11 March 1874


Farmington Young Ladies; Farmington Meetinghouse, Farmington, Utah Territory

Single-story, stone meetinghouse, Farmington, Utah, circa 1900

Farmington meetinghouse, Farmington, Utah, circa 1900. (Courtesy Church History Library.)

A. Meeting of the Young Ladies Association of Farmington held [. . .] to receive a visit from Miss Eliza R. Snow and Mrs Mary I. [Isabella Hales] Horne to which all were invited.

[. . .] [p. 37]

Miss Eliza R. Snow then addressed the meeting Said She was not a speaker or a lectured [lecturer] and did not come here to instruct the people. Said that early in the Church some of the Saints had the gifts and speaking in tongues and they knew thd [that] this was the work of God. but now the parents of the children think because they are on baord Zions Ship they are all right, and their Spiritual education has been neglected, they have had better opportunities of mental culture than the early members of the Church but this only qualifies them to be ornaments in Babolon [Babylon] and fill temporal positions they may have all the book knowledge in the world, but this alone will not fit them for the Kingdom of God, unless the mind is also cultivated in Spiritual matters, this is the condition of many, their parents have the power to place them in the priesthood, but they must learn <and know> the principles for themselves, and earn their own blessings, but let a good example be set before them if the mothers will have the Spirit of Jesus Christ. upermost in their hearts, but they think they have nothing to do but housework, four years ago Pres. [Brigham] Young told Sisters Eliza R. Snow and M. I. Horne to organize the young ladies into Societies but to first organize his own family, they went and organized in Several wards in Salt Lake City Societies for the young ladies and it is astonishing to hear read minutes of meetings held there now, Said now is the time to form characters which will last through life. She had heard Joseph Smith say it is the privilege of every person to become good, or bad as they will, and if we could only realize the posit[i]on in which we are placed we would Seek for the right, and Pres Young has said these Associations are step[p]ing Stones to higher Spheres, the Pres Satisfied untill the young ladies fill higher positions, and if the young ladies rise up in the Kingdom is [it] is necessary that the Young men should be ahead of them Said if she was a young girl She would not keep company with any young man who would presist in using tobacco and Strong drinks. We Should be live Saints and our religion Should not be as a garment, that can be thrown off and on at our pleasure prayed that the blessing of God might be with us. [p. 38]

Mrs. Mary I. Horne Said She had not had the experience that Sis Snow had had in Speaking publicly and if any one had told her five years ago that she would stand before such an audenince [audience] she could not have believed them. [. . .]

Bishop [John W.] Hess expressed himself very much pleased with the meeting had been very much edified, thought that if angels had spoken they could not have Spoken more truths than had Sr Snow and Horne for the Subject which they had spoken upon was of much importance to the people [. . .] thought the girls could do a great deal of good by [p. 39] refusing to keep company with any of the boys who would use tobacco or strong drinks. [. . .] [p. 40]

Source Note

Farmington Ward, Davis Stake, Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association Minutes and Records (1873–1950), vol. 1 (1873–1883), pp. 37–40, CHL (LR 2816 17); E. Louise Stayner, Secretary.

See also Laura Stayner, “R. S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent 2, no. 23 (1 May 1874): 178.

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11 March 1874, Farmington Young Ladies; Farmington Meetinghouse, Farmington, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed September 29, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1874/03/1874-03-11