Blessings and Stinkin' Dinkins

Yesterday was an eventful one for us. I blessed Marshall and also conferred the Aaronic Priesthood on Bryce and ordained him to the office of Deacon. Deacon!!! That little stinker is already 12. Here's a picture of the pre-game show (before church):



As the days got closer to the blessing, I thought and prayed about the things I should say and the only thing that came to my mind was that I should bless Marshall that he would 'grow in righteousness.' That's it. So I start the blessing the normal way and proceed to bless him that he'll grow in righteousness. Then I try to focus on something else, searching the spirit for something else to say, and nothing's coming. I bless him that he'll be healthy and that he'll be a joy to his friends and family and then my mind goes blank. I guess the Lord really wanted him to 'grow in righteousness'. That phrase and similar phrases have a very specific meaning in the scriptures, which I discovered later during sacrament meeting (D&C 45:58 was the only similar reference I could find).

Anyhoo, I sit down with my boy and hold him for a while. As we're sitting there, enjoying the various speakers and testimony-givers, Marshall looks up over my left shoulder and smiles and lets out a little laugh. Mind you, this boy is 5 1/2 weeks old. I firmly believe Marsha (Lisa's mom)was smiling down at him from the Heavens.

After sacrament, we all proceed into the overflow section of the chapel and close the big curtain in order to maintain some privacy. For Bryce's ordination the following men stood in the circle: Erik, the Bishop, Dan, my father, Ben, Nick, Nate, Doug, Travis, and myself, of course. This is Bryce's line of Priesthood Authority:

BRYCE Benjamin Pearson was ordained a Deacon May 4, 2008 by Lance M. Pearson
LANCE M. Pearson was ordained a High Priest March 27, 2005 by Benjamin Pearson Sr.
BENJAMIN E. Pearson was ordained a High Priest October 14, 2001 by James D. Wilcox.
JAMES D. Wilcox was ordained a High Priest February 24, 1980 by Blaine A. Wilcox.
BLAINE A. Wilcox was ordained a High Priest November 1, 1956 by Sterling W. Sill.
STERLING W. Sill was ordained a High Priest May 10, 1931 by Henry H. Blood.
HENRY H. Blood was ordained a High Priest March 25, 1906 by Hyrum M. Smith.
HYRUM M. Smith was ordained an Apostle October 24, 1901 by Joseph F. Smith.
JOSPEH F. Smith was ordained an Apostle July 1, 1866 by Brigham Young.
BRIGHAM Young was ordained and Apostle February 14, 1835 under the hands of the Three Witnesses, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris.
THE THREE WITNESSES were called by revelation to choose the Twelve Apostles and on February 14, 1835 were “blessed by the laying on of the hands of the Presidency,” Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams, to ordain the Twelve Apostles (HOTC, Vol. 2, pp. 187-188.)
JOSEPH Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery received the Melchizedek Priesthood in 1829 under the hands of Peter, James and John.
PETER, James and John were ordained Apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:16).