Blaine Michael Yorgason (December 6, 1942 – October 8, 2024) was an American

Latter-day Saint The Latter Day Saint movement (also called the LDS movement, LDS restorationist movement, or Smith–Rigdon movement) is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded b ...

novelist who has also written biographies. Yorgason was born in

Sanpete County, Utah Sanpete County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 28,437. Its county seat is Manti, and its largest city is Ephraim. The county was created in 1850. History The Sanpete Valley m ...

. He graduated from Brigham Young High School and then served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

for

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

, primarily in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Yorgason had

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...

and

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

s from

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

(BYU). He was a seminary teacher in the

Church Educational System The Church Educational System (CES) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non–Latter-day Saint elementary, sec ...

from 1970 to 1977 and taught at BYU from 1977 to 1980. Among his works are ''Windwalker'' which was made into a 1980

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

of the same name and ''Chester, I Love You'' (written with his brother, Brent Yorgason) which was adapted for film as ''The Thanksgiving Promise''. Yorgason had also written a biography of John Taylor. He died on October 8, 2024 in Vernal, Utah.

Bibliography

This is a list of books written by Yorgason. Some of these books were co-authored. Co-writers include: Brent Yorgason, Carl Eaton, Tami Yorgason, Sunny Oaks, Richard Schmutz, and Douglas Alder.Personal Library of James B. Chase, Jr. * ''Miracles and the Latter-day Saint Teenager'' (1974) * ''Charlie's Monument'' (1976) * ''Others'' (1978) * ''Bishop's Horse Race'' (1979) * ''Massacre At Salt Creek/The Courage Covenant/And Should We Die'' (1979) * ''Windwalker'' (1979) * ''A Town Called Charity'' (1980) * ''The Krystal Promise'' (1981) * ''Seeker of the Gentle Heart'' (1982) * ''Double Exposure'' (1982) * ''Chester, I Love You/The Thanksgiving Promise'' (1983) * ''Miracle'' (1983) * ''Brother Brigham's Gold'' (1984) * ''Ride the Laughing Wind'' (1984) * ''Shadowtaker'' (1985) * ''The Loftier Way/Tales From the Book of Mormon'' (1985) * ''Becoming'' (1986) * ''Bfpstk and the Smile Song/Into The Rainbow'' (1986) * ''Seven Days For Ruby'' (1986) * ''The Eleven Dollar Surgery'' (1986) * ''The Greatest Quest'' (1987) * ''In Search of Steenie Bergman'' (1988) * ''Pardners'' (1988) * ''The Gospel Power Series'' (1989) - 12 Pamphlet Books * ''Decision Point'' (1989) * ''Here Stands a Man'' (1990) * ''Spiritual Survival in the Last Days'' (1990) * ''The Warm Spirit'' (1990) * ''Prayers on the Wind/Storm'' (1991) * ''Secrets'' (1992) * ''To Soar With Eagles'' (1993) * ''Spiritual Progression in the Last Days'' (1994) * ''Tarred and Feathered'' (1994) * ''One Tattered Angel'' (1995) * ''Ascending/Angus Austin Rising'' (1996) * ''Hearts Afire: At All Hazards'' (1997) * ''Hearts Afire: Fort on the Firing Line'' (1999) * ''New Evidences of Christ in America'' (1999) * ''Gabriel's Well'' (2000) * ''Hearts Afire: Curly Bill's Gift'' (2000) * ''Harold B. Lee'' (2001) * ''Joseph F. Smith'' (2001) * ''John Taylor'' (2002) * ''Girl At the Crossing'' (2002) * '' I Need Thee Every Hour'' (2003) * ''Finding Mercie'' (2010) * ''All That Was Promised: The St. George Temple and the Unfolding of the Restoration'' (2013) with Richard A. Schmutz and Douglas D. Alder.

Sources

*
BY High Alumni article on Yorgason''Barnes and Noble'' listing for Yorgason

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yorgason, Blaine 1942 births 2024 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries American Latter Day Saint writers American Mormon missionaries in the United States 20th-century American novelists American male novelists Brigham Young University alumni Brigham Young University faculty Church Educational System instructors People from Sanpete County, Utah Novelists from Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah American male non-fiction writers 20th-century American male writers Brigham Young High School alumni