Jane S. Richards

Who was Jane S. Richards?

Jane Snyder Richards was a counselor to Zina D. H. Young in the general presidency of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1888 to 1901.

Jane Snyder was born to Isaac Richards Snyder and his wife Louise Comstock in Parmelia, Jefferson County, New York. Her parents and siblings joined the LDS Church while in Upper Canada, but Jane did not join until January 1840. Her baptism was performed by cutting the ice at LaPorte, Indiana.

In 1842, she married Franklin D. Richards. They had six children, including Franklin S. Richards. The Richards came to Utah Territory in 1848.

Richards was a member of the original Relief Society that was established in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois. She served on the General Board of the Relief Society from 1888 to 1910. She was a counselor to general president Zina D. H. Young from 1888 to 1901. Richards was the Relief Society delegate to the National Council of Women in 1891.

Richards also served as president of a local Relief Society in Weber County, Utah. When this Relief Society was formed, it was the first Relief Society to be created between the general organization and the most local ward-level organizations.