14 February 1879


Huntsville Relief Society; Huntsville, Utah Territory

[. . .]

Bro. [Francis] Hammond arose and said she felt well made a few remarks in relation to Sis Snow, visit here today.

Sis Snow, arose and said in request to the president [Eliza Tracy] she felt to arise and said she felt glad to see our breathern turn out said they should be as interrested as the sisters as we are all or should be connected in the kingdom of God. said we Sisters are weak and require strength said it takes the weak things of the world to confound the wise said that when we entered the waters of babtism we covenented to be the Lords children said the gospel required all our energies the Lord required our obedience to his laws, said there was different glories for the Saints and if we had not ambition to live for the Celestial kingdom of God that is our loss not the almighty’s we are now met as a relief Society is is <it> got up by man or woman. no the Almighty has established it and it cannot be carried on with out the aid of both man and woman. spoke on saving our selves but how much do we help to save others that are luke warm and need comfort those that think there is nothing to live for they are those who require consolation and the spirit of God to be with them. said we talk of home manufacture Said this is a day of works and not talks so much said how many Sisters have on home made clothing just as much of home made we wear so far are we free from babylon and for the sisters to unite our efforts together to this end [p. 156] spoke on the fall of babylon. what shall we do, are we at the head of our Gentile sisters no, not yet how much straw have you? how many home made hats are you wearing? to day teach our children to braid their own hats in the season thereof, teach our children punctuality as they will have a great deal to do in their day spoke to mothers about their children being organized. the training of their minds in the right course said we should implant in their hearts true doctrines of the church as well as give them all book learning spoke on storing grain said the sisters had done well and must do better in taking care of all we get also store up beans and every thing that is calculated to sustain life if we are women of god. we will be found doing our duty at home, and trying to put in all the time they can in doing their duty to their God in carrying out every duty which nature demands of us, as the handmaidens of God. gave mothers good council in relation to their children. prayed for the spirit of God to rest upon our sisters to be humble in the hands of God. read good books, store our minds with useful knowledge.

spoke to our young sisters for them to get a know[l]edge. for them selves. of the truths of this gospel, and not depend on their parents spoke on plural mariage and the glory attending that ordinance by obeying that which the Lord has commanded us we gain ourselves lives in the eternal worlds.1 this requires all our energies faith and works combined and life if necessary may God grant we may so live Amen.

Sis [Jane S.] Richards arose and said [. . .] Sis Snow was weak in her body but the Lord has preserved her for the benefit of his children and she felt to pray that the Lord would prolong her life spoke of the great [p. 157] good she has done in her day desired the Saints to carry out her council in home manufactures [. . .] let us profit by Sis Snow. remember all the good we can while we live on the earth [. . .]

Sis Snow, arose and made a few short remarks also. [. . .] [p. 158] [. . .]

Miss Snow.— arose and said she wished to talk to the young to the young boys (as they will soon become men) something that they would remember, after she was gone after she had taken great pains in seating the boys and the girls, for the house was to small to accompany both old and young, who comes gladly together to hear what she had to say and enjoy the divine influence that accompanied her

By the request of your Pres. I stand before you I feel happy to be called upon by the Breathern. the sisters cannot think to have. much success without the breathern for they have as much instruction to give as the sisters and should be coworkers with them in building up the kingdom of God. I am not able to edify you with my own strength but must depend upon the spirit of the Lord. said we have to work out our own salvation if ever we expect to be saved. if we obey the gospel and associate with holy beings if we cannot obey the whole law, we cannot have celestial glory and must take up with a lesser glory for if we do not obey the gospel we will have a lesser glory how short this life is I have lived 3 quarters of a century and that is very short but is long in comparatively of many said when this church would be fully organized it would be with this Society said I am before you in a Babylonish dress I would like to have had on my home made dress, we do not like those babylonish dresses (turning to the boys) you little boys tell the elderly people to make. you home made hats and clothes, the revelation was given many years ago to take wool and make your own clothing it was counceled not to mix wool and linen together. what condition should we be in if Babylon should fall we should do as well as talk. have you got straw enough to supply all the people in this place, said dont let another [p. 159] autumn pass without you get in a supply to keep the little boys and girls imployed during winter evenings for they can do as much as some of the older people. Sisters we have been organizaing little children so as they can be brought up in the spirit of God so that when the[y] are growing up they will not be so likely to go into infidelity we want them to grow up as the Nephites and we want the[m] to grow up with a con[s]cience.

Brigham [Young] said that the sisters could do one thing that he could not do for he had been trying to put down round dancing the young ladies can do it, now sisters we are called to lay up grain for the day of famine we have not as much bread in the Relief Society that would last a week in all the Territory. Let us try to persuade our husbands to allow us to plant beans, some of the breathern laugh at us, there is great importance in raising beans the mice will not eat them some say they will keep a hundred years, who is agoing to gain the reward. Why those who works for it

before I sit down I feel like blessing my sisters in the gift of Tongues I feel to pray for every one of you that you may have the spirit of God to rest down upon you

I wish to say treasure up useful knowlege and read, the book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants.

I reccommend you to pray to know as Peter by revelaton I should like to clothe my self in home made We clothe our selves cheaper in silk than in wooll or cotton said that if we had faith we could raise Mulberry Trees asked the Lord to bless the sisters in their trials Amen. [. . .] [p. 160]

Source Note

Huntsville Ward, Ogden Stake, Relief Society Minutes and Records (1867–1973), vol. 1 (1867–1892), pp. 156–160, CHL (LR 3975 14).

See also “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent 7, no. 19 (1 Mar. 1879): 203.

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14 February 1879, Huntsville Relief Society; Huntsville, Utah Territory, The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow, accessed November 24, 2024 https://chpress-web.churchhistorianspress.org/eliza-r-snow/1870s/1879/02/1879-02-14-b

Footnotes

  1. [1]See “Plural Marriage” in Historical Context.