Quiz: Wives of the Prophets

From Emma Smith to Frances Monson, the wives of Presidents of the Church have stood by their husbands as faithful helpmeets. Of these and other faithful women, Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “The Lord never sends apostles and prophets and righteous men to minister to his people without placing women of like spiritual stature at their sides.”¹ This quiz will help you learn some interesting details about the stalwart wives of eight latter-day prophets.

1. This woman was baptized in 1834 and later traveled 1,000 miles (1,600 km) by herself to join the Latter-day Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, USA. She promised her mother that she would return if she found the Church to be false, but she remained with the Latter-day Saints for the rest of her life.

2. This young woman’s future husband sought to impress her when they were teenagers by fixing up his parents’ yard in order to host a yard party equal in prestige to those of other, more wealthy neighborhood boys.

3. This woman loved reading from the time she was a young girl, often reading when she was thought to be sleeping, making up beds, or practicing the organ.

4. As an eight-year-old, this young girl went to the woods to pray. She prayed for her father, who didn’t have a firm faith in Christ. When her father came into the woods to hunt, he overheard her prayer. It softened his heart, and he became more faithful.

5. On this woman’s first date with her future husband, her father and mother both kissed her date’s cheek. When the young man looked around for his date, she said only, “I’ll go get my coat.”²

6. This woman received training at the University of Utah and the Cincinnati College of Music, where she learned homemaking skills. She learned to love literature, drama, and the arts and became a fine musician.

7. As a college student, this young woman played the lead role of Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and was chair of the junior prom committee, president of the Girls’ Athletic Club, and student body vice-president.

8. This woman gave eloquent readings in Primary, complete with elocution and movements. Her husband later said of one of her readings, “I don’t know what it did to me, but I never forgot it. Then she grew older into a beautiful young woman, and I had the good sense to marry her.”³

Answers on the next page.