Ben,
You mentioned in one of your journal entries last week that you and your companion were asked to bless a house and you hadn’t known about this practice. This is not a common practice, but definitely should be more encouraged and done! If the priesthood is blessing more homes, locations and land, can you imagine the kind of impact exercising this righteous priesthood authority would have on communities? Then couple that blessing with the discipleship of the members who occupy those homes/locations?
I have a few thoughts to share about this. I also invite my siblings to add any of their additional thoughts to this email conversation.
Yes, it is a suggested practice to bless a location/house and dedicate it for righteousness sake. This is especially important when moving to a new apartment/home and you don’t know what kind of influences were previously occupying that space. Unclean spirits and evil spirits could still be hanging around. When Dad and I built our home, I don’t have a specific memory of him blessing/dedicating it when we moved in, but it’s plausible he did?
On the flip side of blessing prior to occupying a new home or land, I have a special experience to share about blessing a location before leaving.
I hope you have the patience to read this sacred experience.
My siblings and I were raised in the same home in our growing up years: 7803 N. 12th Ave, Phoenix. (Technically, 1615 W Mission Lane was before 7803, but 7803 was where we were for the longest.) We have many fond memories of our home. I feel I can speak for all my siblings that it was a safe place to truly call home. After grandpa Leavitt died in 2009, grandma lived there for another year or so, then we jointly decided it was time for her/us to sell the house. It is in a good neighborhood, and although it is an older house built in the 1950’s, it had “good bones”. It definitely needed some upgrading in various rooms. LaMont acted as the agent to field all the inquiries on the sale. There was one guy who offered cash outright, but that didn’t feel right. LaMont can give a few more details on which family finally felt right to buy the home.
The house was sold, and we all went down to help clean out and move mom’s items to Utah. After we got all the house items loaded up into the U-Haul my siblings and I gathered in the Master Bedroom one last time. I had many memories of having family prayer around my parents bed. The room was now empty except for us. I can’t recall if mom (grandma) was with us in the room or not? But surely she was. Lots of tears and sniffles by all of us. LaMont then gave a dedicatory prayer for the house. I recall him giving thanks to the house for protecting us, sheltering us, and making it a heaven on earth where the gospel was taught and loved. I also recall phrases such as it continuing to have the spirit of peace and love to reside there for the next family.
LaMont kept in contact with the family. The new owners were a husband and wife who were now empty-nesters, but frequently had visiting grandchildren.
A couple years after the house sale I had a vivid dream about our house. I hadn’t been thinking about our home, it just came one evening. It was as if I could feel emotion emanating from the very house itself. I can’t recall any words, but in my dream as I walked around the outside and inside of our former home, I could feel inexplicable joy coming from its walls. I still can feel the joy of the house as I recall this dream! Even though the house is inanimate, it is created from the elements of the earth. Jesus said in Luke 19:40 that the rocks would cry out and shout praises.
A few days/weeks after this dream, LaMont called to let us know that the couple invited any one of us to stop in and say hello and to also see the additions/upgrades they have been completing.
I considered it a tender mercy to have this dream and experience. Our home was so happy to be honored and kept as a place of peace and love – and it got some well-needed and deserved upgrades!
Not long after the invitation from the new owners, our 4 families went to AZ for a Leavitt reunion in Mesa (if I am remembering this correctly). We took up the offer by the new owners to stop in and visit our home. It was very emotional for me, and I think for some of the rest of us.
So yes, please dedicate your dwelling place!
Love, Mom
