that turned out to be false.

No, you didn't grow up to live in a big white house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Fluoridated water didn't turn you in to "godless atheist Communists."

The Second Coming didn't happen in the year 2000 (really 2001).

I knew a woman at BYU in 1973, sophomore, got her BP from Clyde Sandgren, iirc. I think he was BYU chief legal council as his day job.

In any case, the woman apparently mentioned not being sure what she wanted to major in. Remember the time frame. Ms Magazine had just been founded. The ERA had recently been passed by Congress and submitted to the states. LDS Inc had not yet come out in opposition to it.

The PB said (quoting as best as I recall) that "you should not trouble yourself about what to major in. Your primary calling will be as a mother and wife in Zion." I particularly remember that mother and wife were in that order, which doesn't sound like Mormon cliche phrasing, so I assume it was deliberate. It went on about raising up your children in righteousness, and the usual boilerplate.

Aftermath: the woman got a degree in business, worked her entire life, never married, though she lived with a jack Mo boyfriend for several years, and died of cancer in early middle age. She was an active Mormon her entire life, though I suspect mostly a social Mormon. I saw the PB just a few months ago (she was a relative), so got to look back at it with almost 50 years of hindsight.

Not only did the patriarch completely miss the mark, I think his academic advice to a coed was just plain destructive. Fortunately it was ignored. I also don't think she was particularly vexed about what to major in. She was a business major in HS. My guess is that he asked about her plans and she gave an answer typical of a college sophomore: "I'm not sure what I want to major in.".

My PB was by my distant relative in a different state (my dad's second cousin) so he knew our family history and that my grandfather accidently died when my father was just a toddler.

During the seance/blessing, he mentioned that grandpappy was present in the room and proud of me. That raised a few hairs on my neck. My parents were there too and heard it.

After all the standard stuff, he then pronounced that I would become a "judge in israel"... code name for the worst calling in the church, a Bishop. They are overworked and forced to ignore their family, and are put into impossible and awkward situations just because they accepted the calling.

In my early thirties, as a very successful, young professional, I was seen as an easy mark for leadership. I had recently discovered the truth, and it was really bad timing from "available time" standpoint. I turned down a request to join the high council from my childhood YM leader...now SP.

Needless to say, I believe I was black-listed never to have a calling again higher than Sunday School Pres...or as my screen name implies, Finance Clerk.

I'm so glad I dodged that bullet!