6 January 1881


Virgin City Primary; Virgin City, Utah Territory

Sisters Eliza R Snow and Zina D [H.] Young having appointed a meeting for the purpose of organizing the children of Virgin City into a Primary Association met with the little ones and some of the older brethren and sisters at 3 <Oclock> P.M. Sister Snow talked very interestingly to the children for some time and asked them a number of questions as followes. Do you think any one sees us when we do any think wrong? Who was the first Prophet in this dispensation Who was the first President of this Church, and how long was he President. As the children did not know how long Joseph Smith was President she told them 14 years. Who was the next President, and how long was he President? She also told them that Brigham Young was President 33 years. She asked them if they went to Sunday School & knew how to sing We Thank the O God for a Prophet was sung Sister Zina Young offerd prayer to which the children said, Amen as requested; Sister Snow then asked them if they knew the meaning of the word Amen and as they did not she told them it was “So let it be” “O my Father” was then sung but before each exercxcs [exercise] the children were conculted [consulted] as to what they would like to have done. She told them this was to be their own meeting and the Bishop and all good folks would be proud of it. She wanded them to <be> quiet and listem, She liked to see them romp and full of fun but their <were> times when they should be quiet and still. She asked them how they should be in meeting and what kind of children and men they wanted to become. She told them very likely their President would want them to get up a fairs, and lea[r]n to make all kinds ofo specimens for it; this would arouse our inventive or creative powers, and this is what we wanted to have our mental faculties developed so we could become mighty men and woman and all the girls shoud learn to be good cooks and house wives. She then asked them if they wanted to be organized And a vote was taken to find out Who did She asked them if they did not think the Bishop knew best Who would make a good President for them and said he had nominated sister Sally Ann Lane Owens after the motion had been made and seconded she was unanimously voted in as President Sister [p. 1] Owens chose Eleanor Jepson Owens as her 1st Annie Richards as her 2nd counselors and they were sustained by the children Marian Hinton was voted in as Secretary Willie Wright as assistant Secretary and Almeda Owens as Treasurer, 50 names of the children were enrolled and voted in as members Sister Snow then asked more questions and gave excellent instruct [instructions] She thought these Primary Association were the most important organization were the most important in the church for the Sectarians ministers had boasted that if they could lead astray the hearts of the children they would break up Mormonism in a few years and they should be taught good principles while in their thay are young before any evil had entered their hearts. The Lord does not any one be good; He lets them and if they try to be good He rewards them. She told us the reason we can not see God was because we were not pure enough, Spok[e] of buildings temples and related many little instances that were calculated to interest and instruct the young [. . .] Sister Eliza Snow then dismissed the meeting [p. 2]

Source Note

Virgin City Ward, St. George Stake, Primary Association Minutes and Records (1881–1973), vol. 1 (1881–1893), pp. 1–2, CHL (LR 9820 18).

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6 January 1881, Virgin City Primary; Virgin City, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed November 8, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1880s/1881/01/1881-01-06