your desire to serve. He is mindful of your faithfulness and for your great stamina in defense of the testimony of the Gospel, and He is mindful that you do have concern for your family and I bless you and pronounce a blessing upon your head that you will have an insight and be able to understand and be able to help members of you family that you might teach them; bless them; be with them; enjoy them; and be able to help them. Now, you are concerned about a situation where you might be able to help them in a material way that all members of the family might be able to work together. Now, I say to you, Brother Anderson, that if you will be prayerful and think these things out in your own mind and then after considerable pondering, thinking, praying and developing a program which you can present to the Lord He will make it known to you whether you should go into this particular effort. It will probably take serious thought and serious consideration on your part. I am sure that the Lord is not going to reveal things to you without effort on your part. We each have a right to inspiration, revelation and guidance from our Heavenly Father and He will direct us in our own personal affairs and in our own personal desires and wants if we make these things known to him and if we present a possible solution.

            One of the great prophets that exhibited great faith was the Brother of Jared. He asked the Lord in mighty prayer how to take care of the ship that they might have light and he prayed to the Lord to give him directions to know what to do for light, and then he went about pondering this, working it in his own mind, and devised the idea that if the Lord would light the pebbles and stones that he collected that he would have light. He did so and then asked the Lord in faith and in prayer to bless him that he might be successful in this. He was also concerned about air for the ship and the Lord instructed him and gave him a solution to these problems and the Lord said “there had not been one come to Him so great in faith as the Brother of Jared”. This is the temperament that you have. You have the great faith and the great wisdom to acknowledge the Lord in your daily affairs and in your efforts and it is a great test of faith now that you now desire to be blessed and receive a blessing that you might know how to move, how to ponder, and how to work in bringing to pass the things that you desire for you family. I can assure you, brother Anderson, that if you do go to the Lord in faith and a proper receptive mood that the Lord will bless you with solutions to your desires. I bless you that you might continue to be successful in your efforts in your occupation; that you might be able to assist all the people that come to you for help and relieve their suffering. This has been a great thing that you have done to the populace of the world, helping them; assisting them in mending broken limbs and bodies that they might walk and talk and move about, and surely the Lord recognizes your great effort in this area. We bless you that you might continue to be blessed to have the skill, knowledge, and the intelligence to know what to do and how to do it in each particular case. What a marvelous thing it is to be able to assist mankind in this area.

            We bless you as a member of the Bishopric that you might be able to help this ward and to present the proper image to the youth of this ward that you might have the proper rapport, that you will be great and magnanimous, that they will desire to come to you with their individual problems, that you will give them the attention and help and help each one with their testimonies that they might not stray from the true Gospel as outlined by our Savior.

            We are so grateful for you presence in this ward and for your love and for your appreciations and attention to every detail and know that you are blessed for these things. The great test of faith – we know that we will be tested in our fait, in our guidance and direction. We know that there will be moments when we will feel that we are isolated from the Lord and that He has turned His back upon us but it is only that we are being tested. The Lord must test individuals and each person so that He can depend on him that He desires to rise to great heights. You too will rise to mightier and greater stations in this life and in the life to come through your obedience and diligence and desire to serve.

            Be prayerful, pray to the Lord each morning and night and ask Him for His blessings and He will be there, bless you, lift you up, you will be mighty in His sight.

            I pronounce these blessings upon you Brother Anderson, gratefully, humbly, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.