Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-29
WIVES AND MOTHERS
The Aim in Life of All Nor
mon Y Women.
fggs
WHAT THEY ARE LIKE
CAPABLE AND CULTURED AS A
GENERAL RULE.
Have Different Views on the Subject
Of Polygamy-Are Good
Housekeepers.
WHAT THEY ARE LIKE

CrewdsOu.
Before went to Utah had poor opin-
ion of Mormon women. I thought they
were down-trodden, uncultured slaves Of
oriental lords.
When 1 Travelled among them and went
into their homes was amazed to find them
hospitabIe, capable. cultured women. My
curiosity was aroused. began to inquire
into the life and religion of the Mormon
women.
I found the women of Utah as hospitable
to questions as to visitors. When they I'M
de. stood that 1 was interested in the wo-
man side of Mormonism they talked to me
without reserve. With the greatest kindli-
ness they sent me from one to another In
my search for information. learned much.
however, about the Mormon woman from
my own observation. Like all refined wo-
men. they did not talk about their own viz
tues.
The Mormon woman is first of all a
mother She calls this her mission. To bear
children is her religious duty; for Nor
monism teaches that millions of souls in
the spirit world with God are waiting to
take bodies; that the spirit cannot enjoy
the highest blessings of celestial life until
after it is embodied and receives the dis
cipline of the earthly life This Is why Nor
mon families are 50 large. Families of
eleven and twelve eholdren are common.
Eight is the average of the Utah household.
motto of the state is: Utahs best crop,
her children
William Stead wrote recently that "the
Puritan custom of having family prayers
had, unfortunately, died out in the United
States. He did not take account of Utah
when he made this statement; for every
MOI mon mother. as directed by her church,
assemblies her household at evening for
prayer She and her children take turns
with the father in leading this service.
Prayer and Healing.
The Mormon woman believes as strongly
as Christian Scientists in the practical val
ue of prayer and in divine healing. The
Mormon Church's literal revival of the
biblical practice of amounting and praying
for the sick she helps tosuphold. Unlike the
Scientists" she takes upon herself the sa-
cred offices of healing only In cases of ne
cessity.
I'VE Mormon women are very fortunate
in that our husbands can act as priests in
our families. said a wife to me. when
our children are sick our husbands can
anoint them with cofsecrated oil and lay
on hands to heal them
But cannot you yourselves anoint your
children?" said I. ~ =.
only when the husband is not at home
and it Is not convenient to send for an
elder does the mother herself give the oil
and lay hands Of healing upon sick
child"
Inc MORMON WOH an Is also Scr1ptOral IN
looking well to the ways of the household.
The daughter of the pioneer women, who
had to spin and weave, and often plant and
hoe has not been Brought up to be help
less. The rvant9auestion does not bother
her. Most well-to-do Mormon, families do
not have servants. Those that do, believe
in treating them as members of the family.
The Mormon woman also devotes much
time to club work. In her own religion she
has well organized societies. The
Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement AS
ISOLATION, which gives it's members weekly
instruction in literature, history, religion
and hygiene, has three thousand members
in Salt Lake alone. A yet greater associa-
ton of the Mormon women is the Relief
Society. founded in 1910. The work of this
society is to look after the poor all over
of this hard working association is SISTER
Bathsheba Smith," cultured, bright-eyed
old lady of eighty-one years. She is great
ly revered by her younger CONTEMPORARIES
because she knew the Mormon prophet,
Joseph Smith, and testifies that she knows
he was true prophet" Sister Emmaline
Wells. delightful young woman in the
seventies and a well-known writer in Salt
Lake Is secretary of the society.
Storing Grain.
The relief societies all over Utah have for
many years been storing grain. Were not
the Mormon people so quantity biblical in
many ways-harking back to Abraham to
~'esDiASii PSis Sdhiy- WOuIu seem a pldH-
tasm to find these women actually storing
grain, like Joseph in Egypt, against a time
of famine This they do upon the advice of
Brigham Young, who prophesied a time of
famine. The society builds barns and fills
them each year with wheat. When there
are prospects of good crop they will sell
their grain and buy again at harvest
Another institution Of the wonderfully or
ganized Mormon Church that bears strong
~ upon the Mormon woman Is its great
may expect at some time to have her hus-
band kiss her goodbye and leave for a dis
t Is part of the world. to be gone two or
three years. Every Mormon mother of
sons must at some time send her boys ont
INTO the world for their allotted years of
mission work.
prominent elders wife talked to me of
the early days of her married life when
her husband, who had not vet gone on bis
mission. answered the call of his church
My husband was gone three Years She
s ssli l hao three little children, and every
thing TO DO for myself, even to milking the
cow ana cutting my own frewood NV
husband and his companion missionary
made their way on foot, without .scrip or
purse, through Mississippi and I,oJ,jsiana
They suffered many priyations And ,,,nnt
on the elders wife rem,niscently, that was
very hard time In my life 1 managed to
get along on what little money we had
saved The church will. If necessary Al
ways provide for mans family vbi,a he
Is on a mission. But the women prefer to
support themselves if they can: then fbav
reel that they also are working in good
cause. .os4t,, - " eoou
BUT what almost broke my heart was
sending out my Oldest son on his mission
lie was SO young. tony eighteen years. and
RAD never been away. from me- He Travelled
IN the country where there was a great deal
OF prejudice against the Mormons. The let
tiers he wrote home sometimes almost made
me weep my eyes fouta He and his friend
got into little tewnso one night soaked
through and through in a big rainstorm.
Not a family would give them shelter AT
last some negroes gave them bed The
two boys left the town before daylight SO
that 1t wouldn't be known where they had
slept. Although their skins were black.
mother, wrote mytstoys their hearts were
white" III saf
Women sometimes Ego upon missions
themselves. Whensat wife has no children
she often acts as her husbands companion
missionary in foreign lands. Young ladies
are occasionally sent out in this work l
know of one talented missionary girl who is
getting musical education in Paris She
gives part of her time to mission work:
the rest she devotes to the study of singing,
her expenses being borne by the relief So
ciety.
Marriad fo,. Efarvi<v