Joseph Smith Biography

Thirty-Seven (1842)

The men were quieted, but not silenced. Their hearts summarily rejected the way
that Joseph began to take control of the matters of the Church without consulting the High
Councils, as he had always done before. Many were convinced that Joseph had assigned the
Twelve to foreign missions and continued to receive “revelations” concerning other men to
get them out of Nauvoo so that they would not censure him. If they thought this, then they
were right—that’s exactly what Joseph had in mind!
However, in meeting with the women, Joseph still delivered the real truth the best
he could, hidden within the confines of his mandate and the words the women expected to
hear from him. Eliza R. Snow would later quote him:

Joseph [told them]...that the people should each one stand for himself,

and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish

church—that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls—

applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Saints—said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall—that

they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds,

in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves,

envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their

shafts of envy.

There is another error that opens a door for the adversary to enter. As

females possess refined feelings and sensitiveness, they are also subject to

overmuch zeal, which must ever prove dangerous, and cause them to be

rigid in a religious capacity—they should be armed with mercy,

notwithstanding the iniquity among us.

...Notwithstanding the unworthy are among us, the virtuous should not,

from self importance, grieve and oppress needlessly, those unfortunate

ones—even these should be encouraged to hereafter live to be honored by

this society, who are the best portions of the community. Said he had two

things to recommend to the members of this society, to put a double watch

over the tongue: no organized body can exist without this at all.

...Sisters of the society, shall there be strife among you? I will not have it.

You must repent, and get the love of God. Away with self-righteousness.

The best measure or principle to bring the poor to repentance is to

administer to their wants. The Ladies’ Relief Society is not only to relieve

the poor, but to save souls.^64

Joseph expected the Relief Society to become more righteous than the other
male-oriented priesthood bodies of the Church. They greatly disappointed him as he
observed their continual pride in being members of a church they believed was far
superior to any other upon the earth. Regardless of their pride, Joseph knew that the
women were much better “Saints” than the men; and that their ability to “see through
the veil,”^65 i.e., to understand the mysteries of God, would benefit them greatly—if
they would just look and hear!