Ruth May Fox diary excerpts 1895-1897 (1900)
While recently passing through the state of Utah, I was able to stop at the Church Archives for about two hours. I took the opportunity to examine the diary of Ruth May Fox (1). Ruth was an ardent suffragist and leader in several civic, political and religious circles. She is perhaps most frequently recognized as being on the board of the Young Ladies Mutual Improvement Association and as its president from 1929 to 1937. I was able to cover approximately two and a half years of entries and have included a few interesting items as well as an entry from 1900. Commentary appears between ///.
June 3, 1900 at a Sunday fast meeting in the Temple
Pres J. F. Smith spoke to us on the principles of Faith and Prayer. Said it was absurd for men to pour a drop of oil on the top of the head and pray that it might permeate the whole being. We should annoint the sick all over and give them oil inwardly. Pres. Cannon also spoke on the same subject.
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February 9, 1895
Have been too busy to remember my journal when I might have taken time to write in it. Jan 29 went to Relief Society. Sister E. S. Taylor spoke to us asking our faith and prayers as she was going to Washington to represet the Young Ladies. Tues. Feb. 5, Went to S. A. heard Prof. Stewart and S. B. Young, also a Mr. Adams from N Da on Suffrage. Tried to vote down petition, but failed. Feb. 8th Went to Sister E. Stevenson’s birthday party had a glorious time Sister B. Smith and Helen Whitney were present. Sister Sarah Phelps spoke in tongues with great power insomuch that the floor and the chairs and our limbs trembled. She blessed Sister Whitney who was an invalid for years said we should know a year hence wether God spoke or not, the sisters laid hands on Sister W. and prayed for her speedy recovery. Sister N. C. Taylor being mouth.
June 18, 1895
Attended a surprise party given in honor of Sister Mary Freeze in 14th wd. It was unusually fine but Oh! The dressing down Mr. B. H. Roberts got from Joseph F. Smith. I really felt sorry for him.
November 1, 1895 Describing a political meeting.
I felt sorry for Roberts when he said the Church had meddled in politics and he cared not who the meddler was he should be branded an enemy to the Church and a traitor to the State. ///previously RMF noted that she “could have wept over” some of his words///
March 8th, 1896
Yesterday at the Y. L. Officers meeting, Mar. 7, Zina D. H. Young said when asked if women held the priesthood in connection with their husbands, that we should be thankful for the many blessings we enjoyed and say nothing about it. If you plant a grain of wheat and keep poking and looking at it to see if it was growing you would spoil the root. The answer was very satisfying to me..
December 6, 1896
///Brother Mathiason spoke in tongues at a Sunday church meeting. There was no interpretation///
May 17, 1897
///Birthday party with tongue speeking and interpretation///
October 12, 1897
Uncle Ben Johnson said it was to him. The Prophet Joseph said he would go to hell for Emma if necessary. He did not know if Joseph had ever said it publically.
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- Ruth May Fox. Diary 1894-1939. LDS Church Archives. MS 5469.
Interesting to say the least. My oh my how the church has changed. What would we do if our wives came home from a meeting and told us someone had spoken in tongues?
The early church’s practices are not the same practices of today….and her journal is just an inkling into that truth.
Comment by Don — 7/5/2006 @ 8:22 pm
This is fabulous. Do you know what the ‘dressing down’ was about?
Comment by Julie M. Smith — 7/5/2006 @ 9:07 pm
Thanks.
I don’t know about the JFS/Roberts issue at all. It is definately on my to-do list to find out though.
Comment by J. Stapley — 7/5/2006 @ 9:21 pm
Thanks for this, J. What attracted you to RMF of all the possibilities?
She’s my great-great-grandmother. Her daughter, Vida Fox, married BY’s grandson, Chester Clawson. Vida later divorced Chester, taking her mother’s Mormon feminism to the next level as an independent/un-married mother and business-woman. Interestingly, one of Vida’s first business successes was forming LDS study groups to which she would then sell B.H. Roberts’ newly published “Comprehensive History of the Church.” This rugged independence and business savvy was passed-on to my grandmother and my mother. RMF’s legacy lives on…though I think the experiences with tongue-speaking died with her generation. 🙂 You have to wonder at the distinction made between tongue speaking with and without interpretation.
Comment by Matt Elggren — 7/5/2006 @ 11:15 pm
Thanks, Matt. I have a substantial list of items that I will eventually get to at the Archives for my research purposes. When you get there, it is like a giant candy store. I love it. RMF’s diary is obviously on it. Specifically, I had seen reference to the 1900 reference in an obscure paper, and wanted to confirm it. It was miss attributed (the date). Beyond that, the entire diary is a goldmine and will have lots of goodies for my projects.
Comment by J. Stapley — 7/5/2006 @ 11:26 pm
PS. Of further note and as my mother often reminded me, RMF was among the last to make the trek to Zion by foot/wagon at the age of 14 (1867), less than 2 years before the completion of the railroad. She lived to see the launch of Sputnik, then died 6 months later at the age of 104…truly a woman of the new era.
Comment by Matt Elggren — 7/5/2006 @ 11:38 pm
Totally an amazing woman…and a bridge to two worlds. BTW, is Chester part of the Rudger Clawson clan?
Comment by J. Stapley — 7/5/2006 @ 11:44 pm
BY gave is daughter, Emily (d. Emily Dow Partridge) to Rudger (who was apparently one of BYs favorites and a business partner). Chester was their son. I’ve recently been a little obsessed with the idea that a grandson of BY would get divorced at the request of his wife. He was something of stray soul…hanging out at pool halls, smoking, drinking and such. My mother has very fond memories of him, though.
I was raised to see him as somewhat scandalous, but since I’ve become more familiar with the not so orthodox (from our perspective) ways of many church founders, I realize that he was probably more a man after his time.
Comment by Matt Elggren — 7/5/2006 @ 11:53 pm
J. Stapley, I hope you may some day enjoy a birthday party with tongue speaking and interpretation. Thanks for putting this up.
Comment by John Mansfield — 7/6/2006 @ 9:11 am
Very interesting post, J. Thanks for sharing your findings.
The “dressing down” may be related to B.H. Roberts’ on-again, off-again conflict with Joseph F. Smith and other church leaders over political issues, including the issue of whether church leaders should be free to run for office and whether certain church leaders were “meddling” in politics to the advantage of the Republican Party. It’s a bit odd that the “dressing down” appears to have taken place at a party.
Comment by Justin — 7/6/2006 @ 10:50 am
Interesting stuff.
If you come through Utah again before August 19, let me know. I’m here for the duration.
Comment by Ben — 7/6/2006 @ 1:03 pm
I especially like the part about the wheat seed and the Prophet going to hell to be with Emma, or get her out. Emma takes too much flak in my humble opinion. She had a rough, rough life. I admire her courage, to say nothing of her loyalty to Joseph.
Comment by S.Stapley — 7/8/2006 @ 5:43 pm
In my trusts class, Ballin Oaks had very positive things to say about Emma Smith, while putting Brigham Young’s feelings in a more sympathetic light as well.
Interesting stuff.
Comment by Stephen M (Ethesis) — 7/16/2006 @ 7:41 pm
I am looking for a Fox family, I hope Matt can help because he really knows his geneoligy. We have a house I am trying to find history on. It is called the Fox house it is located in South Salt Lake area, it is pre victorian I beleive. The story I got was that a women remarried a cuzin after leaving a poligamist relationship I heard the polygamist farm burnt down. The house and family is linked with the Fairbanks some how. Does any of that sound familiar.
Thanks,
Adrianne Allred
tsyklon@gmail.com
Comment by Adrianne — 9/12/2006 @ 5:39 pm
I have names and info
Comment by Bruce Fox — 4/10/2008 @ 6:56 pm
not sure of my e-mail address but the house is on Vidas street – the polygamist relationship ended because of g-g-grandpas death Jesse W Fox Junior. Frank H Fox on Beryl ave (one block away) is a grandson with lots of info and memories. My father Julian B Fox is another.
Comment by Bruce Fox — 4/10/2008 @ 7:00 pm