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Show Woman's Exponent The Ballot m the Hands of the Women of Utah should be a Power to belter the Home, the State and the Nation. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, FEBRUARY, Vol. 31 CONTENTS. Beloved Mother in Israel A. Wadrop Ladies' Meeting Miss Barton to President Roosevelt Utah Art Exhibit National Council of Women.. E. Cummings History of the Relief Society R. S. Reports In Memoriam Relief Society Mothers' Classes Notes and News A Semi-Month- ly Beware of Evil Influences Hyrum Smith's Birthday Editorial 65 66 66 67 67 69 70 71 7i 72 68 68 68 68 Sister Stevenson's Birthday A Pleasant Afternoon.. Editorial Notes 69 Ellis R. Shipp Poetry Sea Gulls The Continental Hall, Ella Wheeler Wilcox 65 67 SEA GULLS. There's a sweet and touching story, By our sire's told long ago, Who as exiles from their birthrights Sought a surcease from their woe From religious persecution In the far-o- il distant west; Utah's vales their destination. With undaunted faith possessed. After miles of toilsome travel Months of weariness and pain, Here they sought to find a haven On this barren desert plain. With true faith and zeal undaunted Filled the then unyielding land. Here the precious seed they planted Guided byMnspired command. Oh the joy, when soon upspringing Little slender spikes of green-Ca- use for true and great thanksgiving For 'twas food, and life there seen But alas, the joy w as fleeting. Swarming locusts fill the air On this dainty verdure feeding. Fruits of all tteir anxious care. ! Then a mighty wail ascended, Prayers in humble faith arose To their God, who had defended And protected them from foes, When as magic o'er the mountains d messengers of life Came as a Supreme deliverance, White-winge- Waging short and deadly strife Swept away the greedy insects In the twinkling of an eye, Leaving all the fields uninjured, Through the power of Him on high. " 'Twas a miracle, a blessing !" Men in wonder yet will say; And the sea gulls ne'er transgressing, Still are sacred to this day. Ellis R Shipp. A BELOVED MOTHER IN ISRAEL. MRS. BATHSHEBA W. SMITH, PRESIDENT OF THE RELIEF SOCIETY IN ALL THE WORLD. "At the present time theie is no woman in the Church we think looked upon with so much reverence as "Sister Bathsheba," as she is affectionately designated by her intimate friends. Truly a mother in Israel to Saints, many thousands of the Latter-daand an example to all the hosts of women and children in the Church of which she has always been a devoted member from her early girlhood. Sister Bathsheba W. Smith is president now of the Relief Society, the largest y woman's organization in the Church, and naturally all the sisters and all the women of the land and everywhere are anxious to know something of the early life of one, who has been called to fill a position of such prominence; for this Society, which has its headquarters at Salt Lake City, is not only national in its scope, but is also international, extending, as it were, around the world. The biographical sketch given here is, with a few variations, from the pen of her granddaughter, Mrs. Alice S. M. Horne, who spent much of her girlhood in her grandmother's home. Bathsheba V. Smith was the daughter of Mark and Susannah Ogden Bigler, and was born near Shinton, Harrison county, Virginia, May 3, 1822. Her father was from Pennsylvania and of Dutch descent, he was a farmer and stockraiser by occupation, and though not a member of any church, was known as a man of high moral character. Her mother, Susannah Ogden. came from an aristocratic and well to do family in Maryland, she was pious and gentle, possessing all the hospitable and generous qualities of the South, au excellent housekeeper, and adept and artistic with her needle. Her mother's family had been slaveholders, but from conscientious motives had given freedom to their slaves. Bathsheba Bigler's parents were educated and gave their children what school advantages could be had in a new country. Harrison county was hilly, and the roads of a primitive character, and the mode of travel was chiefly on horseback, and Bathsheba was an accomplished equestrienne; she grew up in a family of seven children, where love and unity prevailed in the home. While in her fifteenth year, some Latter-da- y Saints came preaching in the neighborhood, and she believed what tht:y taught to be true. In answer to prayer she received an abiding testimony that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Lord; and that the Book of Mormon was a divine record. Among those who came preaching the new and everlasting Gospel in Harrison county, and who became intimately acquainted with the Bigler family, was the young Elder, George A Smith, a cousin, of the Prophet Joseph After completing his circuit of Smith. tiavel in the vicinity, he would find a resting place at the Bigler home. Meantime the father and mother, after carefully investigating the principles taught by the Elders, had been baptized, as had also Bathsheba and other members of the family. In this restful Southern home it is little wonder that Elder Smith grew to admire the tall and queenly young girl, whose fine personality and attractive qualities of heart and soul so impressed him as to leave no doubt in his mind that she was the one above all others he would choose for his life companion; and "after teaching her the Gospel, he taught her the old sweet story of love." Before leaving his field of labor in Virginia, he received her promise to keep his cabin in Missouri. 1903 Nos. 17-- 18 In the spring following Elder George A. Smith's departure from Virginia, Brother and Sister Fleming, sister and brother-in-laof Sister Bathsheba, made ready to go to Far West, and she was very anxious to go with them, her great desire being to learn more of the Gospel, and to improve; but she was to be disappointed, and she wept over it, and after retiring for the night weeping, she heard a voice saying plainly, "Weep not, you shall go to Zion in the fall," and she believed and was comforted, and the words came to pass. Soon after, her father sold his home and On their moved his family to Missouri. arrival they found the State preparing to The persemake war against the Saints cution had already begun, and shortly after there was a battle between the Saints and an armed mob, in which the Apostle David W. Patten was fatally wounded and brought to the house where Brother Bigler's family were living. Bathsheba witnessed the death of this great Apostle on the same night. She saw the mobbers, heard their dreadful threats and savage yells when the Prophet Joseph and his brethren were taken into The Prophet and Patriarch and camp. others were taken to prison and the Saints had to leave the State under the most pain ful and trying circumstances. In the spring following great was the joy of the Saints to have their Prophet and his brethren restored to them in Quincy, Illinois. In the spring of 1840, Brother Bigler and family moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where Bathsheba had many opportunities of hearing the Prophet preach and received many testimonies of the truths which he taught, an. here she was privileged to become intimately acquainted with the Prophet and his family. Ten days after the return of Elder George A.Smith from a two years' mission to Hng-anBath-shebJuly 25, 1841, the marriage of W. Bigler and George A. Smith was solemnized, his cousin, Don Carlos Smith, (the Prophet's brother) performing the ceremony. On the 17th of March, 1842, Mrs. Smith , the meeting attended, by special invit-itioncalled to organize the Relief Society and was enrolled a member; she is now the honored and revered president of that grand organization that only numbered eighteen then all told, and now has more than thirty thousand. She is the only person living who was present on that momentous occaw d, a sion. In July of 1842 the first son was born to this happy couple, they named him George Albert; two months later the father and husband was called to fill a mission in the Eastern States. In January 31, 1844, Brother and Sister ' George A. Smith received their endowments and were united for time and all eternity in the holy order of celestial marriage. Joseph Smith, the Prophet presided Sister Bathsheba W. at the ceremony. Smith is now the only person living who received her endowments in the Prophet Sister Smith heard the Joseph's day. Prophet charge the Twelve Apostles with |