Lorenzo Snow

Lorenzo Snow

1814–1901 (87 years)

Hometown: Mantua, Ohio

Biography

Lorenzo Snow was the fifth President of the LDS Church, serving from 1898 to 1901. Born in Ohio, Snow was well-educated for his time, attending Oberlin College before converting to Mormonism in 1836 after his sister Eliza (later a prominent Mormon poet and leader) introduced him to the faith.

Snow is famous for articulating the couplet summarizing Mormon theology: “As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be.” This teaching of human deification remains distinctive LDS doctrine. He served missions to England, Italy, and Hawaii, and was known for his administrative abilities.

Snow had eleven wives and was imprisoned for six months in 1886 for practicing polygamy under the Edmunds Act. As president, he inherited a church deeply in debt from the anti-polygamy raids and property seizures. In 1899, during a visit to St. George, Utah, he emphasized the law of tithing with unprecedented vigor, promising members blessings if they paid a full tithe. This renewed emphasis on tithing helped rescue the church from financial ruin and established the practice as central to modern LDS life.

His brief presidency of just over three years was marked by financial stabilization and continued adaptation to life without polygamy.

Served Under

Church presidents during this leader's apostolic service:

Brigham Young Brigham Young 1801–1877 (76 years) John Taylor John Taylor 1808–1887 (78 years) Wilford Woodruff Wilford Woodruff 1807–1898 (91 years)

Apostles Who Served During This Presidency

Franklin D. Richards Franklin D. Richards John Willard Young John Willard Young George Q. Cannon George Q. Cannon Brigham Young Jr. Brigham Young Jr. Joseph F. Smith Joseph F. Smith Moses Thatcher Moses Thatcher Francis M. Lyman Francis M. Lyman John Henry Smith John Henry Smith Heber J. Grant Heber J. Grant George Teasdale George Teasdale John W. Taylor John W. Taylor Anthon H. Lund Anthon H. Lund Marriner W. Merrill Marriner W. Merrill Abraham O. Woodruff Abraham O. Woodruff Matthias F. Cowley Matthias F. Cowley

View all church leaders →

Wives (9)

Lorenzo Snow was a polygamist with 9 marriages. 4 of these wives were teenagers at the time of marriage.

Marriage Age Comparison

9 wives · Ages at marriage

Her age His age Teenage bride (<18)
#NameMarriage DateHer AgeHis AgeAge DiffChildren
1 Mary Adaline Goddard Jan 17, 1845 323023
2 Sarah Ann Pritchard Apr 5, 1845 1831135
3 Charlotte Merrill Squires Jan 17, 1846 2031112
4 Harriet Amelia Squire Feb 10, 1847 273255
5 Eleanor Houtz ⚠ Jun 1, 1848 1634180
6 Caroline Horton Oct 9, 1853 2839113
7 Mary Elizabeth Houtz ⚠ Mar 5, 1857 1642265
8 Phebe Amelia Woodruff ⚠ Apr 4, 1859 1645295
9 Sarah Ephramina Jensen ⚠ Oct 12, 1871 1657415

Children (33)

With Mary Adaline Goddard (3 children)

  1. Rosetta Adaline Snow (b. Nov 7, 1846)
  2. Oliver Goddard Snow (b. Feb 20, 1849)
  3. Isadore Percy Snow (b. Feb 24, 1855)

With Sarah Ann Pritchard (5 children)

  1. Eliza Sarah Snow (b. Nov 30, 1847)
  2. Sylvia Snow (b. Jan 16, 1850)
  3. Lorenzo Snow Jr. (b. Jul 7, 1853)
  4. Parintha Snow (b. Oct 5, 1855)
  5. Laurin Alviras Snow (b. Dec 2, 1863)

With Charlotte Merrill Squires (2 children)

  1. Leonora Charlotte Snow (b. Jan 23, 1847)
  2. Roxcy Armatha Snow (b. Dec 14, 1849)

With Harriet Amelia Squire (5 children)

  1. Abigail Harriet Snow (b. Jul 16, 1847)
  2. Lucius Aaron Snow (b. Dec 11, 1849)
  3. Amelia Herrietta Snow (b. Feb 15, 1854)
  4. Alonzo Henry Snow (b. Feb 15, 1854)
  5. Celestia Armeda Snow (b. Dec 2, 1855)

With Caroline Horton (3 children)

  1. Clarissa Caroline Snow (b. Jul 19, 1854)
  2. Sarah Augusta Snow (b. Feb 3, 1857)
  3. Franklin Horton Snow (b. Feb 3, 1857)

With Mary Elizabeth Houtz (5 children)

  1. Lydia Mary Elizabeth Snow (b. Jan 21, 1860)
  2. Jacob Emmanuel Fitzroy Snow (b. Oct 31, 1862)
  3. Virginia Marian Snow (b. Jan 30, 1864)
  4. Mansfield Lorenzo Snow (b. Sep 8, 1866)
  5. Mortimer Joseph Snow (b. Nov 19, 1868)

With Phebe Amelia Woodruff (5 children)

  1. Mary Amanda Snow (b. Sep 4, 1860)
  2. Leslie Woodruff Snow (b. Feb 6, 1862)
  3. Orion Woodruff Snow (b. Sep 6, 1866)
  4. Milton Woodruff Snow (b. Feb 7, 1868)
  5. Phoebe Augusta Florence Snow (b. Aug 7, 1870)

With Sarah Ephramina Jensen (5 children)

  1. Le Roi Clarence Snow (b. Aug 26, 1876)
  2. Minnie Mabelle Snow (b. May 23, 1879)
  3. Cora Jeane Snow (b. Feb 16, 1883)
  4. Lorenzo Lamont Snow (b. Aug 26, 1885)
  5. Rhea Lucile Snow (b. Nov 5, 1896)

Related Posts (18)

Related Images

“I plead with you in the name of the Lord, and I pray that every man, woman and child ... shall pay one tenth of their income as a tithing.” - 2013 Sunday School Manual, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 12: Tithing, a Law for Our Protection and Advancement On January 19, 1845, Brigham Young sealed Lorenzo Snow to Hannah Maria Goddard (b. 1828), sister of his legal wife and his cousin. After the sealing, but prior to consummating the union, Lorenzo left on a mission. In April 1849, Joseph E. Johnson became intimately involved with Hannah who became pregnant with his child (Joseph Eugene Johnson born January 3, 1850). Upon learning of the incident, Lorenzo Snow relinquished his earthly claim to Hannah as his wife and she married Johnson. Johnson, already married, was disciplined by the church and quickly rebaptized as a polygamist. Lorenzo allowed her to be sealed to Johnson in 1861. - Hannah Maria Goddard, Forgotten Teenage Bride and Divorcee of Lorenzo Snow | wasmormon.org “I plead with you in the name of the Lord, and I pray that every man, woman and child who has means shall pay one tenth of their income as a tithing.” - Lorenzo Snow, 1899, LDS Church President. Often quoted by the modern church but replacing “who has means” with an ellipsis “...” which changes the meaning of the quotation. | wasmormon.org Lorenzo Snow and his Nine Wives and their respective ages on the wedding day along with the age difference between the groom and bride. The Plural Wives of LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow | April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901 | wasmormon.org Lorenzo Snow 5th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his 9 wives - The Plural Wives of LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow | April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901 | wasmormon.org Lorenzo Snow and his Nine Wives and their respective ages on the wedding day. The Plural Wives of LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow | April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901 | wasmormon.org The Plural Wives of LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow | April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901 - Lorenzo Snow's offspring from each plural marriage | wasmormon.org The Plural Wives of LDS Church President Lorenzo Snow | April 3, 1814 – October 10, 1901 - Lorenzo's age at time of marriage and the duration of each marriage | wasmormon.org "It requires a great exertion on the parts of wives to keep pace with their husbands. You all perceive more imperfections in those around you than you do in yourselves. It is much more difficult for wives to learn than it is for husbands, because women have not the degree of light and knowledge that their husbands have; they have not the power over their passions that their husbands have: therefore, they have to suffer one for another until they get power over themselves like unto those that have advanced more fully in the knowledge of our God." - President Lorenzo Snow, LDS Church, 1857 - At this time he had married 7 of his 9 wives | wasmormon.org “It is clear that the teaching of President Lorenzo Snow [‘As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be’] is both acceptable and accepted doctrine in the Church today.” - I Have a Question: Is President Snow’s statement—‘As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be’—accepted as official doctrine by the Church? by Gerald Lund, Ensign February 1982, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | wasmormon.org “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be.” - Lorenzo Snow, LDS Church President | wasmormon.org This turn of the century family portrait was taken close to the time Joseph F. Smith succeeded Lorenzo Snow as president of the LDS Church in October 1901. Besides Levira, with whom he had no children, Smith had five other wives and forty-eight children. His wives are (L to R seated by Smith): Mary Taylor Schwartz (married, 1884, seven children); Edna Lambson (married 1871, ten children); Julina Lambson (married 1866, thirteen children, including Joseph Fielding Smith—top row, center); Sarah Ellen Richards (married 1868, eleven children); Alice Ann Kimball (married 1883, seven children); circa 1904 "I plead with you in the name of the Lord, and I pray that every man, woman and child who has means shall pay one tenth of their income as a tithing" Lorenzo Snow