LDS Women's History

Barbara Bradshaw Smith

2011-03-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

Confession: For the past several years, I avoided learning more about Barbara Smith because of her stance on the Equal Rights Amendment. Then I had an epiphany. I’m about to admit how young and inexperienced I am, but it was before my time, and I realized I actually didn’t know anything about it. And sadly, most of the people in my age demographic that I asked about it didn’t know much more. They either hadn’t heard of it, thought the LDS church was against it because it meant everyone would have to use the same bathroom (I heard that one a lot), or were appalled that it couldn’t be passed in our enlightened times. But no one knew what it said, how it was supposed to improve things, or why people would oppose it. I decided it was time to learn about Barbara Smith. A full history of the ERA is out of the scope of this blog, but if you’re interested in learning more, its text can be found here, a good summary of church’s stance on the issue is here, and Wikipedia gave a passable general overview of its history.

Smith is best known as the General Relief Society president that spearheaded the church’s efforts in fighting against the Equal Rights Amendment. She felt that it would hurt women because it would cause them to lose previously gained rights (a stance shared by many labor activists over the years) and didn’t account for the “emotional, physical, or biological difference between the sexes.” She felt the women of the church were crucial in this discussion, and encouraged them to speak for themselves and defend their opinions in a non-combative manner, rather than standing idly by and being cast as oppressed and naïve. She spoke out frequently on the ERA. President Hinckley isn’t the only church leader in recent times that knows how to use modern media. Smith appeared on the Phil Donahue show to talk about the ERA, as well as the role of women in the Mormon church. She also met with the powerful and famous to explain her stance, including Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

I have mixed feelings with the ERA, and simply don’t agree with her stance on women in the military. But I respect Barbara Smith’s courage and persistence in defending her opinions. I have absolute confidence in her love for and belief in women, and know that she worked to try to help them achieve what she saw as equality. Studying Barbara Smith has made me analyze how I measure equality for women. Do I want equality of treatment, or equality of outcome? What is gained and lost by removing gender distinctions? Can you legislate away sexism? Is it better to support a vaguely worded law that could be twisted by both sides of the aisle if I support its intentions? Smith’s courage in defending her opinions has forced me to analyze and take a stand on my own, and I’m grateful for that.

Sources:
Former Relief Society General President Barbara B. Smith Passes Away, by Lana Groves
Barbara Smith Biographical Sketch

Carol Gray

2011-03-11T13:38:00.000-08:00

Carol Gray’s patriarchal blessing told her that she would be saved for a special purpose. When she was diagnosed with terminal cancer at age 28, and became the only survivor of an experimental surgery to treat it, she started to see what that meant. Over time, she became a brave, dedicated, and influential humanitarian.

She fell into this role gradually, starting off by doing bereavement counseling for families preparing to lose loved ones. Then one day, as she’d been following the Balkan wars, she saw footage of women than had been released from Serbian camps, she and felt strongly that the Lord wanted her to do more about it than write a check for a charity. She started calling charities that worked in Bosnia to see if they would take donated items, got the Relief Society involved in collected aid, and within 3 weeks, she had 38 tons of aid. Newspapers started picking up her story, and the meetinghouse became jam-packed, then overflowing with aid. Two days before the designated charity was going to pick up their supplies, they cancelled on Gray because they had run out of funds to transport aid. She couldn’t find a convoy willing to take her materials for her, but she did find one that was willing to have her join it. Because she was already uninsurable because of her cancer that she shouldn’t have survived, her going into a war zone didn’t have the same ramifications as if her husband did. She decided to go, and she brought her daughter and some friends along in the convoy.

When they arrived in Zagreb, 400 drivers met together, and they asked for volunteers to go into the crisis area. Gray didn’t realize “crisis area” meant “still under shellfire,” and by the time she did, she was “too proud” to renege on her and her daughter’s offer to go in. Only 2 other people had agreed. It was intense. They drove through minefields. Gray had forgotten her glasses, so she had her daughter drive the truck over the swollen river on a pontoon bridge that became submerged when the weight of the truck pressed on it (Gray walked ahead through the freezing waters to steer her). She arrived in an area where 400 people had just been killed. She left knowing God had “gotten her into something that [she] couldn’t turn away from.” In time, she’d go on 23 convoys, spend tens of thousands of pounds bringing the materials there, and get into places even the UN couldn’t. She did a remarkable amount of good.

In the past decade, Gray worked to establish an orphanage in Ghana (Mmofra Trom). They started from scratch, purchasing land and sinking a well, and now in addition to the orphanage, they have established a school, where over 200 students attend, and a medical center is in the works. In addition to contributions from Bentley University, Mmofra Trom underwrites many of its paying students’ costs through providing its own tilapia pond, chicken coop, mango plantation, and vegetable garden to provide nutrition for its children.

I don’t have the courage to willingly drive into a war zone. And take my daughter along for the ride? Certainly not. But Gray trusted in the Lord, followed his promptings, and has been able to do an infinite amount of good as a result.

Source: Mormon Women: Portraits and Conversations, Edited by James N. Kimball and Kent Miles.

Avery Clark Woodruff Lambert

2011-03-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

*Additional context is provided in my post on Helen Winters Woodruff.*

Avery decided to accept Owen Woodruff’s proposal to enter into a post-manifesto polygamous marriage after having a spiritual confirmation that it was the path God wanted her to take. Because of the persecution that the church was facing over the polygamy issue, strict secrecy was kept – only the immediate family and a handful of trusted friends knew about the marriage.

As a married woman trying to appear to the world to be single, she found herself in many awkward situations. Boys still pursued her, which caused tension when it happened when Owen was around. Pregnancy was another challenging territory to navigate. During morning sickness and miscarriage, she could only look for assistance from her immediate family, and when she started showing, she had to leave the country.

Avery frequently had to suppress her own plans and desires to protect her husband. When she moved to Mexico to protect Owen, she felt isolated from her family and friends, and initially resisted efforts from her husband and church leadership to make her residence there permanent. When the legal pressure became very heavy on Owen, she discovered through one of Helen’s children that Owen and Helen were planning to move to Europe and leave her in Mexico – she wasn’t happy about that. That said, I love that despite the restrictions on her lifestyle, she found ways to better herself and find fulfillment. After her initial move to Mexico, she attended college in Logan, and it is clear from her correspondence with Owen that he wanted her to take full advantage of her educational opportunities and find fulfillment in them. When she became pregnant again, which necessitated returning to Mexico, she taught enthusiastically at the school and made friends in the community. After Owen and Helen’s death, she may have received some financial support from the church in the beginning, but she raised her daughter Ruth independently for 10 years, at which point she remarried.

Her polygamous marriage was certainly not all roses, and she made many sacrifices for it. But despite the hardships, they did not shake her determination to act how she felt God wanted her to. While it would be easy for her to look back on her life and wonder if she had interpreted her initial promptings correctly, her account given 50 years later simply doesn’t show any doubt or regret about her decision. Her autobiography shows a woman who actively sought God’s will for her and did her best to follow it.

Source: Snyder & Snyder (2009). Post-Manifesto Polygamy: The 1899-1904 Correspondence of Helen, Owen, and Avery Woodruff.

Helen Winters Woodruff

2011-03-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

Many of the women I’m featuring this year made very different choices than I would have, but did it with the conviction they were doing God’s will. The women featured in this post and the next are women that chose to enter post-manifesto polygamous marriages. As my purpose in this blog is to celebrate Mormon women, rather than teach Mormon history, I’m not going to provide a thorough history of the practice – plenty of more qualified individuals have already done this. I’ll just say that although estimates of the number of plural marriages that occurred after the 1890 manifesto vary widely, as do opinions about just how much the contemporary prophets encouraged/tolerated it, there were polygamous marriages that happened between 1890 and 1904 that were performed or sanctioned by apostles who felt they acted according to God’s will. Among these individuals were Owen Woodruff, Helen May Winters, and Avery Clark. Today I’m featuring Helen.

In 1901, about three and a half years after her marriage to apostle Owen Woodruff, they decided that God would bless them for entering a polygamous marriage, and he married Avery. Helen struggled. Her correspondence with Owen is peppered with references to her struggling with feelings of “selfishness,” “discouragement,” and not having the self-discipline she wanted. That said, she strove to do her part to claim the blessings she felt would come her way through living “the principle.” She received a blessing of encouragement from another polygamous woman. She was kind (although occasionally pedantic) in her correspondence and relationship with Avery. She encouraged Owen “for her [Avery’s] sake” to try to spend several months with Avery (who lived in Mexico at that time) after she gave birth. As circumstances would have it, she arrived there herself shortly after the birth of Avery’s child and took over the nursing duties for a time. Her correspondence with her husband is often warm, charming, and it is shows her love and devotion to him. She worked to control her feelings, and she strove to learn to overcome her own “selfish pleasure” and “live for others.”

In 1904, Helen and Owen were sent to Mexico to hold conferences (and avoid testifying in the Smoot trials). They decided not to be vaccinated for small pox because they assumed God would protect them from it as they did His work. They assumed wrong. Both died painfully of small pox, leaving four children behind.

I’m in no position to judge whether she was correct in interpreting her spiritual promptings. But I am in a position to admire how she acted on them. I admire that she wasn’t content to silently suffer in hopes of blessings in the hereafter, but wanted to enjoy the blessings of following God’s will in the present. She worked to improve her own attitude and took actions to make her difficult marriage full of love and good will. I love that she knew the kind of woman she wanted to become, and did her best to become it.

Source: Snyder & Snyder (2009). Post-Manifesto Polygamy: The 1899-1904 Correspondence of Helen, Owen, and Avery Woodruff.

2011 Theme: Difference

2011-03-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

It’s easy to admire individuals that you see eye-to-eye with. But people you don’t? That’s a little trickier. This month, I sought out accounts of women that made decisions I would not have, to my credit or shame, depending on the situation. And I’ve discovered that underneath these decisions, there are strong women with a lot to admire. While I would not have entered into the kinds of marriages they did, or put my family into the situations they did, these women acted in ways that they felt God wanted them to, and did so at great personal cost. I respect and honor their courage and faith, and have enjoyed seeing their humanity.

Juanita Leavitt Brooks

2010-03-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

Juanita Brooks came into her role as a highly influential Utah historian gradually, starting out as an English instructor and dean of women at Dixie College, and then after leaving the college, taking on a diary collecting project for the WPA in the 1930s. She had a gift for locating pioneer diaries and proved highly competent at editing them, with her most prominent editing projects being the diaries of Hosea Stout and John D. Lee.

My favorite quote from Brooks is a long one, and in large measure her father’s, but a good one:

One day Dad said to me, “My girl, if you follow this tendency to criticize, I’m afraid you will talk yourself out of the Church. I’d hate to see you do that. I’m a cowboy and I’ve learned that if I ride in the herd, I am lost. … One who rides counter to it is trampled and killed. One who only trails behind means little because he leaves all responsibility to others. It is the cowboy who rides the edge of the herd, who sings and calls and makes himself heard, who helps direct the course. So don’t lose yourself, and don’t ride away and desert the outfit. Ride the edge of the herd and be alert, and know your directions and call out loud and clear. Chances are you won’t make any difference, but on the other hand, you just might.”

Brooks embodied this in her scholarship. She chose to address an area of Mormon history that we’ve historically been touchy about: the mountain meadows massacre. She published a book on the topic, as well as a biography of John D. Lee. And she did pay a price for it, being blacklisted from LDS church publications and experiencing antagonism from some that she worshipped with and discouragement from some of the church hierarchy (despite coming to the conclusion that there was no evidence Young was involved in the attack). But she stayed in the church her whole life despite this.

I’m grateful for her courage. While I’m not advocating actively getting into territory beyond your capacity to come to terms with, I am extremely grateful that scholars like Brooks have provided me the opportunity to learn about the gray areas of our history from someone that doesn’t have an axe to grind with the church. I look at the openness we are experiencing in church history at this time - you can now walk into Deseret Book and purchase a book about the Mountain Meadows Massacre that the assistant church historian co-authored, for goodness sake - and know that it took women like her calling out loud and clear to get to where we are now

Sources:
Bitton & Ursenbach. (1974). “Riding Herd: A Conversation with Juanita Brooks.” Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.
Peterson, Levi. Utah History Encyclopedia: http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/b/BROOKS%2CJUANITA.html
Scanlon & Cosner (1996). American Women Historians, 1700s-1990s: a biographical dictionary.

Mary Johnson Parson

2010-03-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

When she was six, Mary Johnson’s family left their native Denmark to join the saints in Utah. Things did not go for the family as planned. While at Mormon Grove, Kansas in 1855, Mary’s father and baby brother died, and because camp leaders knew her mother wouldn’t make it, Mary and her sister were sent to different families before the death so they would have people to care for them in the winter. At 7 years old, Mary was an orphan, separated from her siblings, in a country where she couldn’t speak the language, and being cared for by an elderly couple that considered her a burden.

Mary’s guardians joined the ill-fated Martin handcart company. She was small and had a difficult time keeping up, and her guardians were harsh with her when she fell behind. In Wyoming, her feet were frozen so badly that when they thawed out, they turned black. When the rescuers from Salt Lake arrived, she was placed in an ambulance wagon, where she appreciated the kindness she was shown, but it didn’t stop the flesh from falling off her feet. Both feet had dropped off by the time they reached Salt Lake, and she had to have her legs amputated to the knees. She was among the “hard to place with a guardian” cases that Brigham Young took in, and even after her siblings arrived and she joined them, Brigham took special cares for her, helping to pay the bills for a specially designed sewing machine that Mary could use her knees to tread.

It would be easy for Mary to be discouraged, but she was determined to claim the blessings that came from the sacrifices she made. She told her siblings, “I am sure that I shall have my feet and legs after the resurrection,” and learned to walk on her knees, having decided that artificial limbs were too uncomfortable. At age 19, she married Elijah Parsons in the endowment house. He was good hearted, even carrying her around on his back when they went on outings. Mary took her motherhood seriously, believing it to be her mission in life. She bore 7 children and taught them the gospel. Elijah struggled to find work, so Mary carded wool, spun yarn, and knitted stockings to help make ends meet. She was noted for her knowledge of the scriptures and the doctrines of the Gospel.

During her last decade, she suffered a variety of health conditions, including asthma, a tumor, and congestive heart failure. However, she was determined that her funeral expenses not burden her family, so she knit and sold stockings to pay for it. She died of pneumonia in 1910.

To me, Mary embodied optimism, hard work, and making the best of painful circumstances. She knew who she was, and she knew the blessings God had promised her, and she clung to those things when life became overwhelmingly difficult.

Sources:
Olsen, Andrew D. (2006). The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers.
Sorensen, Bailey. Mary Johnson Parsons. http://www.sonsofutahpioneers.info/00essays%20file/mary%20johnson%20parson.pdf (Published by a descendent in the 4th grade. How awesome is that?)

Maria Bentley Christian Linford Rich

2010-03-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

When Maria Linford and her husband John joined the Mormon church in 1842, they paid a heavy price for it. The best customers of John’s shoemaking company (including in relatives) in Graveley, Cambridgeshire, England, were so upset that they decided to “starve him to [give up Mormonism] by withholding our work.” His business suffered great losses, to the extent he could no longer afford to employ his workmen, but John and Maria stayed true to their beliefs, even contributing funds to the building of the Nauvoo Temple. Perpetual Emigration funds became available to them in 1856, and John, Maria, and three of her four sons (the fourth staying behind to serve a mission in the Cambridge Conference) made the arduous journey to join the saints, traveling by boat, ferry, train, and eventually joining the Willie handcart company.

The hunger, fatigue, and cold faced by the Willie handcart company are well known, and the Linfords experienced them. John had fallen ill in Florence, Nebraska, and had been so ill toward the later part of their journey that he was unable to walk, and his family pushed him in their handcart. At the rescue camp site of the sixth crossing of the Sweetwater, John died on October 21st and was buried in a mass grave. The relief wagons arrived from Salt Lake later that evening.

Maria’s economic struggles continued when they arrived in Zion impoverished on November 9, 1856. Maria’s employer did not allow her to even have her sons in the house to visit, let alone live there, and her three boys were split between the homes of two different relatives. Maria was very unhappy with this arrangement.

Out of necessity, on July 26, 1857 she became the second wife of Joseph Rich, 29 years her senior. She married him for time, while Joseph stood as a proxy for her sealing to John. Maria’s granddaughter Eliza M. Denio recounts that Maria worried about her marriage because she was afraid of what John thought about it. But one night Maria had a vision in which John appeared to her and told her understood her reasons for making her choice, and he was pleased with her, which gave her comfort. She was able to live with her sons, and Rich was very good to her boys. As he and his first wife, Elizabeth, aged and suffered deteriorating health, Maria cared for them.

Her husband was called to settle the Bear Lake Valley in 1864. The settlement struggled from crop failures, hunger, and cold, but Maria worked steadily during her time there, serving as ward and then stake relief society president, and being involved in the organization of the primary association. Even in the tough frontier conditions, her granddaughter recounts that Maria was “extremely dignified and lady-like, and very particular about her personal appearance.” She continued to work and serve until her death in October of 1885.

I admire Maria’s steadiness, and the strength it took her to do what was necessary. Her children recall that she did what had to be done “without a murmur.” She suffered for her faith, but she brought about much good.

Source:
Linford, Golden C. Linford Family Heritage: George Christian Linford 1877-1933, Alice May Peterson 1886-1971.

“Little old woman,” 1857

2010-03-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

13-year-old Mary Goble arrived in Salt Lake City with the Martin Handcart Company in poor circumstances. Her mother had died on the day they arrived, and her feet were frozen. Brigham Young wept as he saw her circumstances, and told the doctor to remove just her toes, rather than her feet, and he wouldn’t have to remove them any farther. The amputation occurred while her sisters dressed her mother for her grave.

Initially, the surgery was not successful. Seven months later, her feet were getting worse, and the doctor said he couldn’t help her unless he removed her feet. Mary told him of President Young’s promise, and the doctor replied, “All right, sit there and rot, and I will do nothing more until you come to your senses.”

One day as Mary was sitting and weeping in pain, a “little old woman” knocked on her door, stating that she had felt prompted to come to her. Mary told her old President Young’s promise, and this wonderful woman replied, “Yes, and with the help of the Lord we will save them yet.” She was not content to sit and wait for the miracle to arrive; she made a poultice for Mary’s feet, and came every day for three months to change them. Mary healed completely.

I love this “little old woman.” I love that she was in tune to the Lord’s promptings and acted on them. I love that she trusted in the Lord, but thoughtfully considered what her role could be in bringing His will to pass. And I love that she did not give up, working daily for three months to make sure the miracle came to pass.

Source:
Olsen, Andrew D. (2006). The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers.

Mary Ann Mellor and Louisa Mellor Clark

2010-03-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

I’d originally intended for these to be two separate posts, but so much of what I admire of Mary Ann Mellor and her daughter Louisa were too connected for me to split apart.

The Mellor family’s emigration to join the saints was difficult from the start. On the day their ship was set to depart from Liverpool, Mary Ann went into premature labor and gave birth to conjoined twins that died after a few hours. The doctors were unsure if Mary Ann would survive. But because this was the last ship available in the season, the future of perpetual emigration funding was tenuous, and the family had already sold their land in Leicester, Mary Ann told her family to board the boat without her. Her sixteen year old daughter, Louisa, and her two year old daughter chose to stay behind with her, and her husband took the other five children with him. Louisa did this knowing full well that she might be left alone with a two year old to care for in an unfamiliar city, possibly never seeing the rest of her family again, but she made the choice to help her mother in her time of need. By a twist of fate, Mary Ann's husband came back two days later for them, as the ship was anchored for a time in a nearby river after its departure. Against doctors’ wishes, they carried Mary Ann on a stretcher to the boat, and the whole family journeyed across the ocean together.

As part of the Martin handcart company, they faced many difficulties on the trail. Mary Ann had regained some of her strength, but was still weak enough she nearly gave up on many occasions. On one occasion, she did. She told her family she would go no further, kissed her children goodbye, and “sat down on a boulder and wept.” Again, Louisa chose to come to her mother’s aid. She told the family to go on without her, prayed that she and her mother would be able to catch up with the company without harm, and got off her knees and went to work. As she returned to her mother’s boulder, she found a pie in the road, which she gave to her mother to eat. They rested for a time, and then succeeded in rejoining the group. Louisa recounts that “many times after that, Mother felt like giving up and quitting, but then she would remember how wonderful the Lord had been to spare her so many times, and offered a prayer of gratitude instead.”

Mary Ann, her husband, and her seven children all arrived safely in Utah. They were eventually called to settle Fayette (building the first brick home there), and in 1875, James was called to serve a mission to England. He returned in 1877, arriving on the doorstep with a woman named Mary (Polly) Knowles that he introduced to Mary Ann as a woman he’d brought back from England to be his plural wife. Stunned, Mary Ann stared at them for a few minutes, then showered them with a pan of fermenting milk and slammed the door. Eventually Mary Ann and Polly would have a cordial relationship. Louisa became the second wife of Edwin Clark, had nine children, and became active in temple work.

My attention was initially drawn to Louisa as I read this account. I love her bravery, devotion, and faith, choosing on two separate occasions to risk her life to support her mother. But I think Mary Ann is also worthy of praise. Despite discouragement and loss, she always made the choice to keep trying, and managed to maintain her spunk. I think their story is a beautiful account of the difference a brave teenager can make, and the power that comes through a strong mother/daughter bond.

Source:
Olsen, Andrew D. (2006). The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers.

We are strong women

2010-03-01T16:32:00.000-08:00

For my in-laws, the phrase “we are strong women” was a kind of family motto. While it is true physically in some cases (my mother-in-law did do judo in college, after all), it refers to the decisions they make and the way they respond to challenges in life. They choose to look for the positive when the negative is closing in around them. They choose to love in situations where it hurts to do so, and to hope when the easier thing to do is give up. They work hard to achieve their potential and help those in their responsibility do the same.

They are examples of one of the many kinds of strength I see in so many of the Mormon women I've met. I love the diversity of ways this strength manifests itself. I’m grateful for the countless examples of women who acted with purpose, despite the costs, when they knew who they were and the role God wanted them to fill.

Several of the women I’m featuring this month were a part of the Martin or Willie handcart companies. I did this because I’ve frequently heard quotes about the caliber of the saints that survived this trek, and I was curious about what their lives were like after they arrived. I picked out a few of the women that especially resonated with me.

This month is a little crazy, so I’m only anticipating two posts a week, but at least I’m going in with realistic expectations this time, right? While I’m not featuring as many women this go around as I’d like, I hope you enjoy learning about them all the same.

Louisa Bingham Lee

2009-09-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

So I’m still working on how to balance my time with this motherhood thing, but when the opportunity arises, I want to keep writing here. I recently finished Arrington’s Mothers of the Prophets, and have been impressed with the diversity of these women. One of my favorites was Louisa Bingham Lee.

Louisa Bingham Lee was a hard-working Idaho woman. When she was eight, her mother became an invalid, and her father was frequently away for business, so managing the household became her responsibility. She’d rush home over recess to start cooking and check on her mother, and did housework over her lunch break. She did all her family’s sewing, even when her feet barely reached the pedals. In her adult life, she married Samuel Marion Lee, raised six children, served in a variety of church capacities, nursed and midwifed, and was a highly efficient housekeeper. When she died in 1959, she had (without telling her family) already paid for and arranged her funeral.

The thing that I admire most about Louisa is her ability to respond to spiritual promptings. Her response to these promptings either saved the lives or prevented serious injury of her children on many occasions, especially for the rather accident-prone Harold. There are countless examples of her efforts. When Harold spilled lye over his head, she immediately grabbed him, kicked open a jar of pickles, and poured the vinegar over his face to neutralize the lye. On another occasion, she followed a prompting to push Harold out a doorway just before lightning struck there. Another time, when Harold was a teenager, she felt prompted to send her husband out to look for Harold, and he found that Harold had been thrown from his horse into a freezing stream. And when 17-year-old Harold had a deadly case of pneumonia, she devotedly nursed him and prayed over him. After his recovery, she responded to praise for her efforts by stating, “Oh, but I didn’t save his life. The Lord did. He just expects us to do everything we can to help!” (I love her go-do-it attitude here).

Louisa certainly had her quirks. The one that cracks me up the most is that despite all her pragmatism and grit, Louisa wanted a girl so badly that she styled 4-year-old Harold’s hair into wavy black ringlets that reached below his shoulders. Harold was mocked so badly for by the neighborhood boys and his own father that he took matters into his own hands and started snipping them himself, forcing Louisa to give him a proper boy’s haircut (which she shed tears over). She also liked to dress her boys in suits with Lord Fauntleroy ruffles, much to their chagrin. But she was a woman of faith that actively served the Lord and her fellow man.

Sources:
Mothers of the Prophets, by Leonard Arrington, Susan Arrington Madsen, Emily Madsen Jones
Louisa Bingham Lee: Sacrifice and Spirit, by Jaynann Morgan Payne

Stena Scorup

2009-03-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Stena was not an aggressive woman. She was a humble woman with many insecurities. Yet she was a highly accomplished woman who made valuable contributions to the church and her community.

In 1922, Stena Scorup became the second female mayor in Utah. She accomplished this only two years after national suffrage had been granted (although Utah had given women the vote many years prior). Her calm manor caught people off guard – she said that at municipal conventions, people expected an aggressive woman and found, in her own words, “a homely, humble school teacher.” Stena was a good mayor. Under her leadership, Salina’s main street was surfaced, electric lights were installed on main roads, water conditions were improved, and she decreased the city’s debt. And she did it all while teaching a course in English at the high school and caring for an invalid brother.

Prior to becoming mayor, Stena was a well-loved teacher in Salina. She was passionate about education, and many students praised her ability to inspire them individually and convince them they were intelligent and capable. Stena’s love of education went beyond teaching. She was a lifelong learner in every sense of the word. She attended summer school and earned her B.S. from Utah State in 1928, and her masters from BYU four years later.

Stena had also served a mission to the northern U.S. when she was 29. She thrived in atmospheres many missionaries hate – street contacting and tracting. She had a talent for calming down hostile individuals and convincing them to hear what she had to say. When she returned from her mission, she stayed highly committed to the gospel for the rest of her life, serving in MIA presidencies, primary presidencies, and was a very popular Sunday School teacher.

I admire Stena’s ability to accomplish her goals while maintaining her sense of self. It would be easy to feel the need to be pushy or aggressive to accomplish what she did, but she just worked hard and honestly, and everything worked together for her good.

Source:
Sister Saints, by Vicky Burgess-Olson

Unnamed rape victims, Missouri, 1838

2009-03-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

I’ve been on a quest to find the women that serve as the context for some of our famous stories in church history. The story I’ve been drawn to in recent weeks is the “majesty in chains” story. During their imprisonment in Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith, Parley P. Pratt, and other church leaders lay on the floor of their prison, being forced to listen to the boasts of their jailers about the theft, rape and murder they had committed against the Mormons. The men lay in silence for some time, and then Joseph could take no more. Joseph sharply chastened the guards in the name of God, and the guards, overcome by his power, begged his forgiveness.
I realized as I reread the account that aside from that brief mention of sexual assault, I didn’t know anything about the women or the assaults. It is an area of church history I have never heard discussed outside of that brief mention. I knew I wouldn’t find the names of these women, and I imagine that based on the time period they lived in, they wouldn’t want their names to be known. But I also wanted to respect them enough to acknowledge the terrible price they paid for their faith and honor their memory. So I did a little digging to find the accounts others gave of their experiences, and found their rapes discussed in affidavits by Hyrum Smith and Parley Pratt. It is a little gruesome, so this might be the place to stop reading if this is a sensitive area for you.
Hyrum recounted that the mobs not only raped many Mormon women, but the nature of these rapes were downright barbaric. He told the story of one woman who was bound to a bench in a Mormon meetinghouse, gang raped by sixteen men, and was left bound and exposed. Hyrum ended this segment by noting that “the lady who was the subject of this brutality did not recover her health to be able to help herself for more than three months afterwards.”
In Parley’s affidavit, he stated that the jailers named “one or two” women that “twenty or thirty” men had raped, and he stated that “One of these females was a daughter of a respectable family with whom I have been long acquainted, and with whom I have since conversed and learned that it was truly the case.”
We tend to pay a lot of attention to those that are willing to die for what they believe in. And don’t get me wrong, it is a brave and honorable thing to do. But I think we often neglect those that survive, but live the rest of their life physically or emotionally scarred because of a sacrifice they made for their faith. It is an entirely different level of bravery to wake up every day, continue to pay the price, and still keep believing. I think about the young woman Hyrum discussed, and I admire the courage it takes for her to walk into a meetinghouse and sit on a pew. I think about the sister missionaries that were gang raped a few years back in South Africa, and I admire the bravery it takes for them to put their name tag back on and walk down the street. And I admire the courage it takes to give yourself enough time to heal before trying to do these things. I honor these women's example of daily faith under terrible circumstances.
Sources:
History of the Church, Volume 3, pages 422 & 428. Affidavits Of Hyrum Smith et al. On Affairs In Missouri, 1831-39; Officially Subscribed To Before The Municipal Court Of Nauvoo The First Day Of July, 1843.

Nellie Marie Rasmussen Hunter

2009-03-05T05:22:00.000-08:00

Throughout my life, I’ve been close to many part-member families, or families where the parents have varying degrees of church activity. While many of these amazing mothers are confident in their ability to raise their children in the gospel, I’ve known many others that are plagued with insecurities that their children are somehow at a disadvantage because of their marriage. It can be hard to find a model for what it means to be a successful mother in a part-member home, in large part because it will mean something different in every family. I’m always blown away by the way these women are able to receive revelation how to guide their family in ways that the Lord would have them go.
Nellie Marie Rasmussen Hunter is one of these many mothers in part-member homes that I admire. Her husband did not join the church until her children were grown, but she raised her two children in the gospel, and one of them would grow to become the 14th president of the church: Howard W. Hunter.
Nellie did not grow up in a stable home environment. Her mother died in 1887 when she was two years old, and she spent her youth moving between the homes of six different families of relatives. When she was 21, she met Will Hunter and fell in love with him. He proposed, but she hesitated because he was not Mormon. She left for Colorado for a time to clear her head (where she received additional suitors and another proposal – so much for simplifying things), but when she returned to Mount Pleasant and met Will there, they boarded a train to Manti to register for a marriage license that same day, and were married that evening. Her aunts had quite the ordeal getting her wedding dress sewn in time.
Nellie made conscious efforts to raise her children in the gospel. She arranged for the branch president to give Howard a name and a blessing when he was five months old. She persuaded Will to come to sacrament meeting with her on occasions. She served faithfully in a variety of demanding callings. She compromised when needed – her husband didn’t want the children to be baptized at age 8, wanting them to wait until they were old enough to decide for themselves, and she agreed (Howard convinced his father to let him be baptized when he was twelve). But most importantly, she taught her children the power of prayer, and how to form a personal relationship with God.
I’m grateful for the example of women like Nellie, and the many women I have known that have worked so tirelessly to teach their children the gospel.
Source:
Mothers of the Prophets, Leonard Arrington, Susan Arrington Madsen, Emily Madsen Jones

Susanna Goudin Cardon

2009-03-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about the many ways that faith influences romance and marriage, particularly back during the polygamy days, so you will probably see that theme popping up from time to time in my next few posts. Mormon women have dealt with these complexities in a variety of ways, and I’ve been impressed with women that have prayerfully made a variety of choices. :) So in other words, if you see me praising a woman who took one stance, don’t worry – just wait a few days, and I’ll be praising a woman who did something completely different. I admire all of these women’s ability to make hard choices about such an emotionally charged and completely life-altering area of their lives.

When Lorenzo Snow and other missionaries came on a mission to Italy in 1850, interestingly enough, their only converts were members of a group called the Vaudois. The Vaudois were an isolated group living in the Alpines that claimed an unbroken succession of pastors back to the original Apostles of Christ, and were therefore hated and persecuted by the Catholic Church and associated monarchs. Susanna Goudin and her immediate family were among the converts. Her family became disillusioned and lost their faith, but Susanna stayed faithful and made the decision to immigrate to Utah without them, making the difficult journey with a relative in 1854.

During her stay in Florence, Nebraska, where she stayed while her handcart company was organized, Susanna met and fell deeply in love with a non-Mormon that lived in the area. Susanna had to make the agonizing choice of staying with the man she loved or travelling to Utah with the saints. She decided to follow her faith, but she mourned her loss for a long time. In fact, she “wept bitterly” when she went to the Endowment House a year later to marry Paul Cardon, another Vaudois convert that had made the journey (and, incidentally, her first cousin). Brigham Young reassured her that she had made the right decision, and Susanna trusted his council. She married Paul, and her family remembers their relationship as being full of love, devotion, respect and harmony, even when he took a second wife in 1870.

Susanna was a woman that used her talents to better the condition of those around her. One of the most prominent ways that she did this was her involvement with the Deseret Silk Association. During her youth in Italy, funds were tight due to her father’s early death, so she supported herself through reeling silk. Susanna was quite gifted in the silk arts, so when Brigham Young and Eliza R. Snow, as part of the church’s push towards economic self-reliance, set up silk-raising projects in all of the roughly 150 local Relief Societies in Utah, Susanna became a prominent teacher in this movement. She was so talented that Brigham Young called her on a three month “silk mission” to Salt Lake City, where she trained women from across the territory, who in turn would return their Relief Societies and teach other women. When her mission ended, she continued to teach the sisters of the Logan Relief Society. When I look at Susanna’s life, I am impressed with the way she followed God’s plan for her, often at great personal cost. She had many struggles in her life, but through her faith, the Lord protected her and put her in positions to make valuable contributions.

Sources: Sister Saints, Vicky Burgess-Olson, 1978.

Joan Atkinson

2009-03-03T17:35:00.000-08:00

Joan Atkinson was ironing, watching a soap opera, and smoking a cigarette when she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, there were two men in white shirts and ties, and one of them introduced himself as her bishop. He said that as he was praying, he had felt inspired to ask her to teach Young Women. She told him that she had been baptized at age 10 but had never been active. He seemed undeterred as he showed her the manual and explained where they met on Wednesday night. Then she emphatically said, “I can't teach 16-year-olds; I'm inactive, and besides I smoke.” Then he said, “You won't be inactive anymore, and you have until Wednesday to quit smoking.” Then he left.
Joan was angry – but she was curious and decided to read the lesson. She read the entire manual and memorized every word of the lesson. She didn’t plan to go, but Wednesday night rolled around, and Joan found herself driving to the church, utterly terrified. She gave the lesson to the two laurels word-for-word (including the parts that said “now ask them”), left immediately, and cried all the way home.
When there was a knock at her door a few days later, Joan was positive the bishop had come to retrieve his manual. But it was the two laurels, armed with flowers and cookies. They had a good conversation about the class and the ward, and they invited Joan to come to church with them on Sunday, which she did. She learned the class had 16 members, but only those two girls attended regularly.
Joan took to her calling with energy and innovation. Her quote on this process is priceless:
“With their help, I started teaching the other girls. If the girls wouldn’t come to church, we went wherever they were. We had lessons in bowling alleys, cars, and bedrooms, and on porches. I was determined that if I needed to go to class, those girls did too. One day we were giving the lesson to a girl who was hiding in a closet, and she came out and asked, “What about my free agency?” I told her I had never heard of that lesson and that she could come and teach us the next Wednesday.”
Joan’s efforts paid off. Within a year, all 16 girls on the roll were attending Young Women. Joan said, “Together we learned to pray, to study the gospel, and to help others. We made many visits to the children’s hospital. We laughed together and cried together in a bond of love.”
I love Joan’s example of church service. I absolutely love watching new converts take on their church responsibilities because they come at them without any of the preconceived ideas of how a calling should be performed or what is expected, and completely open themselves to the spirit. Joan inherently knew what mattered most in her calling – loving the girls, and searching for the lost sheep. I’ve known some pretty motivated young women’s leaders, but giving a lesson to a girl hiding in a closet is something I hadn’t come across before. Joan inspires me because of her ability to magnify her calling and her ability to love those she served.

Sources:
"Not me - I smoke and drink" by Joan Atkinson

Vilate Murray Kimball

2009-03-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

One of the figures I have been most excited to learn about this year is Vilate Kimball. The only story I had ever heard about her had been in relation to her husband – the oft-cited story of Joseph Smith telling Heber C. Kimball that the Lord had commanded him to surrender his wife to him. The account I’m familiar with discusses Heber’s three days of agony before he finally decides to bring her to Joseph, and his relief when Joseph tells him it had only been a test, and he would not be required to do so. I’ve always felt Vilate was strangely absent from this account, and wondered what those three days were like for her. How much did Heber tell her, and when? How did she respond to the demands? What kind of woman was she, and what did the future hold for her? I did a little digging, and never did find her description of the incident, but I did find stories about a woman of constant service and giving.
Vilate was constantly willing to put others’ needs before her own. The first additional citation I found of Vilate was that several months after Heber, Phineas Young & Brigham Young had encountered the missionaries, they longed to be with the other saints, and the group decided to take a 125 mile winter sleigh ride to visit the Columbia, Pennsylvania branch. Vilate did not go – she stayed home and watched all of the families’ children so that Miriam & Clarissa Young could make the trip. This willingness to care for others’ children continued - after Miriam died in 1832, Vilate would care for Brigham’s daughters while he served a series of missions.
She was also constantly willing to put the needs of the church before her own. When her husband was about to depart on his second mission to England, she not only had several sick kids to care for on her own, including a 4 week old, but she was so sick with the ague she was confined to her bed shortly after his departure. He was gone for two years. J And to think that I fell to pieces when my husband had to clock substantial overtime when our baby was 4 weeks old - I’m no Vilate, apparently.
In Winter Quarters, there are accounts of Vilate spending so much time bringing food to others and caring for the sick that she rarely took time to eat and take care of herself.
Although she was not given to Joseph, polygamy did impact Vilate. Heber was commanded to take plural wives, and also commanded by Joseph initially not to tell Vilate about the doctrine “for fear she would not receive the principle.” Heber obeyed, but it was hard on him, and Vilate prayed to know what was causing his anxiety. The plan of celestial marriage was made known to her “in a vision,” and Vilate told Heber he should obey. Later, Joseph would propose marriage to Vilate’s 14 year old daughter, Helen. Vilate complied, but was not enthusiastic (when Joseph asked her permission, her reply was “If Helen is willing I have nothing more to say”).
Stories about self-sacrificing women have become so common in the angel-mother dialog of women’s roles that I originally hesitated to include another account of a self-sacrificing woman. But as I thought about why I was having this reaction, I realized that although I may resent the fact that women are often expected to sacrifice in ways men are not (but often do because they are cool like that), it doesn’t diminish the value of the sacrifices that are made. I’m grateful for women like Vilate that are able to serve constantly, and see the needs of others and fill them. I have been blessed countless times by their sacrifices, and hope to be able to serve others in the same way.

Sources
"In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith," Tom Compton, 1997
Living in a Chapter of History, Marjorie H. Rice, October 2007 Ensign
Called to Serve, Jeffrey R. Holland, November 2002 Ensign.
“Chapter 1: The Ministry of Brigham Young,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young
“Lesson 39: The Saints Build Winter Quarters,” Primary 5: Doctrine and Covenants: Church History, (1997),222
Mormon Enigma, By Linda King Newell & Valeen Tippetts Avery

Foreword: My Daughter

2009-03-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

My life has changed dramatically since last women’s history month. My husband and I finished our graduate degrees, moved to a new city, started working in jobs that are actually in our professions, and I gave birth to our first child last month. I’ve been trying on different roles as a woman, and going through a seemingly constant sense of reevaluation of who I am as a daughter of God and where my worth comes from.
As I look at my daughter, I think a lot about the woman she is. It humbles me to think that behind the uncoordinated movements and the seemingly constant vomit there is a fully developed spirit there, learning about her body and gaining experiences she came here to have. I am amazed by her strength. She is a very gentle creature by nature, but she is no wimp. She just picks her battles, and when she picks them, watch out. I think she will be well served by this – able to roll with the punches, but willing to fight for what matters to her.
I recently had a conversation with a close friend of mine about how limited we as a people can be when we think of the roles of women in the church, and I’ve been thinking about it constantly since then. We define our success as a woman by the roles we pick for ourselves. And then life happens. You picture yourself being a stay at home mom, and then your husband loses his job and you are back in the work force. You picture yourself married, and it doesn’t work out for you. You define yourself as the unstoppable working mom/Relief Society President/PTA president that does it all, then have a child with special needs that requires your constant attention, and you have to cut back. Or you get exactly what you thought you wanted, and it doesn’t turn out to be what you expected it to be. It can be overwhelming to feel like you’ve lost that sense of yourself, and disorienting to find where your worth comes from. But I’m learning that the roles God needs us to fill are much more diverse than we imagine for ourselves and they allow us to discover talents and strengths we didn’t know we have. It enables us to give service we didn’t know we had in ourselves to give.
So I guess my introductory post branches out from my norm. Instead of discussing a woman of the past, I have been considering the women of the future. As I’ve been studying the women I’m featuring this month, I’ve been struck by how expectations for women change over time and cultures, but at its core, it is about being who the Lord needs you to be in the circumstances He puts you in. I think about the world my daughter will be facing, and I hope she will be able to hold on to what matters most to her, but not limit herself in determining where her worth comes from, or what she is capable of becoming when she opens herself to what God has in store for her.

I'll be back in March

2008-12-07T11:45:00.001-08:00

:) I assume people stopped coming here for new content months ago, but I figured it would be polite to officially state that this blog will go back to being a "women's history month" blog, rather than a year-round project. Life just got a little too crazy to give this the attention it deserves. But I've already started putting some posts together for March, so I'll see you all again then!

Guest Post!: Julia Mavimbela and Josephine Robinson

2008-08-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

So life got hectic, and I've been slacking. But to atone, I bring you a fabulous guest post from the fabulous Amanda, whose ward was lucky enough to have her give a talk on LDS women and how they find joy in their lives. Thank you, Amanda, and I hope we get to hear more from you in the future!

Dear LDS women fans,

I spoke in church a couple weeks ago on how LDS women have found joy and faith in their lives. I was asked specifically to recount experiences from actual women. Erin was kind enough to let me contribute a little to this blog (Thank you Erin!). This is an adaptation of that talk.

The best way to introduce Mormon women might just have been given by the 19th century book entitled Mormon Women (a link is provided by Erin on this site).

"An epic of a woman! Not in all the ages has there been one like unto it. Fuller of romance than works of fiction are the lives of the Mormon women. So strange and thrilling is their story-so rare in its elements of experience-that neither history nor fable affords a perfect example; yet it is a reality of our own times. Women with new types of character, antique rather than modern; themes ancient, but transposed to our latter-day experience. -Women with their eyes open and the prophecy of their work and mission in their own utterances, who have dared to enter upon the path of religious empire-founding with as much divine enthusiasm as had the apostles who founded Christendom. Such are the Mormon women-religious empire founders in faith and fact."

The language might be a little overstated, however, I could not have introduced the lives of LDS women any better. As LDS women our lives are truly different than the average woman. We are aware of our eternal character and our eternal identity as a woman. This gives us the faith to accomplish any good task that we set our hearts upon and the perspective to stick through it. And these are two women who I believe exemplify those traits.

The first woman to introduce to you is Julia Mavimbela. She is a member from South Africa who joined the church in 1981. The trials and tragedies that have been a part of her life are more than most of our families will see in generations. However, her faith and joy in the gospel are undeniable. I quote- "I give thanks to God that He has made me a woman. I give thanks to my creator that He has made me black; that he has fashioned me as I am, with hands, heart, head to serve my people. It can, it should be a glorious thing to be a woman. It is important for women to stand together and rise together to meet our common enemies-illiteracy, poverty, crime, disease, and stupid unjust laws that have made women feel so helpless as to be hopeless."

I would summarize the story of Sister Mavimbela but I would much recount in own words her life and service as an LDS woman.
"That is how I joined the church. I feel that I became involved with the Church by being involved with the people.
My country is a county of many problems, some known to you. There have been quite a few unpleasant times-1976 for example, which found Soweto [her hometown] most unhappy as a result of riots against changes in the educational system. That was one of the most challenging times of my life-to see what we called schools going up in flames, what we called libraries being battered down, and worse still the waste of all that young talent when the education programs ceased. All of what I would call our treasure was being destroyed. Later, strikes saw parents out of work, which made things worse for many families." Sister Mavimbela joined the church during those trying times. She continues-

"I am grateful to the Lord that something was touched in me at that time. I developed a plan to try and help the young people, and my plan was to try and engage the hand to engage the mind. With nothing to start with, I asked for the use of an abandoned churchyard. It was infested with rodents; it was covered with waste. I was allowed to use it….I collected the little children, from four to ten years old, to go into that churchyard and start gardens. I have always fond pleasure in a garden. At times as a mother is isn't possible to get away from the family when some annoyance comes up. But if you can go into the garden, I can assure you, brothers and sisters, it's such a beautiful place. When you break up the soil, you feel you own heart melting and by the time you have done a little work, often you forget what had disturbed you."
"So I taught my little ones at that time, as we were dealing with the lumps of dirt, that these lumps could be overcome if we worked them with the knowledge that we were preparing to get something out of the soil. And when we began putting in the little plants, I would say to the children, 'you see? Now the trouble you perhaps see at home, cover it with the soil, like we're doing with the plants. See what good things you can grow if you nurse this little patch.' I could see us all begin to feel more peaceful, more at ease, though I, too, had be tense and frightened to speak of anything positive during the days of unrest when we were starting those gardens."

Sister Mavimbela began using those gardens not only to soothe those little children but to teach them. And over time, she found that not only the young children were coming, but the older children as well. The older children would leave the riots and come to the gardens for some peace. She told the youth "where there was a blood stain, a beautiful flower must grow." As the number of children grew, so did the space that the gardens needed. Soon the gardens were all over her town, and as time went on, she was asked to grow gardens all over her country. Service and children brought joy and faith to that Sisters life.

This is the kind of woman who has changed the world. Her type is the women who we write books about and speak about at firesides. But there is faith and accomplishment that can be found in those unsung women in our own ranks.

Josephine Robinson was a member of the Elkton ward in Delaware [now split]. Her account is told in the wonderful book called Mormon Lives. Here is a short quote from her:
"My first church calling was Sunday school pianist. Of course I didn't know how any of the hymns were supposed to sound [she was a convert]. I hadn't taken piano lessons since I was about fourteen. There was a particular week that I practiced and practiced and I just couldn't get it. I started crying and banging on the piano. Finally, I just asked the Lord to help me. I learned from that that the Lord never said "do everything". He said, "do all that you can do."

Josephine explains about her current calling as RS president.
"The spiritual part of being Relief Society president I find difficult. I am not experienced enough to have all the wisdom and answers for everybody, but I do enjoy trying to make the organization more functional, to have better socials, better visiting teaching. When the bishop asked me what one thing I wanted to learn from being Relief Society president, I said it was to have a love for the sisters. I'm not one to go up and put my arm around somebody, not that I don't think about it, but some people can do that more naturally. Working with people has made me more understanding. I don't get to do everything I want to do, but we have to realize that the gospel is what's true. It's the gospel! That is why people join the church."

Josephine found joy and faith in her calling. It wasn't easy. But the understanding of the gospel as truth, that is what kept her going. She searched for what she could do.

These women impacted those around them, a whole nation in Sister Mavimbela's case, and a family and ward in Josephine's case. Both are equally powerful. It truly is a beautiful thing to see that small and simple individuals can bring great things to pass. As a woman, I cannot be grateful enough for the example that these women give of the possibilities of service and growth in my own life.

Susan Buhler Taber, Mormon Lives: A Year in the Elkton Ward (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1993)

Cornwall, Marie and Susan Howe. Women of Wisdom and Knowledge:Talks Selected from the BYU Women's Conferences. (Shadow Mountain, 1990)

YW Presidents in the Ensign: Check it out!

2008-06-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

It took our mail a few weeks to catch up to us, so I just got our June Ensign on Saturday, but I just wanted to point out that they did a great feature on past general Young Women's Presidents. It was fun seeing how the program changed over the years, and to read these wonderful women's testimonies. They aren't terribly detailed, but still worth reading!

Hannah Tapfield King

2008-06-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

I apologize for neglecting this blog - in the past few weeks, I moved cross country, started a new job and an intense course load, and had some technical difficulties, but I'm back.

What first caught my attention about Hannah Tapfield King was her ability to bear testimony. Her account of her life in Representative Women of Deseret hadn't jumped out and grabbed me, but then towards the end of her words, she stated:

...surely my few words wiil be a testimony that I rejoice I am a Latter-Day Saint. I have passed through many reverses and tribulations but in my darkest hours the Gospel has been a light upon my path and a lamp for my feet and I realize day by day the smile and approbation of God upon me.

I can't explain why, but for some reason as I read these words, I felt very strongly God's love for his daughters - his smile upon us, if you will. I decided to do a little more research into Hannah's life, and I'm glad I did, because this was a woman that understood God's love for his daughters.

Hannah was introduced to the church by her dress-maker in 1849, and she believed easily and whole-heartedly. Fifteen months would pass until she met another member, but when she finally attended a sermon by an American elder, she was baptized in the River Camm that same day. Like many converts, she faced disapproval in her community, and she and her immediate family headed to Utah in 1853, where Hannah made her mark.

Hannah was a dedicated and prolific writer. She wrote poetry, essays, biographies, and contributed regularly to the Woman's Exponent. My favorite work of hers that I stumbled across was entitled "Women of the Scriptures." She highlights the virtues of many Old Testament women, including Sarah, Hagar, Rebecca, Rachel, Miriam, Deborah, and Esther. She reserves the highest praise for Eve. She writes

[Eve] stands in close proximity to God the Father, for she is the life giving spirit of the innumerable hosts that have figured upon this earth. The one grand, stupendous act of her life is all that is told of her in the Bible, and it is enough.

I had always wished we had heard more about Eve after the garden, but I love that Hannah emphasizes that future silences don't detract from the importance of the choices she made and the life she lived.

Hannah had a firm belief in the eternal value of women. :) In one of her many somewhat spirited comments, she wrote, discussing Adam and Eve,

I would observe here in the penalties they afterwards incurred their punishments were entirely distinct; labor was laid upon the man, on the woman a far severer trial - "In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee!" showing plainly that this was not the original position in either case.

I love both her spunk and her faith in women's equal importance in the sight of God in the eternities.

Hannah was missed by many of her contemporaries after her death. There are several occurances in the Woman's Exponents of articles written and meetings held in her remembrance. She was an intelligent and motivated woman who encouraged women to live up to the potential that God wanted them to achieve.

Sources:
Representative Women of Deseret, Augusta Joyce Crocheron
Hannah T. King, “Women of the Scriptures,” republished in Woman’s Exponent 32, no. 6 (Nov. 1903): 41.
Hannah T. King, "Woman," Woman's Exponent 7, no. 9 (Oct. 1878).

Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, part 2 of 2

2008-05-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

In 1831, the Rollins family moved to Jackson County, Missouri. For a time, things were going well for the saints there, but soon persecution arose. She witnessed tar and featherings, and her own home was damaged by the mobs. But Mary stayed true to her faith (even, in an interesting twist of fate, turning down an offer from Lilburn Boggs to come and stay with his family and receive a good education in exchange for giving up Mormonism).

In July of 1833, a mob set on William Phelps' print shop, where the Book of Commandments were being prepared for binding. 15-year-old Mary and her 13-year-old sister Caroline were hiding nearby and watched as the Phelps were driven out of their home, their possessions ransacked, and the printing press shoved out a window and onto the street. Then, someone said "so much for the Mormon commandments," and dumped the manuscripts into a trash pile in the street. Mary, having had her own confirmation of the truth of these commandments, was determined to do her part to save them. Knowing full well what the mobs could and had already done to those that angered them, Mary and Caroline ran into the street, grabbed as many pages of the manuscript as they could hold, and took off running. The mob spotted them, and two men came running after the girls. Mary and Caroline climbed through a fence and hid in a thick cornfield. They laid the sheets on the ground and covered them with their own bodies. Mary states that although the men came close, they never did locate the girls and eventually gave up the hunt. The girls gave the manuscripts to Sister Phelps, and Mary eventually received a bound copy, which she "prized highly."

The portion that Mary and Caroline preserved cover (more or less) the beginning of our current Doctrine and Covenants to partway through chapter 64. They were "eagerly" quoted by missionaries, and were cited by church officials.

I'm grateful for Mary and Caroline's incredible courage and faithfulness. At age 15, Mary had received confirmation that the Book of Commandments was a sacred document, and put her life on the line to preserve what she could. She had a remarkable influence for good. On a personal level, I'm grateful that largely through her actions, I have access to these revelations. So many revelations that have strengthened my faith and given me encouragement are found in these chapters: guidance for receiving personal revelation; Emma being called to expound scriptures; confirmation of the Lord's love of the individual and the worth of souls; additional understanding about the atonement; the list goes on and on. While I know that no principle essential to our salvation would have been lost, I am grateful that Mary and Caroline risked so much so that we could have these words, and I cherish them all the more because I know their story.

Sources:
Autobiography of Mary E. Lightner, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, UG&HM 17 (1926).
Saving the Book of Commandments, Gospel Art Kit.
The Story of the Doctrine and Covenants, Robert Woodford

Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, part 1 of 2

2008-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

I work with the young women in my ward, so I'm especially drawn to accounts of brave, spiritual, and intelligent teenagers girls that have a profound influence for good.

A few weeks back, I had a discussion with my husband about influential Mormons, and he brought up Mary Rollins and her sister, Caroline (isn't he great?). Mary was one of those women that I learned a little about in primary and promptly forgot about, so it was good to be reacquainted with her, and learn more about the rest of her story. I could probably spend a month on Mary, but I'm just going to focus on the teenage Mary in these two posts.

When Mary was ten, she moved to Kirtland, Ohio with her widowed mother and two siblings. After living there for two years, they heard Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and Ziba Peterson teach about the restoration, and twelve-year-old Mary and her mother were baptized in 1830. A little later, John Whitmer brought a copy of the Book of Mormon to Kirtland. Mary found out that Brother Morley had it, and sought him out. She managed to talk him into giving her the book for the night, even though he hadn't yet opened it himself.

When she took it home, she was chastised by her family for her precociousness, but everyone took turns reading it. Mary loved it. When she returned the copy to Brother Morley the next morning, he commented that she couldn't have read or remembered much of it; she responded by repeating a verse she had memorized and outlined the history of Nephi. She states that he was shocked, and told her "child, take this book home and finish it, I can wait." Around the time she finished the book, Joseph Smith arrived in Kirtland. Joseph visited Mary's home, and when he found out that Mary was the reason the copy of the Book of Mormon on their bookshelf, he immediately gave her a blessing, as well as giving her Brother Morley's copy permanently.

Mary heard Oliver Cowdery, John Whitmer, and Thomas Marsh speaking in tongues at Sunday meetings, and "made it a subject of prayer" to understand tongues. One day when the three men came to her family's home with unfolded sheets from the Book of Commandments, they began speaking in tongues and called on Mary to interpret it, and she did. She states that as she did so, she felt the spirit of the revelations "in a moment." Her testimony of the value of these revelations was very powerful, and she would take great risks in the future to preserve them.

Sources:
Autobiography of Mary E. Lightner, Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, UG&HM 17 (1926).

Harriet Ann Griffin Shaw

2008-05-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, our stake relief society organized a fabulous celebration of LDS women, past and present. Several historical women were featured prominently, and today's post comes from one of these presentations.

When Harriet joined the LDS church in England on February 1, 1837, her father was not pleased. He was a prominent businessman in Staffordshire, and was worried his family would be disgraced. Harriet stayed faithful and bravely moved forward. She married Charles Shaw, and when they left for Utah in 1865, they had three children, aged 4, 2, and 9 months. The journey was difficult. They had prepared well, and had even paid in gold for first-class passage to the United States, but conditions on the ship were still poor, and their carefully-packed bags were stolen. However, the family pressed forward. At Emigration headquarters, they were given a team of oxen and a wagon to head West. Charles had never seen an ox before, so there were many humorous moments on their trip to Winter Quarters.

At Winter Quarters, Harriet's faith was tested. Her two-year old son died of measles due to the poor conditions; they had no coffin, so he was buried in a too-small box with his feet dangling out the end. When her baby daughter came down with canker, other women told her she was cruel for insisting the elders bless her daughter, when it was so clear she would not make it. But Harriet would not back down, stating "I know she has a work to do." Harriet was right - her daughter lived. Harriet's trek west was filled with even more challenges and difficulties, even more poor conditions and sicknesses, but Harriet made it to Utah.

From there, I was intrigued, so I did a little research. Harriet's story is less dramatic once she arrived in Utah. However, we know that she stayed faithful, and that she was actively engaged in building the kingdom. She settled in Cache County. She sent in Relief Society reports to the Woman's Exponent (in her humble way - one particular entry ended with "Hoping you will pardon me for trespassing on your valuable space"), and she was listed as an "agent" of the publication on several occasions. She was involved with the Primary program, and she served as a counselor in a Relief Society Presidency, emphasizing in her messages the importance of educating and raising children.

Harriet is one of those women that is rarely heralded, but absolutely essential to the work of the church. Harriet trusted in the Lord, despite her trials. I'm not a mother yet, and sometimes the onslaught of accounts of children that died on the trail can be easy to block out and not fully appreciate. But for some reason, reading Harriet's account reminded me of the personal cost she paid for her faith, a cost that so many have paid. Harriet had faith in the importance of women's contributions to the Lord, and a belief in the importance of the contributions her daughter would make. She worked diligently at serving her ward and strengthening her community. While she was not a particularly prominent figure, she served faithfully, and generation after generation of her descendants have been doing the same thing - doing what they can to serve the Lord and their communities.

Sources:
Stake Enrichment Presentation
William S. S. Willes Company, Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, Church History Library and Archives
Woman's Exponent: generally, and June 1, 1864; April 1, 1883 specifically.

Emmeline Wells, Part 6 of 6: Later Years/Relief Society

2008-04-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Emmeline Wells had made important contributions to Relief Society throughout her life. In 1876, Brigham Young gave her the responsibility for organizing the church's grain storage program, which would become so successful that it sold over 200,000 bushels of wheat to the U.S. government in 1918 to help with the war-time effort (after the war, president Woodrow Wilson and his wife personally visited Emmeline to thank her for her efforts). She served as general secretary to the Relief Society for 20 years. She headed committees, organized celebrations, and was involved in the legal incorporation of the Relief Society.

In 1910, Emmeline Wells became the 5th general president of the Relief Society. She would serve from 1910 to 1921. It was a period filled with triumphs and trials for Emmeline. In 1912, the Relief Society took on responsibility for burial and temple clothing. Despite her best efforts to keep it going, the Relief Society Board would not pick up the tab for the Exponent, and it ceased publication in 1914. Also in 1914, the Relief Society issued a standard curriculum. Among the issues Emmeline emphasized during her presidency were motherhood, women's and children's legal rights, welfare, and elevating the minds and spirits of LDS women. Her executive capabilities were constantly utilized for the good of LDS women.

In 1921, Emmeline was released as general Relief Society president, which hurt her deeply, as the past three presidents served until their deaths. Emmeline only lived 3 weeks past that date.

I kept trying to cut these posts down so I could write about more than one woman this month, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I admire Emmeline's strength, her commitment to improving the status of women and providing them a voice, and her ability to trust in the Lord (even when it hurts to do so). The more I learn about her, the more I admire her. Her life was not what she would have chosen for herself, and she was often disappointed, but her faith in the Mormon religion was unshakable, and her trials truly made her strong and a force for good. I'm grateful for her example.

Source:
Emmeline B. Wells Biographical Sketch, lds.org
Emmeline B. Wells: A Fine Soul Who Served, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Ensign, July 2003

Emmeline Wells, Part 5: Women's Suffrage

2008-04-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance that I'm going to have way too much fun with my new free account to the Britannica online for web publishers. Loving this feature.

Many factors led to the divide between the National Woman Suffrage Association (created by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (created by Lucy Stone, Julia Ward Howe, and others), most prominently the level of involvement they wanted with working toward suffrage for African American men. A less-discussed factor was difference of opinion about what on earth to make of these polygamist Utah suffragists. The American Woman Suffrage Association wanted nothing to do with them, but Elizabeth Cady Stanton insisted that all women should be welcome in the organization, especially if they had similar goals. Therefore, Emmeline Wells and other Mormon women formed an alliance with the National Woman Suffrage Association, and Emmeline represented Utah women there for roughly 30 years.

Emmeline's suffrage creds are impressive. In 1870, when Utah women were (temporarily) given the vote, Emmeline was among the first to exercise that right. In 1874 she was appointed vice-president of the Utah chapter of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Among the many suffrage conferences she participated in were the National Woman's Suffrage Association in 1879 and the National Suffrage Convention in 1882. In 1889, she formed the Woman's Suffrage Association of Utah, through it leading a campaign that resulted woman's suffrage being part of the package-deal for Utah's statehood in 1896. She was embraced by Susan B. Anthony at the National Woman's Suffrage Association meeting in Atlanta in 1895 after her address on Utah's prospective admission to statehood. She met with U.S. senators to discuss "Mormon" questions. She attended the Woman's International Council and Congress in London in 1899. And of course, there were her constant efforts through the Exponent.

Not only do I love her commitment to women's rights, but also the way she stayed true to her Mormon identity. Throughout her suffrage work, she lobbied for the rights of Mormon women, particularly on issues of polygamy and the right of women to own property. Mormon women were not always treated well at these meetings, even by the National Woman Suffrage Association, but Emmeline served as a good-will ambassador for Mormon women. I love the way she carved a place for herself in both realms where she could be true to her principles and fight for them, and am grateful for the tangible improvement she made to the status of women in the United States.

Sources:
4 Zinas, Martha Sonntag Bradley & Mary Brown Firmage Woodward
Emmeline Blanche Woodward Wells, Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia Volume 2
Emmeline Blanche Woodward Wells, Encyclopedia Britannica
Emmeline B. Wells, Utah History Encyclopedia, Carol Cornwall Madsen

Emmeline Wells, Part 4: Woman's Exponent

2008-04-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

:) Enough about Emmeline's challenges. The final three posts are going to focus on her accomplishments.

On June 1, 1872, the first issue of the Woman's Exponent was published, with Louisa Greene serving as chief editor. As a part of describing its purpose, it pledged: "we will endeavor, at all times, to speak freely on every topic of current interest, and on every subject as it arises in which women, and the great sisterhood the world over, are specially interested." And it would serve this purpose for over 40 years, providing a forum for Utah women to define themselves, keeping women politically informed, and informing the spread-out saints of what was happening in other areas of the territory. While the stated purpose took a fairly calm and non-radial tone ("we have no rivalry with any, no war to wage, no contest to provoke"), even in this inaugural issue, Emmeline Wells made her voice heard. She contributed an article entitled "Woman's Rights and Wrongs" which took aim against laws and customs that denied women the vote, equal job opportunities, and equal compensation for labor performed. Five years later, in 1877, Emmeline Wells would become the chief editor of the Woman's Exponent, a position in which she would serve until the Exponent's demise in 1914.

When congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act in 1887, rescinding the right of Utah women to vote (previously granted in 1870 by Brigham Young) and further punishing individuals that practiced polygamy, Emmeline Wells and the Woman's Exponent sprung into action. Thousands of Exponent readers, and Emmeline in particular, protested this act and defended the rights of women both to vote and to practice polygamy. Emmeline wrote many passionate defenses of both causes in the Exponent. The Exponent played an important role in the suffrage movement in Utah, and documents the many political activities of Utah women.

Emmeline also recognized the inherent historical value of this publication. She felt the journal should "furnish good material for future historians...not only concerning woman's work, industrial and educational, but the lives of the women." While the rights of Utah women are certainly featured frequently, the Exponent never lost sight of its mission to provide a voice to women's experience. Scrolling through, you can find a wide range of topics, from original poetry to practical tips for washing children; autobiographies of Mormon women to literary pieces on Shakepeare's portrayal of Portia in Julius Caesar. I love the diversity of the topics addressed in this publication, and its efforts to reach all kinds of women.

In 1914, the Exponent hit financial ruin. Emmeline lobbied for the Relief Society Board to take ownership for the publication, but failed. The Relief Society Magazine began publication the following year.

I am grateful for Emmeline's efforts in producing the Exponent, both for its work to promote many of the rights I enjoy as a woman, and for the record it provides of the lives and interests of so many Mormon women.

Sources:
Woman's Exponent, Volume 1 Number 1
Representative Women of Deseret, Augusta Joyce Crocheron
Women of Mormondom, Edward W. Tullidge
Women of the West Museum: Emmeline Wells

And also, you can check out the modern reincarnation of this publication, Exponent II.

Emmeline Wells, Part 3: Becoming Self-reliant

2008-04-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Married life was unkind to Emmeline, at least in the beginning. After working as a teacher for a year, Emmeline’s mother feared her school associates would lead her away from the church, and she arranged for Emmeline to marry James Harris, the son of a local presiding elder. She traveled with James’ family to Nauvoo in 1844. She and James had a son, and she seems to have looked back on this period as a difficult time, but a time the Lord sustained them and gave them peace. However, it would not last. Her son died shortly after his birth, and James deserted her.

She began teaching again, and became a plural wife of Newel K. Whitney, who was significantly older than her. She traveled to Utah with the Whitney family in 1848. In 1850, Newel died, and she was alone again, this time with two daughters to support. She started teaching again.

Perhaps out of economic necessity, Emmeline approached Daniel H. Wells about marriage in 1852, and she became his seventh wife, having three daughters with him. She appreciated that he was faithful and served diligently. However, for much of their marriage, Emmeline felt isolated from Daniel, who was busy with his church and civic responsibilities, as well as his six other families. Indeed, she was the only one of his wives who did not live in the “other house” with him. A characteristic journal entry on these feelings states:

Wednesday Sept. 30, 1874: ...Misery and darkness and I have no one to go to for comfort or shelter no strong arm to lean upon no bosom bared for me, no protection or comfort in my husband ... O if my husband could only love me even a little and not seem so perfectly indifferent to any sensation of that kind. He cannot know the craving of my nature. He is surrounded with love on every side, and I am cast out. O my poor aching heart. Where shall it rest its burden, only on the Lord, only to Him can I look every other avenue seems closed against me ...

And she did look to the Lord, and he strengthened her. Emmeline previously described herself as “nervous and delicate,” but she became strong. Because she did not have a “strong arm to lean upon,” she became independent and self-reliant. She found satisfaction in writing, writing for The Women’s Exponent, and becoming its editor in 1877. She became actively involved in the Relief Society, eventually serving as the General Relief Society President from 1910-1921, and serving in many leadership positions prior to that time. She became actively involved in the women’s suffrage movement, forming close relationships with such figures as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Carrie Chapman Catt. I admire Emmeline’s ability to trust in the Lord, and trust in herself. She turned to the Lord during her trials, and He shaped her into a powerful force for good.

Source:

Women’s Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900, Kenneth W. Godfrey, Audrey M. Godfrey, and Jill Mulvay Derr.

PBS: New Perspectives on the West, Emmeline Wells

Emmeline Wells, part 2: Early Life and Conversion

2008-04-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Emmeline was born in Petersham, Massachusetts in 1829. She was an intelligent, thoughtful, and somewhat precocious child, known for her good memory and her love of nature and poetry. She received an excellent education for a woman at that time. In 1841, while she was studying at New Salem Academy, her mother encountered the Mormon missionaries and was baptized. Community members recruited Emmeline to persuade her mother to give up Mormonism, but didn't get what they had bargained for - Emmeline decided to be baptized as well.

When Emmeline decided to be baptized, she met with a lot of adversity from her friends at the academy, who tried to convince her to change her mind. I really enjoyed the passage from Representative Women of Deseret about this period in her life. The language is a bit over-the-top, as was characteristic of the time, but it hits on some important aspects of Emmeline's character:

On the 1^st day of March, 1842, when a little group of Latter-Day Saints was assembled to perform the ordinance of baptism … zealous friends sent messengers down to ask her if she was sure she was acting of her own free will and choice, otherwise they would take her by force and she should never lack for means of higher education, but if she accepted the Mormon faith and gathered at Nauvoo she must renounce not only her friends but also all the advantages of literary culture she had so ardently hoped to attain, and be forever disgraced. Not knowing but that it was true that her hopes for further advancement must be resigned, she laid them on the altar of her faith, willing to yield up her future entirely to the will and care of her Creator … She told her mother and friends then what proved true afterwards, that the crisis was past, she had renounced all she had before looked forward to, henceforth she desired to dedicate herself entirely to the work in which she had enlisted.

I love Emmeline's faith here. "Literary culture" was very important to her, and the decision to leave it behind could not have been easy. Yet she knew that if she trusted in the Lord, He would take care of her. And He did. Emmeline was given many opportunities throughout her life to use her brains and talents, blessing many lives along the way. I love that in 1912, she received an honorary Doctor of Literature from BYU for her work in literature and writing - the first Utah woman to receive an honorary degree. I love that she was able to use her talents, as well as receive recognition for them.

Sources:
Representative Women of Deseret, Augusta Joyce Crocheron
Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-Day Saints, 1830-1900, Kenneth W. Godfrey, Audrey M. Godfrey, Jill Mulvay Derr
Emmeline B. Wells, Utah History Encyclopedia, Carol Cornwall Madsen

Emmeline Wells, Part 1

2008-04-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

I believe in women, especially thinking women
-Emmeline Wells

I am excited and nervous about writing this series of posts about Emmeline Wells. I can't begin to describe my admiration, respect, and gratitude for this woman, and I want to do her justice.

I have a confession. Before starting this project, I intentionally avoided accounts of polygamous women in the early church because I thought that with my feminist sensibilities, I would have a hard time handling their circumstances. So imagine my surprise when I read account after account of empowered, intelligent, and independent women's rights activists who also happened to be in polygamous marriages (although it is clear that not all women in polygamous relationships had this experience). Emmeline Wells was one of the first of these women that I encountered. Her life and accomplishments impress me, and I'll talk about them in upcoming posts. But I love her strong sense of self and her convictions, and I want to focus on that today. In addition to being an advocate for women's suffrage, she was also an advocate for the right of Utah women to be in polygamous relationships as a part of their religious commitment. I love how she combines these belief systems in her rhetoric:

The world says polygamy makes women inferior to men -- we think differently. Polygamy gives women more time for thought, for mental culture, more freedom of action, a broader field of labor... and leads women more directly to God, the fountain of all truth.

Another of my favorites of her quotes on the topic:

All honor and reverence to good men; but they and their attentions are not the only source of happiness on the earth and need not fill up every thought of woman. And when men see that women can exist without their being constantly at hand... it will perhaps take a little of the conceit out of some of them.

I love Emmeline's ability to carve a niche for herself in these two seemingly contradictory realms. While she wasn't always happy with her treatment under both of these systems (and for good reason), she stayed true to her convictions and made important contributions to both the women's rights movement and the LDS church. Instead of nursing hurt feelings, she worked to foster understanding and make improvements. While I can't relate at all to wanting to be in a polygamous relationship, I relate to her efforts to reconcile her faith and feminism. I hope as I go through life, I'll be able to develop the moral compass that Emmeline had so I can find my own place within these two value systems, and to contribute in my small way to both groups.

Source:
PBS: The West, Episode 5

Some changes

2008-04-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed some changes about this blog. :) Primarily that my blog's title is now half the size it used to be. That feels good. I was debating if I was going to keep this blog going past women's history month, but hearing an audio request to keep it going from Amri on BCC tipped the scales. I feel like I've barely started describing the many LDS women I admire, and I've loved learning more about the lives of these women. I'm not going to try to keep up the daily pace anymore: a girl's gotta study sometimes, and I need to allow time for some ILL materials to get here. But I'm planning to post on at least one woman a week. I'm really excited about this. I feel like as I study these women, I get a better picture of the diversity of the contributions LDS women make, and the kind of woman I can become.

Jane Snyder Richards, part 2

2008-03-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Jane's decision to be baptized had a profound influence on the path her life would take. Her life would be full of hardships, but she emerged strong and faithful.

Not long after her baptism, she met and married Franklin Richards, and they started their family. Jane was one of the individuals present at the meeting where Brigham Young was recognized as the successor to Joseph Smith. She was attending with her young child, and she had bent over to pick up the plaything her child had tossed to the floor (glad to see that some aspects of church meetings never change). While her attention was diverted, Brigham Young took the stand. When he began to speak, she heard the voice of Joseph Smith, and when she looked up, she saw Joseph's image.

When she and her husband fled the persecution in Nauvoo, she was very pregnant with her second child. At Sugar Creek, her husband was called to serve a mission, leaving Jane alone. Because of the hardships she endured on the trail, both of Jane's children died. In both situations, when she pleaded for help from those in the communities they crossed, she was treated cruelly - one woman sent her dogs after her, and the midwife she sought robbed her. Her own health was frail while she stayed at Winter Quarters. I can't imagine how abandoned and alone she must have felt as she lay in her bed. Yet she stayed faithful, and did what had to be done.

Her husband returned from her mission, and they made the trek to Utah. When she arrived, she became deathly ill again, and her life was once again spared by the power of the priesthood. Once her health returned, she became an active part of the community. Although she was a woman that "dreaded publicity," she became actively involved in the Relief Society organization, doing branch visits with Eliza R. Snow, becoming Relief Society president of the Weber stake, and eventually becoming first counselor of general RS president Zina D.H. Young. She met with Belva Lockwood and Susan B. Anthony, and attended the National Council of Women in 1891. She was dedicated to temple work. I love that she, like many other women from her time, were able to put aside their inhibitions and let the Lord use them for good.

A statement Orson Whitney made of her really stuck with me. He said she was "independent and outspoken, [yet] she is still reverential and respectful to authority." That is a difficult balance to find, and I'm impressed that she did it so gracefully. I'm grateful for her example of faith, service, and ability to hear and act on promptings from the Holy Ghost.

Source:
Jane Snyder Richards, History of Utah, Orson F. Whitney

Jane Snyder Richards, part 1

2008-03-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

I'm realizing that doing full entries for these women are resulting in long, long posts. I find so much inspiring about these women, and I just can't bring myself to cut their stories down much more. So today's post will recount Jane Snyder Richard's conversion, and the next post will discuss her life after her baptism.

Many of the women I've researched have had immediate and powerful conversions. Jane was not one of these women. When her family encountered the missionaries, many of them were baptized within a short time, but Jane held out, despite the miraculous healing her brother experienced when he was baptized. When her family would bring up the subject of baptism, Jane, in her 17-year-old way would state "What sins have I committed?," and insist that she didn't need it. However, her outlook changed when she became seriously ill in 1839. Doctors didn't know how to help her. Jane's brother Robert had a profound influence on the shape her life would take. In her words:

When he returned and found me so ill, he felt very anxious and fasted and prayed for me … without water or food for three or four days. … He came into my room and laying his face beside mine on the pillow, said, ‘Oh, sis, I wish you were baptized.’

The next morning … I was paralyzed and apparently dying. I could not speak nor move, though I was able to understand everything and to nod my head. My brother wept beside me and again said he wished I was baptized. Then he asked if he could administer oil and pray for me. … While he was praying light came into my mind, and I saw as plainly as if a book was opened before me with it written in it my need of baptism. If Christ who was sinless needed to be baptized, should I hold myself as better than He?

At that moment, all pain left me. The paralysis was gone. I was only weak. As my brother rose from his knees, I … begged for baptism. He remonstrated for it was now midwinter and ice would have to be broken and the exposure might be fatal. But death I was not afraid of—only I must be baptized.

In consequence of my persistence I was carried to the lake the next day where ice a foot thick had been broken. The people had congregated in large numbers. Some had told us that my brother would be arrested if he should immerse me in the critical situation I was in. However it was done, and I was well from that time. … I told [the people] that all this was of my own free will, that I was not constrained to do it, … and that they must not do harm to my brother because he was doing God’s work and God would punish them if they interfered.

Jane's experience ends happily. Her health returned, and her brother was not persecuted for baptizing her.

What I love most about Jane is how once she had her own experience with priesthood power, her resolve was firm, and she did whatever it took to commit herself fully to her Heavenly Father. I really related to this. I've had my struggles with the way gender divisions work in the church, and I still can't come up with a satisfactory explanation for why things are divided the way they are. But I know that when the priesthood is exercised by righteous men in the manner the Lord has prescribed, the blessings that have poured into my life are more than I can receive. The majority of the moments where I have been the most sure of the love the Lord has for me, and the work he wants me to do, have come through priesthood power. And that is enough for me. That is all the answer I need to commit myself to the Lord and his work for me. Like Jane, the priesthood helped me put aside my pride and get on the right path.

Sources:
Autobiographical sketch of Jane Snyder Richards, in LDS Historical Department, pp. 1–7, as found in YW Manual 3, Lesson 12: The Blessings of the Priesthood.
History of Utah, volume 4, Orson F. Whitney, 1904.

Mary Isabella Hales Horne

2008-03-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

Mary Horne is a powerful example to me of faithfulness and magnifying your calling. When Mary Horne was first called as a Relief Society President of SLC 14th ward in 1837, she described herself as a "timid" woman, and said she was surprised by the call. But the Lord recognized her as an able administrator and woman of faith, and Mary was able to find her voice and have a profound influence on the shape many church programs took.

My favorite part of Mary's work is her efforts in organizing the Ladies' General Retrenchment Associations that eventually evolved into our current youth programs. Brigham Young was concerned that the women in the church were not spending enough time focusing on their spiritual development. He had noticed that in the areas he was visiting, the sisters had been skipping their meetings to make elaborate efforts in hosting him. "Sister Horne," he said, "I am going to give you a mission ... —the mission of teaching retrenchment among the wives and daughters of Israel. It is not right that they should spend so much time in the preparation of their food and adornment of their bodies, and neglect their spiritual education." She served as the president of this organization for 30 years. Mary took the work seriously, and I love her commitment to assist women in moving away from outward appearances and towards a stronger spirituality. She was also involved in organizing the youth of the church in similar societies.

Mary was an activist in the women's suffrage movement. She was the chairman of the well-attended "Mormon Women's Mass Protest Meeting" on March 6, 1886, which was organized to protest the disenfranchisement of women by the American government, as well as protesting the "indignities and insults heaped upon the wives and daughters of Mormons in the District Courts." She was also a member of the committee that drafted the resolutions for the bill that would grant Utah women suffrage.

This "timid" woman would serve in many other administrative capacities in a variety of organizations: counselor in the Silk Association, Deseret Hospital committee, treasurer of the Relief Society board, president of the Women’s Cooperative Mercantile and Manufacturing Institution, and 26 years as a stake relief society president.

Emmeline Wells said of Sister Horne, "[she] was a born leader, a sort of General among women, and indeed in this respect might surpass most men. … —A woman of great force of character, and wonderful ability, such a one as might stand at the head of a great institution and carry it on successfully. … Even President Young once nominated her for Justice of the Peace, and in character and ability to judge, she was not unlike Deborah of old, or Queen Elizabeth of modern time. … Sister Horne can appropriately be called a stalwart, a champion for the rights of her own sex, and indeed for all mankind. … Sister Horne had a fine presence on the platform, or in the pulpit, spoke with great earnestness and was wise in her utterances, prophetic in nature, familiar with the scriptures and handled her subjects well. Like others of her time, she was undoubtedly a woman of destiny."

I'm grateful that she was willing to put aside her notion of herself and her capabilities, and let the Lord transform her into an important tool in building his kingdom.

Sources:
Mary Isabella Horne, Representative Women of Deseret
Mary Isabella Horne: Faithful Sister and Leader, by By Lyneve Wilson Kramer and Eva Durrant Wilson, Ensign 1982

The Mother of Frank Croft

2008-03-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've been missing in action for the past few days. Our stake had a fabulous celebration of women in the church this week, and I've been busy participating. I was thrilled to discover a good friend of mine is a descendant of Drusilla Dorris Hendricks, who I highlighted earlier in the month, and was able to learn even more about her life. Eventually, I'll have to post about it, but a different moment from the celebration really stuck with me, and I'm going to post along that theme tonight.

At the conclusion of the program, all the attendees sang a hymn about motherhood that a woman in our stake had written. I was the only woman at my table that did not have children. At the end of the program, one of these women leaned over to me and said, "I remember that before I had children, I thought moments like these were overly sentimental. But now that I am a mother, it surprises me how much I need them. I don't hear appreciation for what I do anywhere else, and I dedicate so much of myself to doing it." As I was thinking about my blog, I realized just how big a part motherhood plays in the lives of LDS women, yet how infrequently I discuss motherhood here. In part, I think it is because I am not in that phase of my life yet, and I relate more to other elements of these women's stories. But I am firm believer in the importance of the work mothers do, and I want to make sure it is discussed.

I don't know the name of the woman I'm highlighting today; I only know she was the mother of a man named Frank Croft. A small fragment of her story is shared by Arthur M. Richardson (I've put her words in bold so her part of the story stands out more):

Elder Frank Croft was a missionary in the state of Alabama. Because he persisted in his legal rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States in preaching righteousness unto the people, he was forcefully taken to a secluded spot of the backwoods for the purpose of receiving lashings across his bare back at the hands of armed and vicious men. Having arrived at the place where they had concluded to administer the torture, Elder Croft was commanded to remove his coat and shirt and bare his back. He was then tied to a tree to prevent his moving while he received his lashing until the blood would flow.

Having no alternative, he complied with the demands of the mob, but in so doing, a letter he had recently received from his mother fell from his coat. A short time before, he had written his parents a letter, condemning mob violence and mistreatment of the elders. In his mother’s letter she counseled: "My beloved son, you must remember the words of the Savior when He said, 'Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name’s sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for you will have your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.' Also remember the Savior upon the cross suffering for the sins of the world when He uttered these immortal words, 'Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Surely my boy, they who are mistreating you Elders know not what they do or they would not do it. Sometime, somewhere they will understand and then they will regret their action and they will honor you for the glorious work you are doing. So be patient, my son; love those who mistreat you and say all manner of evil against you and the Lord will bless you and magnify you in their eyes and your mission will be gloriously successful. Remember also, my son, that day and night, your mother is praying for you always."

Elder Croft, tied to the tree, was so situated that he could see the leader of the mob, who had picked up the fallen letter and had decided to read it before giving word to his men to start the lashing. The elder observed the hardness of his features, the cruelty in his eyes.

He then realized that no sympathy could be expected from him. He closed his eyes while waiting the moment when the beating would begin. He thought of home and loved ones and in particular, of his beloved mother. Then he uttered a silent prayer in her behalf. Opening his eyes, a moment or two later, feeling that the leader had had time to finish reading the letter, he was amazed to see that the man had retired to a nearby tree stump and having seated himself, was apparently re-reading the letter; but what was more amazing to the elder was the change in the man’s countenance. He would read a line or two or a paragraph and then sit and ponder. Deep down in the elder's conscience was the hope that the man's heart had been touched by the loveliness and beauty of his mother’s letter.

To Elder Croft, it seemed an interminable time had elapsed when the mob leader arose and approaching the helpless elder said: “Feller, you must have a wonderful mother. You see, I once had one too.” Then, addressing the mob he said, "Men, after reading this Mormon's mother's letter, I just can’t go ahead with the job. Maybe we had better let him go." Elder Croft was released and went his way. The loving influence of his mother seemed very near in his heart and mind.

I think that sometimes the task of parenthood seems overwhelming. What I love about this story is that Mrs. Croft didn't have to be the stereotypical supermom to profoundly influence her child. Maybe she kept a meticulous house, cooked elaborate meals, and organized wildly successful welfare projects; maybe she always burned the stew, couldn't keep up with her mending pile, and felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities. We don't know. It isn't relevant to the story. What provided her son the protection he needed was her testimony, her fervent prayers, and her ability to follow the Lord's promptings. It blows my mind to think of how many mothers out there doing these things, and how large of an influence it has had. I find it remarkable to see how frequently the Lord is able to magnify and transform our efforts when we trust in him, and serve him to the best of our abilities.

Source:
Arthur M. Richardson, The Life and Ministry of John Morgan [Nicholas G. Morgan Sr., 1965], pp. 268–68. As found in Aaronic Priesthood Manual 3:30, An Aaronic Priesthood Holder Cherishes Womanhood.

Happy (belated) Birthday, Relief Society!

2008-03-18T11:19:00.001-07:00

I lost track of the date - pretend this post and yesterday's are switched.

In honor of the birthday of the Relief Society, I'm briefly highlighting the organization's founding instead of a specific woman.

In response to Sarah Granger Kimball's desire to form a ladies society, Joseph Smith invited the women to meet with him to discuss a greater plan that the Lord had for their society. At this first meeting, there were 20 women and 3 men present, and they met in the upper story of the red brick store. Joseph organized the society "after the pattern of the priesthood," and declared that the church had not been perfectly organized until the women had been organized. He expanded the goals of the original society. He gave the inspired prophetic counsel that the women should care for those that were in need, and assist in strengthening the morals of the community. Emma Smith was elected president, as a fulfilling of the revelation that would become D&C 25. Joseph also added that Emma was "to expound the scriptures to all; and to teach the female part of the community; and that not she alone, but others, may attain to the same blessings." Emma selected Sarah M. Cleveland and Elizabeth Ann Whitney as counselors, Eliza R. Snow as secretary, and Elvira A. Cowles as treasurer.

There are many accounts out there that are much more exhaustive than this post. But I just want to say that I am incredibly grateful for the organization of the Relief Society. It blows my mind to consider the countless acts of service, large and small, that women have given as a part of this organization. In the short period of time I've been involved with the Relief Society, my testimony has been strengthened, my skills expanded, and my knowledge enhanced. I have served and received service from others, and experienced tremendous growth from both. I'm grateful for the many women and men who have made the organization what it is today.

Sources:
Relief Society: Divine Organization of Women, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith.
History of the Church, 4:604–5
Encyclopedia of Mormonism: Relief Society in Nauvoo, Barbara Winder

Louise Yates Robison, RS General President 1928-1939

2008-03-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

At first glance, Louise Yates Robison hardly seems like a boundary breaker for women. Don't get me wrong - her contributions were highly valuable. She led the Relief Society during the great depression, which was a time when the church leaned heavily on the Welfare efforts of the Relief Society. That is no small accomplishment. She emphasized the importance of voluntary and personal service to others. But she didn't have the passionate gusto and women's rights enthusiasm of many of her predecessors. She was described as quiet, unassuming, and down-to-earth. One of the things she is most remembered for is her love of music, and the fact she dubbed the many Relief Society choirs "singing mothers." She is also remembered for starting "Mormon Handicraft," a shop which allowed Relief Society sisters to sell homemade gift items. Her resourcefulness and dedication to the value of mothers inspires me. Though these were certainly valuable accomplishments, she struck me as more traditional.

So I was surprised to learn that she was the first woman to address the church at a regular session of General Conference in the capacity of General Relief Society President, and as near as I can tell, the first woman to speak at a general session of conference in over 70 years. The only woman prior to that time that I could find was Lucy Mack Smith addressing the church in 1845 (correct me if I'm wrong, history buffs!). The fact that we as Mormons are able to learn from each other, male and female, black and white, 12 years old or 92 years old, is one of my favorite parts about the way we worship. I love that she started the trend of hearing inspired words from men and women alike at general conference.

I also relate to President Robison because we share a love of the history of LDS women. In 1933, she instigated the building of a Relief Society monument in Nauvoo on the location of its founding. It is thought to be the first effort of the LDS church to mark its historic places in Nauvoo.

Sources:
Louise Y. Robison Biographical Sketch, lds.org.
Louise Yates Robison, Encyclopedia of Mormonism

Sarah Granger Kimball

2008-03-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

I learned early on that Emma Smith was the first general president of the Relief Society. What I did not learn until recently is how the organization came to be formed. The marvelous Relief Society program that we have today was born through Sarah Granger Kimball's desire to assist in the effort to build the temple in Nauvoo. I think it is a marvelous testament of the way the Lord is able to take our talents and good intentions and turn them into something incredible.

Sarah was passionate about the construction of the temple. She began her efforts to aid in its construction within the walls of her own home. Her husband had not joined the church at this time, and Sarah was unsure how to approach him. In her autobiography, she shares how she brought it up, and I think the account really shows her personality:

My husband came to my bedside and as he was admiring our three days old darling. I said "What is the boy worth." He replied "I don't know he is worth a great deal." I said "Is he worth a thousand dollars?" The reply was "Yes more than that if he lives and does well." I said "Half of him is mine is it not?" "Yes I suppose so." "Then I have something to help on the Temple." (pleasantly) "You have." "Yes and I think of turning my share right in as tithing." "Well, I'll think about that."

Her husband discussed this conversation with Joseph Smith, and after some banter about the boy becoming church property, he gave a much-needed donation of $500 to the temple's construction.

Sarah's efforts did not stop there. She and Margaret Cook decided to combine their efforts to sew shirts for the men working on the temple. They realized other women would want to help, and had a meeting about organizing a ladies' society in Nauvoo. Sarah asked Eliza R. Snow to write a constitution and bylaws for the society, and they presented it to Joseph Smith. When Joseph read the constitution, he said they were the best he had ever seen, but then said: "This is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord, and he has something better for them than a written Constitution. I invite them all to meet with me and a few of the brethren … next Thursday afternoon." At that meeting, he organized the Relief Society, an organization about which he proclaimed "the Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized."

I admire many things about Sarah Kimball. She was a vocal advocate of women's rights. She financially supported her family for many years when her husband hit financial difficulties. She served in leadership positions in the Relief Society at the ward and general level. She spoke passionately about the father and mother God. She was bold, courageous, determined, faithful, and true to her convictions. But what I love most about Sarah's story is that it teaches me that when we serve God in the best way that we know how, he will magnify and transform our efforts into something beyond what we could accomplish on our own.

Sources:
Autobiography, Women's Exponent, September 1, 1983, page 51.
Relief Society: Divine Organization of Women, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith.
Sarah Granger Kimball, Mary Stovall Richards, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Volume 2.

Alice Merrill Horne

2008-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Many have observed that Mormon culture places a high value on the cultural arts. Alice Merrill Horne is one of the individuals that promoted this. Throughout her life, Alice was passionate about the cultural arts, particularly the visual arts, and used the leadership opportunities that she had to promote them.

Alice served in a variety of influential positions in Utah. She was the second woman to serve on the Utah State Legislature. She served for 14 years on the RS General Board. She wrote prolifically for the Improvement Era, Juvenile Instructor, Relief Society Magazine, and Woman's Exponent. She represented the U.S. at the International Congress of Women in Berlin, and as the Utah chair of the International Peace Committee. She also served in a variety of leadership capacities for the Daughters of Utah Pioneers & Daughters of the Revolution.

A common theme of her service in these organizations was promoting the arts. On the legislature, she pushed through a bill creating an art institute in Utah and creating a state art collection (which now bears her name). She wrote lessons for the RS on art appreciation, landscape study, and architecture. She exhibited and sold countless paintings by Intermountain artists. She published poetry collections and a handbook on Utah Art.

However, Alice's influence was not limited to the arts. She cared deeply about education and public health. While serving as a state legislator, she sponsored a bill to provide teaching scholarships for students at the University of Utah. On the RS board, she campaigned for tougher standards for milk sold in the state, and established several free milk stations in Salt Lake City for underprivileged families.

I'm impressed with Horne's tireless service, and the way she utilized the platforms she had been given to improve the world around her.

Source:
Alice Merrill Horne, Harriet Horne Arrington, Utah History Encyclopedia.

Romania Pratt Bunnell Penrose, M.D.

2008-03-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

In the October 1873 general conference, President Brigham Young issued the now famous proclamation that

If some women had the privilege of studying they would make as good mathematicians as any man. We believe that women are useful not only to sweep houses, wash dishes and raise babies, but that they should study law . . . or physic . . . The time has come for women to come forth as doctors in these valleys of the mountains.

Romania Pratt was one of the women who answered that challenge. With five children, the youngest 6 months old, it was not going to be easy. She and her husband, Parley, both sold important possessions so she could go east to study medicine: she sold her piano, and Parley sold his family home. She left her children in the care of her parents and boarded the train.

The path to her degree was not easy. She arrived late in the semester, and had to work hard to catch up. When she returned home for the first time, 2 of her children did not recognize her. Despite the earlier sacrifices, she ran out of money, and the Relief Society had to raise funds so she could finish her degree. But she endured and excelled: her dissertation was well-received, and she graduated from the Woman’s Medical College of Philadelphia. She was the first woman to leave Utah and obtain a medical degree (although several women already trained in the profession came to Utah at an earlier date). She stayed in Philadelphia for a time after completing her degree to receive additional training in the eye and the ear.

Parley and Romania divorced in 1881. In 1882, she opened her own practice on Main Street. It is likely she performed the first cataract surgery in Utah. Many male doctors were initially unhappy about her presence (they thought women doctors should only be treating women's health concerns), but she eventually earned their respect.

Romania was actively involved in improving the world she lived in. She was involved in the women's suffrage movement. She was a part of a group of women that opened a community hospital for those in need. She regularly wrote columns promoting better hygiene in the Young Women's Journal.

I'm inspired by her determination, intelligence, and courage. Despite great personal cost, she followed the counsel of the prophet, and she used the gifts that God had given her to serve others. For you BYU grads who lived in Heritage Halls, you may recognize her name because she would eventually have a residence hall named after her. I think it is marvelous that her name lives on that way, allowing the students who live there to follow her example of excelling in education and using that knowledge for good.

Sources:
First Utah Woman Doctor, David Grow.
Romania Pratt Bunnell Penrose, M.D., Susan W. Howard.

Sheri Dew

2008-03-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

I worry about white-washing the women I’m featuring. I don’t want to set up false and unattainable images of these women, but I also don’t feel the need include their flaws for the sake of including their flaws. If I were writing a book, I would have plenty of time and space to discuss the nuances of these women. However, the focus of my blog is to celebrate these women, despite their imperfections. I think that is part of the beauty of telling each others’ stories. It inspires me to see the amazing things that imperfect individuals are able to accomplish.

To me, Sheri Dew is one of these imperfect, yet inspiring women. It is true that she has used rhetoric about the gay and lesbian community that I find hurtful and counterproductive. It is also true that she has broken boundary after boundary for the contemporary LDS woman, presented me with new models for what it means to be a daughter of God, and improved my communication with Deity.

As a brand new freshman in college, I remember attending my first general relief society meeting and wondering what on earth I was doing there. All the talks were focused on motherhood (which I thought had nothing to do with me), and I struggled to take the sing-songy voices seriously. And then Sheri Dew got up to speak. Early in her talk, she stated,

“Have you ever wondered why prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood—and it is doctrine—again and again? I have. I have thought long and hard about the work of women of God. And I have wrestled with what the doctrine of motherhood means for all of us. This issue has driven me to my knees, to the scriptures, and to the temple.”

And there she stood, living proof not only that God values the contributions of all women (not just the ones with their own children), but someone who’d had her own doctrinal wrestle before God about women’s roles and came out stronger, more committed, and at peace. For the first time, I felt like I belonged in Relief Society. I’ll admit I knew little of what General Authorities said on the matter, but as she continued her talk, it was the first time I had heard motherhood talked about in an empowering way. Listening to Sister Dew speak convinced me that I needed to have my own wrestle before God and find out what the Lord had in store for me as a woman of God.

Sheri Dew’s list of accomplishments is impressive: first unmarried woman in the general relief society presidency; first female CEO of Deseret Books; delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women; biographer of two prophets; popular author and prolific speaker. Her speaking and writing style resonated with people – so much that I can’t count the number of times that I’ve heard someone say in exasperation, “you know, Sheri Dew isn’t the fourth member of the Godhead!” This path was not the one she would have picked for herself, but she dedicated herself to serving the Lord in the capacity he needed her to, and she has reached countless individuals as a result.

I haven’t read her later books, but I did read No Doubt About It, and it increased my desire to become the kind of woman the Lord wants me to be. I was also profoundly influenced by a fireside she gave during my undergrad. The standard formula for receiving personal revelation had not been working for me. As part of her address, she stated that God communicated to different people in different ways, and that you can improve your communication with God if you approach him prayerfully and ask how He speaks to you. I did, and she was right: I began experiencing revelation in ways I never would have considered before.

Sister Dew has had a measurable and profound impact on my spirituality and sense of worth as a daughter of God, and I am incredibly grateful to her for it.

Pooling our collective knowledge

2008-03-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog, I only expected a handful of friends and family to read it. It has been exciting for me to learn that so many people out there share my passion for learning about the marvelous women in our history.

I'm really a dilettante in Mormon history. I find it fascinating, but I have only recently started exploring it. Justin B.'s resource suggestions made me realize that there are a lot of resources I'm not tapping into. I have been pleasantly surprised with the amount of information available on LDS women, but sometimes it can be a little difficult to find. So, I'm going to start a "recommended resources" sidebar for learning about the experiences of LDS women, and I want your advice on what to include. What are your favorite books/databases/journals/blogs/etc to use to find information about LDS women?

Also, I'd love to have guest posts if anyone is interested. I'm always eager to learn more about the inspiring women in our history. You can email me at "womenshistoryerin" at gmail dot com if you are interested.

Rigmor Heistø

2008-03-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

I think a large portion of the LDS population has at some point encountered some form of misunderstanding or discrimination about what we believe (my personal favorite was being told "I know all about the Mormons, I've studied John Smith, and I think you're too nice a girl to wind up with all those husbands" - priceless). Rigmor Heistø, as a new convert to the church in Norway, decided to do something about it.

In 1967, three years after she joined the LDS church, Rigmor and her husband divorced. While their marriage had been troubled before she joined the church, her conversion increased the problems. She found herself for the first time in many years needing to find work to provide for herself. After stints as a clerk and a substitute teacher, Rigmor enrolled in college to become a full-time teacher.

After sharing with her ethics professor that the incorrect information about the LDS faith presented in a book published by Einar Molland, a leading theologian in Norway, had caused so many problems in her marriage, her professor arranged for a meeting between Rigmor and Professor Molland. Professor Molland told her that he could understand people converting from Lutheranism, the state religion, to Catholicism or the Methodist church, but not to Mormonism. Rigmor replied, "If I hadn’t known any more about the Church than you do, it would be the last thing I would have done," and proceeded to ask him where he found the "nonsense" he had published in his book. Love it. She told him that he could have talked to the LDS mission president (whose office was up the road) to find out more, and let him know about what his incorrect information had cost her. Professor Molland apologized, and when he published an updated version of his text, he allowed Rigmor, the mission president, and a few other Mormons to review and correct the section on Mormonism.

This was the first of many, many occasions that Sister Heistø used her courage and likability to promote understanding between the LDS faith and other religions. She arranged for a successful teaching exchange program between BYU and Universities in Norway. She compiled and edited a book, entitled This We Believe, where representatives from 37 faiths contributed chapters on their respective religions. She persuaded the appropriate individuals to remove a film that defamed the LDS religion to be removed from schools. She even contacted the Attorney General of Norway after he made comments about the erosion of family life in Norway to let him know about the church's efforts to improve family life (he called her personally and arranged a meeting with her to discuss it).

I thought this quote from Rigmor in the Ensign was priceless: "I think the Lord knows two things about me. He knows I am not afraid of other people. Why should I be? … And," she adds, smiling, "He knows I can talk."

I'm grateful for Rigmor Heistø's willingness to "talk" - to speak up about her beliefs, and encourage understanding.

Source:
The Power of One, Jan U. Pinborough and Marvin K. Gardner, Ensign Feb. 2000

Geertruida Lodder Zippro

2008-03-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Geertruida Lodder Zippro's story has been referenced on many occasions in the bloggernacle, but it is one of my very favorite stories about LDS women. I grew up hearing stories about pioneer women and contemporary women, but very little about the women in the middle, so I'm grateful for Geertruida's account.

When the German air force bombed Rotterdam in 1940 (shortly after the Netherlands surrendered), Sister Zippro demonstrated her remarkable dedication to her calling as district relief society president. Sister Zippro, living in Amsterdam at the time, was determined to go to Rotterdam to check on their welfare. The fact that she was brave enough to travel to a city that had just been bombed is remarkable enough. The fact that she rode her bicycle, unaccompanied, 60 miles to get there astounds me. Trains and other forms of public transportation had been disrupted by the war, but she did not let this stop her resolve to care for those in her stewardship. She worked hard to provide relief when she got there. She managed donations of bedding and clothing, and helped find shelter for displaced saints.

This was the first of many trips throughout the Netherlands that Geertruida would make on her bicycle. In fact, her trips were so numerous that she wore out her tires beyond patching. Her husband fitted strips from a rubber garden hose on her rims, and she went back to work, arranging food distributions and allowing the branches to communicate with each other.

I love the vivid mental image that Geertruida's account provides. When I feel overwhelmed in my callings, the image of Sister Zippro biking through war-torn Rotterdam gives me courage. Her story gives me faith that if I trust in the Lord, I will be given the strength I need to do the things He needs me to do.

Source:
Geertruida Lodder Zippro: The Extra Mile, Ardis Parshall, Times & Seasons, November 2005.

Sarah De Armon Pea Rich

2008-03-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

When mob persecution hit in Missouri, Sarah De Armon Pea Rich was at a similar stage in life as I am now - newlywed in her early twenties. It made her account feel very real to me.

Sarah and Charles Rich married near Caldwell County and were living in a log house in Far West, Missouri. She thought they were "the happyest couple in all the land." Their property was doing well, and she enjoyed having the opportunity to hear Joseph Smith preach on a weekly basis. Her parents had gone to visit Illinois when the mob violence began, and unable to return, they asked Sarah and Charles to stay in their home. While there, the Riches took in seven families that had been forced to leave their homes by the mobs; this was the most they felt they could provide for. Mobs camped near her home, and harassed the families often. When her husband tried to ride up to them with the white flag and make a truce, they shot at him, and he was forced to flee to Illinois to save his life. She was able to see him briefly before he left, and they planned to meet in Quincy when circumstances allowed for it. She was pregnant with their first child when he left, and it would be three months before she was able to travel to Quincy and rejoin him.

Sarah convinced the mobs that they had killed her husband, so they gave her peace for awhile, and she even managed to reclaim some of her property for a time. When they found out that her husband was alive, they stole her livestock and chickens, and threatened her: "[the mob] would often come to my house and tell me if I did not tell where he was hid, they would blow my brains out, at the same time pointing pistols at me." Sarah stood firm against the mob those three months, and then prepared to make the 400 mile journey to Quincy in the dead of the winter. Their journey was difficult, particularly the passage of the Mississippi River, and Sarah's health was poor, due to her pregnancy, but she did what she had to do to make the journey.

Sarah and Charles uprooted their family many time to follow God's will for them. They joined the Saints in Nauvoo & Utah, and then founded colonies in San Bernardino and the Bear Lake Valley (Utah/Idaho). The temple blessings she and her husband received in Nauvoo sustained them through their the periods of uncertainty. She states, "If it had not been for the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon us in that temple by the influence and help of the Spirit of the Lord our journey would have been like one taking a leap in the dark."

I love Sarah's courage in the face of the mob. Her life was threatened time and time again, but she stayed strong and committed to her principles. In the portion of the account I read, Sarah strikes me as the kind of woman who did what the Lord wanted her to do without pitying herself - she didn't even mention her pregnancy until she explained that they had to cross the river immediately because she "knew not what moment I would be confined with my first child." :) Talk about understatement. Sarah knew that she was doing what the Lord wanted her to do, and didn't spend time lamenting the sacrifices she was asked to make; she knew the Lord's blessings were sure.

Sources:
Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900. Kenneth W. Godfrey, Audrey M. Godfrey, & Jill Mulvay Derr.
Leaving Nauvoo the Beautiful, July 2005 Ensign.

If you want to learn about her conversion to the gospel:
Aaronic priesthood manual 3, lesson 25, gives an account of her conversion. Love the account, love that it is in our youth manuals.

Drusilla Dorris Hendricks

2008-03-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

I loved reading the account Drusilla Dorris Hendricks wrote about her time in Missouri and Illinois. Her ability to recognize the hand of the Lord in her life during heartbreaking circumstances really resonated with me.

In the spring of 1836, Drusilla and her family moved from Tennessee to join the saints in Clay County, Missouri. She was part of a group of six families that shared a fifty acre plot of land. While there, she rejoiced that she was able to provide aid and shelter to Saints that had been driven from Jackson County, Missouri, not knowing that a similar fate awaited her family. While visiting family in Independence, she and her husband learned that a mob was gathering in Clay County to drive out the Mormons, so they returned and prepared. Her husband and other men tried to stand firm against the mob, but eventually gave up their property and moved to Caldwell County.

While in Caldwell county, the Hendricks' crops were destroyed in a prairie fire, and the family had to literally run for their lives to avoid it. They preserved their house, and her husband, John, was able to find work on a nearby property that sustained them through the winter. Despite these trials, Drusilla describes this period as a time that she was "never happier in [her] life." Among the blessings she shares during this period, she states

I was always very sickly until now. I had quit taking snuff, tea, and coffee, and I became healthy and strong. Where before I could not walk half a mile, now I could walk three miles and not tire, for we kept the word of wisdom. I can bear my testimony to the world. I could run and not be weary, walk and not faint. I received health in my navel and marrow in my bones and hidden treasures of knowledge.

They enjoyed a three year period with little persecution, but then mobs started forming in her area. Her husband was among the men that stood on guard against the mobs, and as a result, they lost many of their crops because he could not work the fields, but Drusilla gathered in all she could. During the Battle at Crooked River, her husband was shot and seriously wounded. He would remain an invalid the rest of his life. Despite the growing mob action, she left her children in the care of neighbors (some of which fled and left them during the massacre at Hans Mill a few days later), and went to assist her husband as best as she could. When the Saints fled the area, the Hendricks were not ready because of John's condition. A mob entered her home one evening, but through Drusilla's levelheadedness, they did not harm her family and she persuaded them to leave. Eventually, they sold what they could, bought a yoke of cattle, and moved to Quincy, Illinois.

Conditions for the Hendricks in Quincy were poor. Their quarters were small, and John's condition worsened, and Drusilla had to work tirelessly to care for him. After being there for two weeks, they were completely out of food. Drusilla prepared their last bit of corn mush, served it to her children, and sent her son out to look for food. Drusilla then gives a beautiful account of her inner struggle at this moment. She states

The conflict began in my mind: "Your folks told you your husband would be killed, and are you not sorry you did not listen to them?" I said, No I am not. I did what was right. If I die I am glad I was baptized for the remission of my sins, for I have an answer of a good conscience. But after that a third person spoke. It was a still small voice this time saying, "Hold on, for the Lord will provide." I said I would, for I would trust in Him and not grumble.

This moment is really powerful to me. I love the image of these inner voices arguing with each other, and then the voice of the Holy Ghost joining the conversation and bringing her peace. The Lord did provide for her and her family, and they eventually joined the Saints in Utah and became "productive" members of the society there.

Drusilla is a powerful example to me of faith during incredibly trying circumstances, and of recognizing all that the Lord has given you, even in circumstances when many would only see what he had taken away.

Source:
Women's Voices: An Untold Story of the Latter-day Saints, by Kenneth W. Godfrey, Audrey M. Godfrey, & Jill Mulvay Derr.

Amy Brown Lyman

2008-03-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

I loved Jeans' youth lesson on previous general relief society presidents over at Beginnings New, and it made me interested in learning even more about these women. I knew very little about Amy Brown Lyman, but became curious about how she led the women in the church during world war II, and did a little research.

Amy Brown Lyman was born in 1872 in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Her parents instilled in her a belief in the importance of education, and the belief that one person can make a difference if they put in the effort. Her mother treated the ill and led many social programs in their community, and Amy followed her mother's example repeatedly throughout her life.

She married Richard Lyman in 1895, and joined him as he pursued graduate studies at Cornell and the University of Chicago. She made a commitment during this period to work to improve the human condition through social work, and she made good on this commitment.

President Joseph F. Smith appointed her as the 1st director of the church's social welfare department in 1919, and she served in this capacity until 1934. Among her many accomplishments here, she trained over 4100 women to work as family social workers. She was also an able politician. She served on the Utah State Legislature in 1922 and helped push through the federal Sheppard-Towner Bill, which provided infant and maternity care nation-wide. She was also pivotal in helping pass a bill which created an institution for the mentally disabled, and served on its board of trustees for over a decade.

As General Relief Society President (1940-1945), she cut spending while increasing welfare. To assist in the war efforts, she focused on self-reliance & war time thrift in her teachings, and the Relief Society provided assistance through assembling first-aid kits & sewing hospital gowns.

In 1943, personal tragedy hit. Her husband, an LDS apostle, was ex-communicated for "cohabiting" with another woman (he was eventually rebaptized over a decade later). In 1945, the strain on her marriage became too great, and she asked to be released as general RS president. However, she did not stop her social work efforts, and worked in a variety of settings for the next fifteen years. While I am sad she felt she needed to be released from her calling, I am impressed at the work she was able to accomplish during that two year period between the news of her husband's affair and her asking to be released. I can't imagine how devastated she felt, but she still recognize that her abilities were needed, and she went to work. She died in 1959.

I love Amy's tireless efforts to improve the world she lived in, and her faith in her ability to do it. She didn't just accept the problems she saw in the world around her - she immediately looked for ways she could help. I hope to be able to emulate that in my own life.

Sources:
Amy Brown Lyman, lds.org
Relief Society Presidents: Amy Brown Lyman, Nola Redd
Amy B. Lyman, Wikipedia

Mary Musselman Whitmer

2008-03-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

It had been a busy time for Mary Musselman Whitmer, wife of Peter Whitmer, senior. Joseph Smith, Emma Smith, and Oliver Cowdery had come to stay with the family to avoid persecution while Joseph worked on translating the gold plates. Her household was large in the first place, and while she was glad to have the prophet there, she was also feeling the strain of providing for extra individuals. However, the Lord recognized the importance of her contribution to the work that was being done, and provided her with an experience that confirmed this to her. Her grandson relates her experience as follows:

One evening, when (after having done her usual day's work in the house) she went to the barn to milk the cows, she met a stranger carrying something on his back that looked like a knapsack. At first she was a little afraid of him, but when he spoke to her in a kind, friendly tone and began to explain to her the nature of the work which was going on in her house, she was filled with inexpressible joy and satisfaction. He then untied his knapsack and showed her a bundle of plates, which in size and appearance corresponded with the description subsequently given by the witnesses to the Book of Mormon. This strange person turned the leaves of the book of plates over, leaf after leaf, and also showed her the engravings upon them; after which he told her to be patient and faithful in bearing her burden a little longer, promising that if she would do so, she should be blessed; and her reward would be sure, if she proved faithful to the end. The personage then suddenly vanished with the plates, and where he went, she could not tell. From that moment my grandmother was enabled to perform her household duties with comparative ease, and she felt no more inclination to murmur because her lot was hard. I knew my grandmother to be a good, noble and truthful woman, and I have not the least doubt of her statement in regard to seeing the plates being strictly true. She was a strong believer in the Book of Mormon until the day of her death.

Mary Whitmer was the only woman that I am aware of that saw the plates directly. Emma worked as a scribe for Joseph at certain points, but did not see the plates. Mary's experience probably pre-dated that of the 11 witnesses (correct me if I'm wrong, history buffs!). Later on, her family had a falling out with Joseph, and they did not join the saints out West. However, she never denied her testimony.

Mary inspires me for many reasons. I think everybody can relate to feeling like your hard work towards an important cause goes unnoticed. I love this account because it demonstrates that the Lord truly does notice our efforts, and will provide us the strength we need to move forward in them. I love that when she had this affirmation, she not only went to work, but she stopped worrying about the difficulty in doing it. Mary's experience reminds me that the Lord is aware of and values my contributions towards His work.

Source:
Mary Musselman Whitmer, James Lamond Carroll
Mary Musselman Whitmer, Moroni's Latter Day Saints Page

My Mother

2008-03-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

My mother has one of the more unusual conversion stories I’ve come across. She was introduced to the gospel through her husband’s drunken ramblings.

When my mother met her first husband, and eventually found out he was a not-practicing Mormon, she was a little surprised. She’d heard about Mormon pioneers passing through the Midwest, but didn’t know they still existed in modern times. She didn’t really think anything of it – her parents were Methodist, but didn’t really go to church either.

After their marriage, she discovered he was an alcoholic. All the typical alcoholic drama ensued, but then something atypical started happening. When he was really, really drunk, he would start bawling, and then start talking about this wonderful church that was “the only thing that could save him.” Of course, when he’d wake up the next morning, he would deny it, but my mom recognized that there was something about this religion that spoke to his soul. More interested in saving her marriage than finding religious truth, she started attending Mormon worship services and was eventually baptized. She encountered a fabulous support network, including particularly amazing visiting teachers, and she started developing a testimony of the Mormon faith. While there were certain elements she thought were really odd (she didn’t especially care for the first vision, or the Joseph Smith story in general), she recognized that there was goodness and power in this religion, so she was able to overlook the difficult elements and build on the good.

Her marriage didn’t stick, but her commitment to Mormonism did. The more she learned, the more her testimony grew. She met my father, another recent convert, in a singles ward, and they were sealed in the temple. She talks about how she had said prayer after prayer that her first husband would get his act together so she could have access to temple blessings, and she was very upset during the divorce proceedings that God hadn’t answered her prayers. She now recognizes that the Lord did answer her prayers for temple blessings – just through the marvelous man she is now married to. Her full conversion happened when I was about 7, when we visited the sacred grove. While standing on that ground, she felt a powerful witness that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of the Lord, and really knew for the first time that his story was true. I didn’t appreciate until recently that it had taken a decade for her to have that final witness of the truth of Mormonism. Her willingness to move forward in faith is very inspiring to me, and it gives me hope that my own doubts and concerns will be resolved if I give them time.

There are so many things I admire about my mother, I don’t know where to begin. She is a phenomenal visiting teacher – the stuff of General Conference addresses. People that want nothing to do with Mormonism will let her in the door because she offers them genuine, no-strings-attached friendship, and I have seen generations of faithful families result from her visiting teaching efforts. She is absolutely dedicated to her callings, no matter how big or small. She is a firm believer in the value of education, and inspired me from early ages to stretch myself and grow; she even had me reading words before the age of two. She has always made time to listen to me and my concerns, no matter how busy she is, or how trivial my concern is in the big scheme of things. I am so grateful for her influence in my life.

Sarah Studevant Leavitt

2008-03-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, my parents are modern pioneers, and they have fabulous conversion stories (I’ll post my mother’s tomorrow). But growing up, I felt I couldn't relate when people told stories about their pioneer ancestors. So it was a pleasant surprise for my husband to look over my shoulder as I was reading about Sarah Studevant Leavitt’s conversion and say “wow, I’m related to her.” :) I'm now part of the club through marriage.

Sarah was born in Lime, New Hampshire. She grew up in a religious home, where her parents taught her to pray and read the bible, and where visitors from many Christian denominations discussed religion. Sarah married Jeremiah Leavitt in 1817, moved to Canada shortly thereafter, and started her family.

She gives the following account of a vision that she had as a young mother:

When I was getting ready for bed one night, I had put my babe into the bed with its father and it was crying. I dropped down to take off my shoes and stockings; I had one stocking in my hand. There was a light dropped down on the floor before me. I stepped back and there was another under my feet. The first was in the shape of a half moon and full of little black spots. The last was about an inch long and about a quarter of an inch wide. I brushed them with the stocking that was in my hand and put my hand over one of them to see if it would shine on my hand. This I did to satisfy others; as for myself, I knew that the lights were something that could not be accounted for and for some purpose. I did not know what until I heard the gospel preached in its purity. The first was an emblem of all the religions then on the earth. The half moon that was cut off was the spiritual gifts promised after baptism. The black spots were the defects you will find in every church throughout the whole world. The last light was the gospel preached by the angel flying through the midst of heaven and it was the same year and the same season of the year and I don’t know but the same day that the Lord brought the glad news of salvation to Joseph Smith. It must have been a stirring time among the heavenly hosts, the windows of heaven having so long been closed against all communication with the earth, being suddenly thrown open. Angels were wending their way to earth with such a glorious message--a message that concerns everyone, both in heaven and earth.

Sarah shared this vision with her relatives and those in the community, and she states that many individuals increased their commitment to God as a result of her vision. She joined a Baptist church because she wanted to be baptized by immersion, but was looking forward to finding the church God restored to the earth. When her sister-in-law confided in her that she had been baptized, and shared Joseph Smith’s vision and mission, she knew she had been told something important. She read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, and believed in them whole-heartedly. She and her family set out to join the Saints in Kirtland, the first of many migrations she would make to gather with the Saints.

In the interest of space, my account is going to stop here, but she is a woman of remarkable courage and faith. She suffered many hardships and persecution along the way. She not only survived a serious illness, but survived a serious illness during her migration to Salt Lake. She gave healing blessings to members of her family that were in need. She had visions that sustained her faith and let her know that the Lord was mindful of her needs.

What inspires me most about Sarah’s conversion is the way that she looked for guidance from the Lord as she went about her life. I’m amazed that while her baby was crying and she was exhausted, she was able to recognize this vision from the Lord. I often try to compartmentalize my life, keeping "communication with God" in its own separate place, but Sarah’s example reminds me of the importance of being in tune to receive the Lord’s guidance whenever he offers it.

Sources:

History of Sarah Studevant Leavitt, ed. Juanita L. Pulsipher (n.p., 1919)

Clarissa S. Williams, RS General President 1921-1928

2008-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from LDS.org's biographies of past Relief Society Presidencies:

Clarissa S. Williams was a schoolteacher and a woman of humility and exceptional executive ability. Her presidency witnessed an increase of Relief Society involvement in the community. At her recommendation the interest accrued from the Relief Society wheat fund was used for health, maternity, and child welfare projects. The Relief Society Social Services Department, established in 1919, trained social workers, found employment for women, and offered adoption services. The Relief Society also trained nurses, aided refugees, and established a maternity home as part of an emphasis on maternity and health issues. Sister Williams considered the success of health care efforts one of the highlights of her presidency. She and her husband, William N. Williams, had eleven children.

As I was researching Clarissa S. Williams, I kept finding myself wishing I could go to Utah and comb through the archives for records on this woman. The online information I could find was thin. Most of what I've found from here came from an article by Nola Redd; she didn't list her sources, so if something is off, I apologize (the librarian in me hates using undocumented sources).

Clarissa Williams graduated from the University of Deseret (now University of Utah) with a teaching certificate. After graduation, she started her own school. Her love of education lasted throughout her life, and she felt that education for women was a necessity, not a luxury. She married her husband, William, the day before he left for a 2-year mission to Wales, and they eventually had a large family.

Before becoming the general RS president, she'd served in stake leadership, and under the administration of Emmeline Wells and Bathsheeba Smith. As the general RS president, she is praised for her administrative ability and social programs. She instituted modern accounting procedures for Relief Society funds. She instituted a wide range of social programs, including maternity hospitals and funds, women's employment agencies, adoption programs, nursing training, support of refugees, training in welfare tasks for thousands of LDS women, youth camps for underprivileged children, courses in home hygiene and care of the sick, a free milk fund, and health examinations for preschoolers. That's a big list.

I am grateful for the concrete work she did to help women with the issues they were facing, and to improve the world she lived in. Her administrative abilities were strong, and she used them to serve others.

Jane Manning James

2008-03-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

The story of Jane Manning James is complicated for me. The prejudice she experienced and the blessings she was denied have always been painful to me. But in spite of her many adversities, her testimony was powerful, and her courage overwhelming, and she stands as a powerful example to me of building your testimony on the sure foundation of the gospel, and trusting the rest to work itself out in time.

Much like Joseph Smith, at a young age (19), Jane Manning felt that something was missing in the religions she had encountered in Connecticut. In 1841, she went to a Sunday meeting to hear the Mormon missionaries speak, and was baptized the following Sunday. Many of her family members were also baptized.

A year after their baptism, Jane and 8 of her family members decided to join the saints in Nauvoo. Because they were black, the Captain of the steamboat in Buffalo refused them passage (and also refused to return their luggage, which had already been loaded onto the boat). This did not deter Jane and her family; they walked the 800 miles to Nauvoo, encountering physical pain and even more racism along the way. Despite these pains, they spent their travels singing hymns, and praising God for healing their feet so they could continue their journey.

The saints originally treated them coolly when they arrived, but Joseph Smith immediately recognized the strength and courage of this family, and welcomed them whole-heartedly. When Jane could not find work or a place to stay, Joseph told her, "you have a home right here if you want it." She stayed with the Smith family for several months, assisting in household chores, and Emma even offered to adopt her into their family (Jane, not knowing what this meant, declined). Her bond to Joseph was strong; after the martyrdom, she declared "When he was killed, I liked to a died myself." She served in the Young household until the migration. While there, she met Isaac James, who she married.

She joined the Saints in their trek west, and gave birth to the first African American baby born in the Utah territory. Despite petitioning prophet after prophet, she was denied the blessings of the temple; however, she stayed faithful, even donating funds to the building of the St. George, Manti, and Logan temples. She was actively involved in the Relief Society, and the women's exponent gives many accounts of the testimony she bore during these meetings (my favorite being her account of anointing herself with oil when she was ill, and being healed through her faith). Despite her own poverty, she showed constant charity to others, sharing the little that she had with those in need. She died in 1908, and President Joseph F. Smith spoke at her funeral. Her temple work was done shortly after the declaration in 1978.

I love the testimony she bore. Despite the challenges of her life, she stated at the end of her life, "I want to say right here, that my faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is as strong today, nay, it is if possible stronger than it was the day I was first baptized. I pay my tithes and offerings, keep the word of wisdom, I go to bed early and rise early, I try in my feeble way to set a good example to all."

I am grateful for her courage, her charity, and her unshakable faith, and I hope to be able to emulate them in my own life.

Sources:
Jane Manning James, Black Saint, 1847 Pioneer, by Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, August 1979 Ensign
Remembering Jane Manning James, by Becky Cardon Smith, Meridian Magazine
Honoring Jane Manning James: Courage on a Stage of Bigotry, by Susan Easton Black
Jane Manning James in the Women's Exponent, by J. Stapley
2005 talk given my Susan Easton Black in the Winter Quarters Ward

Venus Rossiter

2008-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Venus Rossiter followed her husband Ernest on several missions throughout the process of her marriage, including Tahiti and France. She could have been content to go along for the ride, but Venus looked for (and found) opportunities to serve everywhere she went.

As a young bride in Tahiti, after adapting to the initial shock of living in a new place (with new diseases), Venus went to work. She travelled all over the islands with her husband, taught about modern hygeiene & nutrition, and organized branches of the Relief Society through Tahiti. She raised funds to buy organs for their meetings, and for the building of the temple. She even went to an island that was being ravaged by the Spanish influenza to provide aid.

In France, she organized the first French-speaking relief society at Lyons. Later in life, when they returned to Tahiti, she translated many of the church hymns in Tahitian. And if all that isn’t enough, she served on the General Boards of both the Primary and the Young Women’s Mutual Improvement Association. Busy gal.

I’m grateful for her example of courage and tireless service.

Sources:

Ardis Parshall, Venus Robinson Rossiter: Learning to Serve, Times and Seasons, October 2006.

Nameless Relief Society Board Member, 2005

2008-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

My senior year in college, I was struggling to reconcile my value as a woman and my experience in the LDS church. The sexism I encountered by some LDS men had always been hard for me, but it had started coming from people I respected as friends and leaders, and it hurt me deeply. I was feeling very frustrated and angry this particular day, and I just wanted to stay home, eat ice cream, and not think about church-related things. But at the end of the day, I did decide to go to my meeting. Our stake RS presidency had arranged for a tour of the Relief Society Building on Temple Square to be given to all our wards' RS presidencies.

While we were waiting for the tour to start, all the other women were standing around chatting, but I was feeling anti-social, so I'd gone off to a corner and was looking at the display items. After a few minutes, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and was greeted by a woman that I didn't recognize. I later found out that she was a member of the Relief Society Board, and the woman who would be giving us our tour. She smiled at me, took me by the hand, and said in the most loving way, "Sister, we need you." She then walked me to the rest of the group. I wish I had words to describe the overpowering sense of love and peace that came over me as she took my hand, but I truly don't. It was a simple gesture, but it was a turning point for me. In that moment, the spirit overpoweringly communicated to me that the Lord needed me, and that the church needed me, in all my strengths and imperfections. He valued me as a woman, and He valued the unique service I could give as the daughter of God that I am.

The more I heard this woman talk as we went through the tour, the more I came to admire her. In the world's eyes, she wasn't very important. She'd alternated between being a kindergarten teacher and a stay-at-home mother. But in my mind, she is one of the most empowered women I have ever known. I've come to understand that it is because she knew who she was as a daughter of God, knew the Lord valued her contributions, and truly made a difference in her service. She just emitted love and power. I loved listening to her talk about her feelings about the biblical women featured in the portraits on the walls, their relationship with Christ, and the love and respect that He showed them. I loved how she'd celebrated her experiences with women in a variety of countries, and how passionate she was about the welfare programs that the Relief Society had been involved in. I loved her earnestness in wanting to hear about our experience as college-aged relief society sisters, and her gratitude for the service we were giving. She was committed to issues facing women, and was serving them faithfully and diligently.

I never did learn her name. I went home and tried to find pictures of the Relief Society Board, but I never did succeed. I've thought about her many, many times over the years, and it has made me think about all of the other nameless LDS women that contribute to the Lord's work. I feel that we're missing something as women in the church when we forget each others' stories. So in honor of women's history month, I am sharing the stories I can. Most of these posts will come from the research of others, and I am grateful to them for bringing me these stories of inspiring women via blogs and other new media. I've been reading all the historical accounts of LDS women that I can get my hands on here in Indiana, and I have felt a surprising kinship with these women. I hope that as you read these stories, that you will be able to recognize the women that have influenced you, and recognize the love the Lord has for his daughters.