Eliza R. Snow: Difference between revisions

Eliza Roxcy Snow was a prominent and complex figure in early Latter-day Saint history, known as a poet, Relief Society leader, and a central figure in the narratives surrounding early Mormon polygamy [1, 2]. She was active in the church and continued to be a significant figure at least until 1887, and was deceased by 1899 [2-4].

Snow was recognized for her brilliance, power, and eloquent writing, particularly her poetry [1, 5]. She was admired for her words and poetry [1]. Described as 5'6" tall, which was well above the average height for women of her day [6].

Commentators in the sources describe her as a complex figure. While acknowledging her literary contributions and powerful presence, some critiques suggest that her accounts, especially those related to polygamy, show a pattern of growing in intensity and specificity over time and were sometimes strategically crafted [1-3, 5]. She is noted as being one of the most privileged women in Utah, who did not live as other Utah women did and was very well-provided for [1].

Eliza Snow was an influential leader in the Relief Society. At the inaugural meeting of the Relief Society on March 17, 1842, Joseph Smith stated that Emma Smith was ordained to expound scripture and exhort the church, fulfilling a revelation given to Emma in 1830 [7]. While Emma Smith held the office of Relief Society President until her death, Eliza Snow became the "acting president" when the Relief Society was re-established in the 1860s, gaining great prominence by supporting the patriarchal and polygamy narratives [8, 9]. Eliza could not be formally ordained to replace Emma until Emma died [9].

Eliza Snow was a key source for the story of an angel with a drawn sword commanding Joseph Smith to implement plural marriage [3, 10]. Her accounts of this event evolved over time, growing in intensity and specificity [3].

*  In **1880**, Relief Society minutes record her speaking of an angel with a drawn sword telling Joseph that if he didn't comply with heaven's requirement, his priesthood would be taken from him [3].

*  By **1884**, she was quoted stating that Joseph told her brother, Lorenzo Snow, that he had hesitated until an angel with a drawn sword told him that unless he established plural marriage, his priesthood would be taken from him and he should be destroyed [3].

*  An **1887** account, possibly from Lorenzo Snow's biography, attributed to her, stated that Joseph received the revelation in 1837 but was afraid to promulgate it until an angel with a "flaming sword" commanded him to do God's will. According to this account, Joseph only entered polygamy and encouraged his disciples to take plural wives after this event [3]. It is noted that the "flaming" detail for the sword comes from a non-Latter-day Saint quoting Eliza, possibly as an elaboration [11].

These accounts highlight a progression in the narrative, adding details and increasing the perceived threat, which is interpreted by some as characteristic of stories "getting better with the telling" and with time [3, 12].

There are no direct, contemporaneous entries in Eliza Snow's own Nauvoo journal explicitly stating she was married or sealed to Joseph Smith, nor does it describe a scene with Emma on the stairs [13, 14]. While a poem from her to Joseph Smith dated October 12, 1842, exists [15], its tone ("Sir, for your consolation, permit me to tell your Emma is better. She soon will be well") has been questioned as not indicative of a "love letter" to a beloved husband [16].

Critically, Eliza Snow consistently retained her maiden name, Eliza R. Snow, throughout her life, even during her decades-long marriage to Brigham Young. She was referred to as "Miss Snow" or "Miss Eliza R. Snow," implying she was single [2]. It was only two days after Emma Smith's death in 1879 that Eliza first publicly spoke of a watch as evidence of her marriage to Joseph. Subsequently, she adopted the name "Eliza R. Snow Smith Smith" and began referring to herself as "Sister Smith" [2]. This change is viewed by some as a motivated attempt to "push a narrative" [2].

Eliza Snow famously carried and displayed a large, ornamented gold watch, which she presented as a "relic" and "badge of honor" from Joseph Smith, symbolizing her status as his wife and her advocacy for plural marriage [2, 17]. This watch became a "public symbol" and a "badge of identity," creating a "corporeal connection" between her and Joseph [17].

However, the only known account of how she acquired the watch comes from Martha McBride Knight's recollection of a Relief Society meeting. Joseph Smith, needing to leave early, placed his watch on the table next to Eliza (the secretary) and instructed her to begin and end meetings on time. Eliza then kept the watch until her death [17]. Eliza herself never offered an explanation for how she received the watch [17]. This origin story stands in contrast to the later narrative that it was a personal gift from Joseph [17, 18].

Eliza Snow was married to Brigham Young for decades [2]. However, there is "zero evidence" of any marital relations between them. She never took his name, even as Brigham Young would refer to her as "Miss Eliza R. Snow" or "Miss Snow" [2]. She is described as having lived in Brigham's large home (referred to as a "dormitory") but "kept to herself" and did not "mingle much with most of the wives" [2].

Eliza Snow, a privileged woman in Utah [1], played a significant role in promoting the polygamy narrative, especially after Emma Smith's death [2]. She and Zina Huntington Young (who also adopted "Sister Young" as a title) toured the territory, introducing themselves as two of Joseph Smith's wives and speaking to women and children, using the watch as evidence [2, 19]. This is viewed by some as a strategic effort to "push a narrative" [2].

Her prominence in Relief Society also grew after its re-establishment in the 1860s (after a 20-year hiatus), aligning with her support for the patriarchal and polygamy narratives [8]. Maxine Hanks posits that Eliza acted as a "silent co-author" for Edward Tullidge's 1877 book, *The Women of Mormondom*, using it to present information she had preserved about her connection to Joseph Smith after Brigham Young's death [20].

Eliza also requested Emmeline B. Wells to ghostwrite Elizabeth Ann Whitney's autobiography, specifically to include content supporting Joseph Smith's polygamy, which was then published in Tullidge's book and the *Woman's Exponent*. This autobiography emphasized strict secrecy regarding celestial marriage as commanded by an angel [21-23].

*  **The "Angel with a Flaming Sword"**: While a key source, the growing intensity and specificity of her retellings are noted [3].

*  **Joseph's Watch**: The known origin story of the watch contradicts its later presentation as a personal gift and marital evidence [17, 18].

*  **Name Change**: Her decision to adopt "Smith" as her surname only after Emma's death, despite being married to Brigham Young for decades, is seen as a motivated attempt to "push a narrative" [2].

*  **Emma Smith's Denials**: Eliza Snow claimed that if Joseph Smith the Third's published interview with Emma (after Emma's death) was true, then Emma "died with libel on her lips," asserting that Emma "knew she was in the home" and "knew what Emma knew" about Joseph's plural wives [24]. This assertion is contrasted with arguments that Eliza, having been "promised that there was nothing she could do to lose her exaltation" and taught to "lie for the Lord," may not be a reliable witness [25, 26].

*  **"Eliza and the Stairs" Story**: The widely circulated story of Emma pushing Eliza down the stairs while pregnant with Joseph's child is considered a falsehood. Its origins are traced to Leroy Snow (Eliza's nephew) long after the events, and it contains significant factual inconsistencies regarding dates, locations, and witnesses [6, 27, 28]. Lorenzo Snow's statement that Eliza lived in an "unmarried state until she was beyond the condition of raising a family" further undermines claims of her being pregnant with Joseph's child [4].

*  **Lack of Journal Evidence**: Her Nauvoo journal does not contain overt mentions of a sealing to Joseph or the "stairs" incident, despite its contemporaneous nature [13].

Eliza Snow's narratives are seen by some as part of a larger body of "folklore" that emerged in Utah to solidify the polygamous practices there, rather than being strictly factual historical records [5]. Some historians also question Eliza Snow's credibility, especially when pulling "the thread" of her stories [26]. She is also identified as one of the sources for the "angel with the flaming sword" story, and when considering her full history, she is sometimes deemed less than honest [10].

Snow was a celebrated poet. Her poem "Think Not When You Gather to Zion" was influential, often presented to new converts in Zion (Utah) to temper expectations of an easy life amidst significant hardships, implying that their struggles were part of a divine "furnace" of purification [29]. This poem is noted as being written by a woman "kept in the lap of luxury as one of Brigham's wives" [29]. She also wrote a poem for Joseph Smith on October 12, 1842 [15].