SALT LAKE CITY-With the advent of August, National Women’s Suffrage Month, The Historian Press of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced the online publication of six additional volumes of the diaries of Latter-day Saints leader Emmeline B. Wells.
The works of the famed women’s rights activist range from 1892-1896 in this collection.
An annotated transcript of these works is located at churchhistorianspress.org/emmeline-b-wells for free.
Wells, as her life demonstrated, fulfilled her commitment “to do all in my power to help elevate the condition of my own people, especially women.”
This quotation came from The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells, dated January 4, 1878.
Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm, The Church History Museum and Church Historian’s Press will live stream a special presentation titled, “Going To Work With A Will: Emmeline B. Wells and The Road To Suffrage.”
This presentation explores Wells’ role in fighting for women’s suffrage as well as others engaged in this struggle.
These events also coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which was officially created August 18, 1920. This amendment prohibited both state and federal governments from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex.
This also coincides with the 150th anniversary of Utah becoming the first state in the nation wherein women could vote under an equal suffrage law.
Born Emmeline Blanche Woodward in present-day Worcester County, Mass. February 29, 1828, Wells was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 14.
A talented writer and poet, Wells began writing articles for The Women’s Exponent, a newspaper published for Latter-day Saint women, in 1873.
By 1877, she became this newspaper’s editor, a position she retained through 1914.
Wells also contributed to publications in the eastern United States, denouncing misconceptions many had concerning Latter-day Saint women.
In 1910, Church president Joseph F. Smith called Wells, then 82 years old, to be the fifth general Relief Society president of the Church.
During her 11-year tenure, the Relief Society sold more than 200,000 bushels of wheat to the federal government.
Following World War I, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and his wife, Edith, personally visited Wells to express their appreciation for the Church sharing its stored grain during this time of crisis.
Wells was released from this calling at 93, just weeks before her death on April 25, 1921.
