Hyrum M. Smith
Published: 2017-05-20
Total Pages: 22
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Excerpt from The Latter-Day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 78: April 13, 1916 III 1841, Mary set in motion the organization of a simple and modest fund which was called The Sisters' Penny Subscription, for the purpose of buying nails and glass for the Nauvoo Temple. So quietly did this plan operate that only the briefest mention is made of it in the periodicals of the day; but it worked something of a financial miracle, for hundreds of dollars were thus collected. Who may say that this initiative on the part of Mary Fielding Smith was not productive of 'much of the later organized effort put forth by the women of the Church? The Relief Society was not then in operation; this fund was specifically directed for Tem ple purposes, and it accomplished its end. We who fancy that to-day sees the full flower of the powers and genius of women for organized effort, would do well to study the annals of the early heroines of the Church who laid their foundation stones so deep and broad that it is given to us simply to build upon them as best we may. Think of this burdened woman, the mother of two children, the step-mother of four more, and the caretaker of all the poor unfortunates whom her tender-hearted husband brought constantly into her welcoming home - think of this delicately reared lady, herself frail but like Sprung steel in composition, think of her - ye daughters of Zion, going about to gather in pennies from the women of Nauvoo to buy the glass and nails for that wondrous Temple in Nauvoo. Our teachers of to-day who go out from time to time ministering and teaching under the most comfortable modern conditions, can scarcely realize the struggles made in those early days by these heroic mothers in Israel. When the scenes and sufferings incident to the martyrdom fell upon the families of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his devoted brother Hyrum, who may tell the agony of suspense, the torture of fear that shook the breasts of the women who waited in vain for that release from prison, which had been miraculously given so often before? Few thought that the arrest would terminate fatally, for the Prophet had been so imprisoned and haled into courts over forty times by his enemies. Yet this time, the Prince and powers of the air held sway, and the blood of the martyrs cried from the ground of Illinois. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.