23 April 18811


Morgan Stake Relief Society; South Morgan Schoolhouse, Morgan, Utah Territory

Single-story, brick school with chimney stacks; men and children pose in front

South Morgan schoolhouse, Morgan, Utah Territory. (Used by permission, Morgan County Historical Society.)

[Editorial Note: This discourse was reported in several sources. Two versions are transcribed below. For more information, see the source note following each transcript.]

I. From the Stake Relief Society Minutes

[. . .]

Present on the stand were sisters E R Snow Smith, and Emeline. [Emmeline] B. Wells

[. . .] Sister E B Wells [. . .] [p. 50] [. . .] spoke of the good seeds sown by Sister Eliza which are even now bringing fourth fruit

Sis E. R. S. Smith said she was pleased to see the faces of her sisters here again & also her Breth [Brethren] we respect them and by coming to our meetings they can learn what is being taught their wives & daughters Said the Br & Sis had each a duty to perform and the first duty of woman was at home they must not leave their children exposed to danger of any kind but in order to perform home duties well they must perform other duties said that those who absent themselves from meetings are the loosers for they kneed [need] the spirit of God to assist them to ha[p]pily & faithfully perform their routine of <monotonous> daily labors when we are filled with the spirit of god home is made happy

She asked who is it that elevates society¿ Woman! then we should seek for the things that hapify & elevate hoped that none of us had got so well off that they were unmindful of God the giver, we should allways be allways ready to acknowledge the hand of the Lord and strive to perform our duties toward him

Should not allow the things of this earth to get between us and our eternal welfare

Spoke of the necessity of removing the cork from the Oil when consecrating it for the use of the sick spoke of a finger having been seen touching the oil & while the servants of god were pronouncing a blessing upon it at another time the cork popped out spoke also of removing the cover from dishes at table while blessing the food that it might recieve a blessing

She spoke of two Brethren who prepared their land & sowed th[e]ir grain the same day one asked [p. 51] the Lord to bless his the other did not & the other one who asked the blessing raised as much again as the other did, altho [although] he had no natural reason to expect more than his Bro

She said she was proud of her sisters in the R.S. [Relief Society] Y L M I [Young Ladies Mutual Improvement] Associations & Primary Ass [Associations]—

said we should not ask the Lord to humble us but humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord

We are working for eternal life we should be satisfied with nothing less than Celestial Glory What would life be without Family ties¿ nothing And this cannot be obtained in any other Our husbands cannot save us only through our obedience to the Gospel. She had travailed <traviled> [traveled] throug[h] various stakes and found many precious good Brethren & Sis she exhorted mothers to live so that they may again receive the little ones they are called to part with here.— she thought the sisters should be examples of virtue & purity to their children that they may have power to cope with the advarsary who is ever on the alert to decoy and lead them from the truth Was much pleased with the labors of the P.A.’s [Primary Associations] & of the Fairs the children had had in S.L.C. [Salt Lake City]— and Bountiful Davis Co [County] they had made several quilts & seven straw hats & all were good said it was quite cheering to see what the little ones can do with a little directing but all this is of no avail if the love of god is not in their hearts

She spoke of some of the primary children having so much faith that they would administer to the sick and they had faith2 said where there is fear there is no faith exhorted the sisters to seek the spirit of God as there is nothing which makes the human face look as hapy as his spirit

Said there were many faithful but many more who should be faithful

That all might be able to hold fast to the rod of Iron was her prayer in the name of Jesus [p. 52]

Source Note

Morgan Utah Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1878–1973), vol. 1 (1878–1912), pp. 50–52, CHL (LR 5777 14).

II. From the Woman’s Exponent

On Saturday morning, April 23, in company with Pres. Eliza R. Snow Smith, we started for Morgan to attend the Conference of Relief Societies, Y. L. M. I. A. [Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Associations] and Primary Associations. [. . .]

[. . .] Sister Eliza did a great deal of public speaking during the three days we were absent, and enjoyed herself very much. She has traveled through nearly all the settlements of the Saints, and many of them over and over again, and it is her delight to be among the people and aid by her influence and earnest labors to promote the interests of Zion.

[. . .] [p. 180]

Source Note

Visit to Morgan,” Woman’s Exponent 9, no. 23 (1 May 1881): 180.

Cite This Page

Cite This Page

23 April 18811, Morgan Stake Relief Society; South Morgan Schoolhouse, Morgan, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed November 27, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1880s/1881/04/1881-04-23

Footnotes

  1. [1]The minutes record the date of this meeting as 28 April, but it was actually held 23 April.

  2. [2]See “Women’s Spiritual Gifts” in Historical Context.