23 October 1877


Mendon Ward Relief Society; Mendon Meetinghouse, Mendon, Utah Territory

[. . .] Sister E R Snow said She had often thought she would like to visit the Sisters of Mendon this being Her first oppertunity She was glad to meet with us; said I always feel happy to meet with my Sisters; to day I feel a peculiar sweetness and heavenly influence. The world has a great deal of teaching & preaching done; but what we want to act; for by our acts we will be judged. The Sisters have a great deal to do, and those who are alive to their religion know that there is much to do. The Sisters have weighty duties placed upon them; and duties that cannot be acomplished singly, but requir[e] a unity of heart and feeling. We must be united as Jesus and His disciples were, and must get the Holy Ghost, the Comforter that Jesus spoke of, to help us. [p. 42] Jesus said, when I go away I will send the Comforter to teach you what to do and how to act. The mission that has been placed upon the Sisters requires a constant effort, and it requires us to meet often togather [together]. And they that feared the Lord met often togather and they spoke one to another of the goodness of God; and they shall be mine when I come to number up my jewels, saith the Lord. When President [Brigham] Young first called upon us to organize the Societies for the Sisters, many good Sisters did not know wether the Gospel was true; now they meet togather and get the spirit of God. Our duties are numerious [numerous]; For instance thereis [there is] the silk business President Young has spent thousands of dollars in trying to lead out the people in that industry; and now he has placed the Mission upon the Sisters. The first year that he set his foot on the soil of Salt Lake Vally He saw that therewas [there was] silk in the elements, and I want to inspire the Sisters with the importance of this mission. We are also storeing up grain for a day of famine. A famine is certanly comeing and we are called upon to prepare for it. President Young said as soon as He gave the Mission to the Sisters, that they took hold of it this is a compliment to us, and don’t you think he will bear that testimony in the courts above? Yes, he will I here [hear] you are doing pretty well in Mendon in the grain movement. Often when I am traveling in the cars I see young innocent looking girls with their bundles; and I often ask them where they are going and the reply is; I am goin[g] to Salt Lake City to hire out. but Mothers let me warn you; to keep your Daughters as [at] home for in sending them to Salt Lake City you are sending <them> to destruction. I love my religion better then anything els[e] on the earth and I desire to do my duty and walk by the spirit of God at all times. I will bear my testimony to my Sisters that I know plural marr[i]age came from God I was taught this principle by <through> Joseph Smith by the Spirit and power of God I will warn my Sister never to rais[e] their voice against it; thought <I think> it was <is> not the fault of the young Sisters of Mendon a great many of them at least that they were <are> not living in this holy order of marrage but thought <I think> the fault lays more with the Breteren [brethren]. Before I close I <will> say to the teachers of the Releif Society when you vis[i]t the sisters go full of the spirit and power of God, and try and cheer and comfort those whome you visit and God will bless <you> [p. 43]

I also want to say a few word about the Ladies commission store in Salt Lake City we take all kinds of material that we can find sale for; that is manufactured at home I would <like> the Sisters to patronize this store whenever opp[o]rtunity will permit the store is kept in the old constitution buildings Salt Lake City

Sister Zina D Young then made some remark, of which the following is only a synopsis. We have he[a]rd an exelent [excellent] sermon from Sister Snow wherein are the words of Life and Sa[l]vation We have here the elements of truth and rightiousness to fol[l]ow in the footsteps of our leaders and cary [carry] on the work that they have begun. [. . .] [p. 44] [. . .] Sister Snow then said she had a blessing for the Sisters in an unknown toung [tongue] she spoke in toungs Sister Young gave the interpretation She said Sister Eliza has blest the Sisters with every blessing that can be conferred upon saints of God said her heart was full of blessings for the Mothers and Daughters in Isrial [Israel] closed by praying God to bless all the household of faith in every land and clime [. . .] [p. 45]

Source Note

Mendon Ward, Logan Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1868–1968), vol. 1 (1868–1886), pp. 42–45, CHL (LR 5424 14); Sarah A. Hughes, Secretary.

See also Rhoda Smyth, Letter to Editor, 26 Oct. 1877, Woman’s Exponent 6, no. 12 (15 Nov. 1877): 91; and Elizabeth Davis, “Visit to Northern Settlements,” Woman’s Exponent 6, no. 14 (15 Dec. 1877): 111.

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23 October 1877, Mendon Ward Relief Society; Mendon Meetinghouse, Mendon, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1877/10/1877-10-23-a