Belle must have been a very likable woman. Many women have hang-ups about power, authority, competition, but it doesn’t appear Belle suffered from anything like that. Mostly, she just wanted to keep a low profile, but when forced into position, tackled it with humility.

Marion Isabelle Sims Smith was the youngest of seven children. Her mother was actually pregnant with her when her father died. All through her growing up years though, her mother established the teaching that their father was always watching over them; and that they had ready access to Heavenly Father, as well as their Bishop. And as the young boys grew and received the Priesthood, their mother allowed them the proper authority for their age and station.

Always known as Belle, she learned the difference between thrifty and stingy from her mother. It was wise to be thrifty, but it was important to look at the circumstance and make the best choice. One example is when the better choice was to make a beautiful prom dress and borrow a needed textbook from the library for that year.  And it was more important to drop everything in Salt Lake City, and move to Provo to help her older sister raise her family at the death of her husband. 

Belle met her husband at Brigham Young University and they had two children. Belle’s interest in school was social work and special education. She felt very strongly that “the most valuable contribution that a woman can make to society is to rear children.” Through wise parenting, children must learn worthwhile values that make them into responsible citizens. Belle spent many of her motherhood years going to school, attending additional classes, always learning and growing with every challenge she faced. When asked why education was so important to her she replied, “One, because it is a commandment, and two, because when I get to the other side I want to have something to talk about with some of the prominent men and women in history.”

She described herself as “not the homemaking type.” In fact, when her ward would get together to quilt, they asked her to just visit.

At age seventeen, Belle was called as president of her ward MIA. Later, as a young married woman, she was asked to serve as a counselor in her ward Relief Society.   She hated the idea of being stuck with the “old woman’s organization” and kept begging to be released. Her Bishop refused to release her. She would eventually serve on her Stake Relief Society Board and then the General Relief Society Board. She was ready to serve in any capacity with the General Board except for the Homemaking Committee.  And of course, they put her in charge of that committee.

She served as the editor of the Relief Society Magazine for eight years. Again, she took classes to learn how to write, edit and put out an effective magazine. It was clear she was a great leader, capable of receiving instruction and gathering knowledge as she grew and developed. Belle’s focus for the magazine was to offer a creative literary outlet for the sisters, as well as promote the history of the Relief Society.

In April 1945, Belle was called as the ninth president of the General Relief Society. She was released in October 1974, having served for twenty-nine and a half years; serving under six prophets. The advice given to her, as she accepted her calling, was to teach and remind the sisters that the Relief Society is the companion organization to the Priesthood.

Pres. George Albert Smith prophesied in 1945, that women from all over the world would soon be able to fly into Salt Lake City, to listen to their leaders speak in the Tabernacle. Belle marveled that it could ever be possible. Three years later, in a Relief Society Conference, Belle saw the fulfillment of that prophecy.   

Belle’s greatest contribution was her role in bringing Mormon women out of obscurity.  Since the early days of the Relief Society, Eliza, Zina, Emmeline, and many others were leaders in the National Council of Women, as well as the International Council. It was part of the President’s responsibility to attend the yearly business meeting of these organizations. The first time Belle attended, she discovered there were no seats available “to a Mormon from Utah.” She went to Pres. G. A. Smith, suggesting it might be better to discontinue membership. His answer was to reach out harder. She did, and she ended up serving on the executive committee, as vice president, and finally as president of the national organization. She was beloved as the voice of reason, always showing kindness; a true vision of leadership.

At the gala event, held in her honor as the outgoing president of the National Council of Women, she wore a handmade dress of drapery material. Being such a small amount left on the bolt, it cost only 50 cents. The zipper was on sale. This dress was given the formal name of “the 55 cent dress.” The picture above is of her wearing this elegant dress.

I wish to remember her most for the effect the following story must have had in her attitude:

After having a minor run-in with a Bishop, Belle complained, “In this church, men have all the power, the women are helpless. A wise friend taught a great lesson with these words, “’Oh no, my dear, the women are not helpless. If someone came to you and had a great but different gift in each hand, one was power and the other was influence, which gift would you choose?’ I thought seriously for a moment and then I said, ‘I think I would choose influence.’ ‘You probably did, my dear.’ she said. ‘Influence is a great gift of God to women.’ Then she said, ‘Appreciate it and use it right. Do not envy that which has been given to the brethren.'”

“There are no strangers, only friends we have yet to meet,” was often heard from Belle.  She loved people and people loved her.

She passed away on February 2, 1982, in Salt Lake City.

Stories taken from Faith, Hope, and Charity by Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt.