Personal Record of Lucille Lillywhite Wight

Father: Joseph Henry Lillywhite
Mother: Elizabeth Ellen Stoney
Born: 14 May 1895 Beaver, Beaver, Utah
Baptized: 14 May 1903 at Brigham City, Utah by Joseph Henry Lillywhite
Confirmed: May 17, 1903 by Joseph Henry Lillywhite
Married: January 24, 1917 in the Salt Lake Temple by Joseph Fielding Smith
Married to Ephraim Emery Wight
Patriarchal Blessing: 1918 by Denmark Jensen
Special Appointments: Primary President, YWMIA Presidency, Relief Society President, Stake Relief, Society President

My schooling commenced at Riverside, Utah, at the age of 5 and finished at Brigham City, Utah. I graduated from the 8th grade in 1908 and went to the Box Elder High School one year. My schooling stopped at this time because of ill health. What education I have obtained has been by private reading and study, work in church organizations and community work. When I had been married a year, I had my Patriarchal blessing in which I was promised that I would be a mother in Israel. This promise was an answer to prayer and very precious to me any number of times during my life, giving me strength, courage, and comfort.
I started writing stories and poetry when I was a schoolgirl. My class poem was chosen for the eight-grade program. A few have been published in the county paper. Some were put to music and sung in school and church.
Other important and worthwhile events in my life are: When our eldest child started to school, when she went away to college, when she became engaged, and this is true of each one in turn. When our son was born after 6 girls, we were very thankful. And when he died so soon the Lord sent us another son to take his place.
The death of my mother was one of the big sorrows in my life. There have been others; the loss of very dear friends and other loved ones. Two different times there has been a terrible sickness in our family - Infantile Paralysis and Meningitis, but the Lord blessed us and we learned the value and meaning of the words, "Friends and Neighbors". They were experiences that were for our good and growth and development here even while they were terrible at the time. People need to be kept humble and godfearing.
During one of these sicknesses I had my prayer answered so quickly and so clearly it is ingrained in my heart and soul so strong I can never forget it. I have always believed in prayer very strongly, but this experience strengthened my testimony as nothing else had. We were frightened and bewildered, not knowing what to do. The disease was so strange and new, we decided to have family prayer around the bed. My husband asked me to say the prayer and I wondered why. I was almost angry, but I prayed for wisdom and guidance to know what was best to do and the answer came immediately. I was told what to do as plainly as if someone had spoken out loud.
One other faith promoting experience I wish never to forget - An elderly lady in our ward, dearly beloved by everyone, was very near death. Her husband's other wife had told her good-bye. A few of us girls stopped in to see her after Sunday School; some of the Priesthood were there and my father asked us to kneel around the bed and pray - and he asked me to say the prayer after 2 others had refused. When he did I'll never know but this dear lady didn't die. She is alive and working in the temple.
When I was quite young, my father told me of an experience he had. It was a woman possessed of evil spirits. He told me the fight the Elders had with those spirits. It made me realize how great is the power of Satan if we let ourselves get in his power.
When I was a very young girl I got myself lost and caused my family and all the neighbors a great deal of trouble and worry because I was thoughtless and didn't obey instructions quite as clearly as I should have done.
I think I'd like to say here that the most important step in my young life was when my family moved from Brigham City to Harper Ward, because it was there I met my husband. Would I have met him other wise? I don't know. He has always been and always will be the mose important event in my whole life.
My work in the different organizations of the L.D.S. Church have given me more joy and satisfaction, more opportunity for growth and self-improvement than any other thing I have ever done. The Relief Society is my favorite, and I have my husband's sister to thank for getting me started to work in Relief Society. I thought I had to stay home until my family was all grown and I was a mature woman but she showed me a better way and I shall always be thankful.
In 1945, about a month after my release as ward Relief Society President, I was called to serve on the Stake Board serving under Beatrice B. Hansen. One year later she chose me as her Education Counselor. I liked this change, because it was an added challenge to me. I have always liked teaching, preparing lessons, learning new truths to share with others, and in this capacity my responsibilities called for plenty of work and study. It was here that I learned fully the purpose in having "Stake Boards" and how they should function. I was happy in my work and looked forward to the next few years of service with joy and keen interest.
Alas, for our dreams and plans, almost immediately I was asked to be the new Relief Society Stake President, and I speak the truth when I say I was not happy about it. I felt honored and humbly grateful that I should even be considered for such a position, but I didn't want to change. However, I had been taught obedience to church leaders and Priesthood Authority. Also, that in God's Kingdom we serve where and when we are called, and the important thing is how well we do His work, so in August 1947, I was sustained as Relief Society Stake President in the North Box Elder Stake. The next seven years were so full of Relief Society activity I didn't have time for much else, and I rather think that how I acquired the name, - "Sister Relief Society", given to me by brother Boyd Packer our Relief Society High Councilman. He still calls me by that name whenever we meet and its one of the nicest things ever said to me. If I could choose one special name to be remembered by it would be "Sister Relief Society". The nine years I served in the Stake Relief Society, seven of those years as President, have a special place in my life, a treasured corner in my heart, and will be kept in sweet remembrance for as long as I shall live. Those years were among the happiest, most challenging and progressive and worthwhile of all the time I have served in the church. Because of the fine faith building experiences I had and the lessons they taught me; for the many, many things I learned that have helped me, rather than the little if any, good that I have done to those whom I tried to serve. Thanks to a Relief Society mother for her example; thanks to those wonderful women who got me started early in Relief Society while I was young enough to grown in it. Not least, my gratitude for the blessing of being a member and part of the Relief Society organization for 40 years, for the opportunity to serve in different positions both ward and stakes, and for all the grand women who make up Relief Society, who I have associated with. I humbly thank my Father in Heaven for giving this to the women of His church thru His Holy Prophet Joseph Smith. I hope to be a part of the Relief Society Organization as long as I shall live for I love it dearly and truly.