8 July 1879


Smithfield Primary; Smithfield, Utah Territory

[. . .]

[. . .] being present on the stand E. R. Snow, Sarah Kimble [M. Kimball], M. I. Horn [Mary Isabella Horne], Sister [p. 16] [Serepta M.] Heywood. [. . .]

President Eliza R. Snow. was pleased with our meetings. always liked to attend these meeting thought the little children had such a kind spirit with them. asked what made good men & women good boys and girls. what is prayer is? it means if we pray to God with all our hearts to keep us safe from sickness and all evils in faith he will <hear &> answer our prayers. Said we have no knowledge of God appearing to any other man on the earth with his son Jesus Christ but Joseph Smith and prayer would bring us to this that we might see his face. the children in those days did not have meetings like you do here but they had to seek the Lord earnestly and thats what we ought to do now. asked when the Lord sees and hears and answers the prayer of little children? all the time. who was cast into the Lions den? answered Daniel. Told what he was cast there for. She would like to have the children to become as orderly as Indians. when there was any body came in not to turn our heads but look at the speaker. I expect the children of God to be greater than their parents the boys to becone prophets and the girls to be prophetesses. Said when they put Daniel inthe Lions den there was a law passed that no one should pray. but this did not stop Daniel and they heard him and told the king. but the lions did not hurt Danil. for after he had been there over night, the king went and called, Daniel have the lions killed you? he answered the God whom I. serve hath shut the mouths of the lions [p. 17] and they have not hurt me. then the men and women which made this law were cast into the pit and the lions sprang and crushed their bones before they reached the bottom. there is somany [so many] subjects to talk about. she hoped the children would not get tried. we should not steal nor tell a false hood. I never dared to tell a lie my mother taught me that it was wrong to do wrong. when we are sick <do> not send for the Docter, but pray and ask our parents to pray for us & if we did not get better send for the Elders and have them administer to us. if you will attend to your meetings and have faith enough we would not be sick for the Lord will hear little children when they pray. once when the brethern were guarding the prophet from his enimes [enemies] in Navoo, he heard some little children praying for him and told the brethern they could go home for he[ ]would be safe that night he the Lord would hear the prayers of little children. thus we see how much the prophet love little children. She als[o] told about Bro [Llewellyn] Harris administrations to the Indians in the south and what great faith was ma[n]ifested there also of other places where Dipthera had spread and showed what faith might do if we had enough. how nessary it is for us not to forget to pray. I would not dare to go to bed and not ask the protection of the Lord to <over> me in my sleep. you have done well but there is one thing you want a quarterly conference at the end of each year three months then at the end of the year you want an anual meeting. prayed the Lord to bless us in our efforts to do good.

[. . .] [p. 18] [. . .]

President E. R. Snow there is one thing you have not been taught that is when you sing, you sing the [p. 19] praises of God, and when one of you pray you must all say amen. what does amen mean? it means so let it be. you will remember to bow your heads and close your eyes and say amen for God sees and hears us.

[. . .] [p. 20]

Source Note

Smithfield Branch, Cache Stake, Primary Association Minutes and Records (1879–1906), vol. 1 (1879–1885), pp. 16–20, CHL (LR 8359 18).

See also “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent 8, no. 8 (15 Sept. 1879): 61.

Cite this page

8 July 1879, Smithfield Primary; Smithfield, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1879/07/1879-07-08-a