15 September 1884


Mount Pleasant Fourth Ward Relief Society; Mount Pleasant, Utah Territory

Sister [Margaret F.] Morrison opened the Meeting said all the Sisters may call upon the Lord in secret prayer, that we may provit [profit] by the teaching and instructions of our beloved Sisters, and that Sister Snow Smith may have power and strengt[h] to speak to us.

[. . .]

Sister Snow Smith said she fellt greatful to our Vather [Father] in Heaven to stand before such a beautiful Cong[r]egation said if in the Athmosphere is smiling upon us this morning for wich all she was truly thankful. Said it is no triffling [trifling] matter to boren [born] in this last dispensation, we must be thankful for Pprophets and Apoptels [Apostles] it is no triffling thing to be a true Latterday Saints. Said we Sisters that are Members of the Relief Society to be help maets [meets] in the Creation of God we must not only profess to be Members of the R S [Relief Society]. Said we must try and realize wath [what] is required of us to do, there is plenty for us all to do. We must learn to love each other must learn to become one if we want to come in the presents of our Vather. How much is Women elevated, we must live up to every word that comes of the Mouth of God and become perfect. Women is becom permittet [permitted] to come ba[c]k to the Original state to the privilegum [privileges?] that was given to our Mother Eve, it is the fulness of the Gospel in this last dispensation that will take up the curse that is laid upon us. Said the R. [Relief] Society was organized to look after the poor to bring comforting words to the distrest [distressed] and to save souls, it is a benovelent mission and great and zealous labor is requierd [required]. It is the most important Mission for us to be Saviors upon Mount Zion, wath [what] a glorious Mission if we only can save one Soul. Said will those Sisters that never atend any of there Meetings chare [share] with those that is up to there [p. 132] duty no, the prepare for a terible disapontment, each one must be up and doing, and there is enough for all of is to do. If there is a Sister that has not been up and doing, she to those she wiches [wishes] to speak to, and if she only could wake up one Soul it would pay her to come from Salt Lake City

She talked about when the Relief Society was first organized by the Phrophet Joseph Smith how the[y] comenz [commenced] with nothing and yet the[y] done a great amount a good. Then after the Society was organized for 10 years as far as the[y] could gather up the acounts, as good as the[y] could be gather up under the troubles and trials of moving manyy of the papers got lost but the disbursments in 10 years $93000 was disburst [disbursed] by the R S. but the blessings of God was with them Ther is 200 R Societys now organized in the Land and over the Sea in Europa in U States. we are organized in Stak[e]s and could labor more fully, but never the less every Women art [ought] to come forward and be at life [alive] in there duty because it is enough to do for all. Said manyy of the Bischops [Bishops] had ask her, wath [what] would the[y] do with out this Society Organisation, but she thought we art [ought] to be a better set of Women, and thought if every Women had a determent [determined] will to perform her duty a Saints of God. Said every Sisters schould aranged [arrange] so that she could go to Meeting, and if she could not leave her Children save she should take them to Meeting. A Women that traks at home all the time from week to Month she looses the subject of life, she can not be cheerful and loving, the Women that tends to all her dutys is a noble Women. Then talked to Mothers how to raise there Childern [children] said the first impression is brought in the Childern by the Mother, said strict honesty must be observed by the Mother if she want a thruthful child, do not treat your Childern, the Child will read the Mothers countenez [countenance] ther[e]fore be car[e]ful not to say on[e] thing and mean another. A Mother must not disapoint her Child, rather disapoint a grown person then a Child. Napolion [Napoleon] the great french Ruler was asked once by his Minister, wath [what] can we do to provil [prevail] French: Educate the Mother, said Napolion. Sister Elise [Eliza R. Snow] said we dont want our Childern to be raised up like we where [were] raised by [p. 133] the different standards, it would be good for Women to know a little about Politic because she had to form her Childern mind to comprehend you <we> must not read any trach [trash] but will improve in faith and knowlegde when we read our one books, we have no time to spend for nonsense our time is called upon, and if we have the Spirit of God to assist us in every duty that is devolving upon us each of us is aiming for a celestial glory, it is in our reach if we work for, and we must not be satisfied with a lesser glory, because the family tise [ties] is closer to our hearts then anything els[e] when a Mother lays down her little one, it is her hearts disire to see it again, and Joseph Smith said the[y] will go in to the celestial glory, the[y] will grow in inteligent but not in growth, therfore will not wait for there Mother a thousend years. Have we time to find fault with one anther or get jealous these things belong to the world, said it would be bether [better] to lay down our life then to find fault with any of the prinziples of the Gospel the prinziple is dearer then our life

There is no Women on the face of the earth that are more respected and honert [honored] then the Latterday Saint Women celestial mariage is the most elevating prinziple to come pur[e] and noble, I we have to overcome the narow [narrow] contrected [contracted] ways. Said it would be strange to say that a Women could not love her second Child as well as her first. We must have the Spirit of God if we want to live in plural mariage, said she could not like a man that had not a heart large enough to love but one wife. Said we have come here as Missonary and we have to do somthing. We need not think that the Women of the World are happy, we have not such thing as the social evil among us, that will ruine the U. St. [United States] it has not been brought to Salt Lake until the Gentile brought it in. Said our mind is naturaly traged [dragged] down to earthly things, but the prinzipel of the gospel is calculated to bring us higher. She was talking with a Lady from the States a cousin of P. [President James A.] Garfield, she said that the Mormon Women [p. 134] where noted for doing so much and expesially could stand plural marrige, thought the[y] had there 5 senses but could not see in to it, Sister Elise replied: the reason wy [why]: the[y] had only 5 senses and the Women of A Latterday Saints Women had 6 senses because the[y] had the holy Gost [Ghost] confirmed upon them and Said she had to talke a little to the young Girls said the[y] had to take our place therfore the[y] have to seek for a testomony for themselfs and dont rest until you get it said we have to become good and noble Women must get Good Houseceepers [Housekeepers], have good meals, have a plase for everything and everthing in its place, Said you will have to come to wait upon the Omens of the earth you have to read history, take care of your body, so that you can be usful and have good health and you must come with the curant [current] and follow the fachion [fashion] of the world do not do [w]rong because the[y] call you religious, set your hearts egainst [against] everthing that is evil, therwill [there will] every thing come to try you, but if you work for a testony [testimony] you will be able to withstand the trials that will be set before you And you get married do not take a Man that is not a Man of God, God will not except of your mariage but of the mararage [marriage] in the House of the Lord, do some good every day of your life, and now Sisters may we live true to every covenant that we have made, and true to each other that we will an exaliton [exaltation] for wath [what] we have set out for Amen

Sister Wels [Emmeline B. Wells] [. . .] said it seems allmost to[o] bad to add more to the good teeching and good instruction that we had of Sister Elise Snow Smith and she hope we would bear in mind and try and provit [profit] by wath [what] there was said, then it was so much said that was good from Sister Elise, knowing that she had been and adminstird in every Tempel that is built, had so much expierence on her side had had the been the wife of our Prophet Joseph Smith, and had been conected with Presidenze [Presidents] of the Church, almost from the begining said we must pray for her that she yet long may be a blessing in our midst, that she may live to the day of [p. 135] resurection, and if not that she may pass away without a struggle. [. . .] [p. 136]

Source Note

Mount Pleasant Fourth Ward, Mount Pleasant Utah Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1878–1972), vol. 1 (1878–1889), pp. 132–136, CHL (LR 5827 14).

Cite this page

15 September 1884, Mount Pleasant Fourth Ward Relief Society; Mount Pleasant, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed March 19, 2024 https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1880s/1884/09/1884-09-15-b