In the early days of the Church before the Saints were forced to flee from the beautiful city of Nauvoo, the women helped in the building of the kingdom. There was plenty for them to do. Many had been driven from their homes,elsewhere, and arrived seeking shelter and protection from the mobs. Some of these had lost nearly all they had, and needed care.

Also, immigrants from Europe were arriving constantly, swelling the ranks of the Church, coming with their skills and abilities, but many of them were poor, having left all to come to Zion. These needed to be settled and helped in this strange, new land. Some of them spoke only the language of their native land. Some were broken families...broken when part of them would not join the Church and come with others of their families.

Added to these opportunities to help was another very important cause. The temple in Nauvoo was being completed, so that as many as possible might participate in its holy ordinances, even though it would be abandoned upon completion. The sisters in Nauvoo did much to help in its completion. They made clothing for the workmen, knitted mittens and stockings for them. Mary Fielding and her sister, Mercy, who were married to Hyrum Smith started a "Penny Fund, and encouraged sisters to donate a penny a week to help buy glass for the temple windows. Because of the faithfulness of these women, all of the glass and nails which in those days were very expensive were purchased.

One day in the spring of 1842, a maiden lady came to Sarah M. Kimball and said she desired to help the men working on the temple, but she had nothing to give, Sis. Kimball told her she would furnish the cloth, if Miss Cook would make them some shirts. They decided to invite some of their neighbors, and form a Ladies Society so that they might work together. Sis. Eliza R. Snow was asked to write up a constitution for the group. When finished, she submitted it to Pres. Smith for his approval. He told her it was the best constitution he had ever seen. But, he said, "This is not what you want". He told her to gather the sisters together in the hall above his store, and that he would organize them under the pattern of the priesthood.

And so, on March 17, 1842, eighteen women gathered together with Pres. Smith, Elder John Taylor and Elder Willard Richards, and the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo was organized. Pres. Smith said later, "The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized" John Taylor said that Joseph organized the women according to the laws of heaven. Emma smith was unanimously elected as President. The society set about to seek our those in need and as mentioned before, there was plenty to do.

The Relief Society in Nauvoo functioned for only two years, and during that time the membership grew from 18 to 1,341. Then came the last days in Nauvoo when the women helped load the wagons that were drawn up in front of their beloved homes. What hard decisions must be made. How hard to leave behind their treasured belongings that room might be made in the wagons for tools, seeds, bedding, and the necessities. They took a last look at the walls, the cupboards, the fireplace. One sister touched lovingly the keys of her melodeon. Another carefully watered all her window plants and set them on the floor away from the drafts. One woman swept her floor and set the broom behind the door. A proud Englishwoman polished the doorknob of her door as she closed it the last time. Children and parents wept as beloved playthings were left in the homes. Kind neighbors who were not to leave with this first company, helped dress the children, wrapping them warmly for the dangerous journey across the river. Rocks were heated as foot warmers.

Cows were dragged from their warm sheds, and were tied to the backs of wagons. The wagons rumbled through the streets of their city as the families turned their faces to the unknown. After crossing the Mississippi, the first group camped at Sugar Creek in Feb and waited for others to come. That first, cold night, there was more than a foot of snow, and nine babies were born under the most trying circumstances, with the mothers' warm homes only nine miles away."

Sis. Eliza R.Snow came later in the month and recorded this in her journal,(pg 44 Mormon Pioneers) "Pres. Young showed more of his greatness at this time, at Sugar Creek. He taught the women who had never pioneered before how to make salt rising bread, and how to bake it in dutch ovens with hot ashes. Our wagons were so filled that we could hardly find room in which to sit. Sis. Markham and I were forced to sit on a chest with kettles and a soap box for our footstool, and we were happy in being so comfortably situated, for many of our sisters walked all day, rain or shine, and at night prepared suppers for their families with no sheltering tents, and then made their beds in and under the wagon that contained their earthly all. I watched with intense sympathy and admiration, the mother, when, forgetful of her own fatigue and destitution, took unwearied pains to fix up in the most palatable form, the allotted portion of bread, and as she dealt it out, was cheering the hearts of her homeless children.

"As the weather warmed and improved, their situation eased somewhat. Housekeeping chores went on, as in every family. Those of us camping here today can perhaps catch but a glimpse of the problems of caring for a family under primitive conditions. The laundry was done when sufficient water was available, besides the streams and rivers. Then the tubs, scrubbing boards were called into action, and huge fires were built to heat the water in which clothes were boiled until clean."

Some companies were better off than others, and well prepared with plenty of food, and had rather pleasant journeys. Others had many problems and some actually starved from want of food. We hear of those who had to boil cattle hides and eat them. Women learned how to prepare food from supplies that were life saving and easily transported. Usually these were flour, dried meats and fruits, potatoes, dry beans and corn and small amounts of sweetening such as molasses, sugar, honey. Their milk cows were priceless to them, and many cows did double duty by helping pull the wagons as well as supply milk and butter, though cows dry up after periods of times, and don't give as much milk when they don't have good feed and rest. We are told that the morning milk would be placed in a covered jar or bucket, and hung on the wagon, and by evening, there might be butter floating in the container.

For greens, they gathered watercress when available, and used pigweeds, dandelions and nettles. If there were some wild berries, currants, chokecherries or other wild fruit in season as they passed by, this might help supplement.their simple and often dreary diets. One pioneer boy said he got so tired of eating cornmeal mush and fatback that he almost had to gag it down to keep from going hungry. A pioneer girl remembers being so tired of cornmeal mush with no salt nor milk, that she became very thin, because she could hardly stand to even think about eating it.

Cooking utinsels were priceless and included the versatile dutch oven in which bread could be baked as well as other kinds of cooking done. They had skillets, griddles,and brass buckets.

Yeast wasn't plentiful, so bread was made from sourdough starter of a salt rising sponge. The sponge was made from one cup of flour, 2 tsps of salt and ¾ cup of warm water. This mixture was allowed to stand until bubbles formed, and then flour added. Though recipes were available, many of the women never used them, but used a pinch of that or a bit of this. One recipe called for a certain number of handsful of flour or corn meal, into which a pinch of salt was added. Butter or fat was worked into the flour until it became "short" and two or three "glugs' of molasses added as sweetening. Then the heat of their dutch ovens were tested by the feel of the hand, and they knew when the bread was baked by the way it looked and smelled. "Sops" were a popular dish for feeding babies. Dried bread was broken up with scalding water poured over it, After the bread soaked up the water, then sugar and milk could be added and served warm. If there was milk, however. Can you imagine how to feed babies and small children with the sometimes scarce, rough food?

Besides caring for the feeding and clothing of the families, the women helped with the harder chores. Many drove teams, especially after many men were called into the Mormon Battalion. With 500 of the able-bodied men gone, the burden of the journey fell upon their wives.

Back in Nauvoo, tragedy came to those who were unable to leave with the other Saints. They were the weakest and poorest and most helpless. It had been hoped that they might stay in their homes for at least another year, until they could be sent for, but the cruel mobs now that the people were defenseless, entered the city and drove them out. Nearly 700of them huddled on the Iowa shore. They built shelters of brush and tried to cover them with quilts, while they waited for help to come. They suffered severely with the cold and lack of food. But the Lord did not forget them,for a great miracle took place. The miracle of the quail. Great flocks of quail had flown across the mighty Mississippi river. When they reached the Iowa shore, they fell exhausted to the ground and were easily captured by the starving saints. Before they ate, they knelt in prayer and thanked the Lord.

The Relief Society was discontinued, as the leaders and members were divided and split up among the various divisions and pioneer companies as the Church moved west. However, many acts of kindness and compassion continued as individual women and men worked to help each other during this difficult time.