The Women of Mormondom

by Edward W. Tullidge

Early in the century, two had pioneered into the State of Ohio, who have since been, for a good lifetime, high priestesses of the Mormon temples. And the voice of prophesy has declared that these have the sacred blood of Israel in their veins. In the divine mysticism of their order they are at once of a kingly and priestly line.

There is a rare consistency in the mysticism of the Mormon Church. The daughters of the temple are so by right of blood and inheritance. They are discovered by gift of revelation in Him who is the voice of the Church; but they inherit from the fathers and mothers of the temple of the Old Jerusalem.

And so these two of the principal heroines of Mormondom—"Mother Whitney" and "Sister Eliza R. Snow"—introduced first as the two earliest of the Church who pioneered to the "Great West," before the advent of their prophet, as well as introduced for the divine part which they have played in the marvelous history of their people.

These are high priestesses! These are two rare prophetesses! These have the gifts of revelation and "tongues!" These administer in "holy places" for the living and the dead.

It was about the year of our Lord 1806 that Oliver Snow, a native of Massachusetts, and his wife, R. L. Pettibone Snow, of Connecticut, moved with their children to that section of the State of Ohio bordering on Lake Erie on the north and the State of Pennsylvania on the east, known then as the "Connecticut Western Reserve." They purchased land and settled in Mantua, Portage county.

Eliza R. Snow, who was the second of seven children, four daughters and three sons, one of whom is the accomplished apostle Lorenzo Snow, was born in Becket, Berkshire county, Mass., January 21st, 1804. Her parents were of English descent; their ancestors were among the earliest settlers of New England.

Although a farmer by occupation, Oliver Snow performed much public business, officiating in several responsible positions. His daughter Eliza, being ten years the senior of her eldest brother, so soon as she was competent, was employed as secretary in her father's office.

She was skilled in various kinds of needlework and home manufactures. Two years in succession she drew the prize awarded by the committee on manufactures, at the county fair, for the best manufactured leghorn.

When quite young she commenced writing for publication in various journals, which she continued to do for several years, over assumed signatures,—wishing to be useful as a writer, and yet unknown except by intimate friends.

"During the contest between Greece and Turkey," she says, "I watched with deep interest the events of the war, and after the terrible destruction of Missolonghi, by the Turks, I wrote an article entitled 'The Fall of Missolonghi.' Soon after its publication, the deaths of Adams and Jefferson occurred on the same memorable fourth of July, and I was requested through the press, to write their requiem, to which I responded, and found myself ushered into conspicuity. Subsequently I was awarded eight volumes of 'Godey's Lady's Book,' for a first prize poem published in one of the journals."