Mary Freeze is one of those amazing early Mormon sisters, but perhaps not quite so well known as her counterparts.
She was born in Nauvoo, on October 12, 1845. Her father, James Lewis Burnham, was a minister of a christian church, but upon hearing the message of the missionaries, realized he did not have the proper authority to preach. He and his wife were soon baptized, and joined the Saints in Nauvoo. James died four days before Mary was born. Her mother could choose to return to her family, with her four small children, and be well cared for; or she could stay among the Saints despite poverty and persecution. She chose to stay with the Saints.
Because of lack of funds, it took many years to cross the plains. Mary records that she was too small to remember much of the journey; however, she knows well the story of this incident. “While climbing into the wagon I fell, and was run over by both wheels and very badly hurt, but through the administration of the elders was almost instantly healed, and felt no bad effects from the injury afterward!”
Upon arrival in the valley, the family settled in Bountiful. “My girlhood days were not as happy as might have been on account of our exceeding poverty, but I have many times since thought that it was for my greatest good that I was reared in want and loneliness; that it was a means of keeping me humble. A guiding star to my whole future life [was] that by leading a righteous life I should be loved of my Father in heaven equally with the richest and most highly born; that possessing His love and favor I possessed everything worth caring for.”
Mary was very smart. She could remember long passages and repeat them verbatim. While teaching school she met, and fell in love with the principal, James Perry Freeze. They were married in March of 1863. Together, they had five sons and four daughters. James would marry other women, and it was understood and accepted, that the other wives would help her in her household and mothering duties as she was given quite involved callings in the Church.
She was called as the first president of the Eleventh Ward Retrenchment Association. Seven years later, while maintaining that calling, she was called to preside over the first stake Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association. In fact, she was presiding over the meeting where Eliza R. Snow was sustained as President of the Relief Society, Elmina S. Taylor was sustained as President of the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association, and Louie Felt, was called as president of the Primary Association over the entire Church.
Although busy in her callings, she never forgot the importance of motherhood. She said, “It has been the greatest desire of my life that my children should become bright and shining lights in the Church of God, and knowing that much depends upon parents, I have ever striven to set them an example worthy of imitation, teaching them true principles, that I might not come under condemnation for my neglect of duty.”
When the Logan Temple was built, and dedicated, she moved up to Logan and began working in the Temple. She had gathered family records back to the 1200s, and anxiously did the work for all of her relatives. When the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated, she was among the first to be called to officiate there.
At the time of her death, she was serving on the General Board of the Young Ladies, officiating at the Salt Lake Temple, and serving as a “Church Service Missionary” at the Bureau of Information (a precursor to the Church Museum of Art). As well, she was actively involved in the Suffrage Movement.
This was her testimony: “I know the fruits of this Gospel are peace, joy, and happiness, and all who obey its precepts will have in this life that peace which passeth all understanding, that which the world cannot give nor take away, and having finished their labors and when called to another sphere, they will be crowned with life eternal, which is the greatest of all gifts.”
On January 21, 1912, she passed away. President Joseph F. Smith spoke at her funeral. He preached the gospel profoundly saying that in heaven there is no idleness. On earth, Mary worked in the temple, saving souls. In Heaven, she will continue this holy work. “Who is going to carry the testimony of Jesus Christ to the hearts of the women who have passed away without a knowledge of the Gospel? Well, to my mind, it is a simple thing. These good sisters that have been set apart, ordained to the work, called to it, authorized by the authority of the holy priesthood to minister, for their sex, in the House of God for the living and for the dead, will be fully authorized and empowered to preach the Gospel and minister to the women. Some of you will understand when I tell you that some of these good women that have passed beyond have actually been anointed queens and priestesses unto God and unto their husbands, to continue their work and to be the mothers of spirits in the world to come.”
Ruth May Fox (a General YW President) wrote a poem in memory of Mary. It says in part:
Great is thy vic’try, Handmaiden of God,
Willingly, gladly kissed thou the rod;
Faith was thine anchor, Christ was thy shield,
Thy mantle the Peace thy Father revealed;
Daughter of Zion, sweet is thy rest,
Glorious thy home in realms of the blest.