Discourse, 31 March 1842

Source Note

JS, Discourse, [
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
More Info
, Hancock Co., IL], [31] Mar. 1842. Featured version copied [ca. 31 Mar. 1842] in Relief Society Minute Book, pp. 22–23; handwriting of
Eliza R. Snow
21 Jan. 1804–5 Dec. 1887. Poet, teacher, seamstress, milliner. Born in Becket, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Daughter of Oliver Snow and Rosetta Leonora Pettibone. Moved to Mantua, Trumbull Co., Ohio, ca. 1806. Member of Baptist church. Baptized into Church...
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; CHL. Includes redactions. For more complete source information, see the source note for Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book.
Historical Introduction
On 31 March 1842 JS delivered a discourse in a meeting of the
Female Relief Society of Nauvoo
A church organization for women; created in Nauvoo, Illinois, under JS’s direction on 17 March 1842. At the same meeting, Emma Smith was elected president, and she selected two counselors; a secretary and a treasurer were also chosen. The minutes of the society...
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regarding the moral qualifications for membership in the organization. This meeting, the organization’s third, was held in the main room of the upper floor of JS’s
brick store
Located in lower portion of Nauvoo (the flats) along bank of Mississippi River. Completed 1841. Opened for business, 5 Jan. 1842. Owned by JS, but managed mostly by others, after 1842. First floor housed JS’s general store and counting room, where tithing...
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. JS remarked on the society’s rapid growth, warning the organization to proceed cautiously by carefully investigating any women seeking admission. He instructed the members to follow the counsel and direction of the society’s presidency and to maintain virtuous moral standards. This latter recommendation paralleled instruction JS and other
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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leaders wrote in a letter to
Emma Smith
10 July 1804–30 Apr. 1879. Scribe, editor, boardinghouse operator, clothier. Born at Willingborough Township (later in Harmony), Susquehanna Co., Pennsylvania. Daughter of Isaac Hale and Elizabeth Lewis. Member of Methodist church at Harmony (later in Oakland...
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, president of the society, and the society’s members to be read at this same meeting.
1
Letter to Emma Smith and the Relief Society, 31 Mar. 1842.
JS informed the women present that he intended to make the society “a kingdom of priests.” He closed his discourse by excusing himself and the other men present so the society could proceed with the business portion of its meeting.

In the minute book, secretary
Eliza R. Snow
21 Jan. 1804–5 Dec. 1887. Poet, teacher, seamstress, milliner. Born in Becket, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts. Daughter of Oliver Snow and Rosetta Leonora Pettibone. Moved to Mantua, Trumbull Co., Ohio, ca. 1806. Member of Baptist church. Baptized into Church...
View Full Bio
misdated the minutes 30 March 1842, but the meeting was held on Thursday, 31 March.
2
All the organization’s early meetings (with the exception of one irregularly planned special meeting) were held on Thursdays, suggesting that the meeting took place on a Thursday. At the close of the society’s meeting held 24 March 1842, the society adjourned until the following Thursday, which was 31 March. This 31 March meeting date is confirmed in JS’s journal. (Relief Society Minute Book, 24 Mar. 1842, 21; 19 Apr. 1842, [30], in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 41, 49; JS, Journal, 31 Mar. 1842.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
Snow missed either part or all of this meeting of the society, meaning that someone else may have taken at least some minutes for her during the meeting.
3
Snow copied the letter from JS that was read during the meeting into the minute book following the minutes of 28 September 1842 and noted that she had not copied the letter into the minute book where it belonged chronologically because she had not been present “at the time of its reading.” (Relief Society Minute Book, [86]–[88], in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 97–99; see also Letter to Emma Smith and the Relief Society, 31 Mar. 1842.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
The original notes are apparently no longer extant, but Snow copied them into the minute book, presumably shortly after the 31 March meeting.

Footnotes
1. 1
  Letter to Emma Smith and the Relief Society, 31 Mar. 1842.
2. 2
  All the organization’s early meetings (with the exception of one irregularly planned special meeting) were held on Thursdays, suggesting that the meeting took place on a Thursday. At the close of the society’s meeting held 24 March 1842, the society adjourned until the following Thursday, which was 31 March. This 31 March meeting date is confirmed in JS’s journal. (Relief Society Minute Book, 24 Mar. 1842, 21; 19 Apr. 1842, [30], in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 41, 49; JS, Journal, 31 Mar. 1842.)
  
  Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
3. 3
  Snow copied the letter from JS that was read during the meeting into the minute book following the minutes of 28 September 1842 and noted that she had not copied the letter into the minute book where it belonged chronologically because she had not been present “at the time of its reading.” (Relief Society Minute Book, [86]–[88], in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 97–99; see also Letter to Emma Smith and the Relief Society, 31 Mar. 1842.)
  
  Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.

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J. Smith arose— spoke of the organization of the — said he was deeply interested that it might be built up to the Most High in an acceptable manner— that its rules must be observed— that none should be received into the Society but those who were worthy— propos’d that the Society go into a close examination of every candidate— that they were going too fast— that the Society should grow up by degrees— should commence with a few individuals—

thus have a select Society of the virtuous and those who will walk circumspectly— commended them for their zeal but said sometimes their zeal was not according to knowledge— One principal object of the Institution, was to purge out iniquity— said they must be extremely careful in all their examinations or the consequences would be serious

Said all difficulties which might & would cross our way must be surmounted, though the soul be tried, the heart faint, and hands hang down— must not retrace our steps— that there must be decision of character aside from sympathy— that when instructed we must obey that voice, observe the Constitution that the blessings of heaven may rest down upon us— all must act in concert or nothing can be done— that the Society should move according to the ancient Priesthood, hence there should be a select Society separate from all the evils of the world, choice, virtuou[s] and holy— Said he was going to make of this Society a kingdom of priests an [as] in Enoch’s day— as in Pauls day—

that it is the privilege of each member to live long [p. 22]

Said all difficulties which might & would cross our way must be surmounted, though the soul be tried, the heart faint, and hands hang down— must not retrace our steps— that there must be decision of character aside from sympathy— that when instructed we must obey that voice, observe the Constitution that the blessings of heaven may rest down upon us— all must act in concert or nothing can be done— that the Society should move according to the ancient Priesthood, hence there should be a select Society separate from all the evils of the world, choice, virtuous and holy— Said he was going to make of this Society a kingdom of priests an as in Enoch’s day— as in Pauls day—

that it is the privilege of each member to live long [p. 22]

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Document Information
Editorial Title
Discourse, 31 March 1842
ID #
802
Total Pages
2
Print Volume Location
JSP, D9:310–312
Handwriting on This Page
- Eliza R. Snow
Footnotes
1. 1
  Twenty women were present at the society’s first meeting on 17 March 1842. Another eight were admitted that same day and forty-eight more the following week. Despite JS’s instruction to add members to the society slowly, within two months of this sermon the organization was too large to meet in the store and began meeting outdoors in the grove west of the temple construction site. By the end of 1844, over thirteen hundred women had joined the society. (Minutes and Discourses, 17 Mar. 1842; Relief Society Minute Book, 24 Mar. 1842, 15–16, in Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 37–38; Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 25.)
  
  Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
2. 2
  See Romans 10:2.
3. 3
  See Hebrews 12:12.
4. 4
  At the organization’s first meeting, JS stated that the society’s presidency would serve as their “constitution” and explained to the members, “The minutes of your meetings will be precedents for you to act upon— your Constitutio[n] and law.” (Minutes and Discourses, 17 Mar. 1842.)
5. 5
  See Exodus 19:6; and Revelation 1:6. Based on this instruction and similar comments JS made to the society at other meetings of the organization, in coming years members of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and church leaders identified a relationship between the society and the temple and its associated ordinances. Bathsheba Bigler Smith, a founding member of the society, recalled in 1905 that JS “wanted to make us, as the women were in Paul’s day, ‘A kingdom of priestesses.’” (See Derr et al., First Fifty Years of Relief Society, 43n126; Discourse, 28 Apr. 1842; and “Pioneer Stake,” Woman’s Exponent, July and Aug. 1905, 34:14.)
  
  Derr, Jill Mulvay, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds. The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History. Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016.
  Woman’s Exponent. Salt Lake City. 1872–1914.

Discourse, 31 March 1842

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