God blessed Abraham but more importantly empowered Abraham to bless others:
I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:2-3
When the Lord says, “I will bless thee,” Abraham sounds like a recipient. But the Lord immediately adds, “Thou shalt be a blessing,” making Abraham an active participant in uplifting and enriching the lives of others. And who are those others? Everyone. “All the families of the earth.”
The Lord subsequently clarifies that Abraham won’t do this work alone. His descendants will provide those blessings. (See Genesis 22:18; 1 Nephi 15:18; 1 Nephi 22:9; 3 Nephi 20:25-27.)
How will all families of the earth be blessed? One family at a time. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, gave many blessings at the end of his life. He blessed Pharaoh (Genesis 47:7, 10). He blessed Joseph’s sons (Genesis 48:9, 20). And he blessed each one of his sons individually (Genesis 49:28).
In the Book of Mormon, we see a continuation of this pattern, as descendants of Jacob bless their own families and others. Lehi blessed his children and grandchildren at the end of his life (2 Nephi 1:28-29, 31; 2:3-4; 3:3, 22-25; 4:5-11). Alma blessed Amulek and his family (Alma 10:7, 11). Ammon blessed his companions as they prepared to preach the gospel to the Lamanites (Alma 17:18).
As each of us blesses specific individuals and families, the cumulative effect is sweeping. Elder Quentin L. Cook marveled at the impact of large numbers of missionaries, serving and teaching others in personal ways:
My heart rejoices when I realize that in our day tens of thousands of young men, young women, and senior missionaries have accepted the call to be emissaries of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They are taking the restored gospel of peace to the world, one person and one family at a time—a work of righteousness to bring this peace to Heavenly Father’s children.
“Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness,” April 2013 general conference
Today I will help with the fulfillment of Abraham’s covenant by blessing the people within my sphere of influence. I will remember that God’s vast work of uplifting all of His children is accomplished one family, one person, and one interaction at a time.
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