Relief Society Presidents: Clarissa S. Williams
Clarissa Williams, the sixth president of the Relief Society, was a third-generation Latter-day Saint and the first Utahan native to hold the position. Her mother, Susan West, was the seventh wife of George A. Smith, cousin to the Prophet Joseph Smith. She grew up influenced by George’s first wife, Bathsheba W. B. Smith, the fourth Relief Society president, who involved young Clarissa in the women’s organization early. Clarissa attended private school and was hired at the age of fourteen as a pupil teacher. She attended the University of Deseret (now called the University of Utah) and graduated with a teaching … Continue reading