Relief Society

Eliza R. Snow served as the first secretary of the Relief Society in Nauvoo. In 1866 Brigham Young requested her assistance to reorganize the program and lead the women of the Church. By 1880 the Relief Society had evolved and the program had experienced some restructuring. In that year, John Taylor called Eliza as the General President of the Relief Society. While General President, Eliza was also responsible for the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association and Primary. She filled the role of General President to the Relief Society until her death in December 1887.

Primary and Secondary Sources

Many primary sources regarding Eliza’s participation in the Relief Society can be found in the Church History Catalog. Some examples include the Relief Society minutebook, 1842 March–1844 March, the Pleasant Grove Branch Relief Society minutes and records, 1868–1901, and the Relief Society record, 1880–1892.

Some additional sources that include information about Eliza and her participation in the Relief Society are The First Fifty Years of Relief Society, At the Pulpit, Daughters in My Kingdom, and the Joseph Smith Papers Project.