ELIZA AND HER SISTERS

by Maureen Ursenbach Beecher

Eliza R. Snow was the wife of two prophets and the sister of a third. She commanded such respect among the Mormon women that they celebrated her birthday, whether she was with them or not. Her dynamic leadership of the women's organizations left a mark that will never be forgotten. But who was she? Maureen Ursenbach Beecher uncovers a gentle, sensitive woman of great talents. What emerges is a woman with a heart and a gifted mind. We see her forge deep bonds with other leading sisters and unitedly create a home in the wilderness - a home for the Saints. For the first time, Eliza R. Snow comes to life.

179 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1991

Reviews

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a collection of essays about Eliza R. Snow and the other sisters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who lived, loved, worked, suffered and achieved in the 19th Century despite persecution, casual misogyny, and challenges to their religion and their personal ideals. And what these women suffered and achieved, creating homes over and over again as they were forced by mobs or called by the church to leave their homes to create new ones; despite illness and poverty, carving out societies and associations and sisterships and families together and alone, mostly when denied family and spouse! Ironically Eliza R. preached the prevailing Calvinist belief that because Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, women were to take direction and meaning from the men in their lives and concern themselves with only "womanly" pursuits, not social issues, social action, government, etc. The irony is that Eliza became a strong model of an independent woman who had no fear of standing up to the men who might oppose her concerns of raising the level of women through church activity of study, educational activity and service. The book supplies informative reading for those interested in reading about devoted and amazingly accomplished pioneer women.

[Lynnae Pulsipher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking story of the devotion and sacrifices of the early women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They were striving to live as righteous women and understand their place amid polygamy, hardships of enemy mobs, and prophetic revelations from God.
Their lives are difficult to understand seen through the mists of history. I do not know if I could stand as brave and unshaken if called to live a life as they did. I honor these pioneer women.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent compilation of essays on Eliza Snow and early Mormon women's history more generally. A little repetitive (that's mostly expected in a collection of essays originally published elsewhere), but this is easily the best resource on Eliza's life, at least until a dedicated biography is written.

[Shirley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative. Delves into Eliza's poetry and her relationship with other women of her faith.
Some repetition.

[Kirt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-researched biographical and historical work focused mostly (but not completely) on one of the central female players of 19th Century Latter-day Saint experience. Eliza R. Snow was an articulate, passionate, and charismatic leader of women in the Nauvoo, Winter Quarters, and early Utah periods. She was one of the polygamous wives of Joseph Smith and, after his death, of Brigham Young. Carefully respectful and supportive of patriarchal and priesthood authority, she nonetheless wielded an influence among the women of the church so powerful that even the "Lion of the Lord", Brigham Young, confessed "it is utterly vain for me to try to exert such an influence."

This is an excellent companion volume to Orson Scott Card's "Saints". Eliza R. Snow and her younger brother, Lorenzo, are clearly the two historical people Card adopted as models for his complex central characters in that tale.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part. For a few of the chapters I felt the author was trying to "explain" why Eliza R. Snow did all that she did without giving her credit for the tremendous faith she must have had. It was very interesting to read about the tremendous challenges faced by the early saints (women in particular) and how they dealt with them.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I highly recommend this book. So informative about someone we should all learn everything we can about.