Josephine Richards West (May 25, 1853 – April 23, 1933) was a leader in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) and was a

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

from

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th state. ...

. Josephine Richards was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

, Utah Territory, to Franklin D. Richards and Jane Snyder. In 1873 she married Joseph A. West; they resided in

Ogden, Utah Ogden is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the US Census Bureau, making it Utah's eighth ...

. Richards was a member of the general board of the

Primary Association The Primary (formerly the Primary Association) is a children's organization and an Auxiliary organization (LDS Church), official organization within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It acts as a Sunday school organi ...

of the LDS Church from 1893 until her death. In 1896, she succeeded Clara C. M. Cannon as second counselor to

Louie B. Felt Sarah Louise "Louie" Bouton Felt (May 5, 1850 – February 13, 1928) was the first general president of the children's Primary organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) between 1880 and 1925. She was the General ...

in the general presidency of the Primary. West served in this capacity until 1905, when she was succeeded by

Clara W. Beebe Clara Martishia Woodruff Beebe (July 23, 1868 – December 29, 1927) was the second counselor in the general presidency of the Primary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1905 to 1925. Clara M. Woodruff was born i ...

. West was a suffragist and twice served as a delegate from Utah Territory to women's suffrage conferences in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

West was the mother of Franklin L. West, a leader and educator in the LDS Church. West died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...

and is buried in the Ogden City Cemetery.

References

Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, (December 11, 1850 – November 18, 1941) was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for much of the ea ...

. ''

Latter-day Saints Biographical Encyclopedia ''Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' (abbreviated ''LDS Biographical Encyclopedia'') is a four-volume biographical dic ...

'' 4:303. *

External links

*
State of Utah Death Certificate
{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Josephine Richards 1853 births 1933 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Suffragists from Utah Counselors in the General Presidency of the Primary (LDS Church) Deaths from pneumonia in Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah Mormon feminists People from Ogden, Utah Primary (LDS Church) people Richards–Young family