She was a patriot, supporter of plural marriage and a supporter of women's suffrage. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. What I discovered is that I am not drawn to the poetry of Eliza R. Snow. Eliza was a community organizer like no other, traveling throughout the west to organize both the LDS Relief Society and the LDS Primary before she was through. These marriages were generally time only, where they remained sealed to Joseph. EUza R. Snow's journey to a personal integration of those truths led to her writing of the hymn and later to her discovery that those truths could be drawn upon to lift up herself and her sisters. It was a bit disappointing. I'm sure it was a great comfort to her in her childless years to be able to be around and influencing so many youngsters. As we know later she married Brigham Young, as a plural wife or for time who knows. One of the most amazing things about her is that she was well educated in a time when women really weren't educated, it was just something that was important to her and to her parents for her to be educated. Undaunted she forged ahead and she is recognized as the most important and influential female in the history of the Latter Day Saint Church. The church went on the defense. I am a little bit obsessed with Eliza R Snow. I knew a little about her and always wanted to know more. That allowed her to work as a teacher first in Kirtland, later in Nauvoo and Salt Lake City. The library is located at 15 East North Temple Street in downtown Salt Lake City. It didn't delve deeply into her life story at all. There are so many contradictions in her life a lonely woman in a religion that taught plural marriage, a childless woman starting one of the largest childrens organizations in the world, a poet in the rough and tumble Utah frontier of the 1800s. However, with that said, she definitely was much more than a poetess. These are jus. How did she summon so much strength in the face of all of the hard times? That allowed her to work as a teacher first in Kirtland, later in Nauvoo and Salt Lake City. She not only had an amazing gift with the written word (some of her poems were over my head but others were truly inspired and touched my heart), but she also was a powerful speaker and leader and woman of God. Additionally, critics of Joseph Smith and the church like to approach polygamy with a pre-assumed motivation of lechery. How did she go on? It felt more like a report than a book: just lots of facts mingled with her poetry. As we know later she married Brigham Young, as a plural wife or for time who knows. For example, when Eliza felt ill with chills and fever, shortly after she arrived at Winter Quarters, Mary Ann Angel Young was among those who nursed her back to health. In a Sept. 9 lecture, historian Jill Mulvay Derr presented an unusually intimate view of Sister Snow as a "wife, sister and aunt." I feel inspired to be more faithful, selfless, and courageous, and in my small way help to carry on her work. I also really liked how the authors used a lot of Snow's poetry for insight into her thoughts and feelings. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Was it against the law to practice polygamy when the Mormons began doing it? She's known as Zion's Poetess because of her beautiful poetry. This book was a fantastic overview of her life through her associations with others and through her poetry. They were both totally committed to building the kingdom of God, Sister Derr said. Eliza R. Snow, Mormon pioneer poet, hymn text writer and leader of women's Church auxiliary organizations, seems almost bigger than life because of her lasting impact on LDS history and culture. This website is not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (sometimes called the Mormon or LDS Church). All references in support of the ideas given here could be found therein. There is no concrete evidence of sexual relations between Joseph and his wives. No matter what this woman went through, she always kept a positive attitude. First, this book is aesthetically very beautiful. An angel with a sword (perhaps flaming) appeared to Joseph and commanded him to live polygamy or he would be destroyed. While riding, sewing, ironing, cooking, picking currants and even submitting her diary to assist in making up the history of the camp for Winter Quarters, Eliza traveled to the Salt Lake Valley and there took charge of her life, despite the fact that she had continuing ill health for much of this trip.". This book was just not my favorite and it made me want to seek out another biography on this great woman. She is a woman whose life, faith, dedication, creativity, wisdom, and strength have always intrigued me. The Church News is an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are also third hand, hearsay type witnesses aplenty, but they are, obviously, less reliable. Most of my current thinking and support about Joseph Smiths plural marriages comes from the three volume set by Brian C. Hales entitledJoseph Smiths Polygamy Vol 1-3. Then things got even more confusing. But Sister Derr spoke of a different role for Eliza R. Snow, one she introduced by citing a poem she wrote, written for little Charlotte Talula, daughter of Brigham and Clarissa Decker Young, about the death of a friend, Mamie Tracy. There are so many contradictions in her life a lonely woman in a religion that taught plural marriage, a childless woman starting one of the largest childrens organizations in the world, a poet in the rough and tumble Utah frontier of the 1800s. Eliza closed a letter of April 3, 1865, by quoting President Young's words, "I am here full of faith, and the kingdom is moving on. John C. Bennett was eventually excommunicated for adultery, and he turned against Joseph and the church. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Eliza Roxcy Snow is one of the best known LDS woman pioneers. She led an amazing life, much of which is recorded very objectively. Eliza is a personal hero of mine a strong pioneer Mormon woman alone on the plains -- and this was a book that taught me new things about her. We can surmise based on the information we do have, and we can interpret that information based on our belief concerning the truthfulness of the restored gospel. She was fondly known as "Zion's Poetess" and also as "Presidentess," because of her leadership of Relief Society and her role in forming and directing organizations for young women and children. However, with that said, she definitely was much more than a poetess. Obviously this doesnt prove anything, but it does present a different story especially when coupled with a few other interesting things. Books You Wish Your Library Had that They Don't, Mariah Carey Is Telling Her Own Story (and Recommending Books). Thank goodness Eliza was there to write about the pioneers journey across the plains: It is a growling, grumbling, devilish, sickly time with us now I hope never to see another week like the past oneHave been a little at loss how to do, but conclude to see the game thro and enjoy the scenery. Really? I loved reading her poetry and being inspired by the way it expanded my horizons and vision. I knew she wrote the words to several LDS hymns and was the second general president of the Relief Society but now I know many more things about her life and feel she deserves great reverence. This was it. Her presentation, subtitled "Eliza R. Snow in the Family of Brigham Young," explored her family relationships after she became one of President Young's wives in 1844 and thus became part of his extensive household. Help me understand how a woman who obviously had inconsistencies could have been a leader in the church. The level of faith and optimism that she maintained throughout her life (a life that was anything but easy) is something to inspire any Christian or even believing religious person. When that goes up, we shall go up with it.". Some of her poems are so beautiful--and her hint that "I've a mother there"--make me feel there was so much more to Eliza that we, as modern women would have benefited from learning about. Eliza R. Snow as wife, sister, aunt was the subject of lecture by Jill Mulvay Derr, senior research historian at Church History Department, given Sept. 9 at the Church History Library, part of the Womens History Lecture Series. I wanted to give credit up front for these ideas. We cannot fully understand her. First hand witnesses exist meaning some of Josephs wives testified directly that they lived as man and wife in the truest sense of the word with him, as well as second hand witnesses those who claimed Joseph had spent the night with one of his wives at their homes and the like. This book gave a good glimpse into the life of Eliza R. Snow. There are a variety of theories. This was a great bio about her life and her testimony. How I wish there was so much more! I appreciated that the authors' research was solid and thorough, and the tone was accessible. I enjoyed this book about the life of Eliza R. Snow. The level of faith and optimism that she maintained throughout her life (a life that was anything but easy) is something to inspire any Christian or even believing religious person. Then things got even more confusing. There can be little doubt that she was very aware by the end of Josephs life. In other words, it was an excuse for adultery. And I grew tired of the poetry and found myself skipping it; her hymns were her best work. I just did not like the way this was written. After reading "Daughters in My Kingdom" recently, I had a strong desire to learn more about Eliza R. Snow. Its full color with many photos, paintings, and pictures of artifacts. I try to read everything written by these two authors for clarity and discernment when it comes the life and writings of Eliza R Snow. 'Eliza: The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow' is a beautiful book. Are chakras, crystal healing and the third eye Satanic. Copyright 2020 Deseret News Publishing Company. Refresh and try again. I've always wanted to learn more about Eliza R Snow. I wanted her feelings, her experiences -- that wasn't there at all for me. 'Eliza: The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow' is a beautiful book. We dont know exactly where he got the idea, perhaps from rumors, but he started secretly introducing the idea of spiritual wives around the community. I enjoyed this book about the life of Eliza R. Snow. As she did for Joseph Smith she wrote many poems in support of President Young, 29 to be exact. It was a bit disappointing. And I grew tired of the poetry and found myself skipping it; her hymns were her best work. No real reason except that it was just used a lot in this book and it bugged me.) This concept was that a man could have spiritual wives that he was not married to in life, but he was free to have physical relations with them. I was also impressed with how much she accomplished, set in motion, and made decisions about in a day and age when the voice and counsel of women was not as highly valued or sought after as it is today. I especially loved reading about the power and influence she had during a time in history when women didn't seem to have as much power and influence. So I got online and went to Wikipedia, looked up Eliza R. Snow and read some of her history. It felt more like a report than a book: just lots of facts mingled with her poetry. I loved seeing how the programs she set in place and the vision she had about building the kingdom of God still impact my life todayas well as the lives of every man, woman, and child in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since. However, this may be due the limited information available on her true feelings and daily life. It says she married Joseph on June 29 1842 even writing fondly of Joseph my beloved husband, the choice of my heart and the crown of my life, then later that year she started a petition trying to restore his virtue and denying that he was a polygamist. She led an amazing life, much of which is recorded very objectively. Are what these writers have written about the last days legit? I feel bad only giving this book two stars, but was just okay. We hear stories of her faith and strength, and we sing her beloved hymns. Beautiful illustrations and artfully designed text. But not if we understand that the sealings that had taken place before that were to women already married to other men, with a good indication that they were only eternity sealings and not time marriages. It also needs to be taken into account that those who accepted plural marriage as Gods law would have believed it to be absolutely and completely virtuous. Then theres the whole Joseph Smith possibly being sealed to woman who were married to living menI find this topic somewhat troubling because in my mind if the men and women who founded the church were living unworthily how could they have received inspiration from Heavenly Father. photo courtesy The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints Celebrated poet Eliza R. Snow posed for this photo in 1866, two Eliza R. Snow. I loved reading about her life and faithful years of service and dedication to the cause of Zion--her zeal and dedication never wavered, even in old age. She was married and sealed to Joseph Smith. Eliza R. Snow is an amazing and strong woman in every way. He either did as he was commanded by God or he did not. Thoroughly enjoyable. Eliza R Snow was a strong woman and I wanted to learn about her life. For example, it resolved her reaction to polygamy ("very repugnant to my feelings") in a single sentence. It wasn't too in-depth or scholarly (although the writers are both Eliza R. Snow scholars), but was a good length and a very pretty book. Jill Mulvay Derr and Karen Lynn Davidson have done a masterful job of weaving the poetry and hymns of ERS into her life story. The lectures begin at 7 p.m. I looked over other reviews and I wanted to know more as well. I would still highly recommend this book though; it was informative, touching, sad at times and very inspiring. What I discovered is that I am not drawn to the poetry of Eliza R. Snow. We can also presume that it was meant as a trial of faith. President Young and Sister Snow, married for 33 years, had a relationship with a variety of facets, Sister Derr said. I know that she was known as Zions Poet, but I dont enjoy poetry, and there was a lot included. If you haven't heard of record-smashing singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, is there any hope for you? To see what your friends thought of this book, Eliza, The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow. In her almost 84 years she accomplished so much. After reading "Daughters in My Kingdom" recently, I had a strong desire to learn more about Eliza R. Snow. These questions and more are answered for me in this book. Eliza is a personal hero of mine a strong pioneer Mormon woman alone on the plains -- and this was a book that taught me new things about her. Though as I read, I wished that the authors had included more details about her life in addition to her writings; however, in looking at the sources they used and trying to find other books about her to read, it would appear that those details may not be available. Her tremendous faith is inspiring. Two other lectures are scheduled in the series, one for Oct. 14 by historian Britney A. Chapman, "The Travels of Ruth May Fox for the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association, 1898-1956"; and the other for Nov. 11, "Emma Smith in the Aftermath of the Martyrdom." This book was pretty superficial and mostly just contained the historical sketches that I already knew (I wanted to know how she dealt with her struggles, how she felt about her husbands, etc.). And I felt inspired to work my buns off to serve and teach even when I'm 80 years old. Eliza wrote 500 poems and many hymns, crossed the plains in near poverty, helped re-establish ward Relief Society's, helped organize the Young Ladies Retrenchment Society and the Primary Association, worked in the Endowment House and St. George Temple, traveled to Europe and Palestine, and served as general president of the Relief Society at age 76. Beautiful illustrations and artfully designed text. Why was polygamy prohibited in the Book of Mormon but authorized later? The background and details of the pages are lovely. What is interesting to note is that there are no first or second hand witnesses of Joseph being involved physically with any of his wives that were married to other men except two and those two have explanations that involve things like their legal husbands having run off and left them, and the like. When Eliza Snow produced a variety of means to restore Josephs virtue by way of petition and affidavit and the like, there was some pretty interesting stuff happening by way of the man John C. Bennett. She was quite the lady. Now I know so much more and I am amazed by her life. I know she wrote many of they hymns in the hymnbook, but who was she really? "And she did prove worthy of his trust. This biography taught me a lot but doesnt seem like the deepest biography, it emphasized her poetry a lot. Eliza Roxcy Snow is one of the best known LDS woman pioneers. As you can see, the story of polygamy is not a simple one. It says she married Joseph on June 29 1842 even writing fondly of Joseph my beloved husband, the choice of my heart and the crown of my life, then later that year she started a petition trying to restore his virtue and denying that he was a polygamist. Every evidence we have is by way of witness. So I got online and went to Wikipedia, looked up Eliza R. Snow and read some of her history. Be the first to ask a question about Eliza, The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow. She was an amazing woman but in many aspects-still an enigma. The book is not a deep biographical piece, but more of a scrapbook of her life, including poems, photos, narrative and ephemera. How does the pianist/organist know what to play for the introduction? Sister Snow was called by President Young in 1868 to work with bishops in the territory to re-establish the Relief Society, which she did by visiting Mormon settlements. It seems that perhaps Joseph, in struggling to comply with the principle, and in a potential effort to comply without hurting his wife Emma, may have joined into sealings with women who were married to other men in order to not have the need for physical relations with them, and in order to appease Emmas difficulty with the concept. Plural marriage Follow the Lord or laws of the land? That got me curious as I had previously thought that there was no confirmed plural wives of Joseph Smith Jr. and that even Emma had stated on her death bed that he was not a polygamist. There is much to admire here. Almost all of the literature produced at this time that seems to be anti-polygamy was a direct defense against John C. Bennetts lies. The story of her life is so dang impressive and inspiring, and this was a joy to read. The graphics are lovely - reminded me of the Daughters in My Kingdom book. I really enjoyed this. But this biography of Eliza R. Snow was well done. We dont know for sure what her motivations were. The thing is, the third appearance of this angel (the time where he had the sword and threatened) was actually after Joseph had already married several polygamous wives? Before reading this book all I could tell you about Eliza was that she was a poet who wrote one of my favorite hymns, "Oh My Father" and that she had something to do with relief society early on. Seems odd, right? Start by marking Eliza, The Life and Faith of Eliza R. Snow as Want to Read: Error rating book. A very remarkable woman! She had her hand in the organization of not only Relief Society but also Young Women and Primary. This book was pretty superficial and mostly just contained the historical sketches that I already knew (I wanted to know how she dealt with her struggles, how she felt about her husbands, etc.). I concur with a lot of the other reviews: I've always loved learning about Eliza R Snow, especially given her life's path that was quite different from the typical Mormon housewife - childless, plural wife, etc. (sidenote: I also realized I don't like the word "poetess". I have always had a special place in my heart for Eliza, but never more so than after our trip to Nauvoo last summer. I am not a big fan of poetry in general, but some of her poems became hymns that we still sing today. This biography taught me a lot but doesnt seem like the deepest biography, it emphasized her poetry a lot. There is a great deal of evidence supporting the fact that Joseph had plural wives. I discovered some new Eliza poems that delighted me, and I especially loved reading about her connection with Utahs Dixie. She cited one such poem, written to the Latter-day Saints, that concluded, "And the blessings of heaven will attend you, both in time and eternity, If you strictly adhere to the counsel of Brigham and Heber C.", Eliza's diary, kept while the saints were crossing the plains to the Salt Lake Valley, reflects Eliza's relationship with President Young as a provider and protector who "both arranged for her support and expressed confidence in her ability to act independently," Sister Derr said. Wed love your help. I learned a lot about Eliza Snow that I didn't previously know. This allowed her to be a surrogate mother to many children when she was unable to have children of her own. Now I know why. But it is complex, and understanding it, even to the limited extent that we can, takes a great amount of learning and understanding. Undaunted she forged ahead and she is recognized as the most important and influential female in the histor. Eliza was depicted in the pageant that the LDS Church puts on in Nauvoo very prominently. I needed a book about a tough woman who knew how to use her voice and be heard. Oh how I wanted to like this book! Then theres the whole Joseph Smith possibly being sealed to woman who were married to living menI find this topic somewhat troubling because in my mind if the men and women who founded the church were living unworthily how could they have received inspiration from Heavenly Father. I found this a rather "old style" biography. We learn of her hardships, her experiences and accomplishments; however, we never get to know the emotional aspects of her life. I wanted her feelings, her experiences -- that wasn't there at all for me. She was fondly known as "Zion's Poetess" and also as "Presidentess," because of her leadership of Relief Society and her role in forming and directing organizations for young women and ch. In short, Bennett claimed Joseph was an adulterer. I would like to read another biography on Eliza that focuses more deeply on her life events.