[1]Ivy Hooper Blood Hill, ed., Jane Wilkie Hooper Blood Autobiography and Abridged Diary (Logan, UT: J. P. Smith, 1966), 14–19.

[2]Kaysville Ward, North Davis Stake, Kaysville Ward Primary Association Minutes and Records, 1879–1940, CHL, vol. 1, Sept. 18, 1879; “A Statistical and Financial Report of the Relief Society of Kaysville for the Year Ending Mar 31^st 1881,” in Kaysville Ward, North Davis Stake, Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, 1878–1937, CHL, 150.

[3]These organizations generally met on weekdays. Blood’s rare Sunday entries show that she also attended Sunday school with her children and the Saturday and Sunday stake conferences held quarterly. She made no regular note of attending the local Sunday worship service, sacrament meeting, which women with children seem to have attended rather erratically during this period. Latter-day Saints in general did not attend sacrament meetings weekly. “‘Going to meeting’ clearly was not a popular nineteenth century pastime. Part of the problem lay with economics. Frontier scarcity restricted leisure time and therefore church attendance, especially during crisis years like the period after the move south. Moreover, humdrum meetings contributed to the lack of attendance. During the two- and sometimes three-hour worship services, impromptu speakers often preached interminably, often without the virtue of edifying. … Nineteenth-century Mormons simply refused to regard meeting attendance as a serious obligation. While the linking of ‘going to a meeting’ with religiosity surfaced as early as the 1850s, the idea obviously failed to take hold. Instead of gathering at the chapel, the pioneers declared the faith by adopting a life-style that set them apart from the world and put them to work ‘building the kingdom.’” (Ronald W. Walker, “‘Going to Meeting’ in Salt Lake City’s Thirteenth Ward, 1849–1881: A Microanalysis,” in New Views of Mormon History: A Collection of Essays in Honor of Leonard J. Arrington, ed. Davis Bitton and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher [Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987], 154–155.)

[4]See, for example, “Discourse,” Deseret News, Jan. 27, 1858, 372–373; and Document 3.4.

[5]“Culture of Silk,” Deseret News [weekly], Mar. 25, 1868, 52; “Society for Cultivating Silk,” Deseret News [weekly], Nov. 4, 1868, 312.

[6]Deseret Silk Association, Minutes, June 1875–Oct. 1878, CHL, June 14 and 21, 1875, and Jan. 3, 1876; “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent, June 15, 1875, 4:13; Mary Ann Hardy, “Minutes of a Meeting,” Woman’s Exponent, July 15, 1875, 4:27.

[7]“General Conference at St. George,” Woman’s Exponent, Apr. 15, 1877, 5:172.

[8]“Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent, May 1, 1879, 7:234. The following year, the Utah Silk Association was organized. The Deseret Silk Association was an undertaking of the church, while the Utah Silk Association was organized as a for-profit business according to the laws of Utah. (R. Simpson, “Utah Silk Association,” Woman’s Exponent, Jan. 15, 1880, 8:126.)

[9]Hill, Jane Wilkie Hooper Blood Autobiography and Abridged Diary, 27.

[10]At this meeting, Blood donated twenty-five cents and a spool of cotton worth seven cents. (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, May 11, 1880.)

[11]text: The ellipsis points in these excerpts have been supplied by the editors of this volume to indicate omissions from the original journal.

[12]The Kaysville Ward Relief Society minutes date this meeting to May 24. Holmes and Clark were local Relief Society leaders. Clark spoke on the importance of Relief Society meetings and of unity with the Saints. She also “spoke of an old Lamanitish Woman who said she remembered her Grandfather saying, a people would come from the west with a history of their Fathers. Spoke of the purity of some of the Indian Tribes.” Holmes spoke about the importance of acquiring knowledge, raising children to understand the gospel, cultivating silk, and storing grain, commenting, “It is as much a duty to attend to temporal as it is to pray.” (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, May 24, 1880.)

[13]At this meeting Blood donated one package of tea worth twenty-five cents. (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, June 8, 1880.)

[14]For an account of this meeting, see Kaysville Ward Primary Association Minutes and Records, vol. 1, June 12, 1880.

[15]Rhodes (or Rhoades) Valley was the original name of what is today Kamas, Summit County, Utah. (David Hampshire et al., A History of Summit County, Utah Centennial County History Series [Salt Lake City: Utah State Historical Society, 1998], 73–74.)

[16]Silk worms were fed on leaves from mulberry trees, which were imported to Utah for the silk industry. (See Chris Rigby Arrington, “The Finest of Fabrics: Mormon Women and the Silk Industry in Early Utah,” Utah Historical Quarterly 46, no. 4 [Fall 1978]: 376–396.)

[17]Blood spoke at this meeting. (Kaysville Ward Primary Association Minutes and Records, vol. 1, July 31, 1880.)

[18]Likely Lucy Augusta Rice Clark and Nancy Areta Porter Stevenson Clark, both of whom were leaders in the local Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association in this period.

[19]George Q. Cannon won this election for territorial delegate to Congress. (“Territorial Returns,” “Allen G. Campbell’s Protest,” and “The Delegate’s Certificate,” Deseret News [weekly], Dec. 22, 1880, 737, 741, 744.)

[20]Two sessions of the stake conference were held this day. Joseph F. Smith wrote in his journal of the morning session, “I then spoke about 45 minutes and enjoyed much of the good spirit.” He also spoke “about 45 min.” in the afternoon session. (Joseph F. Smith, Journal, in Joseph F. Smith, Papers, 1854–1918, CHL, Dec. 5, 1880.)

[21]Mowrey died from diphtheria. (Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT, Office of Vital Statistics, Death Records of Salt Lake City, Utah, 1848–Sept. 1950, p. 249, microfilm 26,553, U.S. and Canada Record Collection, FHL.)

[22]text: This sentence was written in a different style, probably at a later time.

[23]text: This sentence was written in a different style, probably at a later time.

[24]At this time Blood was serving as treasurer of the Kaysville Ward Relief Society. (“A Statistical and Financial Report,” in Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, p. 150.)

[25]Plants commonly known as “Balm of Gilead” take the name from a balsam tree that produced resin or sap considered to have antiseptic and healing properties. Here the term likely refers to a type of balsam poplar (Populous candicans) that was a fast-growing shade tree often planted by early Utah settlers. (See Jeremiah 8:22; “Balm,” in The Oxford English Dictionary, ed. James A. H. Murray et al., 12 vols., 1933, reprint [Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970], 1:642; and Emily Anne Brooksby Wheeler, “The Solitary Place Shall Be Glad for Them: Understanding and Treating Mormon Pioneer Gardens as Cultural Landscapes” [master’s thesis, Utah State University, 2011], 63, 111.)

[26]The minutes date this third annual conference of the Davis Stake Relief Society to April 23, 1881. Wells stated that she “was pleased to see so many bretheren present. It shows their interest. … The Elders on missions are proud to have the Exponent to exhibit, it proves that we can work, think & write for ourselves.” In the afternoon meeting of the Relief Society, Wells spoke on “industry, home duties, the influence of good books on the mind.” (Davis Stake, Davis Stake Relief Society Minutes and Records, 1878–1915, CHL, Apr. 23, 1881.)

[27]text: The inserted information reflecting her height and weight was written in a different style.

[28]Ann Wilkie Galbraith Hooper (February 18, 1813–February 20, 1875), born at Glasgow, Scotland; died at Hooper, Weber County, Utah. (Hill, Jane Wilkie Hooper Blood Autobiography and Abridged Diary, 13, 20; Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, 4 vols. [Salt Lake City: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, 1998], 2:1410–1411.)

[29]text: A word—possibly “three”—was written and struck through at this point.

[30]Probably Lucy Augusta Rice Clark, Nancy Areta Porter Stevenson Clark, and Mary Stevenson Clark.

[31]At this meeting of the Kaysville Ward Relief Society, Bishop Peter Barton read Mary Ann Cowles Hyde’s letter of resignation. He “said he did not expect to reorganize today, but thought he may as well put a nomination; he put the name of Sarah B. Layton, it was accepted.” Blood kept the minutes of this meeting as secretary pro tem. (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, July 11, 1882.)

[32]The minutes date this meeting to July 17, 1882. After Blood was appointed as first counselor in the ward Relief Society presidency, she resigned her position as treasurer. Blood kept the minutes of this meeting as secretary. (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, July 17, 1882.)

[33]A number of tuition-free parochial schools, staffed by trained teachers from the eastern United States, had been established in Utah. The Deseret News also expressed a lack of trust in parochial schools, opining that their “main object” was to “train up youth in opposition to the ‘Mormon’ religion.” (“Begging for Schools,” Deseret News [weekly], Apr. 26, 1876, 198.)

[34]During this period Snow frequently exhibited a gold watch that Joseph Smith had given her, possibly at the organizational meeting of the Nauvoo Relief Society. One of the many accounts of interacting with this watch comes from a recollection of Mary Belnap Lowe, who handled the watch as a child: “One particular instance was in the present Ogden Tabernacle. [Snow] kept it fastened on a long cold [gold] chain about her neck, with the watch in a side pocket. We children were attending a primary convention … and Sister Snow told the children to march single file in front of the pulpit where she stood and handle it, so that they would remember that it was Joseph Smith’s own watch.” (Jennifer Reeder, “Eliza R. Snow and the Prophet’s Gold Watch: Time Keeper as Relic,” Journal of Mormon History 31, no. 1 [Spring 2005]: 119–141; Mary B. Lowe, Statement, May 12, 1941, typescript, CHL.)

[35]Barton served as a counselor to Blood in the Kaysville Ward Primary. (Kaysville Ward Primary Association Minutes and Records, vol. 1, Sept. 18, 1879.)

[36]Burton died on August 19, 1882. (“Burton, Clara,” Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, Cemeteries and Burials Database, accessed Apr. 6, 2015, http://utahdcc.force.com/burials.)

[37]See Document 4.19.

[38]text: The last part of this word appears to run off the edge of the page.

[39]The meeting of the Kaysville Ward Relief Society also included speeches, bearing of testimonies, and singing of hymns. Blood kept the minutes. (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, May 22, 1883.)

[40]The minutes of the Davis Stake Relief Society record the date of this stake Relief Society conference as July 27, 1883. Both Snow and Young spoke in the morning and afternoon sessions of the conference. In the morning, Snow “made interesting remarks concerning the Holy Ghost said we should have it for our constant companion the nearer we draw to God the nearer he condesends to us We should always cultivate and encourage the spirit of God. And if at any time we desire to speak of the goodness of God we should not let any evil influence bind us to our seats Prayed God to bless us all.” In the afternoon session, Young addressed the “Primary children that were present related several interesting circumstances where the sick were healed by the power of faith.” Snow encouraged the women to “take advantage of the limited privelege we enjoy Politically” and encouraged them to support the Woman’s Exponent, as it was their only way to “speak through to the world.” She “bore a faithful testimony to Plural Marriage gave some good instruction in regard to it related her experience.” (Davis Stake Relief Society Minutes and Records, July 27, 1883.)

[41]The minutes record that at the end of the conference, “Sister Snow then blessed us all in tongues the interpretation was given by sister Zina Young.” (Davis Stake Relief Society Minutes and Records, July 27, 1883.)

[42]Hymn 152, Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs. For the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 12th ed. (Liverpool: George Q. Cannon; London: L. D. Saints’ Book Depot, 1863), 166.

[43]Eliza R. Snow often participated in use of the gift of tongues. In January 1878 she stated, “In the early days of the Church, the young took delight in the work, and it was no uncommon thing for the children to speak in tongues, and have the blessings of the Gospel poured upon them.” After President John Taylor set apart Snow and her counselors in the general Relief Society presidency, “Sister [Elizabeth Ann] Whitney than sang one of her sweet songs of Zion in the language which was spoken and sung (the Prophet Joseph Smith said) by our first parents in the Garden of Eden. Sister Snow explained that Joseph Smith told Mother Whitney ‘If she would use the gift with wisdom it should remain with her as long as she lived.’ Sister Zina then gave the interpretation.” (“R.S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent, Feb. 15, 1878, 6:138; “R. S. Reports,” Woman’s Exponent, Sept. 1, 1880, 9:[53]–54; see also Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, ed., The Personal Writings of Eliza Roxcy Snow, Life Writings of Frontier Women 5 [Logan: Utah State University Press, 2000], 151, 178–179, 183–185.)

[44]The Book of Mormon spoke of the gospel being preached to the Lamanites: “And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Church members believed that American Indians were descendants of the Lamanites. Many American Indians in Utah Territory had been baptized into the church, and a few began to hold leadership positions in the Relief Society. The Relief Society in Thistle Valley was reorganized in the summer of 1880, and “a native woman … was elected second counselor.” In May 1883 an Indian woman named Cohn was selected as a counselor in a Relief Society in Box Elder County. (2 Nephi 30:5; “Visit to Sanpete—Notes by the Way,” Woman’s Exponent, Aug. 15, 1880, 9:44–45; “An Interesting Trip,” Woman’s Exponent, July 1, 1883, 12:20–21; see also Document 4.7.)

[45]The Kaysville Ward Relief Society minutes record her comments: “Sister J. W. Blood said we should not look on the dark side I hope we will try and over come these feelings. I think we should feel thankful for the Blessings we enjoy.” (Kaysville Ward Relief Society Minutes and Records, vol. 1, Sept. 25, 1883.)

[46]Joseph F. Smith was born November 13, 1838, shortly after his father and uncle, Hyrum and Joseph Smith, were arrested in Far West, Missouri. On December 1 they were imprisoned in Liberty, Missouri, with other Mormon leaders. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Life of Joseph F. Smith, Sixth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1938], 117, 123–124.)

[47]The September 30, 1883, entry continues for two paragraphs after this point.