17 December 1874

[. . .]

Present All the Officers of the Society and Authorities of the church in Ogden City also Sister E. R. Snow and Sister [Lucy A.] Clark of Farmington.

Sister E. R. Snow I have been very much pleased with the report or minutes of the young Ladies last meeting. It testified that they have the Spirit of God. From the report we do not learn the amount of labour, the many words of kindness, how many wants relieved, how many lifted up from degredation [p. 77] The great amount of labour performed can never be reported. When prayer ascend up before the Lord, those wants are heard and looked after. When sweet incense arises from unison of hearts in Relief Societies it ascends up to God. It is impossible to know all the kindly acts. It is nessescary [necessary] to know each families [family’s] circumstances it is the place of the teachers to know, here the sisters have advantage over the brethren. Another advantage Joseph Smith Said this Society was for the Salvation of Souls. No report is needed to show how much is done it stands between them and Heaven.

God knows by taking them that are weak by the hand and those that are wandering. In bringing back to their first love those that have become awakened from that lethargy that comes over so many. This is a work the Relief Society can perform Joseph Smith said it was their duty to watch over & detect faults if any deviated they were to deal with them we do not like this it is hard, we had rather say kind words and be equal, but we must be up to our duty. We should assist each other, we should reallise we are a band of Sisters all seeking the same object, study for peace & union Strive not to stand in the way of feelings in creating disunion of the daughters of the most High to avoid this each Sister will be called upon to make sacrifice, if we can not do this we have not the mind of Christ. Nothing greater than to be condescending we must be and are. If I hear something that hurts my feelings, I must not blaze it abroad I should smother my feelings if I could do so well if not the New Testament teaches what course to pursue if we cannot overcome our feelings better go to the Sister & talk with her satisfactorally take two or three or more good women that have the fear of God in their hearts I do not believe there are any such cases never heard of any we must be united. It is necessary to cultivate union Sisterly love or we cannot have his Spirit [p. 78] and have communion with Jesus our elder brother, our love and our faith will increase through this union we shall have power to bless each other when affliction comes that by power of faith we can call down blessings if sickness comes to one of our number let us pray for faith to remove it if Sorrow let us pour our hearts in prayer and she will be comforted and lifted up and we shall become like the Holy women of Old whose adornings was the inward working of the Soul Determination which inspire every true man should inspire Holy women.

What Holy women? yes without their assistance the work of redemption cannot be accomplished Are there not here today those that wish to become Holy women we have the names of several women that helped the Apostles Shall it then be said that women are not called to work when Joseph Smith said the Relief Society was to save souls, they are to become helpers The women through cultivation to their husbands not head ones, Sisters should stand a[s] councillors to the young. Sisters should be filled with the Spirit and I trust many of the young Ladies are preparing themselves for future usefulness. What in meeting together, this wields a power helps them to make them better daughters living above the demoralisation of the world by meeting together they get the Sp[i]rit of the Lord which is more valuable than gold. You may talk till doomsday will words make any impression No! When they get the Spirit of God they are inspired to nobler principles, and to prepare themselves for what the Lord desires them to be wives such as the brethren need, to become Mothers that will inspire the hearts of their children to become noble, we are in our Physicall nature of the earth earthy this has a tendency to clog from rising to which we are destined to become [p. 79] It requires a great deal of care & time to care for this body, is it wise is it sensible we should spend all our time We know our bodies must be fed to keep up life. It is by partaking of the bread, the Spirit. We find the Spirit needs food just as well as the bodies or we shall lose. I have thought the last few years that the Spiritual Cultivation of the children was much neglected, it is hard to get the parents waked up, this has been the hardest thing since Pres. [Brigham] Young gave us the mission we invite all to assist us. We have fasts that is good for those that need to come together. I am glad the young folks have agreed to meet once a week it is good if they will carry it out We find when meetings are held often there is more of the Spirit.

As the Methodist sing drink & drink again till our Souls are filled if we come together often we have more of the Spirit. tis said we can fast until we would have no relish for food, for instance take Sunday stay away from meeting & do so sunday after Sunday you get so you do not go at all meet once a month and it takes the whole of the meeting to get waked up and we do not increase each Latter Day Saint has the germ of every faculty which is necessary to constitute a God or Goddess we dont want to be all spiritual we want to be intelligent not all warmth to meetings but carry it to our homes be better at home. Girls will do better in school and be better that is why the elders can do better and get their languages those endowed with the spirit of God have better faculty, if Teachers knew this every teacher would encourage every scholar to attend meeting they would do better it is designed to make better women to inspire a better feeling throughout Society and help us through the vexations of life by attending meeting we get the Spirit which lifts us up above it [p. 80] Sister [Jane S.] Richards says work will slip out of our hands. I say we need this to assist us in every deportment of life, in going to meeting, this gives us more desire to meet together we should keep this Spirit uppermost. I remember a Methodist class leader used to get up and talk so much religion but Sunday once gone he was a dilatory man a dishonest man. I could not comprehend it when I come to study I could see how it was he became dormant cast it aside during the week. We my Sisters want to become useful we want to cultivate every faculty the Mental Spiritual and Moral to accomplish this we shall have to carry out the United order while each are trying for themselves we cannot be to that union which is to be before the Temple in Jackson County [Missouri]. One word of advice do feel to let your lips be shut against what you cannot see & comprehend that God has appointed be careful let us se[e]k for his Spirit. Let us speak against the work of God and darkness will take the place of light This Society is to assist the brethren in their work as long as our Eternal interest is the object we are Seeking, Should we for a little property risk our Eternal Salvation? How can any one? As President Young says, I want to gain all, when I was baptised it was my aim to gain an Eternal Inheritance I hold myself in readiness and to be humble, and act up as far as the Lord opens the way, even to the comforts of life I believe we shall not have that required of us. I have lived on rations for months, that was temporal I am after the Spiritual, This United Order is a great thing, Large bodies move slow; it will take a long time I am happy to hear in the southern settlements it is working to a charm and they are better off. these larger settlements have so much it takes them a long time those who do not come in to it [p. 81] will miss it. I have never been so eager after the Luxuries as to devote that time God requires in another way. We want to so live that we can continually have his Spirit resting upo[n] us. These Special Meetings the brethren and others do us the honor to attend, it is all united in one the brethrens interest is ours. No such thing as dividing the interest of the brothers & Sisters we are they <are the> Servants of God I told them we should expect to hear from them when they speak it encourages us. They talk of the great things, the sisters talk of the little things that goes to make up life, the brethren go in to the mysteries of the kingdom. I say to my sisters may God bless you and make you useful in the United O[r]der you have started the straw business I believe if the sisters step forward the brethren will help get up a little shop. I say sisters God bless you. I trust you will go on and your influence spread abroad and set an example in every thing Cultivate good manners at home that is the place to cultivate good manners they will go farther towards introducing you in to Society than what all the Shops of Babylon contain do not consider any of these trifles help ennoble, be useful help the brethren and ultimately you will obtain all the blessings your Father has in store for you Amen.

Bp L. [Bishop Lester] J. Herrick Expressed himself much pleased with the remarks of Sister Snow Felt that this Society was calculated to make all refined both old and young and that its fruits were felt & reallised by the Saints of God.

Brother Lorin Farr Had been very much edefied with the remarks of Sister Snow felt there was not a heart but could respond to it felt there could not be to[o] much pans [pains] taken with the rising generation.

[. . .] [p. 82] [. . .]

Prest F. [Franklin] D Richards expressed himself that the brethren were visitors and not responsible for the length of the meeting showed that there was a sort of fitness in every thing advised the Sisters to attend meeting by doing so they would become more Godlike Prayed the peace of Heaven might be with us go with us & help us.

[. . .] [p. 83]