Faded Legacy

Amy Brown Lyman was a leader once admired for her dynamic personality, her inspiring public addresses, and for her remarkable vision of what Mormon women in the Relief Society could achieve. Yet today her name is barely known. This volume introduces her to a new generation, showing how the accomplishments of Lyman and her peers benefitted subsequent generations.

Dave Hall examines the roots and trajectory of Mormon women’s activism. Lyman entered public life at a time when the practice of polygamy was ending and Mormonism was assimilating mainstream trends. The book recounts her involvement in the Relief Society, the Mormon women’s charity group that she led for many years and sought to transform into a force for social welfare. Lyman’s later life, after she resigned from the Relief Society amidst personal tragedy, offers insight into the reasons Mormon women abandoned an activist heritage for a more conservative role, that is again evolving.