During June 1878, Eliza R. Snow, the second general president of the Relief Society, traveled throughout central Utah Territory, delivering addresses to Relief Societies in the towns of Mona, Nephi, Fountain Green, Moroni, Spring City, Gunnison and others.
On June 27, she made her first visit to Mayfield, a newer settlement occupied by Danish immigrants who had organized a ward and Relief Society the year before.
Her visit was likely prompted by a tragic event that occurred five days earlier. During a holiday gathering at a nearby reservoir, a sudden windstorm surprised 13 young people on a boat and forced them into the water, where 11 drowned. The community was devastated.
According to minutes and records, Sister Snow offered sincere consolation for their loss, and “many cheering and comforting words were given to the bereaved.” She encouraged those present to “sacrifice our personal feelings and try to be one and mourn with those that mourn.”
“Sister Eliza urged the sisters to be one and uphold each other in their place and be true to one another and true to God,” the record states.
The tender account and discourse are among 52 featured in a new publication by The Church Historian’s Press, titled “Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow.”
Elder Kyle S. McKay, a General Authority Seventy who serves as Church historian and recorder, paid tribute to Sister Snow during a press event celebrating the publication’s release at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, March 3.
“Eliza R. Snow was, in every definition, in my view, an elect lady,” said Elder McKay, adding that she was a “truly remarkable woman” in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “This is a woman, who time and time again, accepted the call. ... I’m thrilled to be part of this day when we can shine the light on her life and sermons.”
Sister Kristin M. Yee, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, expressed gratitude to the volume editors and others for their work to bring forth Snow’s words, which had “power and strength” and point to the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sister Yee praised the title, “Rise Up and Speak,” because “That was Eliza.”
“She spoke as a devoted disciple of the Savior. She spoke by the Spirit and encouraged all women to do the same,” Sister Yee said. “The works that Eliza talked about are the works that we do today as sisters in Relief Society. It tells me this work is eternally relevant ... and it carries on today. Their stories are our stories.”
Jennifer Reeder, lead editor and historian on the project, said it was a “privilege to come to know Eliza R. Snow” through her discourses.
“One of the things I love about this project is feeling like I belong to this heritage and legacy of women,” Reeder said. “When I read her words and see how diligent and urgent she is about this responsibility as a woman of God, to be a part of that, I think that’s so important, and I love that.”
Learning to ‘Rise up and speak’
In 1868, recognizing the need for unity among women in their new Western communities, President Brigham Young asked Sister Snow to assist bishops in reorganizing ward Relief Societies and instructing Latter-day Saint women.
As the first secretary for the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, Snow understood the purpose of the Relief Society better than most. But teaching the women — at a time when women didn’t speak publicly — was a daunting assignment.
“She was scared,” Reeder said. “She was not comfortable with public speaking.”
Despite Sister Snow’s reservations and lack of experience in public speaking, she demonstrated her faith in Jesus Christ.
During the mid- to late 1800s — in her golden years — Snow traveled throughout the Utah and Idaho territories, ministering to women and inspiring audiences with her faith and testimony. She rarely spoke from notes. Relief Society secretaries and others recorded her discourses in minute books and newspapers.
Sister Snow became a prolific speaker and one of the most influential Latter-day Saint women of the 19th century.
In her messages, Sister Snow frequently encouraged women to “rise up and speak” — to overcome fears in public speaking and serve in their communities. She championed learning. She admonished women to awaken to their divine potential, stay engaged in their faith, become politically active and vote, and unite in supporting one another. Snow did this in real time while confronting language and cultural differences, poverty and other difficulties of the time.
“Slowly you see this evolution,” said Elizabeth Kuehn, an editor and historian on the project. “Toward the end of her life, at least in the way that it’s captured for us, [public speaking] almost seems effortless. She’s got so much confidence, so much experience, and she’s such a well-known figure, that it’s amazing to see her drawing crowds, and not just women, but also men. She is a public speaker that people want to go hear.”
Finding Eliza’s discourses
According to Reeder, in the late 19th century, male Church leaders often had talks printed in the newspaper or the Journal of Discourses.
Despite lacking similar platforms to share or preserve their talks, the sisters diligently recorded their meeting minutes.
When the idea to compile Snow’s discourses was proposed, a research team began examining nearly 1,600 minute books from the Relief Society, Primary, Young Women and Sunday School organizations, including 480,000 pages of Spencerian cursive. They also searched newspaper archives, personal journals and books.
“That is a lot of old handwriting,” Reeder said with a smile. “We started to see the breadth of where she was going and where she was speaking. Sometimes she spoke three or four times a day.”
The team transcribed everything it found, which amounted to nearly 1,300 of Snow’s discourses, all of which are now available on the Church Historian’s Press website.
“It’s a treasure trove of her words and ideas,” Kuehn said. “I hope that it’s useful to members, scholars and those who are interested in what Eliza was doing. It taught us a lot about her patterns and how deeply involved she was in every organization of the Church.”
From those 1,300 discourses, historians selected 52 to be featured in “Rise Up and Speak.” Each discourse has been fully annotated and contextualized to provide readers with insights into Sister Snow’s teachings and times. Additionally, punctuation, spelling and grammar have been standardized to help modern readers understand her words more easily.
“Rise Up and Speak” will become a part of the Gospel Library app in 2027.
Jessica Nelson, an editor and historian, valued the experience she gained from working on the Joseph Smith Papers as she researched annotations and footnotes.
“We need to know a little about the ‘who.’ ‘what’ and ‘why’ that led to this speech that someone wrote down. What kind of current events could have impacted what they were saying?” she said. “Much of what she ends up talking about are things we know from Utah history.”
Selection process
Sharalyn Howcroft, an editor on the project, said the discourses varied in detail, ranging from brief summaries like “It was a terrific meeting; Sister Snow spoke; everyone was deeply touched,” to richly detailed accounts.
How did the team select 52 discourses from nearly 1,300?
Howcroft said the team considered several factors: the varying levels of detail in each discourse, from brief impressions to rich descriptions; recurring themes and nuances in Sister Snow’s discourses to highlight key messages; records that accurately conveyed Sister Snow’s words; her speaking tours and audiences, including Relief Societies, Young Women and Primary organizations; and comprehensiveness in both subject matter and group representation. The selection process also involved discussions to ensure an accurate reflection of Eliza’s relationship-focused topics.
The team believes the 52 discourses show the breadth of Sister Snow’s service and leadership in the early Church.
“We wanted to have a representation of the organizations that she is speaking to, as well as subject matter,” Howcroft said. “There were a lot of conversations that went into being deliberate and careful about that selection that would do justice not only to the record, but also to her words and the types of things that she is speaking about.”
Unity and focusing on Christ
A discourse Eliza delivered in the Salt Lake City 10th Ward in 1874 seemed thematically repetitive until Howcroft uncovered its historical context — a devastating pneumonia epidemic causing widespread loss, including the death of the ward’s bishop. Howcroft wrote the annotation in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic.
“Time and time again, Eliza is coming into these circumstances, meeting people in their moment of tragedy,” Howcroft said. “She does this all the time, and it’s fascinating how she tries to reorient their perspective, ‘Yes, we have trials and difficulties, but our focus is on the kingdom of God and the things of eternity.’”
Sister Snow attended the Scandinavian Relief Society meetings with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish women. Despite not understanding their languages, she deeply cared for them and was delighted by their company, which she considered an intellectual and spiritual feast.
“The unity she felt among a diverse group of people was anchored in their shared belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the purpose of the society to relieve the poor and save souls,” Howcroft said. “Snow also encouraged her listeners to turn to Christ during times of trials. She characterized trials as a proven ground for the receipt of celestial glory.”
Free exhibit
To accompany “Rise Up and Speak,” the Church History Library is hosting a free exhibit that features photographs of Sister Snow, souvenirs from her travels and original manuscripts of her writings.
Visitors can view the exhibit between Feb. 27 and Sept. 8 in the Church History Library, located at 15 E. North Temple St. in Salt Lake City.
Latter-day Saint women’s history
“Rise Up and Speak” is the latest in a series of publications that highlight Latter-day Saint women’s history. Previous publications include:
- The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History
- At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women
- Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1970–2024
- The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells
- Journals of Early Sister Missionaries
- The Prison Journal of Belle Harris
Learn more about these and other publications at churchhistorianspress.org.
