14 December 1876


South Cottonwood Relief Society; Cottonwood [Murray], Utah Territory

[. . .] Sister Snow Said the Sisters did not use to have the privelage of speaking when the bretheren was present But we are glad to have them with us to correct us wherein we wrong What is our intrest is their intrest we should to accomplish the same work let us seek the kingdom of God and all the rest will be added <aded>. if we are not inspired of God we get neglectfull of our duty to Him We need bdily [bodily?] food. and so do we want Spiritual food or we will neglect our duties and all [p. 298] will be slumbering when the Bride groom cometh. If we do not serve the Lord we might as well be one with the out side world.

Polyg[a]my is one of Gods devine princapels [principles] it places us in posestons [positions] that will make us bare bare bear all trials Who would not let their Husbands have more wives sooner then be as the woman of the world Look at their suffering and no hope of Salvation The way to get along in Polgamy is to be Bling [blind] Dumb and Deaf1 Learn theas [these] three things and we will be all right sisters help your Husbands to get more wives rather than see the sisters be lost let us think of it the Lords jougdments [judgments] is coming up on the earth and let us save them by sustain them by a princape [principle] that will save then There is no woman so noble as the one who is senesably [sensibly] living the principels of God. And doing good woman can do more to save each other then [than] man. let us be noble instruments in the hands of the Lord this Society is designed to quialify us to stand at the head of the wourld we should set good exampels to for the world to pattern after were are called of God to be self sustaining to provide against a famine let us bag up grain and store it up. for a famine will come if it does not come here it will aff[l]ict us people will come from all parts of the world to us for food then let us be prepared we pray for babylon to fall but do we know what we are doing We are dependent on babylon for more then one half of our living but let us put away the foolish fashons and notions of the world and dont let any thing come between us and our God she then made some exelent [excellent] remarks on silk cultur[e] showing the benefits to be derived from it said we could do as much good as the men towards being selfsustaing if we would be united in our efferts in keeping the spirit of God alive within us said we should sustain a home Industral store the Presidint wants to see the sisters supersede the Coop Store said for the sisters to fetch something of their own make they would buy anything that was Home made but would not by any that was imported said they did not meet with as many disabointments [disappointments] as they had expected we have set ourselves Zionward we must sustain our selves and work for Zion the Spirit of God does not dwel in a proud heart let us be carefull of our tongues and not speack evil of one another our life is only a short spaice but let us be a wake to our duty I know the sister in this ward will get [p. 299] their reward for all the good they have done for the up Building Kingdom what a comfort it will be to meet the Angell of the Lord in his Tempels Discouragements does not belong to saints she encouraged her young sisters to pure and Holy to attend to there [their] religion said we must work for ourselvs we could make ourselvs high and honard [honored] woman or we could take the downward co[u]rse and be a disgrace to ourselvs and community she encouraged us to take the upper corse to take good cou[n]cil set good examples to for others to follow after and be righteous and virtious [virtuous] Girls she prayed God to pour out his blessings upon us that we might ever be found faithfull in doing good in his kingdom

Bp Rawling [Joseph S. Rawlins] made some excelent remarks in regard to home Industry and saving of grain said this had been a call on the Bretheren to store up there grain but they had been neglent [negligent?] of their duty and now there was a call on the women to store it up and they seemed to be going forth and carrying out the council given them by our leader Brigham Young thought the Bretheren ought to assist them in building a grainery and it got full lock it up and build another and so on untill they get enough to fill a large store house said we should use economy and make our wants less and not haul our grain <away> for folleys that we do not need asked God to bless us with His Holy Spirit.

Bp W. G. [William Goodall] Young and Bro. [John] Neff made some intresting remarks felt to take the chastizement had Bro Brigham given them in calling on the sisters to store up grain for hard times felt well in being to meeting with us thought the sisters were going a head of the men and preforming their duties better then [than] the men [. . .] [p. 300]

Source Note

Cottonwood 1st Ward, Cottonwood Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1868–1971), vol. 1 (1868–1886), pp. 298–300, CHL (LR 7772 14).

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14 December 1876, South Cottonwood Relief Society; Cottonwood [Murray], Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed October 15, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1876/12/1876-12-14

Footnotes

  1. [1]Snow recognized the significant challenges associated with plural marriage. She speaks here about turning a blind eye, a deaf ear, and a closed mouth to any envy, jealousy, and malice that could threaten relationships within plural marriages.