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Susa Gates ( Young, formerly Dunford; March 18, 1856 – May 27, 1933) was a writer, periodical editor, and
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...
advocate in
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
. In
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
, Gates wrote the first lesson manual, was a member of the Relief Society general board, and a missionary.


Early life

Susa Young was born in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
,
Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state ...
, to Lucy Bigelow,
LDS Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The c ...
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his death in 1877. During his time as chu ...
's twenty-second wife. Young was named Susanna, but went by Susa for most of her life. Young was Brigham's forty-second child and the second child to be born to Lucy Bigelow and Brigham Young. Young grew up in the Lion House. Young's home life was very structured because of the large size of her father's family. Her days consisted of scheduled meals, prayers, schooling, family devotionals, and sleep time. According to Young, her childhood was very happy and she enjoyed growing up in the Young family. However, Young recorded some memories of family difficulties. While Young reported that she had a close relationship with some of her father's wives, she did not enjoy spending time with all of them. She also rejected any speculation that there was fighting amongst Brigham's wives, while other family members did confirm that there was tension. When Young was born, her father was the president of the LDS Church, the Governor of Utah, and the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Due to a series of natural disasters, Utah experienced a food shortage and the people living in Utah were required to live off food rations. Young was also a child during the
Utah War The Utah War (1857–1858), also known as the Utah Expedition, Utah Campaign, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between Mormon settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the US go ...
which also contributed to the hardship that her family experienced. As a result of the war, Young moved south temporarily with some of her family to what is now known as Provo. As was customary in Utah during the time, Young was trained in drama and dance. She was seven years old when she began to perform in local theaters. Young thrived in her school and as a result, she entered the
University of Deseret The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of ...
at age 13, and by age 14, she had become the editor of the student newspaper, ''College Lantern.'' However, her father withdrew her from school and moved her (along with two of his wives and their children) to St. George, Utah. In St. George, Young continued pursuing an education, but struggled to get along with her new teacher and peers.


Marriage and children

Young most likely began being courted by different suitors when she was 14. The Lion House was a popular gathering place for young people who were interested in courting. Young's father had an active role in the courtships of his children and would often interview the young men who came to visit his daughters. He also strongly encouraged his daughters to not associate with people who were not members of the LDS Church.


Marriage to Alma B. Dunford

In 1872, while living in St. George, Young married Alma B. Dunford. Gates was sixteen years old at the time of their marriage. The couple received permission from Brigham to be married in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City and they were married on December 1. Their marriage was performed by Young's friend and future president of the church
Joseph F. Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was an American religious leader who served as the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was the nephew of Joseph Smith, the founde ...
. Dunford was a cousin of Young's brother-in-law and a dentist. Little is known about their courtship. After they were married, they moved to Salt Lake City where Dunford opened up a dentist office. Together, the couple had two children, Bailey and
Leah Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...
. The beginning of their marriage was happy and the couple got along well. After the birth of their second child, the family moved back to St. George and began to build a house. However, Dunford was not happy in St George as he was able to earn more money as a dentist in Salt Lake City. Dunford reportedly drank which caused Young to be unhappy in the marriage. Before their house was completed, Dunford received a mission call to England. The family moved back to the Lion House in Salt Lake City. In letters to her sister, Young describes being very unhappy in her marriage and life during this time. Young and her children moved to
Bloomington, Idaho Bloomington is a city in Bear Lake County, Idaho, United States. The population was 206 at the 2010 census. It was first settled in 1864.Leonard J. Arrington. ''History of Idaho'' Vol. 1, p. 273 Geography Bloomington is located at (42.190778 ...
to live with Dunford's parents. Shortly after they arrived in Idaho, Brigham died. Young decided that she wanted to end her marriage to Dunford and sent him a letter saying so. Still a missionary in England, Dunford was shocked and hurt to find out that Young wanted to end their marriage. Dunford returned from England and the couple appeared in court to determine the specifics of their divorce. The relationship was so contentious that Young ended being arrested and briefly incarcerated for a fight she had with Dunford over the division of property following their divorce. Young and Dunford officially divorced in 1877. Young gained custody over their son, Bailey, while Dunford gained custody of Leah, who later became the wife of John A. Widtsoe. Following the divorce, Young was "devastated" by being separated from her daughter and faced with financial obligations that she could not afford. Young did not receive alimony from the divorce, increasing her finical difficulties.


Marriage to Jacob F. Gates

A few years after the end of her first marriage, Young began a relationship with Jacob F. Gates. Young had met and become friends with Gates while living in St. George. Young and Gates exchanged letters while Gates was living in Hawaii as a missionary for the church. In these letters, Gates invited Young to visit him in Hawaii. Susa accepted his invitation and spent much of her six-week trip with Gates. They continued their correspondence, and were married three months after Gates returned from Hawaii on January 5, 1880 in the St. George Utah Temple. They lived in St. George during the beginning of their marriage. In their first five years as a married couple, Susa bore four children. Bailey, Susa's son from her previous marriage, enjoyed a close relationship with his new stepfather. While the family gained prominence in their community, they struggled financially for their whole life. During their marriage, Susa and Jacob lived in Hawaii as missionaries for the church. Their biological children also came to Hawaii with them. In total, Susa and Jacob had eleven children, seven of whom did not survive to adulthood.


Views on Polygamy

Gates has been reported to hold differing views on polygamy throughout her life. As the daughter of Brigham Young, Gates grew up in one of the most prominent polygamous families in the United States at the time. Despite polygamy being practice in the church and Susa's idyllic recollections of growing up in a polygamist household, Susa reported that she was opposed to Jacob from taking another wife. However, Gates acknowledged that the practice of polygamy can be very difficult, but it can be lived harmoniously. When the church did away with the practice of polygamy, Gates was felt that if Mormons had had more faith, the practice could have been continued. Years after the church ended practicing polygamy, Gates continued to defend it and verbally fought with people who opposed it.


Children

Throughout her life, Gates gave birth to thirteen children. * Bailey * Leah * Emma Lucy (November 5, 1880) * Jacob Young (1886) * Karl Nahum (1883) * Simpson Mark (1885) * Joseph Sterling (1886) * Brigham Cecil (1887) * Harvey Harris (Hal) (1889) * Sarah Beulah (1891) * Franklin Young (1893) * Heber (1894, died at birth) * Brigham Young (1896) While Gates was estranged from her children from her first marriage for a time, she did reconnect with Leah and Bailey after her time in Hawaii. Since Dunford was given custody of Leah after the divorce, Gates was not able to spend much time with Leah when she was a child. From the divorce until a few years after Gates returned from Hawaii, Leah did not communicate much with Gates and Gates's family. As she grew older, Leah spent more time with Gates and her family. Evidenced in letters, Jacob and Leah had originally not gotten along, but their relationships was improving. Leah explains in a letter that her dislike for Jacob came from her love for her biological father (with whom she had lived for most of her childhood and youth). As time passed, Leah and Gates' relationship improved and Leah and Jacob also developed a close relationship. Gates was involved in the selection of Leah's husband. The relationship between Gates and Bailey struggled while Bailey lived with his father. In letters to his mother, Bailey expressed that he did not care to communicate with Gates. Eventually, Bailey asked Gates if he could live with her. Upon his return to Provo, Bailey continued to live a "troubled life." He left Provo and his family did not hear from him for several years. When his family was finally able to make contact with Bailey, he was living in Washington. Bailey ended up traveling around the western United States, working odd jobs to earn money. During this time, he asked for and received some money from Gates. Bailey also began to abuse alcohol, a habit that greatly concerned Gates. Bailey had strained relations with other members of his family because of unpaid debts. On January 16, 1895, Bailey was killed as he was working as a firefighter. Once his body was recovered, it was discovered that the only possession he had with him was Gates' last letter to him. At the time of Bailey's funeral, Gates was bedridden following a difficult childbirth and consequently was not able to attend.


Education

As a child, Gates received an education at a private school owned by Brigham Young across the street from the Lion House. Due to her father's political and religious position and her love of reading, Gates received more education than most children her age. When Gates was fourteen, she became the associate editor of "The College Lantern," a literary magazine published by the
University of Deseret The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of ...
where she was a student. "The College Lantern" was one of the first campus publication in the west. According to Cracroft's thesis, Gates was one of the first people in Utah to learn
shorthand Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases speed and brevity of writing as compared to longhand, a more common method of writing a language. The process of writing in shorthand is called stenography, from the Greek ''s ...
. According to Cr Following her divorce from Dunford, Gates petitioned church leaders to help her continue her education. She was offered a scholarship to the University of Deseret (now known as the
University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
), but decided to instead attend
Brigham Young Academy Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
(now known as Brigham Young University). As a divorced mother, Gates stood out among the other students, however, she was dedicated to her education and worked hard in her courses. While at BYA, Gates taught music lessons. Following the end of her first year at BYA, Gates decided to leave Utah to accompany one of Brigham's other wives to Hawaii. Gates also attended summer school at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...
, but she was not an enrolled, full-time student. At Harvard, she took courses in literature and physical health.


Missionary experiences


Hawaii

Jacob received another mission call to Hawaii and requested and received permission for his family to come too. Susa, Jacob, and their children all lived in Hawaii as missionaries for the church. Before they left, Susa and Jacob attempted to receive for permission for Susa's son, Bailey, to come to Hawaii with them. This upset Susa's ex-husband, Dunford, who went to the courts and forced Susa to give him full custody of Bailey. Bailey and Susa were devastated that they had to be separated and said goodbye to each other shortly before Susa left for Hawaii. Susa, Jacob, and their three surviving biological children arrived in Hawaii on November 10, 1885. Gates and her family lived in
La'ie Laie ( haw, Lāie, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Koolauloa District on the island of Oahu () in Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, means " leaf" ( is a climbing screwpine: ''Freycinetia arborea''). The p ...
, which at the time was a large plantation that offered only basic living conditions. The beginning of this mission was very hard for Gates as she greatly missed Bailey and her house was filled with vermin and mosquitoes. Gates did many things on the island to help the mission, including sewing, mending, cooking, baking, washing clothes, ironing, making butter, caring for the house and yard, cleaning, making preserves and soap, and whitewashing and painting. During this time, Gates gave birth to three more children. Together, the family helped out at the nearby sugar factory and raised chickens and cows. They also participated in church events. During this mission, some of Gates' children died from diseases. Despite Jacob being fluent in Hawaiian, there were often misunderstandings between the American Mormons and the native Hawaiians. These disagreements often stemmed from the amount of money that the Gates family spent. Knowing she had a "sharp tongue and occasional tendency to gossip," Susa also clashed with native Hawaiians and non-natives which cased disagreements. Gates included stories and details about her experience in her book, ''The Little Missionary''. During this mission, Bailey was living with his father. This put a strain on the relationship between him and Gates. Gates attempted to continue and strengthen the relationship by writing letters to Bailey, but Baily had formed a strong relationship with his father and did not have much interest in writing to Gates. Gates's other child from her previous marriage, Leah, had not seen her mother for many years since she lived with her father and thus did not have much of relationship with Gates. The separation and breakdown of relationships with her children greatly pained Gates. On April 14, 1889, the Gates family left Hawaii to return to the United States, finishing their four-year mission.


United States

In March 1903, Gates received a mission call from the church to be a missionary in the United States. No other details or specifics are known about this assignment.


Career


Academic

Gates was involved in different educational institutions in Utah. Gates entered
Brigham Young Academy Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
in
Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Utah, fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County, Utah, Utah County and is home to Bri ...
, in 1878 where she taught music lessons and founded the music department. In the 1890s, Gates returned to BYU and acted as a board member. While there, Gates created the home economics department and taught a physiology and genealogy class. She was appointed as a member of the board of trustees of the Agricultural College of Utah in Logan, Utah. At the same college, she was also a member on a committee on home economics and art.


Founding organizations

Throughout her life, Gates founded many organizations. She was one of the co-founders of the Utah Women's Press Club. Gates organized the Utah chapter of the
Daughters of the Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promot ...
. Gates also founded the Sons and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. She also helped to organize the
National Household Economic Association National Household Economic Association (1893-1903) was a 19th-century American women's organization which promoted the new field of home economics. This association was incorporated March 16, 1893, under the name of the National Columbian Househo ...
. On May 27, 1870, Gates became the secretary of the Young Ladies Retrenchment Association. The Association was created as a way for young LDS women to support each other and connect with each other. Gates was a primary organizer of the Utah chapters of the
Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...
,
Daughters of the Utah Pioneers The International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers (ISDUP, DUP) is a women's organization dedicated to preserving the history of the original settlers of the geographic area covered by the State of Deseret and Utah Territory, including Mormon pio ...
, and the National Woman's Press Club. Gates was also a member of the Board of Regents of
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
from 1891 to 1933, and
Utah State Agricultural College Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is U ...
from 1906 to 1912.


Political work

Gates was involved in political and feminist causes throughout her life. Gates was a member of the National Council of Women (NCW) and she attended multiple NCW conferences. She also served as the chair of the US National Council of Women Press Committee. In 1892, Gates traveled to London to attend a convention of the
International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., wit ...
. Gates was also involved in the
Woman Suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
movement. In the early 1900s, Gates was nominated as the sole delegate from the United States to attend another convention of the International Council of Women in Copenhagen. Gates was an outspoken proponent of women's suffrage. In 1880, Gates organized a class in St. George which was called "Civil Government." In 1882, Gates was elected as an alternate delegate for an convention of the People's Party, a political group greatly influenced by the church. Throughout her life, Gates was active in promoting
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countri ...
and
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
. She was a founding organizer of the National Household Economics Organization, served as a delegate and speaker to five congresses of the
International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., wit ...
and was a delegate and officer of the National Council of Women. Gates was also elected as an alternate delegate of the
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in Chicago in 1908. She attended several
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
s. Gates was active in politics until 1916, when she retired from her political activism with a few exceptions. Throughout her whole life, Gates was a staunch
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and espoused
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
ideology. During some of Gates' career, there was a strong anti-Mormon sentiment in the United States, largely due to the church's practice of polygamy. This caused some disruption in Gates' career as some women did not want to associate with a Utahan or a Mormon. An example of this is when
Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony (born Susan Anthony; February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was an American social reformer and women's rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. Born into a Quaker family committed to s ...
refused to work with Gates anymore because she had not left the religion which practiced polygamy. Throughout her career, Gates defended her religion and contended to be accepted.


LDS church positions

Gates was involved in many different positions in the LDS church. Some of her positions include: * Member of the Relief Society general board * Secretary of the Relief Society general board * Corresponding secretary and editor of the ''Relief Society Magazine'' * Chair of the Genealogical Committee of the Relief Society * Teachers Committee of the Relief Society general board * Member of the general board of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association * Missionary in Hawaii and the "United States" While not an official assignment in the church, Gates wrote the first lesson manual for Sunday school lessons. As a prominent member of the church, Gates enjoyed close relationships with church leaders and was able to be influential in some church policies and decisions. Throughout her life, Gates was close friends with Joseph F. Smith, the sixth president of the church. In one letter to Gates, Smith refers to her and her husband as being among his "best and truest friends." Gates was also active in
genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...
and LDS Church
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
work. Young researched her father's and mothers family history in depth. She managed the genealogy departments in the ''
Deseret News The ''Deseret News'' () is the oldest continuously operating publication in the American west. Its multi-platform products feature journalism and commentary across the fields of politics, culture, family life, faith, sports, and entertainment. Th ...
'' and ''Inter Mountain Republican'', and edited and wrote columns for both papers in 1906. She later became the head of the Research Department and Library of the
Genealogical Society of Utah FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family H ...
in 1923. Gates was the chair of the Genealogical Committee of the Relief Society. In this position, Gates created monthly lessons on genealogy for other women of the Relief Society. Gates also published a book called "Surname Book and Racial History." This book alphabetically list common surnames in Utah and the history and original nationality of the name.


Writings

Throughout her life, Gates was an avid writer and published multiple books and journal articles. Gates also wrote plays, short stories, essays, eulogies, editorials, poetry, newspaper articles, and music lyrics. She sometimes published under the pen name, "Homespun," or sometimes published articles anonymously. In her thesis, Lisa Olsen Tait explains the significance of Gates' pen name. Tait explains that during the time when Gates was publishing, the church was encouraged to manufacture items by themselves in order to avoid spending money at "Gentile" establishments. Brigham Young described this practice as a way to not "please and pamper that power which is opposed to the kingdom of God on earth." Tait argues that Gates selected the pen name of Homespun as a tribute to that council and as a way to show that she was also dedicated to supporting Mormon products and industry and living separately from the world.


Genre and Style

Gates' work cover multiple genres including fiction, biographies, plays, and cantatas. As was common for Mormons of the time, the majority of Gates' works were written with a Mormon audience in mind. Gates' writings often encouraged other Mormons to remain engaged in the church and Mormon culture. R. Paul Cracroft's thesis on Gates confirms that Mormon literature during her lifetime was created for the sole purpose of guiding and influencing the Mormon youth to live moral lives and remain involved in the church." Gates' fictional writings often included morals that she felt would benefit her readers. For example, one of her first short stories that was published in a church magazine ends with the main character saying, "Young folks like something bright and gay to read. And novels are as great an educator as the theater. I only wish we had novels or stories written by our own people, with proper lessons taught therein." Her romance pieces are often about young Mormons deciding to marry in the faith, something that Gates herself was strongly encouraged to do. In her romance stories, the young couple often had to overcome challenges that many Mormons were then facing, such as the abandonment of the practice of polygamy and Utah on its path to statehood. In her thesis about Gates and home literature, Lisa Olsen Tait argues that Gates' characters are rarely a "surprise." Tait writes that it is easy for the reader to instantly tell which character is good and changeable and which is bad and unwilling to change. Tait further argues that this simplistic take on characters was essential for the success of Gates' stories in a Mormon audience of that time because the religion was just beginning to read fiction. Previously, members of the church were greatly discouraged against reading fiction. Tait also stresses that Gates' stories were not about her characters, but rather, about the readers and the morals that she felt that they needed to learn. Some of the morals that Gates included in her writings are obedience to the
Word of Wisdom The "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of an 1833 section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to be a sacred text. The section defines beliefs regarding certain drugs, nutritious ...
, being dedicated to the church, avoiding gambling, relying on God rather than doctors when ill marrying others Mormons, and not letting wealth and lifestyle prevent church attendance. According to Tait, Gates' most ambitious novel was ''John Stevens' Courtship'', later published as ''John Stevens' Courtship: A Romance of the Echo Canyon War.'' Tait says that this work is different from Gates' other stories because it included a much larger cast of characters and focused on relationships with non-Mormon groups of people. However, despite these differences, Tait explains that the central message of the story is still the importance of female virtue and integrity. The majority of Gates' writings, particularly her stories, include a balance of good and evil. According to Cracroft's thesis, explains that Gates "recognized the existence of evil and the need for it to be present in Mormon literature in either two ways: either evil should gain a shocking triumph or should itself succumb to the forces of good, so that Mormon readers can be shown an example of how to merit entrance into Heaven." Gates tended to write in a very plain and simple way. According to personal writings from Gates, Gates believed that her readers were unable to understand stories on concepts if she did not write plainly. In her published writings, Gates does not often use complicated or confusing metaphors or analogies.


Influences

Like many Mormon writers at the time, Gates was greatly influenced by her religion. In his thesis, Cracroft argues that one of the reasons that Gates wrote was to preserve the ideals and morals for future generations that she felt were crucial for a successful life. As was common for Mormon writers at the time, Gates was influenced by the desire to ensure that her targeted audience of fellow Mormons remained faithful. Gates' works were specifically targeted at Mormon youth and women. According to Cracroft's thesis, Gates was more willing to talk about sex and other topics considered "taboo" in her time and religion. Gates often wrote about womanhood and urged her readers to "resist evil, sometimes by outsmarting men." According to Cracroft, Gates believed that writing added "glory" to womanhood. Due to Gates' specific target audience, her works did not reach many non-Mormon readers.


Works


Books

Gates' published books, biographies, and novels include: * ''John Steven's Courtship: A Story of the Echo Canyon War'' * ''The Life Story of Brigham Young'' (co-authored with daughter Leah D. Widstoe) * ''Lydia Knight's History'' * ''Heroines of Mormondon'' * ''Brigham Young: Patriot, Pioneer, Prophet'' * ''The Prince of Ur'' (co-authored with daughter Leah Widstoe) * ''Women of the "Mormon" Church'' * ''The Little Missionary'' * ''Up From Tribulation'' * ''Surname Book and Racial History'' * ''History of the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' Gates had planned on writing a series about female members of the church, but did not publish more than two volumes.


Biography of Brigham Young

"Brigham Young: Patriot, Pioneer, Prophet" is considered by many to be Gates' most ambitious work. For years, Gates was encouraged by her family members to write a comprehensive biography of her father, Brigham Young. By the time Gates began to write the biography, Young had been dead for years. According to Cracroft's research presented in his thesis, Gates began to write the biography by jotting down memories and notes about her father, regardless of chronology. Gates struggled to start the big project, describing her feelings towards the job as, "I feel just like a molehill trying to write about a mountain." To help, Leah, Gates' eldest daughter, co-authored the biography. Some publishers felt that the manuscript was too long and religious for the average reader to enjoy. Two years after completing the manuscript, the biography was published in parts in a Sunday newspaper in Britain. In order for it to be published, much of the religious preaching that Gates included in the book was removed because it was seen as "Mormon Propaganda." A couple of years later, the biography was published as a book in London in 1930. While Gates did provide an intimate picture of what it was like to grow up in Brigham Young's household and gave the reader a look into what Brigham Young was like, Gates and her book were criticized for presenting a polished, idyllic description of Brigham Young. The biography paints Young in a very positive light, while other published biographies about him at the time showed positive and negative aspects of the prominent Mormon. As Cracroft writes in his thesis, the idyllic description of Young and Mormonism was standard for Gates as she mostly wrote for fellow Mormons. Cracroft argues that Gates did not intend to write the biography for academic purposes. Gates was aware that her choice of portrayal of Young would be met with criticism. In response to these criticisms Gates said, "It may be suggested that this intimate picture of Brigham Young contains no character shadows, but it is concerned only with the high lights of his virtues and kingly powers. This statement might be answered in his own way by allowing that his enemies have been so busy magnifying his faults that there is small need of his friends painting any personal shadows into the picture." Gates begins the biography by describing aspects of Brigham Young's life such as how he discovered and joined the church, his path to leadership in the church, and his role in the church moving to the western United States. As the book goes on, Gates describes how Mormonism grew under Young's leadership. According to Cracroft's thesis, Gates knew the topics in which her readers would be the most interested: polygamy and the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Gates described Young's role in those two events, but made it clear that he was not a sexual predator or a violent, blood-thirsty man.


Articles

While on a mission in Hawaii, Gates published an article about native Hawaiian dress. The article appeared in the July 1888 edition of ''
Godey's Lady's Book ''Godey's Lady's Book'', alternatively known as ''Godey's Magazine and Lady's Book'', was an American women's magazine that was published in Philadelphia from 1830 to 1878. It was the most widely circulated magazine in the period before the Civil ...
''. During her time in Hawaii, Gates also wrote articles that were published in the LDS-directed magazine ''Contributor'' and in '' Woman's Exponent''. In 1889, after returning from their first mission, Gates founded the ''
Young Woman's Journal ''The Young Woman's Journal'' was an official publication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association (YLMIA), then the LDS Church's organization for adolescent females. H ...
'', a periodical targeted to adolescent
Latter-day Saint Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into sev ...
women. In 1897, the journal was adopted by the Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement Association. Gates stepped down as editor of the ''Journal'' in 1900, but continued to contribute occasionally until it ceased publication in 1929. In 1915, Gates founded ''
Relief Society Magazine ''Relief Society Magazine'', including the ''Relief Society Bulletin'' of 1914, was the official publication of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1915 to 1970. It succeeded the earlier and priv ...
'' a periodical targeted at members of the Relief Society. The magazine became the official publication of the church's Relief Society, and Gates edited it until 1922. Throughout her life, Gates had writings published in multiple, non-Mormon journals such as ''
North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived at ...
,
Juvenile Instructor ''The Juvenile Instructor'' was a magazine for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It began publication in 1866 as a private publication, but by the late 1860s served as the de facto publication of the LDS Churc ...
,'' and ''Godey's Lady's Book.'' However, most of Gates' articles were published in LDS owned or influenced magazines.


Poems

Gates' poems include: * "From a Mother to Her Babes" * Hymn of the Mothers of Men" * "What, When, Who?" * "The House that Elizabeth Built" * "A Love Lyric" * "Reflections" * "Life's Interludes" * "Sunset" " * "Consecration""


Short stories

Some of Gates' published short stories include: * "Aunt Fanny's Rocking Chair" * "Worse Than Death" * "Three Mormon Boys" * "Which Path?" * "Harry's Wife" * "Why Helen Did Not Attend the Christmas Ball" * "All is Well! All is Well!" * "Whatsoever a Man Soweth"


Other works

Gates wrote a cantata about the life of Brigham Young. Music for the performance was composed by H.E. Giles (a professor at Brigham Young Academy) Gates' cantata was performed on June 4, 1890 at the Provo Opera House as part of celebratory events commemorating Brigham Young's birthday. Gates also wrote some plays, her longest one being "Dialogue from the Book of Mormon." Gates also turned some of her poems into songs."


Unpublished works

During the last fifteen years of her life, Gates worked on two writing projects that were never published: ''The History of Women'' and ''Lucy Bigelow Young.''


Publications in the ''Relief Society Magazine''


= Articles

=


= Relief Society Conference

=


= Biography

=


Death

Gates continued to work on many projects and different church assignments up to her death. Gates became ill with influenza around six weeks before her death. Gates died on the morning of May 27, 1933. When she died, Gates' living posterity included five children, fifteen grand-children, and three great-grandchildren. Gates' husband, Jacob, died almost nine years later. Two days after her death, Gates' funeral was held at the Assembly Hall on
Temple Square Temple Square is a complex, owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately ...
in Salt Lake City. Many members of Gates' family and prominent members of the church attended the funeral. However, Gates' daughter Leah was not able to attend the funeral as she was currently living in England.


Legacy

Over forty years after Gates' deaths, the American Mothers Committee selected Gates as the "most outstanding mother in Utah history." According to R. Paul Cracroft's thesis, Gates wrote more than other Mormon writers."


See also

*
Descendants of Brigham Young Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of the Church (LDS Church), President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte ...
* Maud Babcock, the first woman in the University of Utah faculty *
Mormon feminism Mormon feminism is a feminist religious social movement concerned with the role of women within Mormonism. Mormon feminists commonly advocate for a more significant recognition of Heavenly Mother, the ordination of women, gender equality, and so ...


References


External links


Archival resources


Susa Young Gates Personal Papers, MS 7692
Church History Library The Church History Library (CHL) is a research center and archives building housing materials chronicling the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The library is owned by the Church and opened in 2009 in downt ...
The following archives are kept at
L. Tom Perry Special Collections The L. Tom Perry Special Collections is the special collections department of Brigham Young University (BYU)'s Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1957 with 1,000 books and 50 manuscript collections, as of 2016 the Library's special ...
,
Harold B. Lee Library The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Gran ...
,
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
:
Guide to Susa Young Gates Resources in the University Archives

Susa Young Gates Notebook, MSS SC 820

Transcription of Susa Young Gates Notebook


Other links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gates, Susa Young 1856 births 1933 deaths American genealogists American Latter Day Saint writers American Mormon missionaries 19th-century American novelists American suffragists University of Utah alumni American women's rights activists Brigham Young University faculty Editors of Latter Day Saint publications Mormon missionaries in Hawaii Presidents of Daughters of Utah Pioneers Relief Society people Richards–Young family Young Women (organization) people Female Mormon missionaries 19th-century Mormon missionaries Mormon feminists 20th-century American novelists American women novelists American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Utah Republicans American women historians 20th-century American women writers 19th-century American women writers American expatriates in the Hawaiian Kingdom Novelists from Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah Children of Brigham Young Harold B. Lee Library-related 19th century articles