Nineteenth-century counsel to Primary teachers shows the respect that generation held for a prominent woman in the church.
An 1890 "Juvenile Instructor" encouraged a reverence for the Prophet Joseph Smith, Sister Eliza R. Snow, and the Holy Priesthood."
"That gives you a sense of the esteem in which that generation held her. She was a remarkable woman that made a singular contribution," said Jill Mulvay Derr, senior research historian in answer to a question asked at the Women's History Lecture Series on Thursday at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Although Eliza R. Snow is primarily known as a writer, having written many hymns and more than 500 poems, she was also a powerful leader in the LDS Church's women's organizations. However, Thursday night's lecture focused on a different roles of Eliza's — the roles of wife, sister and aunt.
On Oct. 3, 1844, Eliza R. Snow was sealed to Brigham Young for time (or mortal life) during a private ceremony.
"It's really hard to tell how much time they spent together or what the nature of their relationship was simply because we have so few documents.
When people live right next door to each other, they don't write letters very much, and Eliza apparently was not keeping a diary at this time," Derr said.
Eliza never took Brigham Young's name. However, they were fiercely loyal to each other and worked hard together and were totally committed in establishing the kingdom of God. It was said that Brigham Young valued Eliza's opinion greatly and called on her to do many great works.
When they gave marital advice, they confessed to the challenges in marriage.
"Where is the man who has wives, and all of them think he is doing just right by them? I do not know such a man. I know it is not your humble servant," Derr quoted of Brigham Young.
Eliza was quoted to say, "Who can try a wife like a husband."
Eliza talked about Brigham's other wives as her female family and cherished sisters. They cared for each other and helped lift each other up.
"These wives were very close. Over the years Eliza associated with the children of these women and had close relationships with them as their aunt," Derr said.
The children recorded their feelings of Eliza, giving a different perspective on her role as their aunt.
"No one at the house appealed to me more greatly than Aunt Eliza. She had the most honored place in our household and indeed in the whole community. She was slight and fragile and always immaculate in dress," one of the children wrote.
"The whole essence of her personality was peace and self control. Strife, petty contention, envy, malice and worldliness fled from her presence," Derr quoted from journals about Eliza.
Derr finished by saying, "Eliza Snow was part of a covenant family. Bound to God and to one another by covenant, they became part of a covenant community. She would always be a Snow, but she felt honored and blessed to be among the young family members — many of whom she wrote, "seemed dearer to me than life."
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