WOMAN'S POSITION IN THE MORMON CHURCH—GRAND FEMALE ORGANIZATION OF MORMONDOM—THE RELIEF SOCIETY—ITS INCEPTION AT NAUVOO—ITS PRESENT STATUS, AIMS, AND METHODS—FIRST SOCIETY BUILDING—A WOMAN LAYS THE CORNER STONE—DISTINGUISHED WOMEN OF THE VARIOUS SOCIETIES.

The Mormon women, as well as men, hold the priesthood. To all that man attains, in celestial exaltation and glory, woman attains. She is his partner in estate and office.

John the Revelator thus tells the story of the Church of the First Born, in the New Jerusalem, which shall come down out of heaven:

"And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us unto God, by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and nation:

"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

Joseph the Revelator has given a grand supplement to this. He also saw that vast assembly of the New Jerusalem, and heard that song. There was the blessed woman-half of that redeemed throng. The sisters sang unto the honor of the Lamb:

"And thou hast made us unto our God queens and priestesses: and we shall reign on the earth!"

"But this is lowering the theme," says the Gentile Christian; "the theme descends from man—the paragon of excellence—to woman. Enough that she should be implied—her identity and glory absorbed in man's august splendor! Enough, that, for man, woman was created.

Not so the grand economy of Mormonism. In the Mormon temple, woman is not merely implied, but well defined and named. There the theme of the song of the New Jerusalem is faithfully rendered in her personality. If man is anointed priest unto God, woman is anointed priestess; if symboled in his heavenly estate as king, she is also symboled as queen.

Gentile publishers, making a sensational convenience of apostate sisters, have turned this to the popular amusement; but to the faithful Mormon woman it is a very sacred and exalted subject.

But not presuming to more than cross the threshold of the temple, return we now to the Mormon woman in her social sphere and dignity. The grand organization of fifty thousand Mormon women, under the name of "Relief Societies," will sufficiently illustrate woman in the Mormon economy.

The Female Relief Society was organized by the prophet Joseph, at Nauvoo. Here is a minute from his own history:

"Thursday, March 24.—I attended by request the Female Relief Society, whose object is, the relief of the poor, the destitute, the widow, and the orphan, and for the exercise of all benevolent purposes. Its organization was completed this day. Mrs. Emma Smith takes the presidential chair; Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Whitney and Mrs. Sarah M. Cleveland are her councilors; Miss Elvira Cole is treasuress, and our well-known and talented poetess, Miss Eliza R. Snow, secretary. * * * * Our ladies have always been signalized for their acts of benevolence and kindness; but the cruel usage that they have received from the barbarians of Missouri, has hitherto prevented their extending the hand of charity in a conspicuous manner."

On another occasion he says:

"I met the members of the Female Relief Society, and after presiding at the admission of many new members, gave a lecture on the priesthood, showing how the sisters would come in possession of the privileges, blessings, and gifts of the priesthood, and that the signs should follow them, such as healing the sick, casting out devils, etc., and that they might attain unto these blessings by a virtuous life, and conversation, and diligence in keeping all the commandments."

But it is in Utah that we see the growth of this society to a vast woman's organization: an organization which will greatly influence the destiny of Utah, religiously, socially and politically, for the next century, and, presumably, for all time.

From 1846, the time of the exodus from Nauvoo, the Relief Society was inoperative until 1855, when it was re-organized in Salt Lake City.

It is a self-governing body, without a written constitution; but is thoroughly organized, and parliamentary in its proceedings. Each branch adopts measures, makes arrangements, appointments, etc., independently of others. Because of these organizations, Utah has no "poor-houses." Under the kind and sisterly policy of this society the worthy poor feel much less humiliated, and are better supplied, than by any almshouse system extant. By an admirable arrangement, under the form of visiting committees, with well-defined duties, the deserving subjects of charity are seldom, if ever, neglected or overlooked.

Since its revival in Salt Lake City, the society has extended, in branches, from ward to ward of the cities, and from settlement to settlement, in the country, until it numbers considerably over two hundred branches; and, as new settlements are constantly being formed, the number of branches is constantly increasing.

The funds of the society are mostly donations; but many branches have started various industries, from which they realize moderate incomes. Besides stated business meetings each branch has set days on which to work for the benefit of the poor. When the society commenced its labors in Salt Lake City, these industrial meetings would have reminded the observer of the Israelites in Egypt, making "bricks without straw"—the donations consisting of materials for patch-work quilts, rag-carpets, uncarded wool for socks and stockings, etc. (In one well-authenticated instance the hair from slaughtered beeves was gathered, carded—by hand of course, as there were no carding machines in the city at that time—spun, and knit into socks and mittens.) These industrial meetings, to this day, are very interesting, from the varieties of work thus brought into close fellowship.

As fast as may be, the various branches are building for themselves places of meeting, workshops, etc. The first of these buildings was erected by the ladies of the Fifteenth Ward of Salt Lake City. They commenced their labors as above, their first capital stock being donations of pieces for patch-work quilts, carpet-rags, etc. By energy and perseverance, they have sustained their poor, and, in a few years, purchased land and built on it a commodious house.

It should be recorded, as unique in history, that the laying of the corner-stone of this building was performed by the ladies. This ceremony, being unostentatiously performed, was followed by appropriate speechmaking on the part of the presiding officer of the society, Mrs. S. M. Kimball, Eliza R. Snow, and others; each in turn mounting the corner-stone for a rostrum, and each winning deserved applause from the assembled thousands.

No greater tribute could be paid to the ladies of this organization, than the simple statement of the fact that, since its re-establishment, in 1855, the Relief Society has gathered and disbursed over one hundred thousand dollars!

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Mrs. Sarah M. Kimball, who, as President of the Fifteenth Ward Society, sustained the honors of the above occasion, belonged to the original Relief Society in Nauvoo. As elsewhere recorded, she also presided at the grand mass-meeting of the sisters, in Salt Lake City, in 1870, and has repeatedly appeared as a speaker of talent, and as a leader among the women of Utah. Her favorite theme is female suffrage; but she abounds with other progressive ideas, and is a lady of decided character. Her history as a Mormon dates from the earliest rise of the church.

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Mrs. Mary I. Horne, frequently mentioned elsewhere, is the President of the "General Retrenchment Society" of Salt Lake City. (It should be explained that these are auxiliary to the relief societies, and are more especially designed for the organization of the young ladies of Utah.) She is also President of the Fourteenth Ward Relief Society, where frequently the sisters hold something like general conventions of the societies of the city. She may be said to rank, as an organizer, next to President Eliza R. Snow.

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Among those who have earned honorable mention, as presidents of relief societies, and leading officers in the more important movements of the sisters, may be mentioned Sisters Rachel Grant, Agnes Taylor Swartz, Maria Wilcox, Minerva, one of the wives of Erastus Snow, of Southern Utah; Agatha Pratt, Julia Pack, Anna Ivins, Sarah Church, Sister Barney, once a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, and now an active woman at home; Elizabeth Goddard, Hannah Pierce, Rebecca Jones, Jane C. Richardson, Elmira Taylor, Leonora Snow Morley, sister to Lorenzo and Eliza R. Snow: she presided at Brigham City, until her recent death; Mary Ferguson, Sisters Evans, of Lehi; Sister Ezra Benson, Rebecca Wareham, Ruth Tyler, Sisters Hunter, Hardy, and Burton, wives of the presiding bishops; Sister Chase, Sister Lever, Sarah Groo, Sister Layton, wife of Bishop Layton of the battalion; Sister Reed, Mary Ann, one of the wives of Apostle O. Hyde; Sarah Peterson, Ann Bringhurst, Ann Bryant, Helena Madson, M. J. Atwood, Sister Wilde, Caroline Callister, Emma Brown, wife of the man who did the first plowing in the valley, Nancy Wall, founder of Wallsburg; Elizabeth Stickney, Margaret McCullough, Amy Bigler, Elizabeth Brown, Ellen Whiton, P. S. Hart, Ann Tate, Anna Brown, Martha Simons, Jane Simons, Margaret P. Young, M. A. Hubbard, Agnes Douglas, Jane Cahoon, Mary McAllister, Sister Albertson, Pres. in Bear River City; Mary Dewey, M. A. Hardy, Ann Goldsbrough, Mrs. Sarah Williams, and Miss Emily Williams, of Canton, Ill.; Jane Bailey, Jane Bradley, Elizabeth Boyes, Jane M. Howell, D. E. Dudley, Mary Ann Hazon, Mahala Higgins, Jenet Sharp, Lulu Sharp, Jane Price, Ann Daniels, Harriet Burnham, M. C. Morrison, Nellie Hartley, M. A. P. Hyde, Elizabeth Park, Margaret Randall, Elizabeth Wadoup, M. A. Pritchett, M. A. P. Marshall, Sarah S. Taylor, Mary Hutchins, Emily Shirtluff, A. E. H. Hanson, M. J. Crosby, Cordelia Carter, Sarah B. Gibson, Harriet Hardy, Isabella G. Martin, M. A. Boise, Louisa Croshaw, Orissa A. Aldred, Julia Lindsay, C. Liljenquist, Harriet A. Shaw, Ann Lowe, Emma Porter, Mary E. Hall, Lydia Remington, Ellen C. Fuller, Harriet E. Laney, Rebecca Marcham, A. L. Cox, Louisa Taylor, Agnes S. Armstrong, M. A. Hubbard, Mary A. Hunter, M. A. House, Mary Griffin, Jane Godfrey, Lydia Rich, E. E. C. Francis, Lydia Ann Wells, E. M. Merrill, Mary A. Bingham, Hannah Child, M. A. Hardy, Fannie Slaughter, Mary Walker, Ann Hughes, Marian Petersom, Mary Hanson, Aurelia S. Rogers, A. M. Frodsham, Sophronia Martin.

Among the presidents and officers of the Young Ladies' Retrenchment Societies, should be mentioned Mary Freeze, Melissa Lee, Mary Pierce, Clara Stenhouse Young, Sarah Howard, Mary Williams, Elizabeth Thomas, Cornelia Clayton, Sarah Graham, Susannah E. Facer, Emily Richards, Josephine West, Minnie Snow, May Wells, Emily Wells, Annie E. Wells, Maggie J. Reese, Emily Maddison, Hattie Higginson, Mattie Paul, Sarah Russell, Alice M. Rich, Mary E. Manghan, Margaret M. Spencer, Sarah Jane Bullock, Alice M. Tucker, M. Josephine Mulet, M. J. Tanner, Sarah Renshaw, Mary Ann Ward, Lizzie Hawkins, Mary Leaver, Amy Adams, Rebecca Williams, Mary S. Burnham, Emmarett Brown, Mary A. P. Marshall.

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Mrs. Bathsheba Smith, whose name has appeared elsewhere, is apostolic in the movements of the sisterhood, and a priestess of the temple. Mrs. Franklin D. Richards is the most prominent organizer outside of the metropolis of Utah, having Ogden and Weber counties under her direction. Sister Smoot leads at Provo. The silk industries are under the direction of President Zina D. Young. Those sisters who have been most energetic in promoting this important branch of industry, which gives promise of becoming a financial success in Utah, have already earned historic laurels. Of these are Sisters Dunyan, Robison, Carter, Clark, Schettler, and Rockwood. Eliza R. Snow is president, and Priscilla M. Staines vice-president, of the woman's co-operative store, an enterprise designed to foster home manufactures. Thus are the women of Mormondom putting the inchoate State of Deseret under the most complete organization.