Publications
Eliza R. Snow was a prolific poet, writer, teacher, and historian. A selection of her publications is listed below.
Poems, Religious, Historical, and Political
POEMS BY ELIZA R. SNOW
Eliza R. Snow published a collection of her poetry in 1856 under the title Poems, Religious, Historical, and Political (Liverpool, England: F. D. Richards, 1856) with 116 poems. Brigham Young distributed copies of this volume to people inquiring about the church, along with the Book of Mormon and writings by Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and others.
While on an extended tour of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa from late 1872 to mid-1873, Eliza R. Snow and her traveling companions, George A. Smith, Lorenzo Snow, and Paul A. Schettler, wrote letters home. The resulting collection, Correspondence of Palestine Tourists (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1875), contains twenty-seven letters and eleven poems written by Snow.
Eliza R. Snow published a second volume of poetry (Salt Lake City: Latter-day Saints’ Printing and Publishing, 1877). This volume includes eighty-six poems, several of which she delivered as “addresses” to cultural societies established in Salt Lake City during 1854 and 1855, particularly the Polysophical Society founded by her brother Lorenzo Snow.
Two years after helping organize the Primary Association for children, Eliza R. Snow compiled a collection of song lyrics for children, Hymns and Songs (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Printing and Publishing, 1880). Of the 111 songs, she wrote 17. The cover of the book bears the title “Childrens Primary Hymn Book.”
To accompany Hymns and Songs, Eliza R. Snow compiled a collection of various tunes (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor, 1880). Not all songs have a tune, and some tunes could be used with multiple song lyrics. The book cover reads “Children’s Primary Tune Book.”
In an effort to educate children on gospel topics, Eliza R. Snow wrote a Bible catechism for children (Salt Lake City: Juvenile Instructor, 1881). Chapters included questions and answers on different men and women in the Old and New Testaments. In her explanatory note, Snow indicated that the questions were meant to be read aloud by an adult Primary leader, with another leader reading the answers, followed by the children answering in unison.
Eliza R. Snow compiled this collection of poetry, dialogues (or skits), and short speeches for children (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1882). She intended for children to memorize these, and some of the content was to be recited in unison. This volume was created for children ages four to ten and included two of Snow’s poems, two speeches, and three dialogues. The cover of the book reads “Primary Speaker Book No. 1.”
Eliza R. Snow published a second volume of poetry, dialogues, and short speeches, this one for children ages ten to fifteen (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1882). The cover title is “Primary Speaker Book No. 2.”
Eliza R. Snow published a history of her brother Lorenzo Snow in 1884 (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1884). She considered her effort “a tribute of sisterly affection for him; and as a token of sincere respect to his family.” She drew from his personal journal and correspondence and from her own poetry. Snow intended that the book be preserved as a family history for posterity. Because she had no posterity of her own, this would be a record of her life as it coincided with her brother’s.