Kautaha Fineʻofa ʻo e Kakai Fefine ʻo Nāvuú

ʻI he konga kimuʻa ʻo Māʻasi 1842, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe ha fefine tuitui ko Makeleta Kuki ʻa e fuʻu fie maʻu ʻe he kau ngāue langa ʻo e Temipale Nāvuú ha ngaahi sote, naʻá ne fokotuʻu ange ki heʻene pule ngāué ko Sala Kimipolo, ʻa e fakakaukau ʻo hano fokotuʻu ha kulupu tuituí. Naʻe angamaheni ʻaki pē ʻi ʻAmelika he senituli 19 ʻa e loto e houʻeiki fafiné ke fokotuʻu ha ngaahi kautaha angaʻofa ke fakaʻaiʻai ʻa e ngaahi ngāue fakasōsialé mo fakalotú ke tokoniʻi ʻa e masivesivá mo e ngaahi fie maʻu kehe ʻa e koló.¹ Naʻe fakaafeʻi ʻe Sala hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻá mo e kaungāʻapí ke nau kau mai ki he “Kautaha ʻa e Kakai Fefiné” peá ne kole kia ʻĪlisa R. Sinou ke faʻu ha konisitūtone, ko ha founga angamaheni ne fokotuʻutuʻu ʻaki e ngaahi kautahá ʻi he taimi ko iá. Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ange ʻe ʻĪlisa ʻene pepa ne faʻú kia Siosefa Sāmita, ʻa ia naʻá ne pehē ko e lelei taha ia kuó ne mamata aí ka kuo tokonaki ʻe he ʻEikí “ha meʻa ʻoku lelei ange” maʻá e houʻeiki fafiné. Naʻá ne loto ke fokotuʻutuʻu kinautolu “ʻo fakatatau mo e sīpinga, pe founga, ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí” pea ke fakatoka ha tuʻunga makehe ʻo e kautahá ʻi he Siasi ʻo e ʻOtuá.² Naʻe manatuʻi ʻe Sala Kimipolo ne pehē ʻe Siosefa, “Naʻe teʻeki ai fokotuʻutuʻu lelei pehē ʻa e Siasí kae tālunga hono fokotuʻutuʻu ko ʻeni ʻo e kakai fefiné.”³

Ko e falekoloa ʻo Siosefa Sāmita ʻi Nāvuú ʻa ia naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu ai ʻa e Fineʻofá ʻi he ʻaho 17 ʻo Māʻasi, 1842.

ʻI he ʻaho 17 ʻo Māʻasi, 1842, naʻe fakatahataha hifo ai ha kau fefine ʻe toko uofulu ʻi he loki fakatahaʻanga lahi ʻi ʻolunga he Falekoloa Piliki Kulokula ʻo Siosefa Sāmitá. Naʻe fokotuʻu ange ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ʻi he ʻuluaki fakatahá ni ki he kau fefiné, ke nau fili ha palesiteni, ʻa ia te ne toki fili hano ongo tokoni.⁴ Naʻe fili leva ʻa ʻEma Sāmita ke hoko ko e palesitení ʻi ha pāloti lototaha, peá ne fili leva ʻa Sala M. Kilivileni mo ʻElisapeti ʻAna Uitenī ko ha ongo tokoni. Hili ʻa e filí, naʻe lau ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ha fakahā naʻá ne maʻu kia ʻEma Sāmita ʻi he 1830 ʻa ia naʻe fakahā ai ko ha “fefine [ia] kuo fili.” Naʻe akoʻi ʻe Siosefa ʻoku ʻi ai ha fatongia ʻo ʻEma “ke fakamatalaʻi ʻa e folofolá ki he tokotaha kotoa pē; pea akoʻi mo e kakai fefine ʻo e koló; pea ʻoku ʻikai ko ia tokotaha pē, ka ʻoku ʻi ai mo ha niʻihi kehe, te nau ala aʻusia ʻa e ngaahi tāpuaki tatau.”⁵

Naʻe pehē ʻe ʻEma Sāmita lolotonga e ʻuluaki fakataha ko ʻení, “Te tau fakahoko ha meʻa kāfakafa. ʻOku tau ʻamanaki ki ha ngaahi meʻa lalahi pea mo ha ngaahi uiuiʻi mamafa.”⁶ Naʻe fokotuʻu foki ʻe he kakai fefine ne nau fakatahá ha sekelitali mo ha tauhi paʻanga. Naʻe “fakanofo”, pe vaheʻi ʻa e kau fefine ko ení, ʻo fakatatau ki he ngaahi fakahinohino ʻa Siosefa Sāmitá, ʻi he hilifaki ʻo e nimá. Naʻe tupulaki vave ʻa e kautahá, pea ʻi heʻene aʻu ki Māʻasi ʻo e 1844, kuo laka hake ʻi he kau fefine ʻe toko 1,300 kuo nau hoko ko e kau mēmipa.

Naʻe foaki ange ʻe he ʻEikí ki he houʻeiki fafiné ha tuʻunga totonu mo e mafai ʻi he Siasí ʻo fakafou ʻi he Fineʻofá. Naʻe fakahā ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ʻi he ʻaho 28 ʻo  ʻEpeleli, 1842 ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou [ʻoatu] ʻa e kií kiate kimoutolu ʻi he huafa ʻo e ʻOtuá, pea ʻe fiefia ʻa e Kautahá ni, pea tafe atu ʻa e ʻiló mo e potó ʻo kamata mei he taimí ni.” Naʻe matuʻaki mahuʻinga ʻa e Fineʻofá ʻi hono teuteuʻi ʻo e kakai fefine ʻo e Siasí ke nau maʻu ʻa e ngaahi ouau ʻo e temipalé.⁷ Naʻe akoʻi ʻe Siosefa ʻo ne ʻuhinga ki he konga ʻo ʻenau kau atu ʻi he kahaʻú ki he ngaahi ouau ko ʻení, ʻe vavé ni hano “maʻu ʻe he houʻeiki fafiné ʻa e ngaahi faingamālie mo e ngaahi tāpuaki mo e ngaahi meʻafoaki ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí.”⁸

Naʻe tokanga taha ʻa e kau mēmipa ʻo e Kautaha Fineʻofa ʻo Nāvuú ki ha ongo taumuʻa lalahi ʻo hangē ko ia naʻe akoʻi ʻe Siosefa Sāmitá: “Ko e Kautahá ʻoku ʻikai maʻá e fakafiemālieʻi pē ʻo e paeá, ka ki he fakamoʻui ʻo e ngaahi laumālié.”⁹ ʻOku hā ʻi he ngaahi miniti ʻo ʻenau ngaahi fakatahá, ʻa e tokanga lahi ʻa e kau fefiné ni ki he ʻaukolo mai ʻa e kau hikifonuá mei Mīsuli mo e ngaahi ʻotu motu ʻo Pilitāniá. Ne ʻalu holo ʻa e kau mēmipá ʻo fakatōliʻa e ngaahi fie maʻu ʻa honau Kāingalotú ʻaki ʻenau fetokoniʻaki mo e kau mēmipa ʻo e Fineʻofá, kolea ha ngaahi foaki tokoni ki he masivá, mo feinga ke ʻiloʻi e ngaahi fie maʻu ʻa e ngaahi fāmilí ʻi he koló. Naʻe toe kau foki ʻa e Fineʻofá ki he meʻa fakapolitikalé, ʻi hono ʻoatu e tohi tangí kia Tōmasi Kālini, ko e kōvana ʻo ʻIlinoisí.¹⁰

ʻIkai ngata ʻi he ngaahi ngāue ʻofa mo e tokoni ki he kakaí, naʻe fakahoko ʻe he Fineʻofá ha ngaahi taumuʻa fakalaumālie mahuʻinga. Naʻe ʻoange ʻe Siosefa Sāmita mo ha toe ngaahi fakahinohino kehe fekauʻaki mo honau ngaahi fatongia mo e mafai fakalotú, ʻo ne vahevahe ia kiate kinautolu ʻi ha fakataha ʻe ono mei he ngaahi fakataha ʻe hiva ʻa e Fineʻofá naʻá ne kau atu ki ai ʻi he 1842.¹¹ Naʻe feakonakiʻaki foki mo e kakai fefiné lolotonga ʻa e ngaahi fakatahá mo fakahoko ha ngaahi fealeaʻaki fakalotu, ʻo hangē pē ko ia ne fakahoko ʻe he kakai tangatá ʻi he Akoʻanga ʻo e Kaumātuʻá ʻi Ketilaní. Naʻe fakaʻaongaʻi ʻe he kakai fefiné ʻa e ngaahi meʻafoaki fakalaumālié mo fefakamoʻoniʻaki. Naʻe toe fakahā ʻe Lusi Meki Sāmita ki he kakai fefine ne nau fakatahataha hifó ke nau “manatuʻi ʻa e ngaahi lea ʻa ʻAlamaá” pea “lotu lahi ʻi he pongipongí, hoʻataá mo e [poʻulí].” Naʻá ne talaange kiate kinautolu ʻokú ne manavasiʻi naʻa “ʻikai lava ke ne toe fetaulaki mo e kau Fineʻofá ha toe taimi ʻamui ange,” koeʻuhí kuó ne toulekeleka. Ka naʻa ne “loto ke tuku ʻene fakamoʻoní ko e Tohi ʻa Molomoná ko e tohi ia ʻa e ʻOtuá.”¹²

Naʻe kamata fakataha ʻa e Fineʻofá lolotonga ʻa e ngaahi māhina ʻi he faʻahitaʻu failau mo e faʻahitaʻu māfana ʻo e 1842 mo e 1843. ʻI Māʻasi, 1844, ʻi he fuofua fakataha ʻa e kautahá ki he taʻú, naʻe lea ai ʻa ʻEma Sāmita ʻi ha ngaahi fakataha ʻe fā fekauʻaki mo e fie maʻu ke moʻui maʻá, ʻo hangehangē haʻane heliaki pē ʻene fakafepakiʻi e mali tokolahi kuo fakamafaiʻí.¹³ ʻI he hili ʻa e ngaahi fakataha ko ení, naʻe ʻikai ke toe fakataha ʻa e Fineʻofá ʻi Nāvū.¹⁴ Naʻe taʻofi fakataimi ʻe Pilikihami ʻIongi ʻa e ngaahi fakataha ʻa e kautahá ʻi Māʻasi, 1845.

Naʻe ʻomi ʻe ʻĪlisa R. Sinou ʻa e tohi miniti ʻa e Kautaha Fineʻofa ʻo Nāvuú ki ʻIutā pea, ʻi he kole ange ʻe Palesiteni Pilikihami ʻIongi ke ne tokoni ki hono toe fokotuʻu ʻo e Fineʻofá, naʻá ne ngāue ʻaki ia ko ha sīpinga ʻi hono tokoniʻi ʻo e kau pīsopé mo e kakai fefine ʻi he kotoa ʻo e ngaahi vahefonuá ʻi he konga kimui ʻo e 1860 tupú. Naʻe faʻifaʻitaki ʻa e ngaahi kautaha ʻi ʻIutaá ki he Kautaha Fineʻofa ʻo e Kakai Fefine ʻo Nāvuú, ʻi hono tauhi ʻenau ʻū tohi minití mo toutou hiki ʻenau ngaahi talanoa ki he kamataʻangá mo hono fakakau ko ia ʻe Siosefa Sāmita ʻa e houʻeiki fafiné ʻi hono fakafoki mai ʻo e Siasí.¹⁵

Peesi talamuʻaki ʻo e tohi miniti ʻa e Kautaha Fineʻofa ʻo Nāvuú.

Ngaahi Maʻuʻanga Tokoni ʻa e Siasí

“Joseph Smith’s Teachings on Priesthood, Temple, and Women,” Gospel Topics Essays, topics.lds.org.

Jill Mulvay Derr, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds., The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016), xvii–xxvii, 3–16, 23–131.

Ngaahi ʻOfefine ʻi Hoku Puleʻangá: Ko e Hisitōlia mo e Ngāue ʻa e Fineʻofá (Soleki Siti: Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní, 2011).

Sheri L. Dew, “Something Extraordinary,” Ensign, Mar. 1992, 50–56.

Relief Society General Presidency, “The Founding of Relief Society,” Ensign, Mar. 1992, 57.

James Goldberg, “Five People Who Helped Found the Relief Society,” Women of Conviction series, Mar. 15, 2017, history.lds.org.

Ngaahi Fakamatalá

ʻOku ʻoatu ʻe he pulusinga ko ʻení ha fakamatala lahi ange fekauʻaki mo e tefito ko ʻení. ʻI hono tuku atu pe fakafehokotaki kimoutolu ki he maʻuʻanga tokoni ko ʻení, ʻoku ʻikai ke mau poupouʻi pe fakapapauʻi atu e kanotohí pe ngaahi fakakaukau ʻa e kau faʻu tohí.

Derr, Jill Mulvay, Janath R. Cannon, and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Women of Covenant: The History of Relief Society (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1992).

Maʻuʻanga Fakamatalá

1. Nancy A. Hardesty, Women Called to Witness: Evangelical Feminism in the 19th Century (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984), 113.

2. Relief Society Record, “First Organization,” n.d., ca. June 1880, 5, Relief Society Record, 1880–1892, Church History Library; see also Sarah M. Kimball, “Early Relief Society Reminiscence,” Mar. 17, 1882, in Relief Society Record, 1880–1892, 29–30, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, in Jill Mulvay Derr, Carol Cornwall Madsen, Kate Holbrook, and Matthew J. Grow, eds., The First Fifty Years of Relief Society: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2016), 495; see also Jill Mulvay Derr and Carol Cornwall Madsen, “‘Something Better’ for the Sisters: Joseph Smith and the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo,” in Joseph Smith and the Doctrinal Restoration (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2005), 123–43. Naʻe fakahā ʻe Sala Kilivileni naʻe, “fokotuʻu [ʻa e FIneʻofá] ʻi he founga ʻo e langí” (Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Apr. 19, 1842, ʻi he Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 50; Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook, eds., At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women [Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2017], 16).

3. Kimball, “Early Relief Society Reminiscence,” 29–30, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 495, naʻe fakatonutonu e sipelá. Naʻe fakahā foki ʻe Siosefa Sāmita naʻe “teu ke ne fokotuʻu ʻi he Kautahá ni ha puleʻanga ʻo e kau taulaʻeikí ʻo hangē ko ia ʻi he kuonga ʻo ʻĪnoké—ʻo hangē ko ia ʻi he kuonga ʻo Paulá” (Nauvoo Female Relief Socity Minutes, Mar. 31, 1842, ʻi he Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 43). Naʻe talaange ʻe Niueli K. Uitenī ki he houʻeiki fafiné: “ʻE ʻikai lava ke toe fakafoki mai ʻa e ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ki he māmani taʻekau ai ʻa e kakai fefiné, ʻoku fie maʻu fakatouʻosi kae toe fakafoki mai ʻa e Lakanga Fakataulaʻeikí” (Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, May 27, 1842, ʻi he Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 75–76). ʻI ha fakataha ʻi he ʻaho 13  ʻAokosi, 1843, naʻe pehē ʻe Leinolo Kāhuni: “ʻE ʻi ai ha meʻa ʻoku ʻikai kakato ʻi he Siasí, ʻe ʻikai kakato ʻa e Founga ʻo e Lakanga Fakataulaʻeikí taʻekau ai ʻa e [Fineʻofá]” (Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Aug. 13, 1843, ʻi he Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 116).

4. Sarah M. Kimball, “Early Relief Society Reminiscence,” Mar. 17, 1882, in Relief Society Record, 1880–1892, 29–30, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 495–96.

5. Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Mar. 17, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 32. ʻOku maʻu ʻa e fakahā kia ʻEmá ʻi he Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakava 25.

6. Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Mar. 17, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 35.

7. Vakai, “Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women,” Gospel Topics Essays, topics.lds.org; Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 9–10. ʻI he ʻaho 13  ʻAokosi, 1843, naʻe fakahā ʻe Leinolo Kāhuni, ko ha mēmipa ʻo e kōmiti temipalé ʻo pehē, “ʻoku fataki ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa e Kautahá ni ke teuteuʻi kitautolu ki he ngaahi tāpuaki lahi ʻa ia kuo tokonaki maʻatautolu ʻi he Fale ʻo e ʻEikí ʻi he Temipalé” (Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Aug 13, 1843, ʻi he Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 116, naʻe fakatonutonu ʻa e sipelá).

8. Joseph Smith, Journal, December 1841–December 1842, 94, josephsmithpapers.org; Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, Apr. 28, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 53–59.

9. Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, June 9, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 79.

10. Nauvoo Female Relief Society petition to Thomas Carlin, circa July 1842, 8 pages, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 136–41.

11. Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, March 17, March 31, April 28, May 26, June 9, and August 31, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 28–37, 42–46, 52–62, 68–72, 77–83, 92–96.

12. Nauvoo Female Relief Society Minutes, March 31, 1842, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 44–45, naʻe fakatonutonu ʻa e sipelá.

13. Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 13–14.

14. Vakai, Brigham Young, discourse, Mar. 9, 1845, Nauvoo High Priests Quorum Record, 1841–1845, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Brigham Young, Discourse, Mar. 9, 1845, Record of Seventies, Book B, 1844–1848, 77–78, First Council of the Seventy Records, Church History Library, Salt Lake City, in Derr, Madsen, Holbrook, and Grow, First Fifty Years, 168–71.

15. Jill Mulvay Derr and Carol Cornwall Madsen, “Preserving the Record and Memory of the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, 1842–92,” Journal of Mormon History, vol. 35, no. 3 (Summer 2009), 89–95.