Volume 26, No. 3

The policy of recording patriarchal blessings, copies of which are deposited in the office of the LDS Church Historian, affords a valuable picture of cultural change in the church, perhaps reflective of changes in American society in general. In the interests of privacy, however, the church does not allow access to its copies of blessings, unless there is proof of blood relationship to the recipient. The researcher, therefore, must access blessings recorded in journals, those appearing in other manuscripts, and any blessings which individuals may choose to release for examination and publication. All of the 744 blessings upon which this study is based are drawn from these sources.

The bond between Brigham Young University and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints precludes the university from becoming an entirely secular institution. Because BYU’s board of trustees, composed almost entirely of high-ranking church general authorities, is actively involved in the operation of the university, it forces administrators to manage the university in ways that accommodate the mission of the church as a primary focus. BYU’s academic mission is secondary to the university’s church mission.