Eliza R. Snow

Eliza R. Snow was the second General President of the Relief Society. Called "Zion's Poetess," Eliza is responsible for several hymns in the present day LDS hymnal and was one of the most celebrated Mormon women of the ninteenth century.

Early Life

Eliza Rocxy Snow was born in Becket, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA on January 21, 1804. She was the second of seven children born to Oliver Snow and Rosetta Pettibone Snow. As a young woman Eliza worked as a seamstress, secretary, and schoolteacher. Between 1826 and 1832 she published more than twenty poems in Ohio newspapers using various pen names.

Joseph Smith, Jr. visited the Snow home in 1831 and baptized Eliza's mother and sister, Leonora that year. Eliza was not as hasty to join the fledgling Church. After much deliberation, Eliza was baptized on April 5, 1835, and moved to Kirtland, Ohio, in December to be with the saints. In Kirtland, Eliza lived with Joseph and Emma Hale Smith working as their family school teacher. She also composed two hymns for Emma's new hymnal.

Eliza again moved with her family to Missouri in June 1836. The family had been there only nine months when persecution drove the family to Illinois. Eliza was named "Zion's Poetess" by Joseph Smith, Jr., and was a frequent contributor to Nauvoo publications. She again lived in the Smith household as a teacher from August 1842 to February 1843.

Initially repelled by polygamy Eliza became to esteem it as a divine principle. She was a plural wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. (June 29, 1842), and after his death, became the wife of Brigham Young (October 3, 1844). Emma remained childless thoughout her life.

Eliza was selected as first secretary of the Nauvoo Female Relief Society. Departing March 4, 1846, she carried the records of those meetings with her on the long journey west with the Saints, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah, safely on October 2, 1847. Eliza lived with her husband, Brigham, and several other wives in the Lion House. After his death, she used her first husband's name and went by Eliza R. Snow Smith from 1880 until her death on December 5, 1887.

As a side note, Eliza's brother Lorenzo Snow became fifth prophet of the Church.

Reorganizing Relief Society

The impending completion of the transcontinental railroad threatened Mormon economy. Fearing that incursion of non-Mormons coming by rail to Salt Lake City would threaten the Saints economic self-sufficiency, Brigham Young proposed that organizing women to sew and wear their own clothing would help the Saints retain the safety of financial independance.

Eliza was called by Brigham Young to help bishops reorganize Relief Societies in 1866. She traveled all over Utah encouraging sisters and helping them arrange cooperatives to sell their goods. Brigham said:

"There is an immense amount of talent, and I may say of real sound statesmanship within a community of ladies; and if they would only train their minds and exercise the rights and privileges that are legitimately theirs ... they would find that they have an immense amount of influence on guiding, directing, and controlling human affairs." (Derr, Cannon, Beecher. Women of Covenant, page 87)

Initially, the entrance of women into commerce caused some male Church leaders to be upset. Brigham Young responded to the criticism by saying "he had asked his brethren to open cooperative stores in their wards, and as they did not do it, he turned around and asked the sisters knowing that they would do it." (Derr, Cannon, Beecher. Women of Covenant, page 97) As always, men and women were expected to cooperate in unity toward a common goal; in this case, the goal was full economic self-sufficiency.

Though she was not set apart as General Relief Society President until 1880, Eliza served in that capacity from 1867 on.

Hymns

The following hymns in the current LDS hymnal feature lyrics by Eliza R Snow:

• Hymn 17 - "Awake, Ye Saints of God, Awake!"
• Hymn 77 - "Great Is the Lord"
• Hymn 122 - "Though Deepening Trials"
• Hymn 186 - "Again We Meet around the Board"
• Hymn 191 - "Behold the Great Redeemer Die"
• Hymn 195 - "How Great the Wisdom and the Love"
• Hymn 266 - "The Time Is Far Spent"
• Hymn 273 - "Truth Reflects upon Our Senses"
• Hymn 292 - "O My Father"
• Hymn 307 - "In Our Lovely Deseret"

O My Father

This poem has been considered one of Eliza's finest works. Among the expansive ideas it describes briefly the logical way she came to an understanding that Heavenly Father must also have a wife.

O my Father, thou that dwellest

In the high and glorious place,

When shall I regain thy presence

And again behold thy face?

In thy holy habitation,

Did my spirit once reside?

In my first primeval childhood

Was I nurtured near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose

Thou hast placed me here on earth

And withheld the recollection

Of my former friends and birth;

Yet ofttimes a secret something

Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,”

And I felt that I had wandered

From a more exalted sphere.

I had learned to call thee Father,

Thru thy Spirit from on high,

But, until the key of knowledge

Was restored, I knew not why.

In the heav’ns are parents single?

No, the thought makes reason stare!

Truth is reason; truth eternal

Tells me I’ve a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high?

Then, at length, when I’ve completed

All you sent me forth to do,

With your mutual approbation

Let me come and dwell with you.

Other Accomplishments

Eliza was instrumental in the organization of the Retrenchment Association for Young Ladies and Primary Association in addition to her work with the Relief Society. She also directed ordinance work in the Endowment House.

Eliza wrote two volumes of poetry for publication. She assisted in the founding of a literary society.

References

• Derr, Jill Mulvay. "Encyclopedia of LDS History: Snow, Eliza R."
• Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1985.
• Derr, Cannon, and Beecher; Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society; Deseret Book Company; 1992; pps 83-126. ISBN 0-87579-593-5