[. . .] Sr [Ann W.] Fitzgerald arose & said she felt glad to see so many come out to meeting today, more particularly as Sr Eliza R Snow & Sr Zina [D. H.] Young had seen fit to meet with us. She hoped we would each & every one strive to do our duty. That in so doing we were safe.

[. . .]

Sr Eliza R Snow arose & said she was happy to meet with her sisters, who had come together with a portion of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, & the love of God beaming in our countenances. She said we had got to learn to cooperate.

She then read the minutes of the meeting, for the organization of the First Relief Society in Nauvoo. She said “you see by these minutes, that Joseph Smith said if the sisters would carry out his counsel, they would become the most glorious organization that had ever been.[”]

That the President & her council constituted a Board to the Society, the same as the First President & his council did to the Church. Said we should uphold our President & her Counsellors. She said, we should not publish the faults of any one. That inasmuch as the Society is honored, its members <are> honored. That if one is disgraced, we all feel the effects of it. She said she felt that we had made a wise selection in our President. That she had been aquainted with Sr Fitzgerald a long time, & that she was a woman of God, & would do right as far as she knew. Said the teachers should live humble & carry a good spirit with them in their visits, & know the circumstances of those who apply for assistance. Said we were naturally sympathetick & must be careful & know how we bestow our goods. That we must know things, just as they are. Said we must be posted, &c., [p. 51] She said she hoped to see the day, when these Societies can have houses to place the destitute in, & give <them> employment. She said we should increase our means, & not exhaust our Treasury. That she felt that the sisters, who spent a portion of their time in laboring for the Society would get along with their work better & easier than those who were more greedy, to work altogether to build up themselves. That a great responsibility rests upon the sisters, who are upon the stage of action at the present time. What should we care about the Gentiles who are trying to destroy this people from off the earth. Said the sisters in the City are taking a bold stand, to try to put a stop to the pride & love of show & finery. That every sister should be a preacher of righteousness. That by & by, many of you will become mothers, & you should be prepared to train up your children to become Statesmen. That the Government of the nations will ere long be to this people, & where are <the> Presidents, the Govenors, the Legislutors [Legislators] & the wise men to come from? They are to come from among the sons, of these my young sisters. She hoped they did not spend their leisure time, reading romances, thereby weakening their minds. She said that a woman, whose duties require her at home, if she is faithful in performing them, is just as much doing good as a man is who is sent on a mission to preach the gospel. Said we should try to strengthen each other. Spoke also of the word of wisdom, Said there is no sin in being tempted, but the sin is in yielding to temptation. That we should acknowledge the hand of the Lord in all things. That we should be thankful for trials, & if we only submit & endure them, we shall thereby prove our integrity. That if we attain to an exaltation we have got to earn it. That we have yet to pass through the ordeal, where dishonesty will not pass for honhesty, & where falsehood will not pass for truth. She said Cooperation was a portion of the Order of Enoch.¹ Urged upon the sisters not to trade with those, who were known to be our enemies. Said the blessings in store for us, were worth living for &c. Said they were worth subduing the spirit within us, &c. Said that when she was young she had thought <how> glad she would be, could she have lived in the day, when Prophets & Apostles were upon the earth, but she never expected to that have privilege. That it was hard to part with friends, but not so grievous, as to see them turn from the faith. &c That her prayer was that when we were called to go to the Centre Stake of Zion, we might all be prepared &c.

[. . .]

Sr Snow resumed her remarks for a short time, blest the straw braiders, & all who wished to do right & keep the commandments, &c.

[. . .] [p. 52].