The Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has digitized the complete collection of the Young Woman’s Journal, a monthly publication for Latter-day Saint young women from 1889 to 1929, making every issue available through the Church History Catalog.
News of the addition of the Young Woman’s Journal collection and the following history comes from an article co-authored by Charla Hudson and Emily Crumpton-Deason at the Church History Library on history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
For 40 years, the Young Woman’s Journal provided a source for spiritual growth and support to Latter-day Saint young women.
Susa Young Gates, a daughter of Brigham Young, started the Young Woman’s Journal after returning from Hawaii, where her husband was serving a mission and where she honed her writing skills by contributing to various magazines. The idea to start the magazine for Latter-day Saint young women was influenced by her close friend, Romania B. Penrose.
The Journal was launched as a personal project and business venture that was affiliated with the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association. The magazine aimed to foster the literary talents of young women and offer spiritual guidance. It was approved by President Wilford Woodruff, who said the income generated from subscriptions should be used to cover the publishing costs, allowing it to operate without Church assistance.
The first edition of the Journal was published in October 1889, only five months after Gates and her family returned to Utah. She invited young women to contribute essays, stories, articles, poems and letters for possible publication.
“Remember, girls, this is your magazine,” she wrote.
The magazine started with 800 subscriptions and grew to nearly 7,000 by 1900. Contributors included the first female full-time missionaries, Eliza Chipman and Josephine Booth, who shared their mission experiences and inspired other young women to serve.
The Journal became more than a literary outlet, offering sections on health, fashion, business opportunities, current issues and more, which reflected societal changes and themes from the Woman’s Exponent. The Exponent was a bimonthly newspaper created and operated by members of the Relief Society with an audience of adult women.
Gates led the Journal until 1900 and was succeeded by five other editors.
In 1929, the publication merged with the Improvement Era, a magazine for young men of the Church. The final issue featured contributions and reflections from Gates and others, celebrating the Journal’s legacy.
The complete digitized collection, including an index for topic and author search, is now available online.
Read the entire article at history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
