“Discover Your Heritage: Susa Young Gates,” New Era, Nov. 1973, 13
Discover Your Heritage:
Susa Young Gates
This Mormon Mother Raised 13 Children and
• Authored more than a dozen books of fiction and nonfiction, including the best biography written to date about her father, Brigham Young.
• Founded and edited the first western college paper.
• Was a delegate and speaker to five congresses of the International Council of Women, including meetings in Rome and Copenhagen.
• Represented the Church and the Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association seven times at the National Council of Women.
• Has a bibliography of published works 22 pages long and left shelves of unpublished manuscripts at her death.
• Founded the Young Woman’s Journal and served as its editor for 11 years and served for eight years as the first editor of The Relief Society magazine.
• Packed up her family in 1885 and served a mission with her husband in the Sandwich Islands for four years.
• Did several thousand endowments and attended at least one session at the temple every week.
• Was the first woman to have an office in the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.
• Served on the general boards of the YLMIA and the Relief Society for a combined total of 22 years.
• Was known to church girls and women throughout the world as “Aunt Susa.”