Fanny tells us that was born in 1829 in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel, in the town of St. Heliers. When she was fifteen years old, she was baptized a Baptist and became a devoted follower. At fifteen, she accepted a temporary position as a governess with a French lady and moved to France. She soon found a position in one of the best schools in St. Brieux where she taught fancy needlework, embroidery, and English. When the student’s parents objected to sending their girls to a school where the teacher was protestant, Fanny agreed to take instructions with the Roman Catholics. Months later, she resigned her position due to her attachments to the religion of her childhood. She quickly found a lucrative private position with a wealthy family where she acted as governess and English teacher to two young girls. After several years of gainful employment, Fanny decided to take a two-month vacation to her native land.

On her return to England, Fanny found most of her family had joined the Mormonites, also known as the Latter-Day Saints. Her mother felt privileged to be living at a time when the last dispensation was revealed. Mormons preached the gospel of Christianity restored. At first, Fanny was skeptical and full of doubt. Two weeks after her arrival, Fanny went down into the waters of baptism and arose as one of the Saints. Her parents were overjoyed.

There was a lot to learn. Fanny believed the religion of Jesus had been restored again to earth by a ministry of holy angels. No sacrifice would be too great for her to make. Her first encounter with the act of speaking in tongues left Fanny confused. She did not see what good came from these manifestations, especially when no one could understand them.

As the weeks passed, Fanny attended meetings regularly and taught French to one of the missionaries. After a few short months, Elder T.B.H.Stenhouse, who had originated from Scotland, proposed marriage.

Four of the Twelve Apostles living in America were on their way to England.
Fanny was excited at the thought of conversing with chosen men of God. These men were said to have the gift of inspiration and by direct revelation they were set apart to perform a great and glorious work. She expected she would meet grave and earnest men and was disappointed to see, in all their conversations and all their doings, the American Prophets and Apostles were very much like other men. In dress, they wore the finest broadcloth, fashionably cut, and were fond of gold chains.

The Apostle Lorenzo Snow requested Elder Stenhouse join him on his mission to Italy. This was not to Fanny’s liking as it could mean a five year separation from the man that she loved. Like it or not, in June of 1850, Elders Snow and Stenhouse boarded a steamer headed for Italy.

The mission in England was a success. There were more Mormons living there than in all Utah Territory. Italy was a Catholic nation, and few, if any, really good Roman Catholics have ever joined the Saints. Consequently, before the end of a year, Fanny had her husband back again. She eagerly showed him her five month old daughter, Clara.

There was much discussion about the possible practice of polygamy in Utah and much denial on the part of the elders: “It is a foul slander upon the Saints. There is no truth to it.” In fact, these elders had several wives at home in Salt Lake City. When Fanny’s husband told her of the general expectation Brigham Young would publish the doctrine of polygamy to the world, she felt she had been deliberately deceived and wondered: might they be guilty of deception upon other points as well?. She soon learned she was considered a baby in the faith. The falsehoods the elders told were for her benefit and protection. Until now, she was not yet ready to learn the meat of the gospel. Things changed when The Millenial Star printed the Revelation on celestial marriage.

Fanny read half the article in the Star and threw the paper from her in anger. She was, indeed, rebellious. Her husband assured her when they came to understand the doctrine better, all would be well. She did not question the divinity or the origin of the revelation, but she pitied her sex for the burden God had seen fit to place upon their shoulders. She was not alone in her sentiment. Of the thirty-one thousand Saints who lived in England, seventeen hundred and seventy-six had been excommunicated for apostasy.

There had been a change in plans. Soon, the Stenhouses were informed the brethren were determined they should leave England. Several thousand converts arrived every summer in New York on their way to Zion. This year, the Stenhouses were among them. The passage to New York was difficult, and the first months offered special challenges. Then, when Elder Stenhouse visited The Mormon Newspaper and explained his situation to Apostle Taylor, he was given employment of sorts. As circumstances opened up, Elder Stenhouse made himself useful on the editorial staff. Eventually, Elder Taylor was absent so much that the entire responsibility of getting the paper out rested on his shoulders.

One morning, the Stenhouses received a visit from the Apostle George Q. Cannon. He informed them he had received letters from Utah and they were expected to join the next immigration to Zion. After months of travel, they arrived in Salt Lake City where everything looked green and lovely. Everywhere around were the lonely looking snow-capped mountains, encircling the city like mighty prison walls.

Change was hard and it took time to adjust to a new city in a strange land. However, the Stenhouses found they had a wide circle of acquaintances among the chief elders and emigrants. Many came from England or had become acquaintances when the couple were on foreign missions.

However, the Stenhouses found they had a wide circle of acquaintances among the chief elders and emigrants. Many came from England or had become acquaintances when the couple were on foreign missions.

One day, seeking consolation from her inner storms regarding the idea of polygamy, Fanny went to the Tabernacle and listened to the sermons in hopes of quieting her rebellious heart. She heard women were inferior beings, designed by the Lord for the special glory and exaltation of man. She was to be obedient to her husband. It was through him, and at his will, she would attain salvation. Man was the crowning glory of creation and the chief object of woman’s existence was to help man obtain his great destiny. The great object of marriage was the increase of children.

In England, Fanny had bought three hundred dollars worth of millinery goods. Her husband was at a loss as to what had happened to the money and Fanny kept her secret until after she had been in Utah for a few months. She had been secretly at work for two weeks, trimming bonnets and hats she had made. To her surprise, she had a fine assortment. She shared her ideas and goods with a very talkative friend and, before the day was over, she was selling hats..

One day, President Young sent for her and asked her to make a handsome bonnet for his wife Emmeline. When she delivered her work of art, he was so pleased that he ordered a hat for each of his wives. Fanny worked constantly for three weeks, rejoicing in the prospect of having the funds to buy much needed furniture and household items. She was due two-hundred seventy-five dollars. When it came time to collect on her invoice, she was informed the amount would be credited to tithing. She felt cheated.

Fanny was violently opposed to polygamy, but she saw her husband was constantly pressured to take another wife and live up to the commandment. She came to acknowledge there was nothing either of them could do to change the reality of the situation. It would not do to rebel, but she was left with a bad taste in her mouth in regards to the elders and their willingness to deceive. It was as if the Bible called lies and perjury the ‘milk’ of the gospel and plural marriage ‘the meat’. Sometimes she doubted these principles were actually from God. Other times, she tried to believe.

Not all women felt the turmoil Fanny felt regarding plural marriage. Fanny’s talkative friend visited her from time to time to ‘build her up’ and spoke much of the plurality of wives from her perspective. This friend explained she spent much of her time looking for wives for her husband in order to avoid the possibility that he might find some young girl and fall in love with her. To find a suitable wife for a husband was a way for the first wife to keep the power in her hands. One time, when she had scouted out a possible wife for her husband, she visited the young lady and proposed on his behalf. The girl literally laughed in her face. Other times, the proposal was willingly accepted.

“The Saints marry for principle, not for love. Principle is only the thing,” Miss Talkative said. “There can be no love in polygamy. If he must have another wife, it is certainly best for him to have one that I can manage.” Fanny did not agree. Nor did she agree with her friend’s perspective when she said, “Wife number two and three do all the work and I have little else to do than to supervise the household and enjoy myself.”

It wasn’t long before Fanny found herself in the Endowment House on the left side of her husband while the wife selected for him by the church leaders stood at his right. Elders had taught her that the fault was not in Mormonism but in her early gentile training. When doubts came to her mind, she would suppress them. She knew it was her duty to accept what was right and she dared not think of open rebellion. To rebel would be to renounce husband, children, and all else. Fanny placed the hand of the new wife in the hand of her husband, thereby giving proof of her obedience to the principle. It was useless to fight against the will of heaven.

Fanny was overwhelmed when her talkative friend, now known to be Sister Anne, visited her again and told her she had been baptized for Queen Anne. In this visit, Fanny learned about the souls in Paradise. Paradise was not a happy place. It was the place where souls who had not heard the gospel would go. It was a sort of prison. A spirit prison. There were millions upon millions of souls waiting to be released into the Celestial kingdom. Sister Anne explained she had been baptized for many of her relatives of the past. Empress Josephine, Napoleon, George Washington–all had been baptized by one of the living, thereby freeing them from the place called Paradise.

“I think I shall wait,” Fanny said, “until I find a Queen Fanny.” She could not help but feel amused.

Then, in the year 1869, Fanny’s husband incurred the wrath of Brigham Young.

He owned and managed a newspaper and had published favorable notices of non-Mormon stores. This was good business from a newspaper man’s perspective, but President Young accused him of aiding and abetting the wicked gentiles. Her husband felt this was an infringement upon his personal rights. Fanny was delighted to see her husband’s confidence in Brigham’s inspiration slowly dwindling away.

One Sunday evening, Fanny’s husband returned home to announce: “Brother Brigham has given me a mission. He wishes me to go to Ogden and publish my paper there.” Both knew this move could bring their financial ruin. They also knew this was the way Brigham acted towards those he feared and doubted. In their time in Salt Lake City, they had seen President Young ruin many a man and his family.

Her husband doubted the prophet and feared if he disobeyed him he might be resisting God. He broke up his establishment in Salt Lake City and moved to the poverty stricken Ogden. Several months later, he asked Brigham’s permission to return to the city. This was granted, but he soon realized the teachers, when making their weekly home visits, told the people not to take in the paper again. Then, they were informed the prophet had granted a divorce to Stenhouse’s second wife. There was no longer any doubt, Brigham was intent upon the ruination of her husband. He was soon disfellowshipped for irregular attendance at the School of Prophets. Fanny heard her husband’s expletive followed by his firm decision: “Cost me what it may, I will be free!”

The Stenhouses left the church. In the interest of finding some way to provide for his family, Mr. Stenhouse set out for New York. Fanny began to mix freely with the non-Mormons in the city and soon found these new associations produced a marked effect upon her mind. Her views were enlarged, her thoughts became more liberal.

Letters from her husband showed he, too, was going through a similar transformation. As the months passed, the couple became dearer to each other and happy in their family circle. They found renewed togetherness and a deep happiness.