15 July 1879


Fish Haven Relief Society; Fish Haven Schoolhouse, Fish Haven, Idaho Territory

Sister Eliza R Snow said she was thankfull to see the brethren present pleased and honored wanted them to know and understand what we teach we are all educated in this Gospel by one Spirit every sister should be a member of a Relief Society we should take the lead of women kind in Zion spoke of the first organization Joseph Smith said Relief Societys were not only to look after the poor but to save souls a purity of character is a test of membership knew they were designed to elevate and purify and perfect we can accomplish little or nothing singly but in this capacity we can do a great deal spoke of the report of the disbursements up to 1876 nearly one hundred thousand dollars we must live the lives of Latter Day Saints hollow profession is worse than nothing what are we living for did the Lord see fit for us to come forth in this important dispensation merely to have a name in the church God requires us to labor for the cause of Zion Joseph Smith said that whenever the church had been perfectly organized on the earth this organization had existed referred to testament proofs Women have much to do they are banded together to relieve the priesthood spoke of home manufacture pleased to see at the Presidents home some straw hats urged the sisters to go into this branch of home industry and draw out of the elements what they needed, so that we can become independent of Babylon thought This a beautiful situation urged the sisters to try to raise the Mulberry and go into silk culture it is our duty to make homes and to make them pleasant but we should put the duties of the Gospel foremost the sisters that is punctual to attend her meetings accomplishes her home duties more easily than one who is not we [p. 12] should live day by day by the Spirit of the Gospel it will direct us into all truths and righteousness Joseph Smith said no person could be saved in ignorance we want to divest ourselves of ignorance cultivate our minds if we live for the world we will die with the world spoke of the responsibilities with regard to the young we want them to grow up in mighty faith would rather a child should have an education in the Gospel than any other did not know what was going to become of the young untill God introduced or revealed the organization of the young we have the given of every faculty to make us Gods children born in us it is ours to develope them we will have to meet every act we are all working up to the same point Zions prosperity is ours hoped the sisters were trying to refine themselves should read something useful every day store up knowledge we cannot keep the covenants we made before we came to the <this> existance unless we devote our whole lives to the service of God he holds us joint heirs with Jesus is not this sufficient to encourage us an inheiritance that fadeth not away we have every thing to encourage us to faithfullness especially those who have laid away their little ones they are sure to attain to a fullness and it rests with us whether we recieve them or not exhorted the sisters to be faithful and alive to the duties devolving upon them felt to ask God to bless us and inspire us with diligence that we may attain a fullness of Glory and dwell with Holy Ones [. . .] [p. 13]

Source Note

Fish Haven Ward, Bear Lake Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1878–1973), vol. 1 (1878–1887), pp. 12–13, CHL (LR 2873 14); Lizzie Eldridge, Secretary.

See also “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent 8, no. 5 (1 Aug. 1879): 36; “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent 8, no. 8 (15 Sept. 1879): 61; and “Women Workers,” Deseret Evening News 28, no. 27 (6 Aug. 1879): 425.

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15 July 1879, Fish Haven Relief Society; Fish Haven Schoolhouse, Fish Haven, Idaho Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1879/07/1879-07-15-b