23 April 1875


Fairfield Young Ladies; Fairfield, Utah Territory

[. . .] Sister Snow then addressed the meeting by saying that she was agreeably surprised at seeing so many more young ladies than she had been led to expect. She did not wish any one to think that they were to be called upon to do what they were unable to do, or what was distasteful to them. She knew of nothing more important to the young than this organization, and reminded them of The Divine injunction, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” She told them that it was principally through the young that the devil was trying to effect the overthrow of the church and kingdom of God, and as illustrative of this, related a vision which Brother Solomon Angell had. Having entered, through curiosity a house to which he came, and which bore on the outside the title H. E. L. L., he was (to all but one,) the unknown witness to a Council, the subject of which was the United Order and the Mormons, the Master Spirit of the place directing his subordinates to use their influence among [p. 1] the rich and the young in order to make them oppose the establishment of the Order. Their becoming members of this Association did not prevent them attending places of amusement, but would teach them better how to appreciate such amusements. They might better forego such pleasures till they could enjoy them in a manner that would be pleasing to God. When they were filled with the spirit of God, they would, like her feel that no real pleasure could be taken with those who opposed the things of the kingdom of God. They could be a great help to the Priesthood in this way, as they could exert an influence over the young brethren where the <older> brethren could not.

The interests of men and women were one and the same, neither being independent of the other, and the Sisters could do much towards reforming such of the opposite sex as had contracted evil habits. Retrenchment meant a cutting off or a departure from everything that would degrade us, improper company, low expressions, vulgar manners, extravagance in dress, every thing that would unfit us for filling those high stations which we were destined, if we lived worthy of them, to occupy in the kingdom of God. [. . .] [p. 2]

Source Note

Fairfield Branch, Lehi Stake, Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association Minutes and Records (1875–1911), vol. 1 (1875–1880), pp. 1–2, CHL (LR 2756 17).

See also “R. S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent 4, no. 2 (15 June 1875): 10.

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23 April 1875, Fairfield Young Ladies; Fairfield, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1875/04/1875-04-23-a