A few years ago, Skousen had planned to establish a private library to house his holdings, but plans fell through, Kimber said. Days before he died, Kimber said Skousen told his children about his desires for the library. A deal with what Kimber described as a Provo-based "educational organization" known as FranklinSquires is in the works, and he said the library will eventually be open to the public. Copies of Skousen's writings will also be donated to Brigham Young University's Special Collections library, he said.

"People would come up and say how much they appreciated his work. Different people found him to be their friend in so many different disciplines," Kimber said.

That included friendships with people from a variety of faiths.

One of those is the Rev. Donald Sills, a Baptist minister, fellow conservative and past president of the American Freedom Coalition. He said he first met Skousen as a young pastor in Spokane, Wash., back in 1964, when he put together a meeting called the "God Bless America Rally."

"I thought the only person to do it was Cleon Skousen, and I took a lot of flak for that," as church members asked why a Mormon would be invited to address them. But the two "developed a very close relationship. We traveled throughout different parts of the world teaching the basics of free enterprise system. He was the voice of real constitutionalism. I know he had read over 200 volumes of writings of the Founding Fathers." The Rev. Sills said he found Mr. Skousen in Washington, D.C., once, sitting on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial. When he asked what Mr. Skousen was doing, the reply came, " 'I'm talking to Tom Jefferson.' That's the kind of man he was," he said. Another personal experience further endeared him to Mr. Skousen when he was invited to stay at his home in Salt Lake City. "I got up the next morning, and there was Dr. Skousen and his wife in the kitchen. He asked me if I wanted to join them in morning prayer. There they were, getting down on their knees by the table. It was absolutely marvelous."

Both were friends with former LDS Church President Ezra Taft Benson and other conservative politicos. When Mr. Skousen and the Rev. Sills organized a three-day "Making of America" conference in Salt Lake City years ago, the Rev. Sills said President Benson quipped, "If they'll take a Mormon elder with a Baptist preacher on the platform for three days, we've got a winner."He dubbed Mr. Skousen "probably the greatest constitutionalist I know. I've been in ministry for 47 years, and I admired the man, I loved him." He told Mr. Skousen's family years ago that when their father died, he wanted to be at the funeral, and "by God's grace I hope to be there."