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- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published a book with Eliza R. Snow's discourses.
- Editors selected 52 discourses from nearly 1,300 found, highlighting timeless themes including trusting God through trials.
- Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency, emphasized the relevance of Eliza R. Snow's words for church members today.
SALT LAKE CITY — After looking at hundreds of records of Eliza R. Snow's messages to early church members, historians with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say her messages are very applicable today.
Elizabeth Kuehn said she addressed the same things a modern Relief Society president might have concerns with, like a lack of attendance or struggles to build unity. She hopes Eliza R. Snow's words help people find common ground within the gospel.
"She just saw a beautiful purpose for women in the church. ... Eliza said if you are front and center, you are doing the work of Zion. If you are in your homes, washing dishes, taking care of children, that's the work of Zion, too."
Kuehn is one of four editors of a book announced by the church on Tuesday called "Rise Up and Speak: Selected discourses of Eliza R. Snow," which was published by the Church Historian's Press.
Treasure
"Her words have power and strength. The articulateness of heaven was with her, was a gift that God gave her for the mission that she was sent to do," Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, said at a press event about Snow.
She thanked those involved in publishing the book for their efforts to make Snow's words available. Sister Yee said the new book, along with a few other recent books about women in the early church, are a "treasure trove." She said they testify of Christ and are so relevant to modern church members.
"Just like scripture, when we read how they did it and how they turned to him, we can learn to do it ourselves in our own lives," she said.
Sister Yee said Snow beautifully taught that the Relief Society organization exists within the priesthood, and after the pattern of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Quoting Snow, she said, "This organization is a portion of the holy priesthood."
"She spoke as a devoted disciple of the Savior, and she spoke by the Spirit, and she encouraged all women to do the same, and we do the same today. The work that Eliza talked about are the works that we do today as sisters in Relief Society. It tells me this work is eternally relevant," she said.
The stories, disappointments and faith of the Relief Society sisters in the book are the same as those of sisters today, said Sister Yee, who encouraged women in the church to start reading the book and bring a pen to highlight what stands out.
"She wasn't hesitant to say what the internal nature of sons and daughters of God are, that we are to become priests and priestesses, gods and goddesses. That was important, it is important to understand in our journey because it changes how we do things and why we do things," she said.
The discourses
Sharalyn Howcroft, another editor, said they chose discourses that most effectively captured Snow's words, looking for themes. The editors wanted readers to get a sense of the "breadth and trajectory" of her work in the church. The discourses come from "rigorous speaking tours" where Snow traveled by train and wagon.
"She spoke to multiple organizations, sometimes all in one day. This woman did not know the meaning of rest. Her devotion to the cause of Christ and her duty to build up organizations remained firmly fixed in her mind from the time Brigham Young called her to reorganize relief societies in 1868 until her death in 1887," Howcroft said.
The discourses include messages about overcoming trials, the divine role of women, how women should care for each other and unity. Howcroft said the topics of her discourses "transcend her time."
She quoted Snow saying, "There is no such thing as being perfected alone," and, "Let us always acknowledge the hand of God in all our trials, knowing that he is a kind, merciful father."
Kuehn said church members can learn from the testimonies of women in the early days of the church, which stayed strong despite challenges. She said men's voices can sometimes seem distant, but women like Eliza R. Snow can be more vulnerable. She said they speak from the heart.
She said Snow cared deeply about helping young women and encouraged them to read the book as well.
An elect lady
Elder Kyle S. McKay, church historian and recorder, called Snow an "elect lady." He talked about a time when she was asked to preside over the sisters' work at the endowment house, even though her health was not great. He said she told Brigham Young about her health concerns and he said her health would improve if she accepted the call, and it did.
"This is a woman who accepted the call time and time again," he said.
Jennifer Reeder, one of the book's editors, said Snow joined the church in 1835, a few years after Joseph Smith visited her family's home. Her brother and future church leader, Lorenzo Snow, would join the church after her. She was a founding member and secretary of the Relief Society in Nauvoo and carried the minutes from their meetings across the plains, later using them to help establish local relief societies.
She said Snow was involved not just in organizing relief societies but also Young Women's and Primary organizations.
Editors selected 52 discourses from almost 1,300 discourses they found and added introductions and annotations. The remaining discourses can be found online. Reeder said compiling this book required looking through 480,000 pages of cursive, the Women's Exponent newspaper and personal journals and books.
