John C. Bennett, Mayor
Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois
Alpheus Cutler, the foreman of the Mormon lumber operations on the Black River, was surprised when he opened the door and saw Will Steed standing there.
“Hello, Brother Cutler.”
“Well, good evening, Will. We missed you at worship services today.”
“I know. I . . .” He looked away momentarily. “I may not be able to come again before we leave. Things are getting pretty hectic for us.”
“Us too. That’s too bad. Is there something you need?”
Will stuck his hand into his coat and withdrew a letter. It was one sheet, folded over and with the address written on the outside of it. “Could you see that this goes out with the next mail sled?” He reached into his trouser pocket and brought out some coins.
Cutler took the letter without comment, but was looking at Will strangely. The mail and supply sled from La Crosse would go through the Steed camp before it came here. Will could give it directly to them. But he kept his face expressionless. “Sure,” was all he said.
Will dumped the coins into his hand. “I don’t want my father to know about this,” he said evenly.
So that was it! Cutler nodded. He didn’t know Joshua Steed well at all, but he knew about his feelings toward the Mormons. “I understand.”
“Thank you.” Will turned and walked away.
The Mormon high priest watched him go, then looked down at the letter. It was addressed to Nathan Steed on Granger Street in Nauvoo, Illinois.
Chapter Notes
Joseph F. Smith, the firstborn son of Mary Fielding and Hyrum Smith, went on to become the sixth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Joseph’s “borrowing” of a baby, his ability to distinguish between the identical twin girls, and his caring for little Mary when she was fretting are all true. According to those who knew about this, he kept bringing Mary McIntire to his home until Emma could be comforted. (See Preston Nibley,
Joseph Smith, the Prophet
[Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1946], pp. 378–79.)
A meeting was held in early March at the Sarah Kimball home to propose that a ladies’ society be formed. Eliza Snow was given the task of drafting the bylaws and a constitution. (See
Women of Covenant,
pp. 26–27.)
Chapter 18
The hastily called meeting finally ended up at Caroline’s because Charles had just gotten up from his nap and was still a little crabby. Melissa was over at the brickyard helping Carl with some paperwork, but all the rest were there. Jennifer Jo and Rebecca, both awkward now in their coming motherhood, sat on chairs. Most of the rest stood. The children—except for Charles—were allowed to play outside under the care of the older ones.
Mary Ann looked at the eager faces and smiled. “I just talked with Sarah Kimball.”
“And we are ready to form the Ladies’ Society?” Jennifer Jo asked eagerly.
“Well, as you know, in our last meeting Sister Eliza Snow was given the assignment to draft a constitution and a set of bylaws for us. She did that, but decided to let Joseph look at what she had written first to see if he had any suggestions.”
Caroline cut in now. “And what did he say?”
“He didn’t like it.”
There was a moment of stunned silence, then a chorus of disappointed groans. Mary Ann smiled. She was enjoying this. “Well, that’s not really true. Actually, he said it was the best constitution for such an organization that he had yet seen.”
Rebecca was relieved. “Really? He really thought that?”
Mary Ann sighed. “Yes, but he doesn’t want us going ahead with our organization.”
Down they plunged again. “No,” Caroline cried. “Why not?”
Mary Ann was milking the moment for its maximum worth. “Because he thinks our constitution and our bylaws are not appropriate to the purposes of the Church as a whole.”
The effect of that news was devastating. “But we were doing this to help others,” Lydia said, clearly bewildered by this turn of events.
“Did he say what specifically was inappropriate?” Caroline asked, equally dismayed.
“No, he didn’t,” Mary Ann said. She paused, and now an elfish little smile stole across her face. “But what he did do was tell Eliza to come back to the group and see if we could meet at his store on Thursday afternoon next.”
Their heads came up, and for a moment they weren’t sure whether to believe her or not. Mary Ann nodded, her eyes beaming now. “Yes. Joseph said that he wants to meet with us and provide us with something much better than a written constitution.”
That took a moment to sink in. She looked around from face to face, smiling broadly now. “He said that he wants to organize the women of the Church under the priesthood, after the pattern of the priesthood.”
Rebecca was the first to speak after several seconds of silence. “You mean that . . .” She stopped, groping. “We’ll be a part of the Church?”
“Yes,” Mary Ann exulted. “Think of that. This won’t be just another benevolent society. It won’t be just us and Sarah and her friends. It will be part of the Church, for all the sisters. And the Prophet is going to organize it.”
There were only four members of the Steed family women’s council who came to Joseph’s red brick store on Thursday, March seventeenth, 1842. Abigail Pottsworth felt that she could not take time away from work. Jenny Pottsworth was married and had moved across the river. Caroline and Olivia demurred—over Lydia’s vigorous protest—fearing that their not yet being members of the Church might make their presence awkward. Kathryn McIntire and Jessica Griffith were no longer in Nauvoo. And Jennifer Jo had taken ill two days before and was feeling very weak. With her being in the family way, she and Matthew decided it wasn’t wise for her to leave her bed. So it was only Mary Ann, Lydia, Melissa, and Rebecca who represented the family here.
They sat near one side of the lodge room on the second floor of the store. When they arrived, there were already nearly a dozen women there. Sarah Kimball was there, of course, accompanied by Margaret Cook, the seamstress who had first suggested to Sarah the idea of sewing clothes for the temple workers. Eliza Snow stood near the door, talking with Elizabeth Ann Whitney, wife of Newel K. Whitney, the second man called as bishop in this dispensation. Nancy Rigdon, one of Sidney’s unmarried daughters, sat beside her sister, Athalia Robinson, wife of George Robinson, former Church recorder. Though Mary Ann recognized most of the women present, some she knew only as passing acquaintances. Most were married, but there were two teenaged girls, two widows, and others, like Eliza Snow, who had not as yet married.
Just then, the door opened and two more women came in accompanied by Elder John Taylor. The first woman was Elder Taylor’s wife, Leonora. The second was also a wife of one of the Apostles. Bathsheba Bigler had married George A. Smith shortly after his return from England the previous summer. She was not yet twenty and was vivacious and full of life. Mary Ann liked her very much. The newcomers greeted Eliza and Sister Whitney at the door and the Taylors stopped to talk with them. Bathsheba saw the empty chair beside Lydia and immediately came across the room towards them, nodding at others she knew.
“Hello, Lydia,” she said as she sat down. She reached across and squeezed Mary Ann’s hand. “Mother Steed.” She nodded to Rebecca and Melissa. “Joseph and Willard Richards are just downstairs. They’ll be here in a moment. Emma’s with Joseph.”
“Oh, good!” Lydia exclaimed. “I know she very much wanted to come. I’m glad she’s feeling up to it.”
“She looks much better,” Bathsheba said.
As they nodded, pleased with the news, the door to the room opened and the Prophet entered, followed by Emma and Willard Richards. Immediately the conversation in the room dropped off. Leonora Taylor, Eliza Snow, Elizabeth Ann Whitney, and Sarah Kimball all moved in to greet Emma. Joseph stepped back, conferring quietly with Elder Richards and Elder Taylor for a moment. Finally, Emma finished and Joseph escorted her to her seat.
To Mary Ann’s surprise, after an invocation, Joseph made a few introductory remarks, then asked the sisters to discuss what kind of organization they had in mind. Instantly, hands shot up. He simply nodded, encouraging them to speak. “We have talked about this being a benevolent society, like other such societies in America,” Sister Robinson said. “This was how the whole idea got started.”
“Yes,” Melissa spoke up. “We should have as our primary goal serving others.”
“But I think we need to be different than other organizations,” Lydia said. “They have noble goals for the most part, but they aren’t working from a gospel perspective.”
Sarah Kimball raised her hand. All eyes turned to her. “As many of you know, I lived in Utica, New York, for a time. It is one of the centers of the women’s benevolent movement. As Lydia says, those organizations have become a wonderful and powerful force for good throughout America, but there have also been serious abuses.”
A sister that Mary Ann knew only as Sister Cowles was nodding vigorously. “Where I came from, some of the funds were used to buy personal clothing and house furnishings for some of the members.”
“We’ve got to be different from the world,” someone else said from behind her. There was a murmur of assent that followed that.
“Sister Eliza,” Joseph said, seeing that Eliza Snow’s hand was up. She stood, turning to face her sisters in the gospel. “I move that the popular institutions of the day should not be our guide. I think that as daughters of Zion, we should set an example to all the world, rather than confining ourselves to the course which others have heretofore pursued.”
“Second the motion,” Melissa cried.
The room buzzed with agreement now. “Yes,” several called out. “Let’s have our own organization,” said one. “Let’s not do what everyone else is doing,” agreed another. “Vote!” several cried.
Eliza turned to Joseph with a questioning look. “I think you should follow parliamentary procedures,” he said. “We have a motion and it has been seconded. All in favor?” Every hand went up.
Following the vote, Sarah Kimball raised her hand to speak again. “I move that all of those present be accepted as members of this new organization in full fellowship.”
Mary Ann spoke up now. “We have some who wished to be here today but could not. I would like to amend the motion to include them as well.”
“Yes,” Sarah agreed instantly. “Who are they?”
Mary Ann mentioned Jennifer Jo and Sister Pottsworth. Sarah had a neighbor. Another’s sister was ill. When they finished they had seven additional names. Joseph called for a vote. “All in favor of accepting those so named plus those present as members in full fellowship?”
Again it was unanimous. Willard Richards—who, as one of his assignments as an Apostle, served as scribe and recorder for Joseph—was writing furiously to get it all down.
Joseph looked around. The room went very still. “This is as it should be, my dear sisters. As I said to Sister Eliza a few days ago, you are not to be organized after the pattern of what the world is doing. I see the purpose of this organization as becoming a Society of Sisters that provokes the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor. I want you to search after objects of charity and administer to their wants. Correct the morals and strengthen the virtues of the community and save the elders the trouble of having to rebuke. I see you giving time to such duties and also to teaching.”
Lydia leaned over to Rebecca. “A Society of Sisters. I like that.”
Rebecca nodded. “Yes, very much.”
“We have something much better for you than what the world has set as the pattern,” Joseph continued. “We are going to organize you after the pattern of the priesthood. As you know, the revelations require that priesthood quorums be organized with a president and two counselors. As you prepare now to go to work, I recommend you organize yourselves in like manner. I would suggest that you elect a president and that she in turn select two among your number to be her counselors to assist her in the duties of her office.”
He let them consider that for a moment before he asked, “Are there any nominations for president?”
Elizabeth Ann Whitney’s hand was up instantly.
“Yes, Sister Whitney.”
“I nominate Sister Emma Smith to be our president.”
Emma whirled around in surprise, but Joseph was nodding, obviously deeply pleased. “We have the name of Emma Smith in nomination,” he said, smiling down at his wife. “Are there other nominations?”
There were none. Everyone was smiling at Emma now, feeling the rightness of that choice.
“All in favor, then.”
Every female’s hand in the room went up.
Joseph motioned for Emma to come up and stand beside him. “The election has been unanimously sustained. Do you accept?”
She nodded in dazed bewilderment. “I . . . yes, I am highly honored. Of course. I would be deeply honored to serve as your president.”
He put an arm around her, pulling her softly against him. “Are you prepared to select your counselors, or would you like a few minutes to think about it?”
To his surprise, she looked around the room and then shook her head. “I don’t need more time. I would like to select Elizabeth Ann Whitney as my first counselor.”
There was a soft chorus of “aahs” at that and numerous heads bobbed up and down. Elizabeth Ann—or Mother Whitney, as many affectionately called her—was a woman of great faith and spirituality. The mother of seven children, one only recently born, she was not only beloved by all who knew her but greatly respected as well. Blushing deeply, she looked at Emma with tears in her eyes. “I would be honored, Emma. Thank you.”
“And for the other?” Joseph asked.
Emma turned. “I select Sarah Cleveland,” she said, smiling at a woman on the second row.
Mary Ann wanted to clap her hands at that. Sarah Cleveland was probably the oldest person in the room next to Mary Ann. She was also one of the kindest and had one of the purest hearts of anyone Mary Ann knew. Like Sarah Kimball’s husband, Hiram, her husband was a well-to-do merchant in Nauvoo who was not a member of the Church. But, like Hiram, he was also a good friend to the Church. And then Mary Ann remembered something that at least partially explained Emma’s choice. When Emma had fled Missouri with her children, Joseph had still been in Liberty Jail. Crossing the frozen Mississippi with children clinging to her skirts or in her arms, Emma had finally reached Quincy. There it had been the Clevelands who took Emma and her children in and cared for them. She had still been with the Clevelands when Joseph and Hyrum finally escaped and returned to the Saints.