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Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instruction to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith
How important are women in the restored church of Jesus Christ? We learn something about the answer to the question from a simple historic In 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith took time to attend several meetings of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo and give personal instruction to the women there. He did this at a time of great personal turmoil, when persecutions were raging and his responsibilities were heavy. He did it at a time when society barely acknowledged women as having any kind of status at all. On six separate occasions, he taught the women personally about their privileges, their opportunities, their obligations, and the blessings the Lord had in store for them in His kingdom. The Beginning of Better Days includes Joseph Smiths six timeless sermons to the women of Nauvoo, along with personal essays from Sheri Dew and Virginia H. Pearce that help us better understand the sermons and their relevance for Latter-day Saint women today. The authors have attempted to share a little about their own processes of discovery regarding the sermons and say that is what worked for them. What works for you may be similar or it may be completely different. The important thing is to dig in.
134 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
36 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
Sheri Dew
31 books360 followersSheri Dew graduated from Brigham Young University. She served as second counselor in the general Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1997 to 2002. In March 2003 the White House appointed her a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations. In 2002, Sheri Dew became president and CEO of Deseret Book Company.
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February 24, 2013
While I find the historical writings of early church leaders interesting, if you want to read them, do so somewhere else. Both Dew and Pearce say multiple times that their words don't matter as much as Smith's, and that they feel unworthy to interpret them. I find it sad that these women have such a lack of confidence in themselves and their opinions, and this lack of confidence seems to have prevented them from studying as deeply as they could have before writing. Instead of focusing on context, they seem more interested in proving the modern church true by attempting to show a continuity between the early and modern church that does not exist. The temple ordinances they talk about were very different when they were first constructed than they are now. The role of women and their use of priesthood has also changed. Instead of tracking these changes, Dew and Pearce act as though they do not exist.
Pearce seems blissfully unaware of early church history. She condemns John C. Bennett for telling women God wanted them to sleep with him, yet seems unaware that Joseph Smith did the exact same thing. He went to women, including married women and teenagers, and informed them that God wanted them to marry him. He also kept his other wives a secret from Emma. Pearce condemns Bennett, yet admires Smith.
She also skims over the fact that it was common practice for women to bless each other, suggesting that it only happened in the temple. Historically, women blessed each other outside of the temple up through the early 20th century, until they were told to stop because the men of the church were supposed to step up. Male laziness was addressed by taking power away from women. I'd advise Pearce to do some research outside of church manuals before she claims to have done historical research.
Dew is hilding on to the party line of "separate but equal." she applauds Smith for giving women more recognition than they generally recieved in his time, but then excuses the church's stance against women's progression (opposing the ERA and excommunicating members like Sonia Johnson who supported it) by saying women and men have separate but equal roles in God's kingdom, and don't need actual legal equality. She admires both Smith's liberal view towards women and the modern church's conservative stance in standing against gender equality. During the civil right movement, it was determined that separate but equal is not in fact equality. But Dew seems to feel it is, an opinion I find deplorable. Dew also claims no organization in the world gives women more "responsibility and influence" than the LDS church. Considering there are many organizations where women make decisions without having to answer to or get permission from men, and where the goal is to expand women's horizons rather than limit them to accepted gender roles, she can't have looked very hard.
Dew also uses bizzare logic to prove the church's patriarchal set up is acceptable. She uses examples of positive interactions to prove that the system works. But then she says that negative interactions don't prove that the system is wrong, merely that humans are flawed. Logically that makes no sense.
I found the introduction essays in this book uninspiring, under-researched and narrow-minded.
Pearce seems blissfully unaware of early church history. She condemns John C. Bennett for telling women God wanted them to sleep with him, yet seems unaware that Joseph Smith did the exact same thing. He went to women, including married women and teenagers, and informed them that God wanted them to marry him. He also kept his other wives a secret from Emma. Pearce condemns Bennett, yet admires Smith.
She also skims over the fact that it was common practice for women to bless each other, suggesting that it only happened in the temple. Historically, women blessed each other outside of the temple up through the early 20th century, until they were told to stop because the men of the church were supposed to step up. Male laziness was addressed by taking power away from women. I'd advise Pearce to do some research outside of church manuals before she claims to have done historical research.
Dew is hilding on to the party line of "separate but equal." she applauds Smith for giving women more recognition than they generally recieved in his time, but then excuses the church's stance against women's progression (opposing the ERA and excommunicating members like Sonia Johnson who supported it) by saying women and men have separate but equal roles in God's kingdom, and don't need actual legal equality. She admires both Smith's liberal view towards women and the modern church's conservative stance in standing against gender equality. During the civil right movement, it was determined that separate but equal is not in fact equality. But Dew seems to feel it is, an opinion I find deplorable. Dew also claims no organization in the world gives women more "responsibility and influence" than the LDS church. Considering there are many organizations where women make decisions without having to answer to or get permission from men, and where the goal is to expand women's horizons rather than limit them to accepted gender roles, she can't have looked very hard.
Dew also uses bizzare logic to prove the church's patriarchal set up is acceptable. She uses examples of positive interactions to prove that the system works. But then she says that negative interactions don't prove that the system is wrong, merely that humans are flawed. Logically that makes no sense.
I found the introduction essays in this book uninspiring, under-researched and narrow-minded.
November 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this little book of thoughts on the Relief Society Minutes. I appreciated that Sheri Dew and Virgina Pearce didn't provide all the answers, but instead asked questions for us to think about as we study, pray about, and seek revelation on the instructions given by Joseph Smith to early sisters in the Relief Society. Questions for further study include:
"If the Melchizedek Priesthood holds the “key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God,” what does that mean? With what were we endowed in the house of the Lord? What is a fulness of the priesthood?"
I especially enjoyed reading about some of these women's personal experiences with and questions about the role of women. I loved that the book didn't shy away from topics such as women in the temple and women and the priesthood. I think this book is a nice little starting point for anyone interested in studying the role of women in the LDS church.
Some quotes I loved (I highlighted a ton more):
“By union of feeling we obtain pow’r with God,” - Joseph Smith
"I believe that only as we come to understand the temple and its ordinances are we able to shed light on our divine identity and purpose." - Virginia Pearce.
And I can't tell you how much I loved that in a book written by two Mormon women for Mormon women, the words "dishes" and "laundry" were mentioned only once, as a short side note. The words that were used a lot, however, were "knowledge" and "power". Thank you!
"If the Melchizedek Priesthood holds the “key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God,” what does that mean? With what were we endowed in the house of the Lord? What is a fulness of the priesthood?"
I especially enjoyed reading about some of these women's personal experiences with and questions about the role of women. I loved that the book didn't shy away from topics such as women in the temple and women and the priesthood. I think this book is a nice little starting point for anyone interested in studying the role of women in the LDS church.
Some quotes I loved (I highlighted a ton more):
“By union of feeling we obtain pow’r with God,” - Joseph Smith
"I believe that only as we come to understand the temple and its ordinances are we able to shed light on our divine identity and purpose." - Virginia Pearce.
And I can't tell you how much I loved that in a book written by two Mormon women for Mormon women, the words "dishes" and "laundry" were mentioned only once, as a short side note. The words that were used a lot, however, were "knowledge" and "power". Thank you!
October 11, 2012
This book was wonderful for me because it spoke to questions I had, not about a woman's place, but rather, my question was more of why should it matter, what information I might be missing, how understanding something like this might help me and in learning to understand a different perspective.
I learned a lot about my weaknesses and how to be proactive, to prevent falling into those traps: not limiting my views of my neighbors virtues but being limited in my views of my own, that strife is a common failing to women when self-righteousness enters in (and needs to be done away with). I learned that privileges abound when we stop comparing and blabbing and venting and instead steady ourselves, quiet the fault-finding tongue and enlarge our souls to our neighbors.
Yep, there's work for me to do in/on my own self. Better get a move on.
I learned a lot about my weaknesses and how to be proactive, to prevent falling into those traps: not limiting my views of my neighbors virtues but being limited in my views of my own, that strife is a common failing to women when self-righteousness enters in (and needs to be done away with). I learned that privileges abound when we stop comparing and blabbing and venting and instead steady ourselves, quiet the fault-finding tongue and enlarge our souls to our neighbors.
Yep, there's work for me to do in/on my own self. Better get a move on.
July 30, 2013
Basically, read my review for "Daughters in My Kingdom." The same issues I brought up there I take with this book-- specifically with the two introductory essays. The actual words of Joseph Smith (a very small portion at the end) are a delightful read, but the essays at the beginning do their best to water down everything he says about the power and authority of women, especially in his injunction for them to be "ordained" and to "heal by the laying on of hands." So, although some valuable points were made by Pearce and Dew, I think they proved more distressing than enlightening. I give it three stars because the good points the authors made were made great by the notes of Joseph Smith's words to the Relief Society. I would suggest, however, to perhaps only read that section.
May 8, 2013
This review is really for my own personal rememberings so feel free to not read any or all of it. It is long.
This is a marvelous little book about Joseph Smith's six speeches to the newly formed Relief Society. They are told through the notes of Eliza R. Snow. The first part of the book is two essays written by Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew. At first I thought the essays would be my favorite because Sister Snow's notes are a little stilted and don't flow, as notes are wont to be. But I found I loved the notes and the tidbits Sister Snow gathered as well as I loved the modern written essays.
Most of my notetaking consisted of quotes and thoughts and as I currently do not own this book, the quotes will be included.
Sister Snow preserved the minutes from these meetings in a book that she carried across the plains with her. Otherwise we would have no record of what counsel the Prophet had for the women of the church in the beginning.
pg. 10 Virginia Pearce talks about her responsibility as a woman in the church to help solve problems and attend to needs. I don't think we as women generally take our responsibility to help solve problems seriously enough. We think we are supposed to be "yes-men" instead of giving counsel. We won't ask questions. We don't request changes. We don't make suggestions. We are afraid to offer something different than our brethren. I think we, on an individual and local level, would be far better off if more woman would accept the responsibility the Lord desires for them to have and actually share opinions and wisdom. I think there is wisdom and safety in saying and acting upon "I trust my priesthood leaders" and supporting their decisions. But I think there is a process that leads up to that that is often lost in translation. She goes on to talk about the necessariness of voicing concerns but also at being unified behind the final decision. I agree on both counts. My experience is that the first part doesn't seem to happen as often as it should. Just my thoughts and I am totally open to the idea that I am dead wrong.
pg. 12 Virginia Pearce "Unity depends on our recognizing that each of us has different talents and skills to contribute--different gifts--and that by uniting them, we can function as a whole."
pg. 13. Virginia Pearce "...talking out loud is the one way I can really figure out what I think. I know the chatter certainly must be tiresome to others, but it is one clear way I can receive a witness of truth: speak it out loud..."
HHH - ...or I know when I have said it or discussed it that I am wrong. I have friends who recognize my need to "chatter" about things until I have come a confirmation of right or wrong. Thank goodness for those who are willing to listen and let me go on and on and on and on...
pg. 14 Virginia Pearce "[When we are filled with charity] we see nobility in every person."
HHH - C.S. Lewis said that next to the sacrament our neighbor was the holiest thing presented to our senses. (that is almost a direct quote but it is from memory so I don't want to add quotation marks) I wish I was in the state of being able to see nobility in every person. I see flaws and weaknesses and pass on my frustrations at their inability to read my mind (from another car no less)in a most unkind and unchristlike manner. How I wish instead I saw nobility and children of God.
pg. 17 - Virginia Pearce quotes Joseph Smith "let your hearts expand--let them be enlarged towards others--you must be longsuff'ring and bear with the faults and errors of mankind..."
HHH - basically what I said above but the Prophet says it so much better.
pg. 19 - Virginia Pearce "I think about the to-do lists we each carry with us and am not advocating that we get rid of them. But I think more about how prayerful I can be in making the list, and how prayerful I can be about how I carry it out. Can I see that whatever I do can, in reality, be done for my eternal good? When I wash the dishes and do the laundry, do I see those mundane tasks as ways to create environments of cleanliness and order where the Spirit of the Lord can dwell? Do I see them as offerings to those I love? As a way to respond to the divinity within me that loves peace and light and order? Running errands for someone, listening, touching, affirming, encouraging--this is the holiness of life."
HHH - A few years ago when Elder Christofferson told us we must be more than good men and women, we must become holy, I wonder if he thought that one thing that would make a huge difference in the lives of mothers is simply looking at things from an eternal perspective. An attitude adjustment, without changing a single other thing in your life, would make you more holy. This is powerful for me.
pg. 22 VP "Being yoked to another human being in this mortal world requires charity. It requires patience, humility, forgiveness, repentance and a host of other Christian virtues...Joseph teaches us 'how to act towards husbands and treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble--when he is perplex'd, if he can meet a smile, not an argument--if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings. When the mind is going to despair, it needs solace.'"
HHH - Can you imagine how different the world would be if this was the standard in marriage rather than today's current norm? My feelings first. My needs are more important than his needs. He has more faults than me. Why won't he do what I want? He should comfort me first. Yada. Yada. Yada. I could greatly improve upon this in my own marriage to a man I love unbelievably and do not give solace or comfort to enough.
pg. 24 Virginia Pearce "'The priesthood' isn't the congregation of men who meet together each Sunday, although we sometimes refer to them that way. The priesthood is, in essence, God's power. It is the power by which the worlds were created. It is the power by which our bodies were created and which allows those bodies to create offspring. It is the power by which we are washed clean of our sins and are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the power by which we experience forgiveness from God and partake of Christ's atoning sacrifice. It is the power by which we are sealed as eternal companions with the possibility of eternal increase, the power to eventually inherit all that the Father hath."
HHH - I think we get too caught up in who holds the priesthood in order to administrate (lead) the Lord's church and actually what the priesthood is (God's power) and who it is available to (everyone). It is available to me as a woman when I need it. My prayers are heard equally with the brethren. If consecrated oil and priesthood brethren are not available, the Lord is not going to be deaf to my prayer of healing. Of course, the whole women and the priesthood thing is so not an issue for me. So this makes perfect sense in my mind, but I know it doesn't to many others.
pg. 34-35 Sheri Dew...talks about her struggle in her thirties still not understanding why she hadn't married. She talks about at thirty-five she had lost her sense of humor about everyone getting married but her and it was then that she was called to serve as Stake Relief Society president of a stake largely comprised of young families, "in other words, a stake filled with women living the life I wanted." She determined "to build a bridge between her singleness and their lies filled up with family." What a beautiful concept. I find myself often leaving no bridge intact in my judgement of those who have what I want or those who seem to stand in the way of what I deem important. Again, I am reminded of the theory of unity from Sister Pearce (and really from all wise people) that each of us has a place. We are all doing the best we can. Or I should look at people that way, anyway. And that I should quit trying to create chasms between what I judge as unacceptable and acceptable, and instead build bridges with those around me so that we can each contribute to a common goal in the best way we can. I want to be a bridge builder not a ditch (chasm) digger.
pg. 39 Sheri Dew "Some skeptics have suggested that it took too long (twelve years from the organization of the Church in 1830) to organize the women in 1842. But that perspective is narrow at best. The 'restoration of all things' was not simple, formulaic, neat and tidy, or quick. Think of it--the Prophet Joseph Smith was a young adult (just twenty-four years old) when the Church was organized. He had never had a bishop, never been in a quorum, never attended seminary, never had a priesthood leader to nurture him along, never heard a prophet speak. He was the prophet. He had no precedent, no manuals, no handbook of instructions He had to translate the Book of Mormon and then find a way to get it published. All of the revelations expounding doctrine that we turn to so readily and easily in the Doctrine and Covenants, he had to receive. And everything he accomplished was against a backdrop of persistent opposition, persecution, and upheaval. The Restoration took time, line upon line. It was, and is ongoing. Counselors to Joseph Smith were not even called until 1832, the First Presidency was not organized until a year later, and the Quorum of the Twelve not until 1835. The first endowments were given in 1842, but vicarious endowments for the dead did not commence until January 1877 in the St. George Temple. So, despite the centrality to the plan of salvation of sealing generations, it took nearly fifty years from the organization of the Church for all the saving ordinances for the dead to be implemented. Considering the Saints' constant state of upheaval, the line-upon-line nature of the Restoration, and prevailing social patriarchy, it is nothing short of incredible that the women were organized at all. If Joseph Smith had been taking his cues from his circumstances or from the world, he most likely wouldn't have bothered. But he was taking direction from the Lord."
HHH - perspective
pg. 43 Sheri Dew "At all levels of Church government, I've had rewarding experiences with priesthood leaders. I have also had difficult and confusing experiences. But does a difficult experience with a priesthood leader mean that priesthood keys aren't real or that there is something inherently wrong with the way the Lord has organized his Church? Of course not. In a Church of fourteen-million plus members, it is inevitable that some priesthood leaders (and some auxiliary leaders, for that matter) won't handle their authority or their assignments well. It's important to remember that leaders have differing degrees of experience and understanding. Years ago, Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve said to me, 'Sheri, don't ever allow yourself to be offended by someone who is learning his job.' That is wise counsel."
HHH - Pretty powerful for me and my strongly and vocally opinionated mind. I was gently reminded to be grateful to all who are willing to serve in whatever capacity with whatever skill level. I am not good at this but will continue to try and be more grateful and more humble. Can you acknowledge humility? Does that make you less humble when you openly acknowledge trying to be more so?
pg. 51 Sheri Dew quoting Boyd K. Packer "however much priesthood power and authority the men may possess--however much wisdom and experience they accumulate--the safety of the family, the integrity of the doctrine, the ordinances, the covenants, indeed the future of the Church, rests equally upon the women."
HHH - We may sometimes be short-changed by inexperienced, mortal, imperfect priesthood leaders (and this is not the norm) but we will not be shortchanged by the Lord. He will hold us equally accountable.
pg. 52 Sheri Dew "As women, we do ourselves an injustice if we assume that only men need to understand the priesthood. And we diminish God's power when we equate holders of the priesthood with priesthood power."
pg. 55 Sheri Dew "Women are not required to hold the priesthood to enter the house of the Lord, though the ordinances performed there are priesthood in nature, whereas men are. Neither are women required to hold the priesthood to serve as leaders in the church."
HHH - Along with Sister Pearce's description of all that the priesthood is and not who the priesthood is it made me wonder. Maybe as women because of the way we are created both emotionally, mentally and physically that we carry God's power with us already. We create life (through the power of God). And we create life in such a way that that little being can go on to create more life. We are natural healers and comforters. Maybe in the way men administer the business side of things with the priesthood which isn't naturally born with them, we administer that which is naturally born with us. I don't really like it when people say men get the priesthood because women have motherhood. I think that negates fatherhood. I don't think they are pitted against each other for the balancing act of the Lord's plan. I think they compliment and have a purpose. I don't know really how to say that part though. Just one more thought. I don't in any way want to imply that I think women are better than men because of the temple tidbit. I just wonder if the Lord knew that the church needed structure and this was the best way (led by men and the priesthood) and so He blessed us to be equal partakers of His power in such ways that we as women could be equal and contributing partners. A friend (who I was emailing about this) just wrote this " I have never felt slighted in the least bit as far as not having the priesthood and I don't understand that mind-set at all. I am grateful I just get to enjoy the blessings and see the men in my life grow as they get to serve and use this power to bless others' lives, and grateful for my role as a woman." I wholeheartedly agree!!
pg. 55 Sheri Dew "I happily accept the Lord's pattern for the governance of the His Church, knowing that it is inconsistent with the character of God for Him to love, cherish, or favor His sons more than His daughters, or His daughters more than His sons."
HHH - ditto
pg. 59 - Sheri Dew "...the things I don't yet understand do not negate what I do know: that Joseph Smith was a prophet, foreordained by the Lord to restore His gospel, and that we have a living prophet today; that the priesthood has been restored to the earth; and that priesthood keys literally unlock God's power in behalf of all of us.
HHH- ditto again
pg. 64 Sheri Dew "While presiding over the Bountiful Utah Temple, President Douglas L. Callister told a group of young adults that 'when we enter the temple, we leave the world of make-believe.' Indeed, the artificial, unseemly, confusing elements of mortal life fade away as we enter the temple to worship, learn, and communicate with the heavens."
HHH - What an interesting concept. Our mortal world is one big game of make-believe. It isn't eternal. It is only temporary. Makes it all seem a bit more bearable.
pg. 66 Sheri Dew "The temple isn't supposed to be easy to understand. It is a step-by-step ascent toward God--and there's nothing simplistic about that. Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote that 'the endowment is so richly symbolic that only a fool would attempt to describe it; it is so packed full of revelations to those who exercise their strength to seek and see, that no human words can explain or make clear the possibilities that reside in the temple service.'"
pg. 68 Sheri Dew "[The temple] is the ultimate institution of higher learning. The best education in the world pales compared to what the Grand Schoolmaster will teach us if we are willing to submit to His curriculum in His house."
pg. 72 Sheri Dew "Today silly women mired in the sophistries and seductions of the world, and haughty women obsessed with themselves, abound. regrettably, many women succumb to the temptation to judge, gossip, and undermine one another. This is nothing if not predictable. Satan will do anything in his considerably power to neutralize the best of our divine nature by exploiting our vulnerabilities."
HHH - I know a few things Satan exploits in me, and I would like to rid myself of them. That is so much easier said than done.
pg. 77 Sheri Dew "As modern-day daughters of Eve, as inheritors of her majesty and her potential, we have work to do and influence to wield."
HHH - What a beautiful sentiment about my potential and purpose. It makes me feel focused and clear in my thinking.
pg. 78 - Sheri Dew "Our sisters of Nauvoo helped lay the foundation of a great work. They did it against every kind of prevailing emotional, spiritual, and tangible wind. Now it is our turn. It is our chance on the big stage to help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. It wasn't easy for them, and it won't be easy for us. But they did it, and so can we...One woman who endured the trek west recorded afterward, "I am grateful I was counted worthy to be a pioneer." I am grateful you and I were counted worthy to come now, when everything is on the line, to be the women privileged to help prepare the world for the return of the Song of God. We can do it. I know we can."
HHH - That is a pep rally.
pg. 102 - Joseph Smith 4/28/1842 Spoke of the disposition of man, to consider the lower offices in the church dishonorable and to look with jealous eyes upon the standing of others--that it was nonsense of the human heart, for a person to be aspiring to other stations than appointed of God--that it was better for individuals to magnify their respective callings, and wait patiently till God shall say to them come up higher.
HHH - We all know people who think if you make it to EQP or bishopric you are saved. You will be hard-pressed to find (they are out there by they are few) men who campaigned for those callings or are happy to be there. We would do better to support them and help them and say yes to their requests than to be jealous of them or wonder why not us. (This applies to women and leadership callings within the auxiliaries as well.)
pg. 107 (same speech) "...if you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrain'd from being your associates"
HHH - I would love for angels to be my companions.
pg. 110 (same speech) "Let your labors be confin'd mostly to those around you in your own circle..."
HHH - I know I am guilty of spending too much time on things that are not benefiting my immediate circle. First things first. I don't live by that motto often enough.
pg. 113 - Joseph Smith 5/26/1842 "As females posses refin'd feelings and sensitivities, they are also subject to an overmuch zeal which must ever prove dangerous, and cause them to be rigid in a religious capacity--should be arm'd with mercy notwithstanding the iniquity among us."
HHH - I have both experienced and been the perpetrator of religious zeal. It is often cruel maybe unintentionally but cruel nevertheless, and I feel great sadness that I have been the instigator of such zeal.
pg. 115 same speech "...Search yourselves--the tongues is an unruly member--hold your tongues about things of no moment,--a little tale will set the world on fire."
HHH - I think it needs no explanation. Keep quiet. Follow the old adage from your mother. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
This book inspired me. It made me want to live higher and be more Christlike. Having now read it twice in a week, there is much more to be gained than from a single reading. Buy it. Study it. It is of great worth. The prophet's words are powerful.
This is a marvelous little book about Joseph Smith's six speeches to the newly formed Relief Society. They are told through the notes of Eliza R. Snow. The first part of the book is two essays written by Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew. At first I thought the essays would be my favorite because Sister Snow's notes are a little stilted and don't flow, as notes are wont to be. But I found I loved the notes and the tidbits Sister Snow gathered as well as I loved the modern written essays.
Most of my notetaking consisted of quotes and thoughts and as I currently do not own this book, the quotes will be included.
Sister Snow preserved the minutes from these meetings in a book that she carried across the plains with her. Otherwise we would have no record of what counsel the Prophet had for the women of the church in the beginning.
pg. 10 Virginia Pearce talks about her responsibility as a woman in the church to help solve problems and attend to needs. I don't think we as women generally take our responsibility to help solve problems seriously enough. We think we are supposed to be "yes-men" instead of giving counsel. We won't ask questions. We don't request changes. We don't make suggestions. We are afraid to offer something different than our brethren. I think we, on an individual and local level, would be far better off if more woman would accept the responsibility the Lord desires for them to have and actually share opinions and wisdom. I think there is wisdom and safety in saying and acting upon "I trust my priesthood leaders" and supporting their decisions. But I think there is a process that leads up to that that is often lost in translation. She goes on to talk about the necessariness of voicing concerns but also at being unified behind the final decision. I agree on both counts. My experience is that the first part doesn't seem to happen as often as it should. Just my thoughts and I am totally open to the idea that I am dead wrong.
pg. 12 Virginia Pearce "Unity depends on our recognizing that each of us has different talents and skills to contribute--different gifts--and that by uniting them, we can function as a whole."
pg. 13. Virginia Pearce "...talking out loud is the one way I can really figure out what I think. I know the chatter certainly must be tiresome to others, but it is one clear way I can receive a witness of truth: speak it out loud..."
HHH - ...or I know when I have said it or discussed it that I am wrong. I have friends who recognize my need to "chatter" about things until I have come a confirmation of right or wrong. Thank goodness for those who are willing to listen and let me go on and on and on and on...
pg. 14 Virginia Pearce "[When we are filled with charity] we see nobility in every person."
HHH - C.S. Lewis said that next to the sacrament our neighbor was the holiest thing presented to our senses. (that is almost a direct quote but it is from memory so I don't want to add quotation marks) I wish I was in the state of being able to see nobility in every person. I see flaws and weaknesses and pass on my frustrations at their inability to read my mind (from another car no less)in a most unkind and unchristlike manner. How I wish instead I saw nobility and children of God.
pg. 17 - Virginia Pearce quotes Joseph Smith "let your hearts expand--let them be enlarged towards others--you must be longsuff'ring and bear with the faults and errors of mankind..."
HHH - basically what I said above but the Prophet says it so much better.
pg. 19 - Virginia Pearce "I think about the to-do lists we each carry with us and am not advocating that we get rid of them. But I think more about how prayerful I can be in making the list, and how prayerful I can be about how I carry it out. Can I see that whatever I do can, in reality, be done for my eternal good? When I wash the dishes and do the laundry, do I see those mundane tasks as ways to create environments of cleanliness and order where the Spirit of the Lord can dwell? Do I see them as offerings to those I love? As a way to respond to the divinity within me that loves peace and light and order? Running errands for someone, listening, touching, affirming, encouraging--this is the holiness of life."
HHH - A few years ago when Elder Christofferson told us we must be more than good men and women, we must become holy, I wonder if he thought that one thing that would make a huge difference in the lives of mothers is simply looking at things from an eternal perspective. An attitude adjustment, without changing a single other thing in your life, would make you more holy. This is powerful for me.
pg. 22 VP "Being yoked to another human being in this mortal world requires charity. It requires patience, humility, forgiveness, repentance and a host of other Christian virtues...Joseph teaches us 'how to act towards husbands and treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble--when he is perplex'd, if he can meet a smile, not an argument--if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings. When the mind is going to despair, it needs solace.'"
HHH - Can you imagine how different the world would be if this was the standard in marriage rather than today's current norm? My feelings first. My needs are more important than his needs. He has more faults than me. Why won't he do what I want? He should comfort me first. Yada. Yada. Yada. I could greatly improve upon this in my own marriage to a man I love unbelievably and do not give solace or comfort to enough.
pg. 24 Virginia Pearce "'The priesthood' isn't the congregation of men who meet together each Sunday, although we sometimes refer to them that way. The priesthood is, in essence, God's power. It is the power by which the worlds were created. It is the power by which our bodies were created and which allows those bodies to create offspring. It is the power by which we are washed clean of our sins and are given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is the power by which we experience forgiveness from God and partake of Christ's atoning sacrifice. It is the power by which we are sealed as eternal companions with the possibility of eternal increase, the power to eventually inherit all that the Father hath."
HHH - I think we get too caught up in who holds the priesthood in order to administrate (lead) the Lord's church and actually what the priesthood is (God's power) and who it is available to (everyone). It is available to me as a woman when I need it. My prayers are heard equally with the brethren. If consecrated oil and priesthood brethren are not available, the Lord is not going to be deaf to my prayer of healing. Of course, the whole women and the priesthood thing is so not an issue for me. So this makes perfect sense in my mind, but I know it doesn't to many others.
pg. 34-35 Sheri Dew...talks about her struggle in her thirties still not understanding why she hadn't married. She talks about at thirty-five she had lost her sense of humor about everyone getting married but her and it was then that she was called to serve as Stake Relief Society president of a stake largely comprised of young families, "in other words, a stake filled with women living the life I wanted." She determined "to build a bridge between her singleness and their lies filled up with family." What a beautiful concept. I find myself often leaving no bridge intact in my judgement of those who have what I want or those who seem to stand in the way of what I deem important. Again, I am reminded of the theory of unity from Sister Pearce (and really from all wise people) that each of us has a place. We are all doing the best we can. Or I should look at people that way, anyway. And that I should quit trying to create chasms between what I judge as unacceptable and acceptable, and instead build bridges with those around me so that we can each contribute to a common goal in the best way we can. I want to be a bridge builder not a ditch (chasm) digger.
pg. 39 Sheri Dew "Some skeptics have suggested that it took too long (twelve years from the organization of the Church in 1830) to organize the women in 1842. But that perspective is narrow at best. The 'restoration of all things' was not simple, formulaic, neat and tidy, or quick. Think of it--the Prophet Joseph Smith was a young adult (just twenty-four years old) when the Church was organized. He had never had a bishop, never been in a quorum, never attended seminary, never had a priesthood leader to nurture him along, never heard a prophet speak. He was the prophet. He had no precedent, no manuals, no handbook of instructions He had to translate the Book of Mormon and then find a way to get it published. All of the revelations expounding doctrine that we turn to so readily and easily in the Doctrine and Covenants, he had to receive. And everything he accomplished was against a backdrop of persistent opposition, persecution, and upheaval. The Restoration took time, line upon line. It was, and is ongoing. Counselors to Joseph Smith were not even called until 1832, the First Presidency was not organized until a year later, and the Quorum of the Twelve not until 1835. The first endowments were given in 1842, but vicarious endowments for the dead did not commence until January 1877 in the St. George Temple. So, despite the centrality to the plan of salvation of sealing generations, it took nearly fifty years from the organization of the Church for all the saving ordinances for the dead to be implemented. Considering the Saints' constant state of upheaval, the line-upon-line nature of the Restoration, and prevailing social patriarchy, it is nothing short of incredible that the women were organized at all. If Joseph Smith had been taking his cues from his circumstances or from the world, he most likely wouldn't have bothered. But he was taking direction from the Lord."
HHH - perspective
pg. 43 Sheri Dew "At all levels of Church government, I've had rewarding experiences with priesthood leaders. I have also had difficult and confusing experiences. But does a difficult experience with a priesthood leader mean that priesthood keys aren't real or that there is something inherently wrong with the way the Lord has organized his Church? Of course not. In a Church of fourteen-million plus members, it is inevitable that some priesthood leaders (and some auxiliary leaders, for that matter) won't handle their authority or their assignments well. It's important to remember that leaders have differing degrees of experience and understanding. Years ago, Elder Marvin J. Ashton of the Quorum of the Twelve said to me, 'Sheri, don't ever allow yourself to be offended by someone who is learning his job.' That is wise counsel."
HHH - Pretty powerful for me and my strongly and vocally opinionated mind. I was gently reminded to be grateful to all who are willing to serve in whatever capacity with whatever skill level. I am not good at this but will continue to try and be more grateful and more humble. Can you acknowledge humility? Does that make you less humble when you openly acknowledge trying to be more so?
pg. 51 Sheri Dew quoting Boyd K. Packer "however much priesthood power and authority the men may possess--however much wisdom and experience they accumulate--the safety of the family, the integrity of the doctrine, the ordinances, the covenants, indeed the future of the Church, rests equally upon the women."
HHH - We may sometimes be short-changed by inexperienced, mortal, imperfect priesthood leaders (and this is not the norm) but we will not be shortchanged by the Lord. He will hold us equally accountable.
pg. 52 Sheri Dew "As women, we do ourselves an injustice if we assume that only men need to understand the priesthood. And we diminish God's power when we equate holders of the priesthood with priesthood power."
pg. 55 Sheri Dew "Women are not required to hold the priesthood to enter the house of the Lord, though the ordinances performed there are priesthood in nature, whereas men are. Neither are women required to hold the priesthood to serve as leaders in the church."
HHH - Along with Sister Pearce's description of all that the priesthood is and not who the priesthood is it made me wonder. Maybe as women because of the way we are created both emotionally, mentally and physically that we carry God's power with us already. We create life (through the power of God). And we create life in such a way that that little being can go on to create more life. We are natural healers and comforters. Maybe in the way men administer the business side of things with the priesthood which isn't naturally born with them, we administer that which is naturally born with us. I don't really like it when people say men get the priesthood because women have motherhood. I think that negates fatherhood. I don't think they are pitted against each other for the balancing act of the Lord's plan. I think they compliment and have a purpose. I don't know really how to say that part though. Just one more thought. I don't in any way want to imply that I think women are better than men because of the temple tidbit. I just wonder if the Lord knew that the church needed structure and this was the best way (led by men and the priesthood) and so He blessed us to be equal partakers of His power in such ways that we as women could be equal and contributing partners. A friend (who I was emailing about this) just wrote this " I have never felt slighted in the least bit as far as not having the priesthood and I don't understand that mind-set at all. I am grateful I just get to enjoy the blessings and see the men in my life grow as they get to serve and use this power to bless others' lives, and grateful for my role as a woman." I wholeheartedly agree!!
pg. 55 Sheri Dew "I happily accept the Lord's pattern for the governance of the His Church, knowing that it is inconsistent with the character of God for Him to love, cherish, or favor His sons more than His daughters, or His daughters more than His sons."
HHH - ditto
pg. 59 - Sheri Dew "...the things I don't yet understand do not negate what I do know: that Joseph Smith was a prophet, foreordained by the Lord to restore His gospel, and that we have a living prophet today; that the priesthood has been restored to the earth; and that priesthood keys literally unlock God's power in behalf of all of us.
HHH- ditto again
pg. 64 Sheri Dew "While presiding over the Bountiful Utah Temple, President Douglas L. Callister told a group of young adults that 'when we enter the temple, we leave the world of make-believe.' Indeed, the artificial, unseemly, confusing elements of mortal life fade away as we enter the temple to worship, learn, and communicate with the heavens."
HHH - What an interesting concept. Our mortal world is one big game of make-believe. It isn't eternal. It is only temporary. Makes it all seem a bit more bearable.
pg. 66 Sheri Dew "The temple isn't supposed to be easy to understand. It is a step-by-step ascent toward God--and there's nothing simplistic about that. Elder John A. Widtsoe wrote that 'the endowment is so richly symbolic that only a fool would attempt to describe it; it is so packed full of revelations to those who exercise their strength to seek and see, that no human words can explain or make clear the possibilities that reside in the temple service.'"
pg. 68 Sheri Dew "[The temple] is the ultimate institution of higher learning. The best education in the world pales compared to what the Grand Schoolmaster will teach us if we are willing to submit to His curriculum in His house."
pg. 72 Sheri Dew "Today silly women mired in the sophistries and seductions of the world, and haughty women obsessed with themselves, abound. regrettably, many women succumb to the temptation to judge, gossip, and undermine one another. This is nothing if not predictable. Satan will do anything in his considerably power to neutralize the best of our divine nature by exploiting our vulnerabilities."
HHH - I know a few things Satan exploits in me, and I would like to rid myself of them. That is so much easier said than done.
pg. 77 Sheri Dew "As modern-day daughters of Eve, as inheritors of her majesty and her potential, we have work to do and influence to wield."
HHH - What a beautiful sentiment about my potential and purpose. It makes me feel focused and clear in my thinking.
pg. 78 - Sheri Dew "Our sisters of Nauvoo helped lay the foundation of a great work. They did it against every kind of prevailing emotional, spiritual, and tangible wind. Now it is our turn. It is our chance on the big stage to help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. It wasn't easy for them, and it won't be easy for us. But they did it, and so can we...One woman who endured the trek west recorded afterward, "I am grateful I was counted worthy to be a pioneer." I am grateful you and I were counted worthy to come now, when everything is on the line, to be the women privileged to help prepare the world for the return of the Song of God. We can do it. I know we can."
HHH - That is a pep rally.
pg. 102 - Joseph Smith 4/28/1842 Spoke of the disposition of man, to consider the lower offices in the church dishonorable and to look with jealous eyes upon the standing of others--that it was nonsense of the human heart, for a person to be aspiring to other stations than appointed of God--that it was better for individuals to magnify their respective callings, and wait patiently till God shall say to them come up higher.
HHH - We all know people who think if you make it to EQP or bishopric you are saved. You will be hard-pressed to find (they are out there by they are few) men who campaigned for those callings or are happy to be there. We would do better to support them and help them and say yes to their requests than to be jealous of them or wonder why not us. (This applies to women and leadership callings within the auxiliaries as well.)
pg. 107 (same speech) "...if you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrain'd from being your associates"
HHH - I would love for angels to be my companions.
pg. 110 (same speech) "Let your labors be confin'd mostly to those around you in your own circle..."
HHH - I know I am guilty of spending too much time on things that are not benefiting my immediate circle. First things first. I don't live by that motto often enough.
pg. 113 - Joseph Smith 5/26/1842 "As females posses refin'd feelings and sensitivities, they are also subject to an overmuch zeal which must ever prove dangerous, and cause them to be rigid in a religious capacity--should be arm'd with mercy notwithstanding the iniquity among us."
HHH - I have both experienced and been the perpetrator of religious zeal. It is often cruel maybe unintentionally but cruel nevertheless, and I feel great sadness that I have been the instigator of such zeal.
pg. 115 same speech "...Search yourselves--the tongues is an unruly member--hold your tongues about things of no moment,--a little tale will set the world on fire."
HHH - I think it needs no explanation. Keep quiet. Follow the old adage from your mother. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
This book inspired me. It made me want to live higher and be more Christlike. Having now read it twice in a week, there is much more to be gained than from a single reading. Buy it. Study it. It is of great worth. The prophet's words are powerful.
July 31, 2013
This book is definitely for the LDS woman in your life. It includes the full Minutes of the first Relief Society meeting and Joseph Smith's sermons to them. There were many things I'd heard quoted before but not seen in context. I found it historically interesting and thought-provoking, especially in light of today's society and feelings about the roles of women. I also loved it because I had ancestors who attended those meetings and it brought me a bit closer to them, I think, in imagining how it must have been to sit there and listen to what was being taught. It made me think of the timeless issues women face and were counseled about then and their relevance to me now as an LDS woman. On an aesthetic note, I also loved the beautiful pages with ragged edges and the fact that space is left for your own thoughts and notes. I personally didn't want to write in something so beautiful, so I refrained and wrote in my ratty old notebook. But the opportunity to add your own thoughts is there.
Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew share their thoughts on the sermons in the minutes through essays and those were quite revealing as well. Virginia Pearce seems so down-to-earth in her approach to learning and reading. She applies things to her life in much the same way I do. Sheri Dew is very intellectual and approaches it more in a teaching manner. She is very forthright and has a style to her writing that I enjoy. Both essays were well-done and added to the book. My only complaint was that I would have preferred the sermons to be first, so I could reference them when I read the essays by the two women. A personal preference I'm sure.
Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew share their thoughts on the sermons in the minutes through essays and those were quite revealing as well. Virginia Pearce seems so down-to-earth in her approach to learning and reading. She applies things to her life in much the same way I do. Sheri Dew is very intellectual and approaches it more in a teaching manner. She is very forthright and has a style to her writing that I enjoy. Both essays were well-done and added to the book. My only complaint was that I would have preferred the sermons to be first, so I could reference them when I read the essays by the two women. A personal preference I'm sure.
August 7, 2012
I was given the privilege of reviewing this prior to formal release, and it is worth every squeezed-in minute I could dedicate to it. I will return often to this magnificent study guide. I've reviewed it here: http://bonnieblythe.wordpress.com/201... and reviewed a review (before I got my own copy!) here: http://bonnieblythe.wordpress.com/201....
I am a big fan of having every person learn from primary sources, whether those are scriptures or the JSPP or letters from my ancestors. There is something intangible but incredibly compelling that occurs when you touch something with your mind that is presented from someone else's mind with few arbitrators in-between.
Because I think the spirit of revelation may be the most crucial attribute we develop in mortality, this wonderful set of teachings from modern prophetesses and a modern-day-though-passed-on prophet are indispensable. I will read this again and keep this by my scriptures.
I am a big fan of having every person learn from primary sources, whether those are scriptures or the JSPP or letters from my ancestors. There is something intangible but incredibly compelling that occurs when you touch something with your mind that is presented from someone else's mind with few arbitrators in-between.
Because I think the spirit of revelation may be the most crucial attribute we develop in mortality, this wonderful set of teachings from modern prophetesses and a modern-day-though-passed-on prophet are indispensable. I will read this again and keep this by my scriptures.
November 18, 2013
I enjoyed the opening essays by Dew and Pearce, and thought they offered valuable insight to the RS Minutes. A few other reviewers mentioned that Priesthood authority given to the early church women wasn't adequately discussed, but I found what Sherri Dew said in her written part (especially in her notes at the End of her essay) answered the questions raised. For all the hype recently on priesthood authority, I felt what was recorded by Sister Snow was pretty ambiguous and not clear cut as some claim. These were her notes and not a downloaded, exact copy of what the prophet said. We cant take everything verbatim.
Overall, it was a great short read.
Overall, it was a great short read.
October 13, 2012
This book was absolutely gripping for me. I had a plane ride and had wanted to read something mesmerizing for the flight. I couldn't put it down-taking breaks only to see through a few tears when I felt the Spirit so strongly about women's role in the church and the priesthood. It was so inspiring to read about the early minutes of 1842 organization of the society and the six sermons Joseph Smith gave specifically to women in the largest women's organization in the world-The Relief Society. I am so grateful to be a member of this charitable and powerful organization.
October 16, 2012
Interesting to see a practically church-endorsed book discussing the fact that women used to have the priesthood in the Nauvoo-era and now don't. I don't find the explanations given by either intro satisfactory, but I did really enjoy the other parts of their intros. And the "talks" themselves are definitely worth going over again.
December 21, 2014
12/2014: Much better read this second time through. Forced myself to consecrate. I love relief society!
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Not an easy, straight forward read. It is important to our history though. This book is meant to be studied, pondered, and written about. All of which I haven't done .....yet.
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Not an easy, straight forward read. It is important to our history though. This book is meant to be studied, pondered, and written about. All of which I haven't done .....yet.
February 7, 2013
Enjoyed both introductory essays. I borrowed the book, but I hope to add it to my collection. I really liked Sheri Dew's insights on women and the priesthood and Sister Pierce's insights to the temple. The editing in the Relief Society minutes was helpful as well.
March 8, 2013
Sheri Dew does a great job with this book, explaining the teachings of Joseph Smith
May 25, 2025
The minutes were the most interesting part of this to me. History is messy. And I’m still digesting parts of this books. For the temple and the priesthood still being restored. Joseph told Brigham after the first endowment, “This is not arranged perfectly; however we have done the best we could under the circumstances in which we are placed. I wish you to take this matter in hand:organize and systematize all these ceremonies.” its helping with understanding that then temple organizing will continue to be better organized, and we are seeing it now still changing.
I appreciate that Sheri Dew explained priesthood, keys and authority. It gave some with women being able to bless the sick but I think there is misinterpreting the word “bless” when it comes to priesthood. As well as what “relief” means. Virginia Pearce portion was to the point and they both asked questions, giving insight with minutes and other apostles words. The prophet Joseph Smith talked about unity and that we are full of selfishness. He talked of charity and indirectly it coincides now with what we now call “ministering”
“Although the name may be of modern date, the institution (relief society) is of ancient origin. We were told by our martyred prophet that the same organization existed in the church anciently” —Eliza R.Snow
One woman who endured the trek west recorded afterword, ‘I am grateful I was counted worthy to be a pioneer.’
President Hinckley quoted “Eve was the crowing of His glorious work…I like to regard Eve as His masterpiece after all that had gone before” —this resonated with me deeply.
I appreciate that we’re a society in the works that does bring relief and is the largest organization of women. Do I feel it being not utilized equally within the church? Do I still struggle with the framework? Do I feel like it’s still needs continued organizing? I can only think as Joseph said, “doing our best in these circumstances.”
I appreciate that Sheri Dew explained priesthood, keys and authority. It gave some with women being able to bless the sick but I think there is misinterpreting the word “bless” when it comes to priesthood. As well as what “relief” means. Virginia Pearce portion was to the point and they both asked questions, giving insight with minutes and other apostles words. The prophet Joseph Smith talked about unity and that we are full of selfishness. He talked of charity and indirectly it coincides now with what we now call “ministering”
“Although the name may be of modern date, the institution (relief society) is of ancient origin. We were told by our martyred prophet that the same organization existed in the church anciently” —Eliza R.Snow
One woman who endured the trek west recorded afterword, ‘I am grateful I was counted worthy to be a pioneer.’
President Hinckley quoted “Eve was the crowing of His glorious work…I like to regard Eve as His masterpiece after all that had gone before” —this resonated with me deeply.
I appreciate that we’re a society in the works that does bring relief and is the largest organization of women. Do I feel it being not utilized equally within the church? Do I still struggle with the framework? Do I feel like it’s still needs continued organizing? I can only think as Joseph said, “doing our best in these circumstances.”
January 29, 2013
Wonderful book! This book contains minutes from six of the first Relief Society meetings of the Church where the prophet Joseph Smith taught and organized the sisters under the direction of the priesthood. These are wonderful insights, important for us to understand today. It is so neat to see the unfolding of the truths and organization of the Church line upon line and to come to understand the importance of these events and meetings and organization.
I'm grateful to be a part of Relief Society, and I was particularly reminded of the importance of minutes, thinking about my new responsibility as a Relief Society secretary. I'm grateful these things were recorded for us to learn and study. So much of this book reminded me of Daughters in My Kingdom.
I really enjoyed reading Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew's insights as well. Some of the main points they highlighted included principles they learned - the importance of unity, the role and nature of women, the sweetness of marriage relationships, the importance and connection to the priesthood, the importance of the temple and its ordinances, and the importance of charity. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"Where do we start when we go to sacred texts to learn? With prayer, of course. We can invite the Holy Ghost to teach us, to enlighten our minds, to help us discern between that which is true and that which is not. He is the grand interpreter and becomes our guide as we seek Him. The voice of the Spirit is a trustworthy voice--and that voice is surely allowed to speak as we use our agency to ask for it (p. 5, Sister Pearce)."
"The promise to you and me in the last days is that after seeking God and serving his children with unwearyingness, we will come to know his will. The promise is not just that I will have the power to do what's on my list of tasks but that I will know what to put there. On those occasions when I have known what should be there, I've found myself glancing at the list as a source of joy, not anxiety (p. 20, President Henry B. Eyring)."
"Our marriages are not simple either. Being yoked to another human being in this mortal world requires charity. It requires patience, humility, forgiveness, repentance, and a host of other Christian values...Joseph teaches us 'how to act towards husbands to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble--when he is perplexed, if he can meet a smile, not an argument--if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings.'...In the sacredness of a covenant relationship, a man's perplexities and troubles--even despair--can find expression. And it is our supreme privilege to reassure, support, and offer our undying love and loyalty (p. 22, Sister Pearce)."
"Who I am and what I am to do suddenly had everything to do with the temple--not about how often I should go or anything so simple. It is about living up to my privileges--the privileges offered in the house of the Lord. It is about the centrality of the temple to my mortal life, its importance as the place where I can go to 'feel' what God wants to teach me....
"Who am I? I am a woman of God, a woman of covenant. What am I to do? Live up to my privileges. I believe the answers to those questions might be the same for you. Read Joseph's words. Pray about them. Study them. And expect angels and epiphanies (p. 30, Sister Pearce)."
"Elder James E. Talmage declared that 'the world's greatest champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ.' The Prophet Joseph Smith was a reflection of the Master he served. He demonstrated by what he said and did that women are vital and integral to building the kingdom of God (p. 40, Sister Dew)."
"After the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated, the Saints were so eager to receive their ordinances that Brigham Young recorded: 'I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours sleep, upon average, per day, and going home but once a week (p. 63, Sister Dew).'"
"Don't be limited in your views with regard to your neighbors' virtues, but be limited towards your own virtues, and not think yourselves more righteous than others; you must enlarge your souls toward others if [you would] do like Jesus (p. 70, Joseph Smith)."
"The one sure measure of an individual's conversion to Jesus Christ is how that person treats others--in other words, his or her charity. When we turn our hearts to the Lord, and as we increasingly become more like Him, we instinctively open our hearts to others (p. 73, Sister Dew)."
"Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives (p. 74, President Thomas S. Monson)."
"Do not injure the character of any one--if members of the Society shall conduct improperly, deal with them, and keep all your doings within your own bosoms, and hold all characters sacred (p. 92, Joseph Smith)."
"It is natural for females to have feelings of charity--you are now placed in a situation where you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms. If you live up to these principles how great and glorious!--if you live up to your privileges how great and glorious!--if you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates (p. 107, Joseph Smith)."
I'm grateful to be a part of Relief Society, and I was particularly reminded of the importance of minutes, thinking about my new responsibility as a Relief Society secretary. I'm grateful these things were recorded for us to learn and study. So much of this book reminded me of Daughters in My Kingdom.
I really enjoyed reading Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew's insights as well. Some of the main points they highlighted included principles they learned - the importance of unity, the role and nature of women, the sweetness of marriage relationships, the importance and connection to the priesthood, the importance of the temple and its ordinances, and the importance of charity. Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"Where do we start when we go to sacred texts to learn? With prayer, of course. We can invite the Holy Ghost to teach us, to enlighten our minds, to help us discern between that which is true and that which is not. He is the grand interpreter and becomes our guide as we seek Him. The voice of the Spirit is a trustworthy voice--and that voice is surely allowed to speak as we use our agency to ask for it (p. 5, Sister Pearce)."
"The promise to you and me in the last days is that after seeking God and serving his children with unwearyingness, we will come to know his will. The promise is not just that I will have the power to do what's on my list of tasks but that I will know what to put there. On those occasions when I have known what should be there, I've found myself glancing at the list as a source of joy, not anxiety (p. 20, President Henry B. Eyring)."
"Our marriages are not simple either. Being yoked to another human being in this mortal world requires charity. It requires patience, humility, forgiveness, repentance, and a host of other Christian values...Joseph teaches us 'how to act towards husbands to treat them with mildness and affection. When a man is borne down with trouble--when he is perplexed, if he can meet a smile, not an argument--if he can meet with mildness, it will calm down his soul and soothe his feelings.'...In the sacredness of a covenant relationship, a man's perplexities and troubles--even despair--can find expression. And it is our supreme privilege to reassure, support, and offer our undying love and loyalty (p. 22, Sister Pearce)."
"Who I am and what I am to do suddenly had everything to do with the temple--not about how often I should go or anything so simple. It is about living up to my privileges--the privileges offered in the house of the Lord. It is about the centrality of the temple to my mortal life, its importance as the place where I can go to 'feel' what God wants to teach me....
"Who am I? I am a woman of God, a woman of covenant. What am I to do? Live up to my privileges. I believe the answers to those questions might be the same for you. Read Joseph's words. Pray about them. Study them. And expect angels and epiphanies (p. 30, Sister Pearce)."
"Elder James E. Talmage declared that 'the world's greatest champion of woman and womanhood is Jesus the Christ.' The Prophet Joseph Smith was a reflection of the Master he served. He demonstrated by what he said and did that women are vital and integral to building the kingdom of God (p. 40, Sister Dew)."
"After the Nauvoo Temple was dedicated, the Saints were so eager to receive their ordinances that Brigham Young recorded: 'I have given myself up entirely to the work of the Lord in the Temple night and day, not taking more than four hours sleep, upon average, per day, and going home but once a week (p. 63, Sister Dew).'"
"Don't be limited in your views with regard to your neighbors' virtues, but be limited towards your own virtues, and not think yourselves more righteous than others; you must enlarge your souls toward others if [you would] do like Jesus (p. 70, Joseph Smith)."
"The one sure measure of an individual's conversion to Jesus Christ is how that person treats others--in other words, his or her charity. When we turn our hearts to the Lord, and as we increasingly become more like Him, we instinctively open our hearts to others (p. 73, Sister Dew)."
"Unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives (p. 74, President Thomas S. Monson)."
"Do not injure the character of any one--if members of the Society shall conduct improperly, deal with them, and keep all your doings within your own bosoms, and hold all characters sacred (p. 92, Joseph Smith)."
"It is natural for females to have feelings of charity--you are now placed in a situation where you can act according to those sympathies which God has planted in your bosoms. If you live up to these principles how great and glorious!--if you live up to your privileges how great and glorious!--if you live up to your privileges, the angels cannot be restrained from being your associates (p. 107, Joseph Smith)."
November 29, 2019
I really liked both Sheri Dew's and Virginia Pearce's insights on Joseph Smith's sermons. When I was reading them, I was reminded that I'm not quite at the spiritual level they are, but that's okay. I enjoyed reading the sermons with what I know of the time period. There were things that surprised me -- especially in comparison with today. (Relief Society was a much more exclusive organization when it was first formed.) There were also statements of Joseph Smith's that I have heard many times I hadn't realized were originally given to the Relief Society. I thought that was really cool.
August 14, 2024
Except for how both of the commentaries are longer than the content of the prophet Joseph, this book is absolutely amazing! I actually like both commentaries, I just wonder if some of the info couldn't have been shortened or even left out. The words of the prophet are of course insightful and powerful, the kind that brings out new insights of the reader's own the more you think about it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2019
One of my favorite quotes (although, this is packed with good ones):
“Supposing that Jesus Christ and the angels should object to us on frivolous things, what would become of us? We must be merciful and overlook small things.”
“Supposing that Jesus Christ and the angels should object to us on frivolous things, what would become of us? We must be merciful and overlook small things.”
August 18, 2012
f you have ever wanted to read doctrine specifically just for us, as women, then you need to read The Beginning of Better Days: Divine Instructions to Women from the Prophet Joseph Smith. For many years we have heard references from these teachings, but now we have access to all of the words that the Prophet Joseph gave to the women of the church in 1842. The book starts with two essays, one from Virginia H. Pearce and the other from Sheri Dew. Sister Pearce's essay is full of many of her life's experiences and feels very personal. Sister Dew's talk reads more like a class where we are given many specific details about The Prophet Joseph and what he taught the women of the church. At the end of the book we finally find the six lectures given to the women. These lectures are in the form of notes that were taken by Sister Eliza R. Snow. I love how on these pages there are four empty lines on each page, where you the reader, can take your own notes. I loved the advice given by Sister Pearce, she said:
"You may feel inclined, as I did, to underline those words when you read the Minutes, since we women find ourselves far too often discussing others with less than liberal feelings. Joseph teaches me, warns me, that this is something I am apt to do. Recognizing this, I am armed to make a choice to stop, to pray to be filled with charity and to enlarge my heart toward those whom I might have judged or criticized."
I actually found myself underlining many things throughout the whole book as I was reading it. I also was leaving myself little messages in the side about things that had touched me and that I wanted to remember.
To better understand what Sister Dew discusses in her essay she states:
"The Prophet Joseph clearly signaled the Relief Society's vital commission in building faith and testimony among Latter-day women and their families. The subjects he covered in his sermons to the sisters of Nauvoo reflect a breathtaking breadth, depth, and doctrinal density."
She then went on to say that four of his recurring themes were, first, the place of women in the Lord's kingdom; second, the priesthood; third, the temple; and fourth, charity and the divine nature of women.
I can promise you, if you read this book, you will feel so differently about yourself as a woman. You realize how important our work is, as women, in these final days.
As Sister Dew said, "By the very nature of what he chose to teach women, Joseph Smith established expectations for every women who would have the privilege of living in this great, culminating dispensation...that we learn how to receive truths, the spiritual gifts, and the privileges the Lord has offered His true followers. Our sisters of Nauvoo helped lay the foundation of a great work. They did this against every kind of prevailing emotional, spiritual, and tangible wind. Now it is our turn."
I had ancestors that were women in Nauvoo at this time. I have read their histories, and know of their great sacrifices they made for the gospel and their families. This book, and the words of The Prophet Joseph Smith, gives me the courage and inspiration to follow in their footsteps.
To read more of my reviews, please go to http://www.whynotbecauseisaidso.blogs...
"You may feel inclined, as I did, to underline those words when you read the Minutes, since we women find ourselves far too often discussing others with less than liberal feelings. Joseph teaches me, warns me, that this is something I am apt to do. Recognizing this, I am armed to make a choice to stop, to pray to be filled with charity and to enlarge my heart toward those whom I might have judged or criticized."
I actually found myself underlining many things throughout the whole book as I was reading it. I also was leaving myself little messages in the side about things that had touched me and that I wanted to remember.
To better understand what Sister Dew discusses in her essay she states:
"The Prophet Joseph clearly signaled the Relief Society's vital commission in building faith and testimony among Latter-day women and their families. The subjects he covered in his sermons to the sisters of Nauvoo reflect a breathtaking breadth, depth, and doctrinal density."
She then went on to say that four of his recurring themes were, first, the place of women in the Lord's kingdom; second, the priesthood; third, the temple; and fourth, charity and the divine nature of women.
I can promise you, if you read this book, you will feel so differently about yourself as a woman. You realize how important our work is, as women, in these final days.
As Sister Dew said, "By the very nature of what he chose to teach women, Joseph Smith established expectations for every women who would have the privilege of living in this great, culminating dispensation...that we learn how to receive truths, the spiritual gifts, and the privileges the Lord has offered His true followers. Our sisters of Nauvoo helped lay the foundation of a great work. They did this against every kind of prevailing emotional, spiritual, and tangible wind. Now it is our turn."
I had ancestors that were women in Nauvoo at this time. I have read their histories, and know of their great sacrifices they made for the gospel and their families. This book, and the words of The Prophet Joseph Smith, gives me the courage and inspiration to follow in their footsteps.
To read more of my reviews, please go to http://www.whynotbecauseisaidso.blogs...
January 25, 2015
I'm going with four stars for what it is trying to be - a glimpse of the early LDS Relief Society, designed for the lay reader. As a LDS women's history enthusiast, I would have loved to see the full minutes, not just Smith's sermons to the society (although it was interesting spotting trends through reading them together). I would have loved annotations throughout the minutes and information about the historical context the sermons were in. :) But I realize I'm kind of a niche reader here, and as someone that deeply values women's religious history, I'm glad the authors are providing a format that will reach a wider audience.
The essays at the beginning do not provide historical context, but rather a personal narrative about their own experiences reading the sermons.
I thought Pierce's essay was delightful - sincere and human. I appreciated her advocacy for deep study of these women's religious experience. I have to say, I didn't expect some of the articles she referred to coming out of a Deseret Book publication (I may have done a happy fist pump when she referenced Stapley and Wright's superb "Female Ritual Healing in Mormonism").
Dew's essay was OK. While her writing was more polished (she's a great writer), at times it felt less like a commentary on the sermons, and more like using the sermons as a soap box to discuss her stance on current issues in the church. I didn't always agree with her analysis, but I do think she brought some very important perspectives and questions to the table, regardless of if they were relevant to this book. She was fantastic, though, when she discussed her own experiences with the sermons. And I liked that she made the connection that Smith wanted the women to consider the role of priesthood in their lives, and the list of scriptures and study questions she compiled for understanding the oath and covenant of the priesthood was very good.
Overall, hooray for a book that champions LDS women engaging in deep study of their history and doctrines, accessing deeper spiritual power and peace, and doing it without a single reference to motherhood as being a part of reaching our divine potential.
The essays at the beginning do not provide historical context, but rather a personal narrative about their own experiences reading the sermons.
I thought Pierce's essay was delightful - sincere and human. I appreciated her advocacy for deep study of these women's religious experience. I have to say, I didn't expect some of the articles she referred to coming out of a Deseret Book publication (I may have done a happy fist pump when she referenced Stapley and Wright's superb "Female Ritual Healing in Mormonism").
Dew's essay was OK. While her writing was more polished (she's a great writer), at times it felt less like a commentary on the sermons, and more like using the sermons as a soap box to discuss her stance on current issues in the church. I didn't always agree with her analysis, but I do think she brought some very important perspectives and questions to the table, regardless of if they were relevant to this book. She was fantastic, though, when she discussed her own experiences with the sermons. And I liked that she made the connection that Smith wanted the women to consider the role of priesthood in their lives, and the list of scriptures and study questions she compiled for understanding the oath and covenant of the priesthood was very good.
Overall, hooray for a book that champions LDS women engaging in deep study of their history and doctrines, accessing deeper spiritual power and peace, and doing it without a single reference to motherhood as being a part of reaching our divine potential.
February 27, 2015
Snipets, and teaser's, here a little, there a little. That was how you could get your hands on the Relief Society Minutes for a long time. The moment the Relief Society Minutes were published on line, I was devouring them. Absolutely facinating. Hoping and hoping they would get published.
I was really surprised to see them published like this. I expected some scholarly publication with tons of juicy footnotes to chase.
Instead we get a book that is divided up into three parts. An essay by Virginia Pierce, an essay by Sheri Dew, and last, six of Joseph Smiths, sermons to the sisters at the very beginning of Relief Society.
I really enjoyed it. The essays were great. I could really relate to both Pierce and Dew's stories of drawing upon these sermons in there own lives. As I think most sisters who have read them do. They can enrich in very personal ways. Pondering and praying about them, deliver rich insights. and for me, I felt a sense of clarity, and understanding about Relief Society for the first time.
I loved this book because it will bring something beautiful into the lives of the sisters who will read it. If it had been published in a scholarly format they would have reached very few sisters, as it has been for years. This book makes it possible for every sister to understand and enjoy, these beautiful sermons by Joseph Smith. To understand our possibilities as Women in Zion.
I must add that this new book " The Beginning of Better Days" and the recently published "Daughters in my Kingdom." Feel as if they go together hand in hand. I am so exited to see where these two books will take us in the future as we let the messages distill throughout Relief Society, and the lives of the Women of the church.
I was really surprised to see them published like this. I expected some scholarly publication with tons of juicy footnotes to chase.
Instead we get a book that is divided up into three parts. An essay by Virginia Pierce, an essay by Sheri Dew, and last, six of Joseph Smiths, sermons to the sisters at the very beginning of Relief Society.
I really enjoyed it. The essays were great. I could really relate to both Pierce and Dew's stories of drawing upon these sermons in there own lives. As I think most sisters who have read them do. They can enrich in very personal ways. Pondering and praying about them, deliver rich insights. and for me, I felt a sense of clarity, and understanding about Relief Society for the first time.
I loved this book because it will bring something beautiful into the lives of the sisters who will read it. If it had been published in a scholarly format they would have reached very few sisters, as it has been for years. This book makes it possible for every sister to understand and enjoy, these beautiful sermons by Joseph Smith. To understand our possibilities as Women in Zion.
I must add that this new book " The Beginning of Better Days" and the recently published "Daughters in my Kingdom." Feel as if they go together hand in hand. I am so exited to see where these two books will take us in the future as we let the messages distill throughout Relief Society, and the lives of the Women of the church.
November 15, 2016
I really loved this small book that contains Joseph Smith's instructions to the newly fledged Relief Society in 1842 (which is only six talks). It also includes two essays, one from Virginia H. Pearce and the other from Sheri Dew, about their personal insights and lessons learned from reading and studying these six talks. They were excellent, with tips about how they studied the material, what they learned, their feelings. I sort of thought reading the actual words of Joseph Smith would be anticlimactic after their thoughtful critical reading but, no, it was great. I was enthralled with the idea of Eliza R. Snow taking notes, as quickly as she could, to get the gist of what the Prophet was saying. I imagined my own notes that I take in classes, and realized the shortcuts and things left out in order to stay up with the speaker. I was also intrigued with Sister Pearce's comment that knowing the context of what was happening in the world and in the Prophet's life at the time would shed insight on what was being said. I tried to set his words in history, and I asked questions and made notes as I read the short pieces. It was rewarding. These Relief Society minutes remind me in a way of general conference talks and I thought they should be treasured as some of the last counsel from the Prophet before he was martyred two years later. I highly recommend this book.
June 6, 2013
I loved the two chapters written by Virginia Pearce and Sheri Dew. Each were different, unique and brought new insight to the information later in the book. I like the ideas listed for "Studying Prophetic Writings" in Virginia Pearce's section.
Sheri Dew says, "As women, we do ourselves an injustice if we assume that only men need to understand the priesthood." ... "[The Priesthood] refers to keys, authority, and power -- God's power." She Quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie "the doctrine of the priesthood - unknown in the world and but little known even in the church - cannot be learned out of the scriptures alone... The doctrine of the priesthood is known only by personal revelation. It comes, line upon line and precept upon precept, by the power of the Holy Ghost to those who love and serve God with all their heart, might, mind, and strength."
After reading this section, I have a desire to study and ponder more about the priesthood. There is so much more I need to learn.
Without the first two sections, the minutes themselves would be not much more than reading someone's notes. (Eliza R. Snow's) But with the set-up and the background laid, the minutes are a treasured gem. I can tell this will be re-read, studied and prayed about.
Sheri Dew says, "As women, we do ourselves an injustice if we assume that only men need to understand the priesthood." ... "[The Priesthood] refers to keys, authority, and power -- God's power." She Quotes Elder Bruce R. McConkie "the doctrine of the priesthood - unknown in the world and but little known even in the church - cannot be learned out of the scriptures alone... The doctrine of the priesthood is known only by personal revelation. It comes, line upon line and precept upon precept, by the power of the Holy Ghost to those who love and serve God with all their heart, might, mind, and strength."
After reading this section, I have a desire to study and ponder more about the priesthood. There is so much more I need to learn.
Without the first two sections, the minutes themselves would be not much more than reading someone's notes. (Eliza R. Snow's) But with the set-up and the background laid, the minutes are a treasured gem. I can tell this will be re-read, studied and prayed about.
August 5, 2013
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Such an amazing compilation of thoughts in regards to the instruction given by Joseph Smith to the Sisters of the first Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have many things I highlighted from the book a lot on Unity, Charity and loving our Sisters in the Relief Society in the way that the Savior would want. Great insights from Sister Dew and Sister Pearce too on the Priesthood and how we as women work equally with them and that also as sister's we are warned against the tendency to gossip, backbite, and judge one another. Such wonderful counsel given and finally the book ends with Sermons of the Prophet Joseph Smith to the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo. I had just received this as a gift for Mother's Day and wanted to read it for quite a while. I decided that the appropriate time would be right before going on our youth trip to Nauvoo. Perfect timing and it hit home with me as I wandered around the streets of Nauvoo thinking of the things I had read. I wish all sisters would read this one day and truly remember what Relief Society is supposed to be. LOVED IT!!!
June 17, 2020
This was the perfect follow-up to reading Daughters in My Kingdom as well as a biography on Eliza R. Snow. I was eager to read Joseph's sermons to the early Relief Society, so I skipped to the back and read the Minutes first. I was surprised that I wasn't overly impressed by much. It's hard to read someone else's notes on what a speaker said and glean a lot from it at first. I felt like I didn't understand most of the context. Then I went back and read the two essays at the beginning and am now more eager to study more about the priesthood in relation to women and in particular myself (as suggested by Sheri Dew). I enjoyed Virginia Pearce's comments, especially the note that doing dishes and laundry is part of the eternal plan if we think of it as creating a house of order. But I definitely got the most out of Sheri Dew's essay. She presented many questions for pondering. It definitely helped me better understand Joseph's sermons. I will be re-reading and studying this book. It has left many impressions upon my heart, most especially thoughts on the temple.
February 12, 2018
i read this book to fulfil the goal read a book by a woman conference speaker. it is a collection of notes from the prophet joseph smith to the women of his day. it contained nothing i hadn't heard before. i enjoyed the extra context though.
December 27, 2017
What an incredibly inspiring and uplifting book! I must confess, I usually don't read church books, or much non-fiction for that matter. But thanks to my reading challenge, "a book that will improve some part of your life" and as well as my own procrastination and mention from a friend's review that it was short, I not only chose this book but chose it at a time that was most helpful to me. I highly recommend this book.
July 24, 2012
I particularly enjoyed Sheri Dew's essay. Viginia Pearce's essay didn't really resonate with me this time around. Definitely a book I would like to take the time to study in further depth, particularly the sermon's by Joseph Smith. Really good instruction and teachings that I need to put into practice. Love that the book is made to be written and studied in.
May 7, 2013
I borrowed this from a friend and will be getting my own copy because I want it in my permanent collection. I have enjoyed studying Daughters in My Kingdom and this is a great companion study to that book. Of course the essay from Sheri Dew did not disappoint and she did a great job of pointing out how the early instruction to the newly organized Relief Society is still relevant to us today.
September 5, 2013
I am pleased to see that some of the minutes from the early days of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ have been published. Yay! I appreciated very much some of Virginia Pearce's insights, but I didn't much care for Sheri Dew's essay. I am looking forward to an academic treatment of these minutes, which I am certain is sure to come.
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