The Beginning of Better Days: The Importance of the Relief Society and What We Can Learn From It

A year ago, I was one of three individuals asked to speak at a LDS young single adult fireside in Walnut, California. Since the following day was the 172nd birthday of the Navuoo Female Relief Society, I decided to give some of my personal thoughts regarding the LDS Church's female organization. I spoke mainly about the Relief Society's theological significance connected to the strongly held belief that "families can be together forever." I finished the second half of the talk discussing three topics that both women and men in the LDS Church could learn from the history of the Relief Society; charity, unity, and the importance of setting high standards.

This talk is not academic, but solely devotional. It represents my own thoughts regarding the Relief Society and not the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is my personal view that in LDS culture we don't talk about the history of women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as much as we need to. The Relief Society is more than just a group of women meeting together during the third hour of Mormon church services. There is something to its organization that is essential to both the men and the women of the Church, both historically and theologically.        

The Beginning of Better Days: The Importance of the Relief Society and What We Can Learn From It

YSA Fireside Address March 16, 2014

            Perhaps one of the most frequent words in Latter-day Saint vocabulary is “restoration,” referring to the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The process of restoration- of a car, a house, or the Gospel is taken one step at a time over a certain period of time. Indeed, restoration comes about “line upon line, precept upon precept.”[1] Tonight I am going to talk about an oft-neglected but crucial part of the restoration of the Gospel; The Relief Society, which will celebrate its 172^nd birthday tomorrow. I will do this in two parts. First, I will talk about its institutional and doctrinal importance as it pertains to our eternal salvation- both for women and men. Second, I will discuss a few things we can learn from its history to strengthen our testimonies and make us better disciples of Christ.

            Now, because I said Relief Society, I fear that some men might have immediately thought of centerpieces and doilies, and have begun the process of tuning me out. So ladies, help me out, if a guy asks for your number tonight don’t give it to them unless they can tell you something from this talk. Now, I think I have everybody’s attention.  

            The Relief Society began with a few Latter-day Saint women in March of 1842. Sarah M. Kimball and Margaret Cook desired to help make clothing for the men building the Nauvoo Temple and gathered several sisters in the area to form a benevolent society to aid in this process. Female Benevolent societies, in which women organized themselves and wrote up organizational constitutions and bylaws, were quite common in the day. However, this society would develop into something quite different. After Eliza R. Snow wrote up a constitution and bylaws for the group she showed them to the Prophet Joseph Smith in order to get his opinion. He said they were “the best he had ever seen,” but then added, “this is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord, and he has something better for them than a written constitution. I invite them all to meet with me and a few of the brethren… next Thursday afternoon, and I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.”[2]

            So on the following Thursday, March 17, 1842 twenty women met in the upper floor of the Nauvoo red brick store with Joseph Smith. Emma Smith was chosen to be President and chose two counselors to assist her. This Relief Society presidency was instituted after the pattern of priesthood offices and was divinely inspired and authorized. The Prophet counseled the sisters that they were to encourage “the brethren to good works in looking to the wants of the poor- searching after objects of charity, and in administering to their wants- to assist by correcting the morals and strengthening the virtues of the female community.”[3] Of course, it is this emphasis on charity that many of us are familiar with when we think of the Relief Society. After all, its motto is “charity never faileth.”

Joseph Smith's Red Brick Storehouse- Nauvoo, Illinois. This is where the Relief Society was organized on March 17,1842. Photo taken by the author. 

            However, the Relief Society was much more than about helping the poor. Joseph Smith also taught that, “the Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.”[4] Much like the priesthood itself, the Relief Society was something ancient that needed to be restored. Eliza R. Snow described the society years later: “although the name may be of modern date, the institution is of ancient origin. We were told by our martyred prophet that the same organization existed in the church anciently.”[5] The vital need of the Relief Society in completing the Prophet’s work is no more apparent than in the fact that without the Relief Society, Joseph Smith could not restore two essential ordinances for the salvation of every woman and man: the temple endowment and celestial marriage. As Jill Deer, Janath Cannon, and Maureen Beecher, three historians of the Relief Society wrote, one of Joseph Smith’s teachings to the Relief Society was  “that the inclusion of women within the structure of the church organization reflected the divine pattern of the perfect union of man and woman, a pattern emphasized in the highest priesthood ordinances administered in the temple and essential to the restoration of the fullness of the priesthood.”[6]  In other words, for our families to be sealed together for time and all eternity the relief society was essential to prepare women and men to come together to receive a fullness of the priesthood through their endowment and celestial marriage.             

            Remember what I said about the process of restoration, that it comes about one step at a time, line upon line, and precept upon precept. The Old Testament prophet Elijah restored the sealing powers that bind families together for time and all eternity to Joseph Smith on April 3 1836, when Elijah appeared to the Prophet and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland temple.[7] If the final restoration of all priesthood keys took place in 1836, then why did endowments and celestial marriages not take place until almost a decade later? 

            Joseph’s teachings to the Relief Society answer this question. The men of the church had already been organized for some 12 years by 1842, learning and growing in the priesthood. The women also needed to be included in the church structure and be taught in preparation to receive the endowment and celestial marriage.  The Prophet could not get the men and women to come together as families for time and all eternity otherwise. Foreshadowing the initiation of the endowment, Joseph told the sisters on April 28, 1842 that “this society shall rejoice and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time- this is the beginning of better days to this society.”[8] It was only a month later, and two months after the Relief Society was organized; on May 4th that the Prophet began to give priesthood leaders the endowment. A little over a year after that, in September 1843, two months after the revelation on celestial marriage was recorded, women began receiving the endowment in preparation for eternal marriages to their husbands.

            Other Priesthood leaders began to understand the importance of the Relief Society to the Church once they received their own endowments. Newel K. Whitney, husband to Relief Society counselor Elizabeth Ann Whitney, attended a Relief Society meeting shortly after he received his endowments. On May 27, 1842 he rejoiced in the formation of the society which enabled women to “improve upon our talents and to prepare for those blessings which God is soon to bestow upon us.” Regarding these blessings, Bishop Whitney said, “In the beginning God created man male and female and bestowed upon man certain blessings peculiar to a man of God, of which woman partook, so that without the female all things cannot be restored to the earth- it takes all to restore the Priesthood. It is the intent of the Society, by humility and faithfulness, [to receive such blessings] in connexion with those husbands that are found worthy.”[9]  

            Brothers and Sisters, as can be seen by the teachings of Joseph Smith, the restoration of an ancient order of women-called the Relief Society today-was one crucial step in allowing for all of us, both women and men, to be sealed to our families for time and all eternity. This doctrine and restored truth is one of the foundational beliefs in Mormon theology.   This is why the Relief Society is institutionally and doctrinally important to the eternal salvation of both men and women in the Church.

             I now want to shift my thoughts to discuss a few things we can learn from the history of the Relief Society, to strengthen our testimonies and make us better disciples of Christ.

            First, the most obvious one- Charity.

            Common is the understanding, from both the Apostle Paul and the Prophet Moroni, that Charity is the pure love of Christ, “and whoso is possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with [them].”[10] We are to pray for charity and seek after it. Church history has no better example than the women of the Relief Society. If one were to read the Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, page after page is full of women willingly giving of their time and talents for the temporal and spiritual welfare of others. In the very first Relief Society meeting President Emma Smith immediately noticed that one of the sisters among them was in need. Sister Philindia Myrick was a widow whose husband was killed at Haun’s Mill and had three children to rear and provide for. Easily she could used the help of the society. President Smith declared that Mrs. Merrrick “is  industrious-performs her work well, therefore recommend her to the patronage of such as wish to hire needlework.”[11] The meeting of July 7, 1843 provides numerous examples of charity. Several women voiced their concerns for others. Sister Pratt mentioned that Brother Henderson was a widower with nine kids and was an industrious individual for work; Sister Durfee mentioned Porter Rockwell who had been falsely imprisoned for an assassination attempt on Missouri’s governor Lilburn W. Boggs’, and suggested the society keep him in their prayers, and Sister Whitney who had been caring for a sick man in her house for a year and had an expanding family asked if anybody could lodge and take over his care. Immediately, a Sister Jones said she would be happy to do it.[12] These women took upon them the pure love of Christ and we would be wise to follow their example.

            Second- the importance of Unity in the Church

            Virginia H. Pearce, daughter of President Gordon B. Hinckley, wrote an essay discussing what principles she learned from reading the Nauvoo Relief Society Minutes. Unity was one of those principles. In the minutes Joseph Smith taught the sisters: “all must act in concert or nothing can be done.”[13] Sister Pearce gave this moving statement on Church unity: “Unity is a holy thing. How many times did the savior reiterate His oneness with the Father and His injunction that if we are not one, we are not His? Unity doesn’t mean “rubber-stamping” the word of our leaders. It requires listening, weighing, pondering, seeking inspiration, speaking up, articulating problems, and recommending solutions.”[14] This is important! In our ward councils or other church meetings we need to be united, speak up, and make suggestions. There are a few wonderful examples of Relief Society sisters suggesting important concerns or ideas in council with priesthood leaders. These ideas ultimately changed the face of Church organization. Out of the six functioning organizations in the Church (the Priesthood, Sunday School, Relief Society, Young Women’s, Young Men’s, and Primary) four of those six organizations were suggested to Church leaders by Relief Society sisters. In the 19^th century, Sister Eliza R. Snow, apart from bringing the Relief Society constitution to Joseph Smith, suggested the idea of both the Young Women’s and Young Men’s organizations, in order to more properly instruct young men and women in the gospel. Shortly after that Sister Aurelia Rogers suggested that the Church create the Primary program for younger children to be instructed.[15] Being united as men and women in this church, and suggesting important methods to further the missions of the church is another important lesson we learn from the Relief Society.

            Third, and Finally-we learn the importance of setting and keeping high standards for ourselves in comparison to the world around us  

            Interestingly enough this lesson from the Relief Society came in the very act of naming the society. First Counselor Sarah Cleveland put in motion to name the society The Nauvoo Female Relief Society, to which her Second counselor Elizabeth Ann Whitney seconded the motion. However, Elder John Taylor believed that The Nauvoo Female Benevolent Society would provide a more extended idea as to what the institution was engaged in. However, Emma Smith politely disagreed with Elder Taylor declaring, “the popularity of the word benevolent is one of great objection- no person can think of the word as associated with public Institutions without thinking of the Washingtonian Benevolent Society which was one of the most corrupt Institutions of the day.” Emma continued stating that that the women “do not wish to have it call’d after other Societies in the world.”[16]  Joseph Smith and John Taylor immediately agreed with the assessment.

            Although this example appears rather subtle it speaks volumes to the attitude of the early Relief Society sisters. They knew that they had the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and they were not going to let any worldly society taint their ambitions or dictate the standard of conduct that they wanted to hold for themselves.

            In many respects, the Relief Society followed the admonition of Christ and let their light so shine. Christ taught, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”[17]

            In closing, I would just like to recap what I have talked about. In looking at the history of the Relief Society within the restoration of the Gospel we can see that the Relief Society was an important part of that restoration, both institutionally and doctrinally, as it allowed for the initiation of the endowment and the performance of celestial marriage. Thus, it carried important significance for the eternal salvation of both the women and the men. Also, in looking at the history of the Relief Society we learn many important principles that can increase our testimonies and make us better disciples of Christ. A few of these which I mentioned were, the practicing of Charity, the importance of maintaining unity and engagement with the Church, and the importance of making high standards and holding those standards apart from the rest of the world.

            Brothers and sisters, I have a testimony of the Relief Society, and the study of it has blessed and enriched my life. Although I talked mainly of 19^th century women, I am grateful for the work of the Relief Society sisters in the church today, and of course many of you are here tonight. You are a great strength to me and to the men of the church. I’m more than confident that the Lord was guiding the hand of President Monson when he lowered the missionary age for sister missionaries to 19. Much like the excitement and enthusiasm that the early women of the Relief Society portrayed and the dedication of women since then, these young women that are going on missions are continuing to draw more attention to the church. Truly, great things come out of the Relief Society.

            I encourage all the men in this room to show more reverence and respect to the Relief Society, both institutionally and doctrinally, as well as greater respect to the women in it. Sisters, always remember to actively participate in and honor the opportunity you have to be part of this ancient order. You are among a rich and fascinating history of other women who have shared your faith and conviction.

            Although tomorrow might be known more for St Patrick’s Day, may we take the time to remember and appreciate the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the blessings it has brought into our lives.

            I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.    

---

[1] 2 Nephi 28:30

[2] Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of the Relief Society (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), 11-12.

[3] Ibid, 12.

[4] Ibid, 7.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Jill Deer, Janath Cannon, and Maureen Beecher, Women of Covenant: The Story of the Relief Society (Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1992), 42.

[7] Doctrine & Covenants Section 110

[8] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, April 28, 1842. http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=37

[9] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, March 27, 1842. http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=55

[10] Moroni 7:47-48, 1 Corinthians 13.

[11] Women of Covenant, pg 31; http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=11

[12] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, July 7, 1843, http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=90, http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=91

[13] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, March 30, 1842.

[14] Virginia H. Pearce, “Angels and Epiphanies,” in The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith, ed. Sheri L. Dew, and Virginia H. Pearce. Accessed via Kindle.

[15] Women of Covenant,  115, 117-18.

[16] Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, March 17, 1842, http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book?locale=eng&p=8

[17] Matthew 5:14-16.

So That Not One of the Jewels in our Crowns will be Missing

Today's post will not be academic, but is tailored more for the promotion of faith (of course I'm not saying that those two are mutually exclusive). The following is a talk I delivered to my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation last Sunday, July 20th.  I was given the assignment to speak about President Henry B. Eyring's talk from the April 2014 LDS General Conference. President Eyring's talk was entitled "A Priceless Heritage of Hope." I found that the nature of President Eyring's message allowed me to tailor the talk around the theme of Pioneer Day, which is today, July 24.

At the beginning of my talk I recap the story of Julia Johnson, a woman I read about in the book series Women of Faith in the Latter-days, edited by Richard Turley and Brittany Chapman. There are currently three volumes out of the proposed seven available. You can find the book series details here.

So That Not One of the Jewels in our Crowns will be Missing

Sacrament Meeting, July 20, 2014

           

“It is impossible to describe my feelings. I was truly glad to hear from you and when I hear that you was well soul and body my soul rejoiced for I long to see my children enjoy pure and undefiled religion. But when I understood you had embraced new doctrine I feared lest you’r deceived, but hope that you will strive for the truth… Your Affectionate Mother.”[1]

            These were the words penned by Julia Hills Johnson to her eldest son Joel, his wife Annie, and her twenty one year old son David, after the three joined the Mormon Church in 1830 in Amherst, Ohio. Julia, a middle-aged mother with sixteen children, living in Pomfret New York, likely heard the negative press about “Joe Smith” and a “golden bible.” This explains her concern upon hearing about her children’s conversion to Mormonism. However, Julia was intent on learning more about the Mormons. Upon his conversion, Joel sent a copy of the Book of Mormon to his mother. Although Julia’s husband Ezekiel was out of town at the time, Julia and the rest of her family gathered secretly to study the text. They had to gather secretly because there was a strong persecution against Mormons in the area.

            Upon reading the text, the Johnson family minus Ezekiel, developed a testimony of the gospel. About this time, Joel and David visited from Ohio with two missionaries, which lead to the conversion of the Johnson family. Although all of her children knew of the truthfulness of the gospel, Julia’s joy was diminished because Ezekiel disapproved of her already performed baptism and refused to allow the minor aged children to be baptized. Eventually, despite the frustrations of Ezekiel, the Johnson family relocated to Kirtland, Ohio.

In Kirtland the Johnsons were strengthened in the presence of the prophet Joseph Smith and other Latter-day Saints. Unfortunately tragedy after tragedy struck the family. Julia’s sons David and Seth both died, the former of consumption and the latter from cholera. The deaths of David and Seth, mixed with the family’s devotion to Mormonism soon drove Ezekiel further into his previous alcoholism. Because of Ezekiel’s “continued unbelief, opposition to the truth, and intemperance, it was deemed better that he should live apart from the family, to which [Ezekiel] consented.”[2] This left Julia as a single mother. In order to support herself and family, Julia opened a successful hat business with her older daughters. But soon thereafter, Julia’s daughters Nancy and Susan died of tuberculosis and the business departed with them. In the space of only four years Julia lost her comfortable life in New York, four children, and her husband.

Hard times continued for Julia Johnson. Julia and her children continued to migrate with the Saints through the Nauvoo period, experiencing all the persecution that was common among the Mormons. After the death of the prophet Joseph Smith, Ezekiel, who had moved to Hancock County Illinois, stopped using alcohol and expressed a desire to be baptized. Although such news was happy for the Johnson family, this happiness quickly faded way.  In 1848, Ezekiel passed away from injuries he received after being beaten by an anti-Mormon mob during his defense of the Saints in the 1846 forced Nauvoo exodus.  At this point, the Johnson family pushed forward longing for the great Salt Lake Valley, but Julia never made it. She died in Council Bluffs Iowa in 1853.

Despite such tragedy, Julia Johnson’s faith continually pushed her forward. Writers Kerri Robinson and Marcie Gallacher described Julia’s faith as “so abiding and consistent that it lighted not only her path but that of her children. Her love and concern for their spiritual welfare was a constant in her life.” [3] In evaluating Julia’s life it is clear that she believed her happiness was intertwined with those that followed after her, especially the lives of her children. Joseph Smith noticed this concern Julia had for her children when he gave her a comfort blessing in Nauvoo. Referring to her children the prophet declared that when Julia received her ultimate reward that, “not one of the jewels in her crown would be missing.”[4] Indeed, this blessing was fulfilled as all of her remaining twelve children remained with the Church.

I am not related to Julia Johnson, but I believe that her life is one of the many great stories of struggle and triumph common among Mormon pioneers. This next week will bring another Pioneer Day, in which Mormons will celebrate the July 24^th 1847 arrival of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley. However, if I may be so bold as to declare, Pioneer Day, at its heart, has nothing to do with handcarts, bonnets, trek reenactments, or even the Salt Lake Valley (remember Julia Johnson never even made it there). Sure, these are symbols that represent the sacrifice of pioneers, but they often overshadow the real message. Just as Julia Johnson recognized, her happiness was intertwined with those who would follow after her. She knew that she needed to leave an inheritance of hope. She knew that the making and keeping of her covenants would bless her family and give them an inheritance that they could choose to follow. But are WE leaving an inheritance of hope for our posterity by making and keeping covenants with God? This is the question that is really at the heart of Pioneer Day.

Last conference, President Henry B. Eyring gave a talk entitled “A Priceless Heritage of Hope.” In it he declared:

 “Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine. Every day and every hour you can choose to make or keep a covenant with God. Wherever you are on the path to inherit the gift of eternal life, you have the opportunity to show many people the way to greater happiness. When you choose whether to make or keep a covenant with God, you choose whether you will leave an inheritance of hope to those who might follow your example.”[5]    

I assume that many of us here today have been blessed by somebody who has left us an inheritance of hope. Others in this congregation might be the first in their family lines to take the lead by making sacred covenants and keeping them in faith. Either way, these covenants are important steps that we must all take to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. However, keeping these covenants might be difficult from time to time. I promise though, if we push through these difficulties by relying on our faith, our trials will only bring us closer to God.

Because of the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind is susceptible to temptations, sin, trials and death. The atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to overcome these obstacles, literally reconciling us to God and placing us “at one” with Him. Part of using this atonement in our lives is the very act of making covenants and obeying them. We cannot gain eternal life unless we make these covenants with God.

President Eyring stated, “ The greatest of all the blessings of God, eternal life, will come to us only as we make covenants offered in the true Church of Jesus Christ by His authorized servants. Because of the Fall, we all need the cleansing effects of baptism and the laying on of hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. These ordinances must be performed by those who possess the proper priesthood authority. Then, with the help of the Light of Christ and the Holy Ghost, we can keep all the covenants we make with God, especially those offered in His temples. Only in that way, and with that help, can anyone claim his or her rightful inheritance as a child of God in a family forever.”[6]   

Now, as singles in a singles ward we are not yet married nor do we have children. Nevertheless, it is important for us to think about the decisions we make everyday and consider the spiritual impact those decisions might have on our future posterity. Are we living the way we should in order to enter the temple? If we were to meet our future spouse today, would we already be ready to make the covenant of marriage in the temple when that great day arrived? Outside of the marriage topic, how are we doing on taking upon us the name of Christ in our daily interactions with coworkers, classmates, family, and roommates? These are questions we need to ponder. If you feel you are not quite were you need to be, even were you want to be, there is hope. Life will bring many temptations, and even if we withstand those temptations there will be things that we will have to wait for patiently, in faith, knowing that the Lord acts in His own time and in His own way.   

Now, I would like to suggest a few items that will help us leave a priceless heritage of hope for those who will follow after us.

First, we can pray. Prayer can be an amazing thing, yet often something that is the easiest to neglect. It is not surprising that the prophet Nephi taught that the evil spirit teaches a man not to pray.[7] This is because prayer is the greatest weapon we have against the adversary. In Doctrine and Covenants section 10 the Lord counsels, “Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work.”[8] It doesn’t get any clearer, if we want to conquer the adversary we must pray. We are promised that as we humble ourselves before the Lord, in prayer, that he will make our weaknesses into strengths, thus fortifying us against temptations.

However, prayer does not only strengthen against temptation. As we pray the Lord can guide us on the path of life, warning us of dangers and telling us the best way to proceed. The Lord can help us decide where to work, where to go to school, whom to marry, and any number of decisions we encounter throughout life. Like the compass styled Liahona that helped lead Lehi’s family through the wilderness, prayer with faith will lead every child of God through life.  

Second, scripture study. The Lord has already blessed us with a significant amount of guidance in the words of past prophets and apostles. Like a map, the scriptures provide direction and guidance in our lives. However, when we mix both prayer and scripture study together marvelous things occur. I’m sure it is no surprise to all of you, but my favorite book of scripture is the Doctrine and Covenants. The bulk of that book was received while Joseph Smith was pondering the scriptures and asking the Lord the meaning of what he read. In following this process the Lord was able to guide the Prophet into understanding and restoring doctrine, as well as providing greatly needed counsel specific to the need of the Latter-day Saints. If we want to remain true to our covenants, and chart a path for our posterity, scripture study is crucial.

Third, Christlike service. If we are to keep the covenants that we have made it is important to provide Christlike service to our fellow men. This is really at the core of the covenants we make when we are baptized into Christ’s Church. The Prophet Alma, when he taught the baptismal covenant, declared that we must be “willing to mourn with those that mourn, yea, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses to God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be.”[9] I have come to believe that this part of our covenant is crucial, even though I must strive to be better at it. The times that I struggle in my life, or find myself drifting away from the constant companionship of the spirit, are the times when I get unreasonably self-absorbed in what I have going on in my life. Life can get busy, and that means it is easy to get self-absorbed, prideful, and to rely more on ourselves than the Lord. Christlike service helps us keep balance, remember our covenants, and brings us closer to the Lord. We also benefit others in the process.

I have always been amazed by a teaching of Brigham Young that shows the power of this part of the covenant we make with God. In 19^th century Utah, the early Mormons instituted a cattle and horse community roundup to protect their flocks from Indians and wolves. Unfortunately, many objected to the safety precautions and refused to include their cattle in the herd. To this Young declared, “Natural feelings would say let them & their cattle go to Hell, but duty says that if they will not take care of their cattle, we must do it for them. We are to be saviours of men in these last days.”[10] The prophet Brigham Young clearly saw the importance of selfless Christlike service to all, and the importance of emulating the Savior whom we had covenanted with. If we practice Christlike service to the best of our ability, I know we will leave an inheritance of hope for others.

These are only three of many things that can help us keep the covenants we make with God. I am sure that many in this audience today are doing well in keeping the covenants they have made. I encourage all of us, myself included, to strive to do better. However, I close with a special story and plea to those of you that might be struggling more than others on this path. Please know that God loves you, has never stopped loving you, and that no matter what you have done, and no matter where you currently are on the path to eternal life, there is hope. I echo Elder Jeffrey R. Holland who when talking about the Parable of the Vineyard plead, “I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s atonement shines…. So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time.”[11]

Truly, brothers and sisters, it never is too late. Many years ago my grandfather Lewis Cottle, rebelled from principles of the gospel while in his youth. He refused to serve a mission and entered the military instead. He saw the natural weaknesses of others in the church and loathed the apparent hypocrisy, giving himself a poor excuse to stay away from the church and sin because he didn’t want to be a hypocrite. Later on in life, after being married and having a family, he came home from a night of social drinking and smoking at a country club. He couldn’t sleep that night. He knew that something in his life was out of place. He wept like a child that night, to the surprise of my grandmother. He told her how he felt, how he needed to get back to the covenants he had made. He stopped smoking and drinking, he went back to church, and became worthy to baptize his whole family, which included my father. From that painful night forward, Lewis Cottle made sure that he strove to keep his covenants. Eventually he was set apart to be a sealer in the Oakland Temple by President Spencer W. Kimball, to which he performed that task for numerous years before he passed away. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for my grandfather, who realized that it was never too late to leave me a priceless heritage of hope and chose to act according to his previous covenants. The joy of the gospel is a part of my life because of that decision. And I look forward to seeing him again someday.[12]

Brothers and sisters, Pioneer day is not about handcarts, bonnets, trek reenactments, and the Salt Lake Valley. Yes, we can remember the great sacrifices of those who came before us and take strength from their lives, but the unfinished work of our heroes must truly be our own. May we extend the priceless heritage of hope to those of our posterity and others that will follow after us. Thus, like Julia Johnson, not one of the jewels in our crowns will be missing.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

---

[1] Kerri Robinson and Marcie Gallacher, “The Joy and the Song,” in Women of Faith in the Latter-days, Volume 1, 1775-1820, eds. Richard Turley Jr. and Brittany Chapman (SLC: Deseret Book, 2011).  Kindle edition.

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid.

[5] President Henry B. Eyring, “A Priceless Heritage of Hope,” April 2014 General Conference. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/a-priceless-heritage-of-hope?lang=eng.

[6] Ibid.

[7] 2 Ne 32:8

[8] D & C 10:5

[9] Mosiah 18:8-9

[10] Leonard J. Arrington. Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints, 1830-1900 (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2005), 58.

[11] Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” April 2012 General Conference. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/the-laborers-in-the-vineyard?lang=eng.

[12] Lewis W. Cottle, “Return of the Prodigal,” Ensign (March 1974) https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/03/mormon-journal?lang=eng.

What Pioneer Day Means to Me

          Apart from Christmas and Easter, two days every year have had a tremendous impact on my life. These days are my birthday and July 24^th, known to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as Pioneer Day. Pioneer Day, a literal holiday in the state of Utah, is a celebration commemorating the arrival of the Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Mormons (mainly in the Western United States) remember their pioneer ancestors who through trial and tribulation walked across the country in order to establish a land for their people which would allow them to be free from outside persecution and influence. For any Latter-day Saint without relation to these early pioneers, Pioneer Day becomes a time in which they can remember when their extended family or they themselves joined the Mormon Church. Of course, even the Mormons who fall into the latter category can find celebration in the lives of the early pioneers, for these pioneers helped establish not only what would become Utah, but also the very headquarters of the Mormon Church today.

            My connection with Pioneer Day begins in similar fashion to other Latter-day Saints. My ancestor Thomas Steed first heard the Mormon message in his own home in Herefordshire England in 1840 when Mormon Apostle Wilford Woodruff preached to a congregation of United Brethren members. Thomas was subsequently baptized in November of that year and worked his way to Nauvoo Illinois in 1844, only a few months before the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith. From Nauvoo, Thomas then made the trek to Utah with his young family. I won’t bore my readers with the finer details of his journeys, but suffice it to say I often remember the sacrifice of Thomas Steed, who like other Mormons helped build up the Intermountain West.

            However, Pioneer Day has taken on much more significance in my life. Eleven years ago on Pioneer Day I entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo Utah in order to serve in the Ohio Cleveland Mission. I found it intriguing that I was entering a region of America saturated with early Mormon history since I was entering my mission on Pioneer Day itself. One hundred and fifty five years after the Mormons entered the Salt Lake Valley I was making a trek back across the United States to where some of my ancestors once lived (such as John Reed, a blacksmith on the Kirtland Temple). It was in Ohio, after serving 18 of the 24 months of my mission in the Kirtland Stake, that I incorporated many aspects of Mormon history I was previously unaware of into my love of general history.

The Newel K. Whitney Store, Kirtland, Ohio- Many revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith were received here. 

            I learned many things on my mission, but one thought that impacted me the most was how important it was for Latter-day Saints to study every aspect of their history as well as perpetuate a better/more accurate understanding of that history. As a missionary I might have been about aiding in the conversion of individuals to Mormonism, but afterward I focused not so much on conversion as much as helping others gain an actual understanding of Mormonism and its history. Although I did not know after my mission how I would accomplish it, I sought to train myself in a way that I could pursue the study of American religion and Mormonism as a potential career.

            In my final semester of undergraduate work at Boise State University I discovered that Claremont Graduate University was opening up a Mormon Studies program within their School of Religion. I also discovered that well known Mormon historian Richard Bushman was going to be the inaugural Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies. I immediately took the opportunity to apply and altered my life in such a way that I could study Mormonism at an academic level. I was accepted to CGU in 2009, received my MA in 2011. I am now currently working on my PhD with a focus on North American religious history. So, needless to say, Mormon history, and Pioneer Day have both had a significant influence on my life.

            Due to the significance of Pioneer Day on my life, I wish to take a brief moment to conclude this blog with one thought about what Pioneer Day means to me. Pioneer Day is a moment to reflect on the history of Mormonism, but this reflection is not merely a carefree admiration of my faith’s religious heritage. Instead Pioneer Day needs to be a time when we reflect as Latter-day Saints, both individually and collectively, on the areas in which we need to improve in order to be more in line with the heritage of our ancestors and to improve on what they have left us. For instance, could we not strive more diligently in our day to give aid to the poor and the needy, regardless of their circumstances (ie. not to use excuses that hinder us in giving aid, such as saying “they’re lazy,” etc.)? One person who taught this without a doubt was Brigham Young. When the early Mormons instituted a cattle and horse community roundup to protect their flocks from Indians and wolves many objected to the safety precautions and refused to include their cattle in the herd. To this Young declared, “Natural feelings would say let them & their cattle go to Hell, but duty says that if they will not take care of their cattle, we must do it for them. We are to be saviours of men in these last days. Then don’t be bluffed off by insults or abuse.”[1] Interesting counsel in reminding us that it is important to take care of the poor, regardless of why they are poor. Is this not what Christ himself taught (see Matthew 25: 34-40)?

            Or perhaps, as Latter-day Saints we could make a more concentrated effort to be less critical of those who believe or think differently than ourselves. After all, one of the tenets of Mormonism found in the Articles of Faith is, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may” (Article of Faith #11). This goes for respecting those of any religion (perhaps interacting with them in interfaith activities) and, may I add, even those with no religion (at least, in the conventional sense) at all.

            These are just two items I have been thinking about recently. I am sure than many of you can determine other ways in which we can realign ourselves with the teachings and example of our pioneer ancestors. Pioneer Day has had a profound significance on me personally, and perhaps as Latter-day Saints we can make it just a little more influential in bettering ourselves both individually and as a community. Of course, still feel free to partake in BBQs, fireworks, and relaxation.

             

           

           

---

[1] Leonard J. Arrington. Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter Day Saints, 1830-1900 (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2005), 58.

Gold Plates, Richard Bushman, and the Provo Life

             I accomplished a first this summer. I can now say I have lived in Provo, Utah. Despite my Mormon background I have never had the opportunity of living in Provo because I did not attend Brigham Young University.  Instead, I opted to attend Boise State University for my undergraduate degree. Although it was a decision I have never regretted, I have always wondered what it would be like to live in Utah, let alone Provo.

             After living in Provo for two months, I can now declare that I am more than happy to go back to Claremont, California in another week. Provo, I will miss your Provo River trail, your access to Creamies (best creamsicles ever), and the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library. However, apart from these things Provo is currently where I don’t belong. Besides my hometown of Boise, Idaho- Claremont, California is truly my home and I am ready to go back for another year of studies at Claremont Graduate University.     

With that being said, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to reside in Provo and participate in a BYU summer seminar on Mormon culture. For the past two years, well-known Mormon historian Richard Bushman has led the summer seminar in which participants produce research on Mormonism’s cultural history with the gold plates. I was humbled by the experience. I was also grateful for being allowed to work with many other Mormon studies scholars. Not only did this help me grow professionally, but it also provided me with the opportunity to expand my circle of friendship to include many great individuals.

I am also truly grateful to have had over the last several years, numerous opportunities to sit in a seminar setting with Richard Bushman. For those of you who have not read any of Richard Bushman’s works, I highly recommend that you do so.  I have learned so much from his vast knowledge and I know for a fact many of my peers have as well. Also, being able to see him again was beneficial for another reason. After spending two years in classes with him at Claremont, I never once got a picture taken with him. I was finally able to remedy that documentation of my scholarly journey.

The 2012 Golden Plates seminar was a success! Since this is more of a personal blog, I will direct you to my friend Christopher Smith’s recap of the seminar found here. The paper I presented at the closing conference was titled “The Moroni Principle: The Mormon Quest for Metal Plates during the Paul Cheesman Years.” In this paper I evaluated how the Mormon testimony experience, which I refer to as the Moroni principle, had a profound impact on BYU Professor Paul Cheesman and his evaluation of Mesoamerican archaeology. This is a very, very short description of my paper, but I am informed it will be posted eventually on the Neal A. Maxwell Institute website. Instead of describing it in detail I will let any of you that are interested know when it becomes available online.   

It has been a great summer! The only downside is that my car died on me in Utah, and I will be coming back to California without a car. But overall, Provo was a great experience and I will be happy to be back in Claremont. 

Plenty of Room at the Table: The “Real” Radical Approach to Discussing Mormonism

           

            I read an article this morning that quite frankly, I thought was awful. What I found more disturbing was that LDS Living decided to make it the key subject in the mass email they sent out today. The article comes from examiner.com, a blog conglomerate in which contributors can post stories about a wide range of topics. The topic of course was Mormonism. Kelly Foss contributed a short blog titled, “CNN’s Radical Approach to Discussing Mormon Faith.” Foss was apparently overjoyed because on Wednesday night a CNN show had a discussion about Mormonism and “they actually invited a real live member of the Mormon Church to the segment to talk about it!” Yep, “a real live” Latter-day Saint.

            Foss continued, “What a revolutionary idea! No pundits, no outside observers, no disaffected Mormons, no academics who have studied the church from a distance for years, but someone who actually knows what they are talking about because they live and practice the faith.” As I read this statement, I could not help but think that many Latter-day Saints (but not all) need to transition from such perspectives. I admit I understood the message that Foss was trying to convey. In discussing Mormonism in proper fashion a Mormon needs to be at the table detailing what they believe and how it interacts with their life, etc. Unfortunately, at the heart of this statement comes something that is more damming to the understanding of Mormonism-blocking all others from the table of discussion where genuine questions, struggles, and issues can be openly discussed.

            As I prepared myself to study religion at Claremont Graduate University back in 2009, I remember sitting in the foyer of my church building in Boise Idaho waiting for an activity to get ready to start. As I sat down on a couch I started reading Jan Shipps’ phenomenal work “Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition.”  Eventually, I was engaged in a conversation with a fellow Latter-day Saint about the book I was reading. It was not long before I was asked, “Is Jan Shipps a Mormon?”  I responded that indeed she wasn’t, and could already anticipate the potential reaction that would follow. I tried to explain how wonderful the book was, stressed how Shipps had been studying Mormons for years, and emphasized that she was quite good at the work she did. I have had numerous similar conversations since then, and I always worry that I come off lecturing believing Latter-day Saints about why it is so critical for non-Mormons to publish books and articles on Mormonism. So, if I have offended any in this process I apologize. But please note, I am not attacking you as an individual- you are my friends and are wonderful! However, Latter-day Saints really need to get out of this paradigm. For lack of any better explanation, I will simply state that we need to get out of a “persecution complex” in thinking that any non-Mormon that discusses us collectively is going to be slinging mud at us as if he/she was a nineteenth century reporter.  Yes, there are many of those today, but let us not close ourselves in. We already appear to those outside of Mormonism as “secretive” as it is.

            I use Jan Shipps only as an example, because she is known as one of the great outsider historians of Mormonism. But there are many more Jan Shipps out there doing wonderful things, which push the discussion of Mormonism in polite, analytical ways.  A perfect example of this is my good friend Christopher Smith, who started a new Mormon Studies blog called Worlds Without End. The effort behind the creation of this blog was to bring together both insider and outsider perspectives in the discourse of Mormon Studies in which differing viewpoints could be discussed. What is even more amazing about such a blog is that the contributors are well aware of proper edict involved in such a discourse (and if you don’t believe me, please see their comment policy).  Such a venture, which Smith discusses as following after the spirit of Claremont Graduate University, is essential to a complete understanding of Mormonism.  If Mormons keep the historical discussion of Mormonism to themselves, saying that we indeed are the only ones that can discuss adequately Mormonism because we live and believe in it, Mormons are only asking for trouble. Such a setup does not provide a roundtable of a discussion, but only makes those outside of Mormonism adamantly believe that we are secretive insiders with something to hide. We need outsider historians, pundits, and even disaffected Mormons (if performed in a conducive spirit) to be at the table. One doesn’t correct understanding of their own group if they are the only ones allowed to speak. In fact in Mormon culture, we often speak in a completely different language, and approach our religion from a different worldview. In cases like this it becomes quite refreshing when we dialogue enough with outsiders (pundits etc) to which they actually come to understand what we are saying and then turn around and help us convey our own history and culture to those that are otherwise clueless. To understand Mormonism, the table needs to be full of diversity- not a members-only club.

            Why am I so passionate about this? Because I have been spending the last three years of my life inviting others to the table and not pushing them away. I do Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University- one of the best things about a Mormon Studies program at a graduate level is that non-LDS academics can become versed in Mormonism in such a way that when they go off and teach religion at the university level they will have a good understanding of Mormonism and will be able to discuss it when news pundits need to bring up the subject (This is something which at the graduate level has been unprecedented).

            Also, this is not the first time a “real live” Mormon has been brought before media pundits to discuss Mormonism. A prime example of this is when BYU professor Spencer Fluhman and Joanna Brooks both spoke on MSNBC back in June about the topic of Mormonism. Yes, we need more Mormons to do this (Joanna Brooks says so), but we must not push non-Mormons out of the conversation.  More pertinent to my discussion here is the fact that in this very MSNBC conversation Melissa Harris-Perry (a non-Mormon) has her own Mormon heritage. This means the conversation is as much involved with her life as it is for Mormons themselves. There is an interaction which must take place.

In conclusion, you can’t create understanding about Mormons if you push all non-Mormons away. The way we do this is to open up the conversation to pundits, disaffected Mormons, and outsider historians while at the same time balancing this with the Mormon voice (and there are many of those Mormon voices: Mormons that struggle with leader statements regarding Proposition 8, Mormons who struggle with LDS leaders stance on immigration, Mormons who believe fervently but struggle with Word of Wisdom issues, the history of polygamy etc).  This is the real “radical” approach that we need to be using when we discuss the Mormon faith. If we go to Kelly Foss’ extreme we will not be doing any better than the approach he is attacking. We will only be damming understanding of Mormonism. Unfortunately, the media use of this roundtable approach created under terms of genuine understanding and dialogue has been heavily uncharted by the media. Let’s just make sure in our critique we don’t go to extremes.

The more non-Latter-day Saints enter the discussion, the better us Mormons will be. Especially if they have been trained at the university level with a great academic understanding of Mormon history, and a discourse of respect regarding the beliefs of Mormons. My last three years of life have been focused on opening up the table- not closing it. This is why I am writing this blog. Kelly Foss’ opinion cannot match with the perspective that I see in this.  I really wish LDS Living did not propagate such a perspective in forwarding this story.

PS- For my “outsider” historian friends reading this: I often feel you understand Mormons more than we sometimes understand ourselves. I learn much more about my deep personal convictions from your evaluation looking in at my faith. You also enable me to respectfully laugh at myself. Please, keep on trucking! I know there are many people who look at you studying Mormonism and wonder what the hell you are doing. It takes some serious guts- especially when some Mormons are ready to cast you into outer darkness, where there is wailing and gnashing of teeth- without so much as to listening to what you say. Oh, the irony in that situation.