Claremont
Graduate University, offering MA & PhD in Religion February 16, 2017
These are informal but important notes to me. Any faults are my own. If you want the complete story (which is very
informative, inspiring, and the presentation entertaining) buy the book and
view the video which will be available from Claremont University Dpt of
Religious Studies.
Here’s the announcement we put in our Pacific Ward, Palos Verdes Stake,
Sunday bulletin:
Come hear Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Laurel Thatcher
Ulrich speak
on “Women in Mormonism's Early Days” on Thur., Feb. 16,
at 7:30 PM
in the Albrecht Auditorium, Claremont Graduate University.
See ClaremontMormonStudies.org for more information.
Because of traveling/traffic (two hours) I arrived after introductions
and Sister Ulrich was just beginning.
Outline of her presentation was on the large screen:
Sisterhood:
Spiritual Gifts
Charity
Office
Ritual
Citizenship/Community
There was standing room only and it took me a moment to realize there was
one remaining chair in the front, next to the wall. I could still see well, hear well, and make
laptop notes rather than scribble and be unable to make these notes later. People tell me there will be an online video
of the presentation.
BY vs JS in viewpoint: The
Relief Society; The ‘penny fund’ to
build the Temple of Nauvoo.
There was an emerging turmoil over plural marriage. It was mainly secret. Hyrum was not happy.
Eliza R. Snow fought against the lies about immorality. Only a few of the 1,300 women in RS knew.
The Quorum of the Annointed met in the temple, even before it was
completed: Marriage.
Under the direction of the Priesthood, women were ordaining other women
to do ordinances.
Eliza was sealed to Brigham for ‘time’ since she had previously been
sealed to Joseph Smith.
[Picture of Thomas Ward, Phebe Woodruff and Baby Joseph, 1845-1846,
died; Mom distraught.]
Patty Sessions diary: they
huddle together expecting the Second Coming; they heal each other, and move to
other camps to prophesy and reaffirm their identity as daughters of God.
[Picture of Rebecca Riter Cabin in This Is The Place Park, SLC] It becomes their concern, “By what authority
do we met and organize.” “When you are
in your cabin, you preside or delegate, R.Riter.
They organized the Council of Help;
and a midwife organization. They also share recipes.
The women want to convert the Piute Indians. [Picture of Wm Warner
Major, 1852 Peabody Museum in Harvard University.] They gathered clothing to send to them,
calling themselves “The Indian Relief Society”.
That’s when Brigham Young wanted a Relief Society group in each ward. “No
one will speak ill of any of the authorities.”
There is so much enthusiasm and clothing, the missionaries can’t handle
it all.
The dancing school continues;
the philosophy school continues
((running out of lecture time.))
They ask Eliza R. Snow if they can borrow and copy the sermons of
Joseph Smith, into the Church Historical Department. They correct the minutes and publish them.
[She note some of the changes, such as “receive them in connection with their
husbands” Etc.] So we are now a charitable society under the
priesthood, listening to their husbands and priesthood leadership.
There comes a military threat to impact their work. They were patriotic to America. The Relief Society groups go away when the
Utah War begins. They go back to healing
one another, their families, and no organized Relief Society in the 1860.
The railroad comes in 1870s.
Brigham Young takes the united order seriously, encouraging the boycott
of merchants. So Brigham Young again
want the support of a Relief Society.
Two interesting things happen:
Sarah Kimball of the 15th Ward, raises money to buy land a
build their own building, “Society Hall”.
[1892 photograph] They gather
together to plan working against gentile merchants; and to get the vote for citizenship; and counter the [smears] against
polygamy. They have national coverage for women’s
rights.
After two decades, starting and stopping, the Relief Society is
established.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = =
Q/A/D: A parallel
priesthood-organization? Will it come in
the future?
Ans: This tug of war has been
going on in the Church; but you can’t fight.
Q: Going back to other societies, how much did they differ?
A: Wyo passes women suffrage first, just before Utah. There were 80,000 Saints in Utah, big enough
to become a state, except for polygamy.
The sixth petition for statehood was successful. It was the Relief
Society throughout the territory that pressed it through. Almost as unpopular as Mormons was the idea
of women in power.
Q: Was it common to share farms
and kitchens?
Q: Railroad impacted?
A: Brigham Young had been disposed
as Gov, but was still Church president.
Q: What was the compelling
reason to write? Were there surprises?
A: We found validation from
stories from the past. I passed my 70th
birthday. A lot is surprising.
The other thing was the instability of families and
persistence of informal religious practices.
Q: Do we
defend the patriarchy?
A: No. In Fillmore, the men met, and women got
together and decided men would do it anyway.
Most said, just let them have as many wives as they
want.
Q: [More on
plural marriage, and divorce]
A: The
solution was ‘no-fault’ divorce, and some were sealed to Joseph Smith, in
Heaven.
Q: Eliza Snow
wrote about Mother in Heaven. Was that
an influence?
A: It was
sung to a tune by Steven Foster, at Kimball Inn.
Watch for the video-recording to be added, online:
http://claremontmormonstudies.org/event/pulitzer-prize-winning-author-laurel-thatcher-ulrich/
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