1. Steven John Cottrell, in the name of Jesus Christ and with the authority of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood I place my hands upon your head to give you this, your Patriarchal Blessing and Steven, be always mindful of the fact that this Patriarchal Blessing, as with all blessings we receive, is dependent upon your faithfulness and your worthiness and if you continue faithful and worthy these blessings will surely come to pass together with other blessings which the Lord will bestow upon you from time to time.

2. Know this, Steven, that you are indeed a choice son of our Heavenly Father, born in this mortal life to a worthy mother and a worthy father, they too are choice spirits just as you are. Always be aware of the counselling which you can receive from your father and mother, seek such counsel, not only now in your youth, but as long as they are with us upon this earth. Remember that as we grow older we gain in wisdom and in experience and seek to draw upon this wisdom of your father and your mother, seek this wise counsel which they can offer you knowing that it will be for your good.

3. Steven, seek after the truths which we can gain from the gospel, from the scriptures and from other good books, expand your knowledge, search out the truths and having found them hold fast to them.

4. Steven, the Lord has many great blessings, which He is eager to bestow upon you and, first and foremost, the blessing of serving a mission, of taking the gospel to those that your footsteps will be guided towards. Live always in such a way that the Holy Spirit will indeed be your constant companion and be aware of the promptings of the Spirit. Live in such a way that if you are called upon to perform the ordinances of the gospel you can do and be worthy of so doing at a moments notice. Study your Priesthood manuals that you may know how to perform such ordinances and blessings as you may be called upon to perform during your mission, that you may in so doing acquire a confidence in yourself knowing that you are indeed a worthy Priesthood holder. The power of the priesthood is unlimited so, therefore, strive always to keep the commandments that you may indeed be a worthy vessel through which the Lord's work can be done.

5. There are many callings for you to serve. Serve with diligence to magnify whatever callings come to you knowing that with each calling you will receive a special blessing that your talents may be many and that you may exercise these talents that you may go forward and hold offices of great responsibility within the church, do not seek after these offices but they will come to you and know that they will indeed be callings from the Lord to serve Him and to serve your brothers and sisters here upon this earth.

6. I bless you with health and with strength and with a long and active life.

7. I bless you that in the Lord's good time you will indeed find a companion within the gospel, a worthy sister to whom you will be married for time and all eternity in the temple of the Lord and that you will have children, that you will have many children who will be a source of joy and satisfaction to you, but be mindful of your responsibilities as a husband and as a father. Seek always to share responsibility with your wife that the little ones may be brought up in truth and righteousness for, know this, that it is the parents who have the ultimate responsibility for bringing up the children in the gospel, be mindful of this and the Lord will bless you.

8. I bless you that if you are true and honest and obedient in paying an honest tithing then you will never want and your children and your wife will never want, that you will always be in a position to provide for them, to provide a warm and watertight roof over their heads.

9. I bless you also that you will be such a one as people will come to listen when you speak, that when you speak they will know instinctively that the Spirit of the Lord is with you and that what you are saying comes from your heart and is the truth and they will recognise this truth whether it be they accept or not they will know it to be word of the Lord.

10. Steven, I feel prompted to tell you that you are of the House of Israel of the tribe of Ephraim and as such the great blessings which were placed upon Ephraim are shared with you, that this tribe, this tribe of Ephraim are even now gathering in those who will accept the gospel; they are the ones who are preparing the way for the return of our Saviour when He will come to reign during the millennium, be mindful of this. Seek always to spread the gospel in a way full of quiet confidence, not with brashness but with that sureness and quietness that people will have to pause, to be attentive to hear what you are saying, nevertheless, they will know and many will come into the gospel as a result of the work you do, not necessarily through baptism from you but from the seeds which you will be laying not only during your mission but during your life.

11. I bless you Steven, that you will be called to come forth in the morning of the resurrection of the just, that you will be amongst those who are gathered up to meet with the Saviour as He returns to this earth, that in due time you will be judged and found worthy to return with your wife and your family to celestial glory and live in the presence of our Heavenly Father through all eternities.