The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol now features a bronze statue of Martha “Mattie” Hughes Cannon (1857–1932), a Latter-day Saint and the first woman elected to a state senate in the United States.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supported the efforts to memorialize Martha and celebrate her many accomplishments. Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Matthew S. Holland, General Authority Seventy, and Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson attended the unveiling ceremony held in the Capitol on Wednesday, December 11, 2024.
As a state senator, Martha laid the foundation for prioritizing public health in Utah. This reflected her lifelong commitment to improving community well-being. She authored important sanitation laws and helped establish Utah’s first state board of health. She also helped craft laws to regulate working conditions for women and girls and helped secure funds for the education of deaf and speech-impaired students.
Her trailblazing efforts to bless the lives of women and children continue today in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
