A SHORT SKETCH OF THE RISE OF THE YOUNG GENTLEMEN AND LADIES' RELIEF SOCIETY.
"In the latter part of January, 1843, a number of young people assembled at the house of Elder H. C. Kimball, who warned them against the various temptations to which youth is exposed, and gave an appointment expressly for the young at the house of Elder Billings; and another meeting was held in the ensuing week at Brother Farr's school-room, which was filled to overflowing. Elder Kimball delivered addresses, exhorting the young people to study the scriptures, and enable themselves to 'give a reason for the hope within them,' and to be ready to go on to the stage of action, when their present instructors and leaders had gone behind the scenes; also to keep good company and to keep pure and unspotted from the world.
"The next meeting was appointed to be held at my house; and notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, it was completely filled at an early hour. Elder Kimball, as usual, delivered an address, warning his hearers against giving heed to their youthful passions, and exhorting them to be obedient and pay strict attention to the advice and command of their parents, who were better calculated to guide the pathway of youth than they themselves.
"My house being too small, the next meeting was appointed to be held over my store. I addressed the young people for some time, expressing my gratitude to Elder Kimball for having commenced this glorious work, which would be the means of doing a great deal of good, and said the gratitude of all good men and of the youth would follow him through life, and he would always look back upon the winter of 1843 with pleasure. I experienced more embarrassment in standing before them than I should before kings and nobles of the earth; for I knew the crimes of which they were guilty, and knew precisely how to address them; but that my young friends were guilty of none of them, and therefore I hardly knew what to say.
"I advised them to organize themselves into a society for the relief of the poor, and recommended to them a poor lame English brother [Maudesley], who wanted a house built, that he might have a home amongst the Saints; that he had gathered a few materials for the purpose, but was unable to use them, and had petitioned for aid. I advised them to choose a committee to collect funds for this purpose, and perform this charitable act as soon as the weather permitted. I gave them such advice as I deemed was calculated to guide their conduct through life and prepare them for a glorious eternity.
"A meeting was appointed to carry out these suggestions, at which William Cutler was chosen president, and Marcellus L. Bates, clerk. Andrew Cahoon, C. V. Spencer and Stephen Perry were appointed to draft a constitution for the society, and the meeting adjourned to the 28th of March, when the said committee submitted a draft of a constitution, consisting of twelve sections. The report was unanimously adopted, and the meeting proceeded to choose their officers. William Walker was chosen president; William Cutler, vice-president; Lorin Walker, treasurer; James M. Monroe, secretary; Stephen Perry, Marcellus L. Bates, R. A. Allred, Wm. H. Kimball and Garret Ivans, were appointed a committee of vigilance. The meeting then adjourned until the next Tuesday evening.
"The next meeting was addressed by Elders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Jedediah M. Grant, whose instructions were listened to with breathless attention."
The Relief Society afterwards became distinctively a woman's organization.
Heber's next mission was through the eastern states, in company with President Young and others, collecting means for the temple and the Nauvoo House, which were then in course of erection. They left Nauvoo early in June, 1843. The day before starting, Vilate Kimball penned these tender lines and presented them as a token of love to her husband:
"NAUVOO, June 8th, 1843.