3 August 1878
Retrenchment Association; Fourteenth Ward Meetinghouse, Salt Lake City, Utah Territory
[. . .] Mrs. M. I. [Mary Isabella Hales] Horne presiding and on the stand with her were Counselors Miss Eliza R. Snow, B. [Bathsheba] W. Smith, S. [Sarah] M. Kimball, Phebe [C.] Woodruff, and other prominent sisters. [. . .] Counselor E. R. Snow was the next speaker, she had been absent from three meetings and during that time had visited the societies in many places; she gave a short sketch of her travels and meetings with the sisters, their organizations and the great work that was being accomplished little by little. Miss Snow said wherever she had visited she had instructed the sisters to take out naturalization papers, those who were not citizens. Woman’s cause is man’s cause there is no separating the two, but woman’s work and man’s work are different. God is at the helm, and he chooses such instruments as He sees fit to do His work; it is all one with us, it is a universal interest. We can see the sphere of man is extending and woman’s place is at the side of her husband, as his counselor not dictator. Miss Snow said during her journey whenever she visited a new place, she told the people if she knew the character of the women of the place, she would know the state of society; she entreated the sisters to read the newspapers, and learn the condition and needs of the country, what was going on in the world, if the mothers were too busy to read the news, let the children read to them while they were at work, and keep posted on all affairs of public interest; spoke earnestly on the subject of storing grain and beans and preparing for a day of need; said our motto should be “make hay while the sun shines,” and lay up our stores now when there is an abundant harvest. Mrs. Hannah T. King next addressed the meeting; she remarked that Miss Snow’s discourse was most excellent and ought to be written word for word and published to the world. She felt strengthened by it, and, that the spirit of the Lord was there [. . .] [p. 42]