22 January 1874


Salt Lake City Tenth Ward Relief Society; Salt Lake City, Utah Territory

[. . .]

Pres Sarah [H.] Strong said, I am happy to meet with you again. I am also very much pleased to see Sisters Eliza. R. Snow Zina [D. H.] Young, and Margret, Peirce, [Margaret Pierce] Young. I give the meeting over to them. I know they have some good instruction to impart.

Mrs. Zina Young. remarked, [. . .] The sisters of this organization ought to be happy, for they have been organized by the spirit of God, and set apart to do a great and glorious work. Women have more power than they are aware of. They have power to annoint and administer to the sick and afflicted, power to do a great deal of good, how to forward the cause of God, He made woman brave generous noble, He endowed her with the attributes of angels. He made her beautiful, if not in face and figure, yet the very nature of her mission on the earth tends to make her a thing of beauty.

[. . .]

Help your President, do not let all the responsibility of the Society rest on her, lighten her burden whenever it is in your power to do so. Teachers be faithful to your calling, it is a noble one, you hold one of the most responsible places in the Society. When you go teaching, go with the spirit of God. Speak words of comfort [. . .] [p. 22]

everything that the heart desires is couched in the gospel. Put your trust in the Lord and he will make your ways most plain. May Heaven shower its chiosest [choicest] blessings on your Society is my prayer.

Mrs. Margret P. Young. remarked [. . .] There are many to save but few saviours. We have many duties to perform, home duties, and duties for the kingdom, duties for the living and for the dead. [. . .]

Sister: E R Snow. said, We have had many important subjects touched upon this afternoon and many important things have been said. The interests of men and women are the same in the Kingdom of God they cannot be seperated. I am sorry that the importance of the Relief Society’s is comprehended by only a few, they have, and are accomplishing a great deal of good, relieving the poor is one of the so called duties it has to perform, they have to save souls. 1The Prophet [water damage] eph Smith [Joseph Smith] said the church was not fully organized un[water damage] [until?] the Sisters. [water damage] ized [organized] into societies. Ever [water damage] say it is [p. 23] no use for me to belong to the society, because I have nothing to give, if we are not possessed of this world[’]s goods it is no reason why we cannot be rich in the treasures of heaven. When we look around and see the ignorance and depravity that is abroad in the cities of the world how thankful we should be that we have such a good opportunity to enlarge our understanding. Every saint ought to be happy, because every one has a right to the spirit of God, no one has true happiness without it. We must be united, we cannot perform our duties in an isolated condition. God designed the gospel to make us a united people. Women who profess to be Latter Day Saints have responsible duties to perform this gospel is not a man made thing. it was first introduced to this generation by the Prophet of God, then let us appreciate it, and honor the organ that condecended to give this great gift for our benefit. Every woman posesses the germ to be a priestes[s] or a queen in the Celestial Kingdom. Woman is for an helpmate to and counsellor to her husband, and if she is a wise counsellor she will help him very, she ought to be pure, noble, wise, and brave, for she is the corrector of nations. If there is a sister among sick, go to her with consoling words, and if she wishes you to lay hands on her and anoint her, it is your duty to do so, take hold of your duties and God will bless you, officiate with all the faith you can muster, bless her as you feel to bless her with a kind and sympathatic feeling. Sisters you must gather together with unity, meet oftener and you will enjoy more of the spirit of God and you will impart it to all around you, come to meeting with your hearts prayerful, think you are coming for the Jewel of Great Price, get your hearts filled with the spirit of God, he has ordained that we should be social beings. Do not let your Pres. have <to say> all help her all you can. Has not God endowed you with the gift of speach? When you arise do not let this timidity overcome you, say get behind me Satan, be determined that you will say something, if you are endowed with the spirit of God, no matter how simple your thoughts may be, they will be edifying to those who hear you, habituate to speaking, never yield to the tempter; try, there is a virtue in trying Here is an example for the Mothers, do not let your children imbibe false principles, I am trying to use my influence with the mothers and the fathers too, to keep the rising generation in the right path. 2Many say, why is it that so many of our young have so little regard for the pri[water damage]ples [principles] [water damage]f [water damage] gospel [water damage] [why] so many of our young men have taken [water damage] and going [water damage] It [water damage] [is] be[c]ause so few of them have had [water damage] and [p. 24] they think they are on the right road, they grow up to be young men and women without having tasted the sweets of the gospel. What proportion of our young men are sent on missions? they might get the spirit of God without going to Babylon for it. The young ladies know what the spirit of God is, especially those who are members of the Retrenchment Associations, they are laying a foundation for future usefulness, do not lay any obsticle in their way, encourage them to be punctual to their meetings, never prevent them from attending to every good meeting. Ask that mother who’s daughter has married a gentile, if she would not give all earthly possessions to have her back again? Ask that father whoes [whose] son has debauched himself, if he would not give world’s, if he were a faithful elder in Israel? I will give the sisters a key, by which they can make themselves indispensible to the society, always be at your meetings, always be ready to do all you can to benefit the society, be awake to your calling, be filled with the spirit of God yourselves, and thoes [those] with whom you associate will partake of it. Wealth is very good if we make good use of it in the Kingdom of God, in this way it will prove a blessing to us, otherwise it will be a curse. The riches of this world are engrossing the minds of this people to[o] much they say it does not matter whether they attend meeting or not, they suppose it will be all right. To me, my religion is sweeter today than it was thirty years ago; because I understand it better. Comfort those that are in distress, do not discourage them by frowning looks or slight words, greet them with a cheerful countenance, help them by your faith and prayers. There are imperishable riches in store for us if we are faithful, for the promises of God never fail. I ask God to bless you my sisters for I am proud of you, my co-workers in this great work of salvation here on the earth. Again I say God bless you, strive, at all times to be faithful to the gospel.

Pres. Mrs. Sarah Strong said I have never enjoyed myself so much at a meeting, since our society has been organized, as I have this afternoon, the sisters have said many good things to us, and I hope we will profit by them

[. . .] [p. 25]

Source Note

Tenth Ward, Park Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1873–1973), vol. 1 (1873–1911), pp. 22–25, CHL (LR 9051 14).

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22 January 1874, Salt Lake City Tenth Ward Relief Society; Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed November 14, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1874/01/1874-01-22

Footnotes

  1. [1]The damage at the bottom of this page obscures almost all of the text on the last line.

  2. [2]The damage at the bottom of this page obscures most of the last two lines of text.