Relief Society (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Corporate History
The Relief Society is the women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was initially led by Emma Hale Smith in Nauvoo, IL in 1842. During the group's existance, it has been an organization dedicated to providing lessons, activities, and service opportunities for the women of the Church in both a ward and stake setting.
The Relief Society was established by various women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sarah M. Kimball's house in Nauvoo, IL in 1842. After giving their constitution to Joseph Smith, they set up various presidencies within their wards/stakes and selected Joseph Smith's wife Emma to serve as the overall president of the Society.
Between Joseph Smith's martyrdom in 1842 and 1866, the Society fell into disarray under Brigham Young's leadership of the Church. While he did allow various female-led societies to assist in the Church's exodus to Utah to assist in midwifrey (The Female Council of Health) and in developing bonds with the Native Americans, the general involvement of the Relief Society in the Church was weak.
From 1866 on, Brigham Young and later leaders of the Church made more of a concerted effort to make sure that the Relief Society would play a more predominant role in the Church. Not only did he call a new General President of the Society to lead the group (starting with Eliza Snow), but he permitted the Society to create magazines, be more actively involved in the ward, etc. Through the group's involvement of the Church, they contributed to the Church's welfare program, strengthen homes during times of war, and became Red Cross units in wartorn nations in World War I and World War II. They also worked to prevent the passage of the Equal Rights Ammendment, established the Women's Research Center at BYU, and so on.
Citation:
The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, via WWW, August 19, 2016 (Relief Society)Found in 10 Collections and/or Records:
Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Wells Cannon papers, approximately 1877-1963
Papers of Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Wells Cannon, including biographies, a pedigree chart, a medal of service, letters, poetry, and a geography coursebook. Materials dated approximately 1877 to 1963.
Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Wells Cannon photographs, approximately 1877-1963
Contains photographs of the family of Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Cannon Wells. Photographs are of family members, some unidentified. Also contains scrapbooks with photographs and clippings, and loose ephemera from scrapbooks. Date dapproximately 1877 to 1963.
Emmeline B. Wells ledger book, 1892-1895
Ledger book used by Emmeline B. Wells to record membership in the Utah Suffrage Association between December 23, 1892 and May 20, 1895 (pages 6-18); and a verbatim handwritten copy of the minutes of the Female Relief Society in Nauvoo, Illinois, taken from the original record created from March 17, 1842 to March 16, 1844.
Sarah M. Kimball letter
Handwritten and signed letter addressed to A.L. Cox, president of the Womens Suffrage Association of Sanpete County, Utah, and dated Nov. 24, 1891. The item mostly deals with matters of the women's suffrage movement in Utah.
Scrapbook and loose materials, approximately 1897-1960
Contains loose scrapbook material, such as clippings, photographs, postcards, and other ephemera. Also contains a scrapbook tited "The Ideal Scrapbook," with clippings, photographs, and other ephemera. Materials dated approximately 1897 to 1960.
Unidentified photographs, approximately 1910-1940
Contains photographs of unidentified individuals, dated approximately 1910 to 1940.
Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Wells Cannon collection
Collection contains papers and photographs from the lives of Emmeline B. Wells and Annie Wells Cannon. The papers mostly include biographies, though a pedigree chart and a medal of service are also of note. Most of the photographs are connected to Cannon, with several coming from a large scrapbook. Dated approximately 1877 to 1963.
Emmeline B. Wells collection
Emmeline B. Wells diaries
Emmeline B. Wells diary typescripts
Includes two linear feet of unedited typed transcripts including the years 1844-1846 and 1874-1920. Her entries are daily, tell of her activities, and often present her opinions and impressions as well. The accounts are often lengthy and detailed. The 1882 diary also includes entries by Well's daughter, Louisa.