Mother's Day Talk - Women in Church History

I was asked to give a talk in church today (Mother's day) and I thought I'd share the text of the talk here. I love history and have been quite interested in Mormon history, particularly Mormon women's history, for awhile now and so this was such a great topic for me. The only sad part was that I had to cut so many of the women I would have loved to have talked about. 

The Strength of Women in Church History

I am deeply honored to have been asked to speak today and hope to do the topic justice.

I was asked to speak on the strength of women with a particular focus on the women of early church history.

Emma

The most famous of our early Mormon women is Emma Smith (1804-1879), the first wife of Joseph Smith, who was known for her compassion, healing touch, and selfless service. Called an “elect lady,” she compiled our first hymnbook and was chosen as the first Relief Society president in 1842. At the first meeting of the newly organized women’s society, Emma stressed the women’s intention to make a difference, saying: “We are going to do something extraordinary…we expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls.”[1]

But less remembered is that when Joseph was killed she was barely four months into her 8^th pregnancy and that she would give birth to her last child—David Hyrum Smith—five months after her husband’s death and that she would ultimately outlive all but four of her eleven children.

And instead of moving west to Utah with the majority of the Saints, Emma remained in Nauvoo to care for her frail mother-in-law, Lucy Mack Smith, who had lost her husband and four sons in quick succession over a four year period. Like Ruth, Emma would not leave her mother-in-law’s side and cared for her until Lucy passed away in May of 1856. Emma remarried a man named Lewis C. Bidamon and lived another twenty years, passing away in Nauvoo on April 30, 1879.[2]

Eliza

Equally well-known among Mormon women is Eliza R. Snow (1804-1887), sister of Lorenzo Snow and polygamous wife to both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. With Emma, Eliza served in the leadership of the first Relief Society organization as its secretary and was later named the second general Relief Society president when it was re-organized in Utah.  A well-known poet and prolific writer, Eliza was a leading Mormon intellectual of her day and often called a Prophetess by her contemporaries. She wielded considered power and commanded the respect of many.

Recent scholarship from Dr. Andrea Radke-Moss, a historian at BYU-Idaho, has unearthed new sources that verify that the then 34-year-old Eliza was gang raped by a mob of men during the so-called Missouri War in 1838. The brutal attack rendered her incapable of having children.[3] Given that statistically 1 in 5 women in America today will experience sexual assault, Dr. Moss stresses the significance of sharing Eliza’s story: "She [Eliza] unsilences the silenced. And yet, her victimhood does not and will not define her, but this new knowledge has the potential to bring hope and healing to other victims of sexual violence among our church membership and others, for whom Eliza provides an emulative model of strength, hope, faith, and resilience.”[4]

Despite Eliza’s traumatic past, she did not let this define her or diminish her considerable talents as a spiritual, political, and artistic leader. Her legacy lives on in the form of her poetry, ten of which can still be found in our hymn book including my personal favorite, hymn 292, “O My Father.” Written in 1845 and based on Joseph Smith’s teachings, the poem so beautifully invokes the image of our Heavenly Mother and was a much beloved and popular hymn in the early church. Wilford Woodruff went so far as to call it revelation.[5]

Jane

But what of the other Mormon women, the ones not as well remembered as Emma and Eliza? Well, there was Jane Manning James (1822-1908), born a free black in Connecticut in 1822 and one of the first African-American converts. Joining the church in its early days was an act of courage and even more so for a black woman so disenfranchised by her race and sex in a world decidedly prejudiced against her. Jane and her family walked over 800 miles to join the main body of Saints in Nauvoo because they were denied passage on a boat with their fellow converts. Jane recorded: “We walked until our shoes were worn out, and our feet became sore and cracked open and bled until you could see the whole print of our feet with blood on the ground. We stopped and united in prayer to the Lord, we asked God the Eternal Father to heal our feet and our prayers were answered and our feet were healed forthwith.”[6]   

Finally arriving in Nauvoo, her family was immediately welcomed by the Prophet and Jane was invited to live with Joseph and Emma where she remained for several months.  She married, bore eight children, and again traveled many miles on foot to settle in Salt Lake with the other pioneers. But all was not well in Zion for Jane. She desperately desired to receive her temple endowments but was denied access because of the priesthood ban. Over the course of 20 years, Jane would write many persistent and impassioned letters and met with several apostles and church presidents to request entrance into the temple. All were denied. “But,” she said, she would “wait in patience on her Heavenly Father.”[7] When the ban was finally lifted many years after her death, Jane’s work was among the first to be performed via proxy.[8]

Patty

We could talk of Patty Bartlett Sessions (1795-1892), eighteen and newly married, and how she was unexpectedly called to assist with a neighbor’s difficult birth in her southwest Maine town. With no preparation and little training, Patty fearlessly went where she was called and successfully delivered her first child. Four months later, Patty was called to the bedside of another woman in labor and thus a midwife was born. Though Patty herself would tragically lose five of her eight children before they reached adulthood, she reportedly delivered 3,997 babies, the most well-known and respected Mormon midwife.

In 1833, Patty was introduced to Mormonism and like midwifery, her conversion was almost instinctual. According to one of her children, “As soon as my Mother he[a]rd she believed.”[9] Patty’s detailed journal is one of the best extant records of the overland journey that we have and it provides invaluable details about the trek, frontier life, and early church history. In her last years, Patty settled in Bountiful, Utah near her remaining children and dedicated the Patty Sessions Academy, a school where poor children in the area were admitted without cost. She died in Bountiful in 1892 at age 97, survived by two sons, 33 grandchildren, 137 great-grandchildren, and 22 great-great-grandchildren.

Emmeline

We should also remember Emmeline B. Wells (1828-1921), an educator and suffragette who would serve for numerous years in the general Relief Society presidency and as the chief editor of the Woman’s Exponent, a semi-monthly periodical where she tirelessly promoted the rights of women. She wrote: “I believe in women, especially thinking women”…”I have desired with all my heart to do those things that would advance women in moral and spiritual as well as educational work and tend to the rolling on of the work of God upon the earth.”[10]

Numbered among her personal friends were both Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony with whom she interacted frequently as Utah’s representative at the National Woman Suffrage Association and the International Councils of Women. She met with congressmen and even presidents. She was instrumental in winning Utah women the right to vote, which they were given in 1896 when Utah was granted statehood. In 1910, at the age of 82, she was called to be the RS general president where she served for 11 years and oversaw an extensive welfare program and administered services to those in need of help from the ravages of World War I. And it is to her that we credit the RS motto: “Charity never faileth.”

Martha

But perhaps one of my favorites was Martha Hughes Cannon (1857-1932) who, in 1896, ran for a seat on the Utah state senate against her OWN husband and won, becoming the first female state senator in US history. A trained doctor with degrees from the University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania, Martha used her time in office to crusade for better public health, spearheading funding for speech- and hearing-impaired students, establishing the state board of health, and enacting laws regulating working conditions for women and girls. Not daunted by the demands of her professional life, Martha gave birth to her third child during her second term in office.[11]

Inez and Jennie

And finally, we have the example of Inez Knight (1876-1937) and Jennie Brimhall (1875-1957)[12], the first sister missionaries of the Church. Although as many as 200 sisters had served in missionary capacities as teachers and genealogists or as companions to their husbands, Inez and Jennie were the first officially called and set apart as proselyting lady missionaries in Great Britain.[13] The childhood friends (and future sisters-in-law) had originally intended to visit England on an extended holiday, but when the European mission president specifically requested female missionaries, Inez and Jennie were asked to extend their visit and serve. They agreed and were set apart in Provo, Utah on 1 April 1898 and arrived in Liverpool on April 22. Jennie served six months before returning home due to poor health while Inez served a full two years.  

Calling herself an ambassador for Christ, Inez wrote of the persecution she encountered in Bristol but assured her friends in Utah (April 1899) that: “The Lord is abundantly blessing us in our labors, and although we do not always have clear sailing and have even been forced to seek protection from mob violence in a police station, receiving the slurs of the mob and even spat upon by the enemy, together with rocks and sticks from their hands, yet we rejoice in the work. We do not find it hard to say, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do,' for truly it is the ignorant who persecute us most. The Lord has said we must love Him with all our might, mind, and strength and to do this, means to be willing to sacrifice all things, and work faithfully for the upbuilding of His kingdom.”[14]

The European mission president later said: “Whenever I had the pleasure of listening to one of them bear testimony to the truth of the Gospel…I felt their words were far more convincing than anything that could be said by the men. … I believe there is room for a good many sisters to do effective missionary service.”[15]

Summary

Whether we have pioneer ancestors or not, we are all spiritually descended from these remarkable women, each so different and so complex and yet so instrumental to the building of Zion. More than anything, they illustrate the need for women to recognize our divine nature and individual worth not just as Latter-day Saints, but first and foremost as women. From Emma and Emmeline we learn what it means to open our hearts and our homes to others and how charity truly never faileth. From Eliza we see the limitless reach of our intellect, but also the resilience to forge ahead and not let tragedy diminish our standing before God and destroy our souls. From Jane, a woman of rare courage, we understand what it means to be unafraid to ask for the blessings which are our divine right and to seek a place in the Lord’s home. From Patty and her 3,997 babies, we see the endless miracles of hands in action, tender but sure of their purpose. And from Martha, Inez, and Jennie we hear the power of a woman’s voice whether she be a missionary, doctor, politician, or mother. The message of Mormon women of the past and of today is that we are strong and we matter very much in the eyes of our Heavenly Parents and especially to Jesus Christ.

For no one was a greater champion of women than Jesus Christ. The relationships and interactions Jesus had with women were not distant or domineering. They were intimate, respectful, and deeply affirming of women’s full humanity.[16] The first miracle Jesus performed—turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana—was done at the behest of his mother Mary (John 2:1-11).  The first time Jesus acknowledged Himself to be the Christ was to a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.[17] (John 4:26). He taught men and women alike and treated sisters Martha and Mary as some of his most devoted disciples (Luke 10:42). He felt the shy but hopeful touch of the woman plagued by an issue of blood despite the crowd that surrounded him and sought her out not to scold or revile her, but to tenderly acknowledge that he had felt her faith and to promise her that it had made her whole.  (Mark 5:25-34). 

Even as he hung in agony upon the cross, Jesus beheld his mother and beseeched his beloved disciple, John, to care for her as though she were his own (John 19:26-27). And it was surely no coincidence that after rising from his mortal tomb, Jesus appeared first to a woman, Mary Magdalene, and commissioned her to announce his return as the first witness of his resurrection.

As women, it is all too easy to feel ignored, dismissed, inconsequential, or simply unimportant. I have felt all of these things. And yet reading the stories of these inspiring pioneer women—whose lives were far from easy or simple or even expected—reminds us who we are: daughters of God. And because of that we are divine. And strong.  

---

[1] Daughters in My Kingdom: The History of Work of Relief Society, 14

[2] See Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith (University of Illinois Press: 1994).

[3] Peggy Fletcher Stack, “BYU-Idaho Historian sheds more light on the 1838 attack on Mormon poet Eliza Snow,” Salt Lake Tribune, 8 March 2016 http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/3635705-155/mormon-historian-sheds-more-light-on

[4]  Andre Radke-Moss, “Eliza R. Snow as a Victim of Sexual Violence in  the 1838 Missouri War- the Author’s Reflections on a Source,” The Juvenile Instructor, 7 March 2016

[5] Elaine Anderson Cannon, “Mother in Heaven,” Encyclopedia of Mormonism,  http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Mother_in_Heaven

[6] Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, “Jane Manning James: Black Saint, 1847 Pioneer,” Ensign, August 1979.  https://www.lds.org/ensign/1979/08/jane-manning-james-black-saint-1847-pioneer?lang=eng#footnote4-03112_000_012

[7] Lydia D. Alder, Minutes of Ladies’ Semi-Monthly Meeting, October 31, 1896, reprinted in Various, “Ladies’ Semi-Monthly Meeting,” Woman’s Exponent 25 (December 15, 1896): 78.  As seen in : https://bycommonconsent.com/2007/10/19/jane-manning-james-in-the-womans-exponent/

[8] “Unafraid to Ask: Jane Elizabeth Manning James and Ordain Women,” Doves and Serpents, 30 May 2014, http://www.dovesandserpents.org/wp/2014/05/unafraid-to-ask-jane-elizabeth-manning-james-and-ordain-women/

[9] Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books,1998): 175.

[10] Daughters in my Kingdom: The History of Work of Relief Society, 57.

[11] Taken from Women of the West Museum, http://theautry.org/explore/exhibits/suffrage/cannon_full.html

[12] And if you have spent much time on BYU’s campus, you may recognize these names. Inez was the daughter of Jesse and Amanda Knight and Jennie the daughter of George H. Brimhall, president of BYU from 1904-1921.

[13] Calvin S. Kunz, A History of Female Missionary Activity in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830–1898, thesis, BYU, 1976, pp. 40–54.

[14] Elizabeth Maki, “Taking Fresh Courage,” Women of Conviction, 4 May 2012, https://history.lds.org/article/inez-knight-opposition?lang=eng

[15] Joseph W. McMurrin, “Lady Missionaries,” Young Woman’s Journal, vol. 15 (December 1904): 539-541.) (https://history.lds.org/article/inez-knight-missionary?lang=eng

[16] Danielle Mooney, “Are we living up to Christ’s example of justice for women?” Exponent II, http://www.the-exponent.com/are-we-living-up-to-christs-example-of-justice-for-women/

[17] Just the fact that he acknowledged the woman at all was unusual enough—Jews and Samaritans having a famously long standing animosity towards one another.

The End of an Era

We interrupt this string of vacation-related blog posts to bring you this special news bulletin… Or something like that….

It seems I am in the writing mood tonight, and as that happens so rarely these days, I decided it would behoove me to make this blog post. After all, I’m way behind on my Mother’s Day quota. Liz has been very kind about not nagging me to post something, though every now and then I think I could use a good nagging to help keep me focused. But that’s beside the point.

As I was saying, since I’m in the mood to write, write I shall!

As any faithful reader of this blog is sure to know, our little family has just made a drastic change of lifestyle in the hopes of making another drastic change of lifestyle in a couple of years. All these drastic changes got me to thinking about all the other drastic changes in my life that led up to the current drastic changes.

I can roughly break my life up into chunks of time: from birth up until high school, from high school until after my mission to Taiwan, and from returning from Taiwan until separation from the Navy. These are categorized much more by feeling than they are by time, but for those interested that’s 14 years, 7 years, and 9 years, respectively. Each was an era defined in my mind by my rate of growth.

As I see it, from birth to high school I changed very little. Everyday life was pretty much the same: go to school, get good grades, be bored all the time. I filled my excess time by playing with my LEGOs. Looking back, everyday seems very much the same and boredom is an overarching theme. Let’s call this era the Era of Boredom.

Let me pause for a moment. Please don’t misunderstand me. There were many great and wonderful activities taking place during this time, but these eras have little to do with how I filled my days and everything to do with how much I learned and how fast I grew during that timeframe. My eras are defined by how my potential was utilized, or underutilized, as the case may be.

From high school until returning from Taiwan, I spent a lot of time deciding who I wanted to be and what I wanted to get out of life. I started observing people, particularly couples, to see how they interacted. I decided what type of husband and father I wanted to be. I decided that I would travel so as to not live my whole life and then die in the same town. I learned that I had talents that I didn’t know I had, like the ability to learn Chinese. (This was especially important after taking four years of Spanish in high school and not remembering any of it.) I decided that people are basically good. This was my Decision Era.

The first part of the next era could almost be its own mini era, but I include it with this one because it led to all of the wonderful things that have happened to me over the last seven years. After I returned from Taiwan, I began to yearn for more personal growth. I tried college, but I couldn’t afford it after the first semester. My work was unsatisfying and I felt my potential was being wasted. My only significant work experience was in the grocery business; I wanted to be something more, but I was limited by my lack of education and experience.

My father suggested I join the Navy, which I did, and I left for basic training about six months later. (One thing I love about the military—they will hire you based on your potential, rather than based on what you’ve already done.) After basic training, I was sent to Monterey, California to learn Korean, and it was here that I met Alicia, who basically walked me through the process of getting an Associate’s degree in Korean. It was also here that I met my lovely wife, Liz, who has inspired me to become everything I’ve only ever dreamed of being. With her encouragement, I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and was successfully admitted into Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management. I’ve become what Liz always wanted in a husband. (This is especially important because I really didn’t have much going for me when we met.) We also have a beautiful daughter, which has been a wonderful experience for both Liz and I as we watch her grow. My little family has been able to experience multiple cultures in the last few years as we traveled throughout Hawaii, Korea, China, Taiwan, and much of the continental United States together. So, what began as an era of no experience or education, ended up being chocked full of both and has been by far the greatest of the all three.

Now that we are settled and I am in school, I feel as though the Education and Experience Era has come to an end. Despite the fact that I am currently pursuing another degree, I feel that the growth associated with this time far outweighs that of the prior era—enough so to start anew. As with so many other things, only time will tell. I will say this much though… I am thoroughly enjoying every bit of what I’m learning and doing now. Combine that with the joys of being with my family every day, and I don’t believe I’ve ever been happier.

While I don’t know everything the future holds, I am very excited for this new season of my life and for what’s in store for me and my little family!

Mother's Day ...and hinges

For those faithful readers out there, you know that I have not been a very active participant in this blog.... Honestly, I just don't think anyone will want to read what I have to write. I'm sure someone will find this post at least mildly entertaining and will disagree with that last statement, but it doesn't matter because I won't believe it. Seriously, I won't believe it, so save your breathe... or your typing energy, in this case.

You see, I know that I think about things--weird things--that normal people just don't think about. Things like hinges. Yes, hinges. You see, the three hinges on American doors are evenly spaced, but maybe you didn't notice? Well, here in Korea, there are two hinges located near the top of the door and one near the bottom. Which of these two hinge-hanging methods is better? On the one hand, it seems as though the evenly spaced hinges provide more stability, but on the other hand, a door with only a top hinge is more stable than a door with just a bottom hinge, so shouldn't there be more support up higher? I know people don't want to read these things because they are just ludicrous.... Honestly, how many other people do you know that are so concerned with the stress placed on hinges?

But today I'm not here to tell you about my random thoughts, or why I shouldn't blog, or even hinges, despite the fact that I could write a dissertation on each of those subject. No, today I am here to tell you about a couple of the many wonderful women in my life, but most importantly my amazing wife Liz--so please just ignore that first crazy part.

First, my own Momma. My Momma was blessed with five children--four girls and me. (As her only son, I'm her favorite by default.) My Momma has always been a terrific listener. She will sit and listen to me ramble about all the wonderful and horrible things happening in my life, and she has given me encouragement through it all. My Momma always took such good care of me when I was sick. She packed my often meager school lunches with care and tucked me in at night until I was probably far too old for it. She has been the model of patience and virtue; a stalwart Christian woman who wants nothing more than to have a loving family. I love you, Momma; happy Mother's Day to you!

In addition to my own Momma, I've had other mothers just about everywhere I've lived. When I left home to join the military, my first assignment was located in Monterey, California. Charlie and her husband were leaders at the local single's ward (an LDS church congregation) when I arrived there, and they opened their home to the many single adult "children" who attended there. Charlie is a very strong woman who has overcome a lot of adversity in her lifetime; she passed on much of her wisdom to me and all of her other children. She was there during a time of great difficulty for me and we shared many happy and sad moments together. Perhaps the greatest thing she did for me was establish a home where I felt I belonged during a time I thought I couldn't fit in anywhere. Happy Mother's Day, Charlie!

There have been many other women who have been a significant blessing in my life, but I'll just name one. Alicia and I met at school when we were in Monterey. We were in the same class and got to see each other every day. We didn't talk at first. I think she thought I was a weirdo (see introduction for supporting evidence). Sometimes we still wonder why we are friends since we really have nothing in common, but I think it boils down to the fact that we find each other so amusing. When we talk we are constantly laughing! Alicia and I have been through a lot together and she has always been a true friend to me. When we were in school, she really pushed me to do more with my life. Thanks to her persistence, I fulfilled all the requirements for and received an associates degree in Korean, making me the first Malone in my family to earn a college degree. Alicia and I are still great friends, and I can never thank her enough for being such a support to me. Thank you, Alicia! 사랑해!

Ah, now to the bestest, most awesome woman of all time, my adoring wife Liz! But first, some back story.

I was having a conversation with a friend at work the other day in which I described myself five years ago. He quite pointedly stated that the person I was describing didn't sound anything like me, and I couldn't have been happier to hear it! You see, five years ago at around this time of year, I finally decided that I would ask Liz on a date. I really had nothing going for me at that time--significant debt, no education to speak of, no plans for life, no confidence worth mentioning.... But Liz is such an awesome gal that I just couldn't let her slip away without trying. I asked her out on a date, we had a wonderful time, and the rest is history. Flash forward five years to the present day and I am now debt free; I will be completing a Bachelors in a few weeks; I'm off to BYU for an MBA starting in August; and I've never had more plans, ideas, and confidence, and I owe it all to Liz. Some might say that I'm giving her too much credit, after all, she didn't earn the degree for me or pay off my debt. To those I simply say, if you knew me five years ago, you'd think otherwise. I am a firm believer that behind every good man is a great woman and that while people can do great things by themselves, they can do truly amazing things with the encouragement of loved ones, particularly from a loving and supportive spouse.

Liz has been taking care of everything around the house allowing me the time to focus on my education. She's been steadfast in preparing meals for me to take to work for those ridiculously long hours away from home. She's been there through every semester and before every test wishing me luck and reassuring me that I can do anything I set my mind to. She's kept me calm and encouraged me every step of the way the last five years. I can never, ever thank her enough for her love.

And now, Liz is also the mother of our daughter. With my retarded schedule, Liz has largely held the burden of taking care of so many things including caring for Zara. Cute and entertaining as she often is, Zara can be quite frustrating to deal with especially when she won't sleep, but clearly needs to.... Liz is a wonderful mother who quite obviously wants the best for her children. The way that Liz interacts with Zara is quite beautiful to me, and I love my girls very much! So, thank you Liz, for being such a wonderful wife, and now a wonderful mother as well!!

And Happy Mother's Day, Honey! I'm so grateful you said yes the second time I asked you to marry me, and I'm so grateful you are the mother of our daughter! I look forward to the addition of any other children we get to have and for the many years ahead that we will get to spend together! I love you very much, Liz!! Now... as for your Mother's Day gift....

I've had trouble with gift-giving recently because anything Liz wants she can--and usually does--just go get whenever she wants it. It's become harder and harder to think of gifts to give her for that very reason. Plus, many of the staple gifts like books and CDs... well, as close as Liz and I are, I won't pretend to know what music and books she would like. I've only read a couple of the same books as her, so I can't even begin to suggest a book for her based on her tastes. And most of the bands she loves are groups I've never heard of before, and I don't know where she finds the music anyway since you never hear it on the radio. She has an Amazon wish list, but half the stuff on there isn't really things she wants, just things she put there to remind herself about.... The point is, finding gifts for her has become much more difficult for me lately; its a dilemma that I'm sure many spouses and significant others out there can appreciate.

So, Honey, my gift to you this Mother's day is intangible, because it's the only way I can give you something that you can't buy for yourself. My gift to you is to write at least one blog post a month for the next year--that's 12 blog posts. For the purposes of this gift, however, any additional blogs written in the same month will not count toward the total of 12, so I may write more than 12 during the whole year, but there will be a least one each month. Oh yeah, and this post doesn't count, but I will start this month. Who knows, I may end up enjoying this whole blogging thing, but I'll still need some more of our followers to start looking at their hinges in a different light before I'll be convinced that my writing is worth reading.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!