Clarissa Smith Williams (April 21, 1859 – March 8, 1930) was the sixth

Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 1 ...

General President of

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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) from 1921 to 1928. Williams was the first native

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

n to become Relief Society president.

Biography

Clarissa Smith was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

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 st ...

, to Susan West, the seventh wife of LDS Church

apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

George A. Smith. In 1901, Williams was asked to serve as treasurer of the Relief Society by

Bathsheba W. Smith Bathsheba Wilson Bigler Smith (May 3, 1822 – September 20, 1910) was an early member of the Latter Day Saint movement. She was the fourth general president of the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church ...

, Smith's first wife. Williams served in this position until 1910, when she became the first counselor to president Emmeline B. Wells in the Relief Society general presidency. She held this position until 1921, when she was chosen to succeed Wells as president after Wells's death. Due to failing health, Williams became the first General President to ask to be released from her calling in 1928 and was succeeded by Louise Y. Robison. At the October general conference of the Relief Society she stated, "You will recollect that it has always been my policy to advocate to you that we do not retain our positions too long, that there are many capable women and that such honor and dignity as comes with positions of this kind, should rotate." Beecher, Maureen Ursenbach; Cannon, Janath Russell; Derr, Jill Mulvay. ''Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society''. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1992. e-book location 5851 of 10932 Williams died of

nephritis Nephritis is inflammation of the kidneys and may involve the glomeruli, tubules, or interstitial tissue surrounding the glomeruli and tubules. It is one of several different types of nephropathy. Types * Glomerulonephritis is inflammation ...

in Salt Lake City and was buried in the

Salt Lake City Cemetery The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States. Description The cemetery is located north of 4th Avenue and east of N Street ...

. Williams married William N. Williams on July 17, 1877 and was the mother of eleven children (including George Albert, Bathsheba, Lyman, Clarissa, Sarah, Eva, Georgia).

Publications in the ''
Relief Society Magazine ''Relief Society Magazine'' 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 privately owned ''Woman's Exponent'', which was begun i ...
''

Articles

References

External links

"Clarissa Smith Williams"
churchofjesuschrist.org *Nola Redd
Relief Society Presidents: Clarissa S. WilliamsTributes to Williams
in

Relief Society Magazine ''Relief Society Magazine'' 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 privately owned ''Woman's Exponent'', which was begun i ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Clarissa S. 1859 births 1930 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery Counselors in the General Presidency of the Relief Society Deaths from nephritis General presidents of the Relief Society Religious leaders from Salt Lake City Smith family (Latter Day Saints) Latter Day Saints from Utah

Biography

Publications in the ''Relief Society Magazine ''Relief Society Magazine'' 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 privately owned ''Woman's Exponent'', which was begun i ...''

Articles

References

External links