Since we?re looking at childhood, children, and youth this month, I thought I?d look at the ordinance of ?naming and blessing? children as practiced in Texas in the very early 1900s.

Baby blessings were a significant ecclesiastic duty for male missionaries. The mission kept formal records of only three ordinances: baptism, confirmation, and the naming/blessing of children. From 1897 to 1903 missionaries in Texas named and blessed approximately one child for every three baptisms they performed. [1] All six of the male missionaries in this study recorded performing the ordinance.

When Elder Jones was set apart as a missionary (1899), he was instructed that ?if there were any babies brought to us, we were told to bless them.? [2] In a 1902 meeting with the First Presidency of the Church, Mission President Duffin broached the topic of ?Recording names of children blessed not belonging to members of the church? and was told that ?their record should be kept in separate book.? [3]

Missionary itinerancy made planning blessings difficult. In the first few years of Church efforts in Texas (re-starting in 1897 after the Civil War withdrawal), only missionaries held the Melchizedek Priesthood necessary to formally bless a baby, and members might go months without seeing missionaries. Further, without standing congregations to create and perpetuate expectations, I imagine that for a significant number of members, watching their own children?s blessings was the first time they had never seen—and possibly ever heard of—a Mormon baby blessing.

At any rate, if there was a pattern or process to the scheduling of baby blessings—or any indication of how missionaries broached the topic—I have not detected it in the diaries. The blessings were important enough to write down but often appear in the diaries in what seems to me an odd mix of spontaneity and run-of-the-mill-ness:

After Breakfast I milked the Cow, helped Bro Gross grind his ax, and went with him to the woods to get a piece of timber for an ax handle. After dinner we held a sacrament meeting with the Family and I blessed Sister Lena Jones?s Baby. After which we ate a water Melon and talked a few Minutes and started for Bro Carters. (Forsha, 1900 Jul 18 Wed)

We slept quite late. Didn?t eat any breakfast. Went down to Jessie?s place. Got Jessie to cut my hair. We were going to preach that evening at Jessie?s. We blessed their baby. Gave it the name of Edgar Henderson Cude. (Brooks, 1901 Jan 27 Sun)

Weather a little cool. Got ready for preaching and waited for Bro. and Sister Gross. Blessed their baby then went to the school house. Held meeting with 20 in attendance. (Folkman, 1901 Mar 31 Sun) [4]

Note in the Folkman entry above that the blessing was not at the meeting. Other baby blessings were performed in conjunction with baptisms or conferences or, at the least, seem to have been pre-arranged:

Stayed at Bro. Tom Odom’s all day. At to [two] o?clock we had baptizing where we held meeting for a short time. Spoke on baptism. Then I baptized nine people. After we went to Bro. Tom Odom’s where we confirmed them and blessed 10 children. We spent the rest of the day and night in talking and singing.  (Folkman, 1900 Apr 10 Tue) [5]

As priesthood was conferred on more and more local members and as local branches were organized, the naming and blessing of children faded from the list of primary missionary duties.