An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B Wells, 1870-1920 (Biographies in Latter-day Saint History)

Emmeline B. Wells served as a public figure for the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints for fifty years at the end of the nineteenth century. She edited the Woman’s Exponent, represented LDS women in national women’s organizations, defended her religion in the nation’s capitol, and worked to mitigate anti-Mormon sentiments. In 1910, at age eighty-two, she became Relief Society General President.

Wells was a leading figure in LDS politics and women’s suffrage, helping to close the gap of misunderstanding between church members and the general public. Soon after her death in 1921, she was honored with a marble bust in the Utah’s capital building, the simple inscription aptly reading only “A Fine Soul Who Served Us.”