Belle S. Spafford

Belle Smith Spafford was the ninth General President of the Relief Society.

Early Life

Belle was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to John Gibson Smith and Hester Sims Smith. She was youngest of their seven children. Belle's father died before she was born, and her widowed mother raised the family to value frugality and independance.

Belle graduated from the Normal School at the University of Utah. She later studied at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where she also worked as a special instructor in remedial work for disabled children. Following her marriage to Willis Earl Spafford in 1921, Belle continued working at BYU for some time. This experience gave her a great sympathy for the less fortunate, and Belle used her talents to direct social service programs for the Relief Society in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Among the services Belle over saw were programs for unwed mothers, adoptive services, care for neglected children, and youth guidance services. Belle also participated in the Church's Native American foster care program.

Church Service

After moving to Salt Lake City in 1935, Belle was named a member of the General Relief Society board. Not long afterwards, she became editor of The Relief Society Magazine. Ten years later in 1945, Belle was called as General President of the Relief Society.

Awards and Recognition

Belle S. Spafford received a number of recognitions and awards during her lifetime:

• Member, National Advisory Committee to the White House Conference on Aging, January 1961
• Second Vice-President, National Council of Women of the United States,

Sources

• Spafford, Belle S., Women in Today's World, Deseret Book Publishing Company, 1971, ISBN 87747-452-4