Our Visiting Teaching message for March continues in our education about Relief Society history. I’m thrilled that this is the topic of discussion. There is a deeper understanding we can gain from the Visiting Teaching message this month. I have broken it up into three parts: Under the Priesthood, After the Pattern of the Priesthood, and Personal Revelation.
Under the Priesthood
I feel very bad that Sarah Kimball is not mentioned in this article. She was the one who originally gathered sisters together to make shirts for the temple builders. She asked her friend, Eliza Snow, to write up a Constitution for their little sewing group, so they could feel organized with a purpose for their efforts. When Eliza presented the document to Joseph Smith in passing, he replied, “Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord, and he has something better for them…I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.”
It’s important to understand the mindset of the 19th century. Women had no rights whatsoever. In fact, “married women, insane persons, and idiots were ranked together as not fit to make a will” (RS Magazine, Mar 1936). If the husband was a drunkard or an abuser, and he chose to divorce her, the law stated he could take everything, including the children, leaving that poor victimized woman alone with nothing. The history of women is indeed ugly to look upon.
This all changed when Joseph Smith was gently reminded that he needed to organize the women. Joseph Smith called that first meeting, apologizing that he had been too busy to get around to it (in jail, running for his life, etc.) and told the women that they were meant for something better than the world could ever offer. He said, “The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.” (Sarah Kimball’s autobiography, Women’s Exponent, Sep. 1, 1883)
Sisters, in the temple we are taught about that Patriarchal Order, which we follow in line. Does Jesus Christ desire to take over Heavenly Father’s job, when clearly this is His world and His kingdom? No. He follows that line of authority. Women fall under the Priesthood, in line of authority. But in our sphere of responsibility, we have authority and will be held accountable to what we do with that authority. It is true that there are men who are still stuck in a time warp and belittle women. Satan is on double watch to keep women confused and powerless throughout the centuries by keeping this knowledge from us and encouraging men to make these erroneous presumptions.
Joseph Smith pulled the women right out of that hole the devil had created for women. He organized the women of the Church “according to the law of heaven,” as John Taylor explained, and “in the Order of the Priesthood after the pattern of the Church, “ and set us back where we belong in heaven. (quotes from Sarah Kimball.)
Jill Derr (church historian) says that this “new organization was to be the vehicle by which the Prophet could nurture a society of holy women in God’s kingdom.” Those early meetings were in essence, a female school of the prophets. (Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration, 34th Sperry Symposium.)
Pres. Harold B. Lee said, “Pure womanhood plus priesthood means exaltation. But womanhood without priesthood, or priesthood without pure womanhood doesn’t spell exaltation.” The prophets have been teaching the Church, from the beginning, that both men and women, working with the Priesthood, have set responsibilities to bring about salvation to the children of God.
“I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood. This Society is to get instruction through the order which God has established—through the medium of those appointed to lead—and I now turn the key to you in the name of God, and this Society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time.” When Joseph Smith uttered these words, Eliza wrote in the Minutes, “The Spirit of the Lord was pour’d out in a very powerful manner, never to be forgotten.”
Bruce R. McConkie’s explanation of the above quote from Joseph Smith states, “By turning the key the Prophet delegated to the duly appointed officers of the new organization a portion of the keys of the kingdom. Under the Priesthood they were now authorized to direct, control, and govern the affairs of the society. They thus became legal administrators holding the keys of presidency. Under this appointment, their lawful acts would be recognized by the Lord and he would work with them in the rolling forth of the kingdom in the sphere assigned them…And keys are also the way and means whereby knowledge and intelligence may be gained from God to every Priesthood bearer as well as faithful members of the Relief Society.” (The Relief Society and the Keys of the Kingdom, Elder Bruce R. McConkie, RS Magazine, Mar 1950).
These women understood that their station, as women, had just risen higher than they could imagine. And with that knowledge, those women’s minds took off, literally. They accomplished more in those early years in the Salt Lake Valley than women have ever accomplished on the earth.
Eliza R. Snow said, “Thanks be to God for the holy ordinances of His house and how cheerfully grateful we ought to be that we are happy participants of these great blessings. We have made a covenant with God, we understand His order.”
The following is quoted from The Female Relief Society Minutes on March 17, 1842:
[Joseph Smith] “proposed that the sisters elect a presiding officer to preside over them, and let that presiding officer choose two counselors to assist in the duties of her office—that he would ordain them to preside over the Society—and let them preside just as the Presidency presides over the Church.” (This was unheard of in their day.)
“Motioned by Sis. Whitney, and seconded by Sis. Packard, that Mrs. Emma Smith be chosen President. Passed unanimously.
“The President Elect then made choice of Mrs. Sarah M. Cleveland and Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Whitney for Counselors. (Both were dear friends of Emma’s. Ann Whitney took Emma in when the Smiths first arrived in Kirtland, and Sarah Cleveland took Emma into her home in Quincy).
“Hands were placed over each of their heads, by John Taylor, where they were set apart to their new callings. (Again, unheard of.)
(The men had been sitting in the front of the room, but after the women were set apart, the men moved out of the way, and let the women take those seats.)
“Moved by Counselor Cleveland, and seconded by Counselor Whitney, that this Society be called The Nauvoo Female Relief Society.”
The men preferred the word Benevolent. It went back and forth between Joseph and Emma what word suited the Society better. Emma won her argument when she described other “popular” benevolent societies, which happened to be corrupt. Emma wanted to use a seldom-used word “Relief”. Eliza backed her by saying that the benevolent societies of the day “should not be our guide—that as daughters of Zion, we should set an example for all the world.” That’s when Emma said “we are going to do something extraordinary.”
“Elder Taylor arose and said, “I shall have to concede the point—your arguments are so potent I cannot stand before them. I shall have to give way. Pres. J Smith said I also shall have to concede the point.”
“Pres. Emma Smith requested that the gentlemen withdraw before [the women] proceed to the choice of [additional business.]”
The men respected these women; future Queens in the kingdom of God. Later, Brigham Young would show concern that the women were being drawn into the world, and Eliza would immediately go to her sisters and, by the Spirit and Authority they were given, they would unite and overcome the world, being strengthened through their faith to receive personal revelation to direct the incredible activity and accomplishment of their day.