Inez Knight and Jennie Brimhall, the first single women set apart as “lady missionaries” for the Church.

Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

The following is an excerpt from volume 3 of “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days.”

Editor's note: This excerpt appeared in the Digital Only section of the June 2022 issue of the Liahona magazine.

As her ship steamed into the port of Liverpool, England, 21-year-old Inez Knight spotted her older brother William on the docks, waiting in a crowd of fellow missionaries. It was April 22, 1898. Inez and her companion, Jennie Brimhall, were coming to the British Mission as the first single women set apart as “lady missionaries” for the Church. Like Will and the other elders, they would be preaching at street meetings and going door to door, spreading the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

In past decades, Louisa Pratt, Susa Gates, and other married women had served successful missions alongside their husbands, though without official mission calls. Leaders in the Relief Society and Young Ladies’ Mutual Improvement Association [now known as Young Women], moreover, had been good ambassadors for the Church at venues like the World’s Fair of 1893. And many young, unmarried women had gained experience teaching and leading in YLMIA meetings, preparing them to preach the word of God.

After reuniting with Will, Inez walked with him and Jennie to the mission headquarters, a four-story building the Saints had occupied since the 1850s. There they met President McMurrin. “I want each of you to understand that you have been called here by the Lord,” he said. As he spoke, Inez felt for the first time the great responsibility resting on her shoulders.

The next day, she and Jennie accompanied President McMurrin and other missionaries to Oldham, a manufacturing town east of Liverpool. In the evening, they formed a circle on a busy street corner, offered a prayer, and sang hymns until a large crowd formed around them. President McMurrin announced that a special meeting would be held the following day, and he invited everyone to come and hear preaching from “real live Mormon women.”

As he said this, a sick feeling crept over Inez. She was nervous about speaking to a large crowd. Still, as she stood among the missionaries in their silk hats and black suits, she had never been prouder to be a Latter-day Saint.

The next evening, Inez trembled as she waited for her turn to speak. Having heard terrible lies about Latter-day Saint women, people were curious about her and the other women speaking at the meeting. Sarah Noall and Caroline Smith, the wife and sister-in-law of one of the missionaries, addressed the congregation first. Inez then spoke, despite her fear, and surprised herself by how well she did.

Inez and Jennie were soon assigned to labor in Cheltenham. They went door to door and frequently testified at street meetings. They also accepted invitations to meet with people in their homes. Listeners usually treated them well, although occasionally someone would mock them or accuse them of lying.

Inez and Jennie hoped to see more women serving missions. “We feel that the Lord is blessing us in our attempts to allay prejudice and spread the truth,” they reported to mission leaders. “We trust that many of the worthy young women in Zion will be permitted to enjoy the same privilege we now have, for we feel that they can do much good.”

You can read more about Inez and Jennie in The Sister Preachers and Saints, Vol. 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893-1955, both available now at Deseret Book.

The Sister Preachers

From acclaimed author Gale Sears, The Sister Preachers is based on the real lives of Lucy Jane (Jennie) Brimhall, Amanda Inez Knight, and other early sister missionaries. This story offers a glimpse into the Church’s early missionary work and into the faith and fortitude that have come to characterize the tens of thousands of sister missionaries who have followed in the footsteps of these pioneering women.

Available in Deseret Book stores and at deseretbook.com.

Saints, Vol. 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent, 1893-1955

Volume 3 of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days tells the ongoing story of the Restoration, from financial difficulties of the 1890s, through the global upheaval and technological advances of the early twentieth century, and on to dedication of the first temple in Europe in 1955.