Nauvoo Bell Tower & Relief Society Memorial

The bell in this tower came a long way to ring here. It is associated with Nauvoo, the Illinois city the Latter-day Saints built and then abandoned under threat in 1846, carrying what they could west — including, by tradition, this bell. The tower also honors the Relief Society, the women's organization founded at Nauvoo in 1842 and still among the largest women's groups in the world. Placed on Temple Square in 1966, the memorial ties two threads together: a relic of the city left behind, and the institution that endured the leaving.

What the plaque says

Relief Society Centennial Memorial Here in the shadow of the temple, on this spot hallowed by the tread of pioneer feet, the Relief Society — woman's benevolent organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — erects this monument. It stands as an expression of appreciation for the wondrous opportunities for soul growth that have come to womankind since the time one hundred years ago when in 1842 the Relief Society was organized in Nauvoo, Illinois, by the prophet Joseph Smith, who said: "I now turn the key in your behalf in the name of the Lord, and this society shall rejoice, and knowledge and intelligence shall flow down from this time henceforth... let kindness charity and love crown your works." In this tower hangs the famed Nauvoo temple bell whose lifetime spans a century of church history. A sentinel in the sacred temple at Nauvoo, the bell in vibrant tones rang out the changing moods of faithful saints as they experienced first peace and joy, and later the anguish of parting from all that they had toiled to build. Immediately following the original pioneers with Brigham Young at their head, came the second company in the great exodus to the west. Heading this veritable host of Israel, the bell played well it's part in the westward trek. It awakened the herdsman at dawn, called the saints from their wagons to kneel in morning prayer, rang again to start the day's march, and in the solemn stretches of the night it quieted the fears of the people as it warned stray Indians that the sentry was at his post. It is with gratitude that this monument is dedicated to the thousands of unsung Relief Society heroines who over a period of one hundred years have stimulated intellectual development and given compassionate service without thought of honor or reward. These valiant women have nourished the hungry, clothed the needy, nursed the sick, buoyed up the discouraged and disconsolate, and tenderly prepared the dead for burial. Relief Society General Presidents 1842 - 1942 Emma Smith Eliza R. Snow Zina D. H. Young Bathsheba W. Smith Emmeline B. Wells Clarissa S. Williams Louise Y. Robison Amy Brown Lyman Avard Fairbanks 1942 Benevolence Avard Fairbanks 1942 Through love serve one another Education Avard Fairbanks 1942 The glory of God is intelligence Pioneering Avard Fairbanks 1942 No toil nor labor fear

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Temple Square — steps away
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City
• Salt Lake City — steps away
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Ensign Peak — 1.4 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Liberty Park — 2.0 mi
  Salt Lake Citys beloved 80-acre urban park since 1882

More markers nearby

• Civil Engineering Landmark — steps away
• Assembly Hall — steps away
• Sea Gull Monument — steps away
• Handcart Pioneer Monument — steps away