Rise Up and Speak | The Legacy of Eliza R. Snow

There are moments when history feels less like something we read and more like something we meet. Standing before the exhibition sign at the Church History Library and then holding the book in my hands, I felt exactly that Eliza R. Snow is not just a name from the past. She is a voice, a witness, and an example that still speaks to us today. 

What a precious gift this new volume is: Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow. For so long, we have known her as the beloved second General President of the Relief Society, as the poet whose words shaped our hymns, and as a woman of quiet, unshakable strength. Now, in these pages, we hear her own voice, her sermons, her teachings, and her heart, shared directly with us.

 

"Rise up and speak". These words are not just a title. They are her invitation to every woman, in every generation: stand, testify, lift your voice, and let your light shine.

 

Who She Was And What She Gave

 

Eliza R. Snow was many things:

 

- A gifted poet and hymn writer. including "O My Father" and "How Great the Wisdom and the Love"

- The second General President of the Relief Society who helped organize and strengthen women across the Church

-  A powerful speaker and teacher who testified of Christ, covenants, and the divine role of women

-  A faithful witness who walked through persecution, loss, and hardship, yet never lost hope

 

She did not seek attention. She sought to serve. She did not claim power. She simply used the influence God gave her to bless others. And in doing so, she laid a foundation that we still stand upon today. 

 

Why This Matters For Us, Now

 

As I stood there, holding this book, I thought: her message is not just for the past. It is for us, right now. Especially for women, especially in our time:

 

- We are called to rise up and not to dominate, but to serve; not to boast, but to bless

- We are called to speak with kindness, with truth, with the courage of our convictions

- We are part of something bigger, a legacy of faithful women who have gone before, who have prayed, sacrificed, and built the kingdom

- Our voices matter in our homes, our communities, our nations. Eliza’s words remind us that your voice is needed. Your testimony matters. Rise up, and speak. 

A Sacred Visit

 

From the beautiful exhibition at the Church History Library to holding the book itself, every moment felt like a tender mercy. To walk where she walked, to read her words, to feel her spirit… it was a gentle reminder that we are not alone. We stand on the shoulders of women who loved the Lord deeply and served Him faithfully. 

 

May we honor her legacy not just by reading her story, but by living our own. May we rise up. May we speak. And may we lift others as we go.