Women in LDS Church History

Timeline Women in LDS Church History 1842: Relief Society established in Nauvoo. published by RS General Board. Shortly Emma Smith is president. after, Relief Society magazine begins publication. 1848: Brigham Young sends Susa Gates, Elmina Shepard Taylor, 1920: U.S. grants women the right Emmeline B. Wells, Romania B. to vote. Pratt Penrose, Aurelia Spencer Rogers and other LDS women 1946: Joseph Fielding Smith to attend the Seneca Falls officially ends the practice of Convention to address equal rights women washing, anointing and and voting for women. administering blessings of healing to the sick, which was widely done 1854: Indian Relief Society organized. in the early LDS church, by sanction of Matilda Dudley elected president. Purpose Joseph Smith. is to make clothing for Native American families. 1950: Juanita Brooks publishes “The Mountain Meadows 1867: Eliza R. Snow becomes Massacre,” a scholarly researched official Relief Society president. and compassionate treatment of She describes it’s new purpose the 1857 event. to seek “not only for the relief of the poor, but accomplishment of 1964: President Lyndon B. every good and noble work.” She Johnson names Esther Eggerton begins revitalizing local branches Peterson, a BYU graduate, to after a lull due to the Utah War. the newly created post of Special Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Assistant for Consumer Affairs. 1870: Utah territory grants Emmeline B. Wells (standing), women the right to vote. and Eliza R. Snow. 1969: First Presidency issues signed statement on birth control, 1872: First publication of The Women’s strongly discouraging married couples from Exponent, a newspaper for LDS women. intentionally curtailing the conception and birth of more children. They claim it goes 1873: Brigham Young sends against the teaching to women, such as Romania Pratt multiply and replenish the and Ellis Reynolds Shipp, east earth. to receive training as doctors. Shipp later founds the School 1971: All LDS women of Nursing and Obstetrics in automatically become Salt Lake City. members of the Relief Society. Dues are abolished. 1880: Aurelia Spencer Rogers organizes the first Primary Association. Later 1972: The Equal Rights amendment, written it is adopted church wide under the direction by Alice Paul in 1923, is passed by Congress, of Louise B. Felt, who served as president but awaits state ratification. It simply states, until 1925. “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied by the U.S. on account 1880: John Taylor directs Elmina of sex.” In 1976, the First Presidency Shepard Taylor as the first general and Relief Society president publicly president of the young women’s oppose it. In 1979, Sonia Johnson, organization, at the time called the founder of Mormons for the ERA, Young Ladies’ National Mutual is excommunicated. In the end, the Improvement Association. ERA does not pass. 1882: The Relief Society establishes 1974: First publication of The Exponent Deseret Hospital in Salt Lake City. Eliza R. II, focusing on mormon women’s concerns Snow chairs the board, which is comprised of from a feminist perspective. all women. Many of the physicians are women. 1978: The prohibition against women praying 1889: Women Suffrage Association of Utah in sacrament meeting is lifted. organized. Emily Richards organizes local units, primarily made up of local Relief Society 1980: Relief Society sets a regular teaching units. pattern: 1st Sunday, spiritual living. 2nd Sunday, homemaking. 3rd Sunday, mother 1896: Martha Hughes Cannon is elected as training or social relations. 4th Sunday, cultural state senator from Salt Lake City, the first refinement. female state senator ever elected. She defeats her own husband, who is also on the ballot. 1988: Michaelene P. Grassli, general Primary Her two terms focus on public health issues. president, is the first woman (who was not being called to or released from an auxiliary 1898: First single women called to serve presidency) to speak in General Conference proselytizing missions. Amanda Inez Knight since 1929. and Lucy Jane Brimhall are the first companions to 1995: The Family: A go. They serve in England. Proclamation to the World is Before this, at least 200 read in General RS Meeting. women went on service missions with their husbands. 1998: The Relief Society and Priesthood begin using the 1909: First Presidency same manual for study. The establishes firm doctrine curriculum is the “Teachings of on Heavenly Mother the Presidents of the Church.” with statement: “man was begotten and born of heavenly parents… all 2000: Enrichment meetings begin. men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally 2013: Jean Stevens becomes the first woman to the sons and daughters of Deity.” pray in General Conference. 1914: First standardized Relief Society lesson www1.chapman.edu/~remy/MoFem/mormonwomen.html.

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