THE
.
TRUTH AND LIBERTY.
No. 19. , WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1858. VOL VIII.
[Column 1]
HISTORY
OF
WILFORD WOODRUFF.
(FROM HIS OWN PEN.)
-[CONTINUED.]-
March 2—We cut down a large cotton wood
tree, and in two days dug out a canoe four feet
wide and twelve long, put on a pair of oars
and then rowed down the , 125
miles to , begging our food by the
way, a meal at a time, as we had opportunity.
After visiting Little Rock we traveled down
the river ten miles, and tied up our canoe on
the east bank and stopped with Mr. Jones. I
preached next day at his house. On the 16th
we left our canoe with Mr. Jones and walked
back up the river ten miles, opposite Little
Rock, and took the old military road, and
started to wade the swamp, which
was mostly covered with water from Little
Rock, Arkansas, to , Tennessee, a
distance of about 175 miles. We waded through
mud and water knee deep, day after day, and
in some instances forty miles per day, before
we could get a stopping place.
On the 24th, while in the swamps, I had an
attack of the rheumatism and could not travel
fast. My companion, br. , had got in a
hurry, and wished to return to his family in
, and as I could not travel as fast as
he wished, we parted. He left me sitting on a
log in the mud and water; I was lame and un-
able to walk, without food, and twelve miles
from the nearest house on the road; he went
out of sight in great haste. I then knelt down
in the water and prayed to the Lord to heal
me. The rested upon me,
and I was healed; the pain left me; I arose and
went my way. Whenever I met with one or
more families, I preached and bore testimony
to them.
I crossed the Mississippi river in the even-
ing of the 27th of March, and staid at a pub-
lic house kept by Mr. . I was
suspected of being an impostor. Mr. Jackson
believed I was one of 's clan, who were
then murdering and stealing negroes, and to
test me, he gathered together a large house
full of the most wicked and corrupt people in
the city, and set me to preaching, to see
whether I could preach or not.
I do not think that Mr. Jackson or the same
company of men and women will ever meet
together again for the same purpose, for they
would not like again to have their sins and
abominations revealed to each other as point-
edly as I told them that night, through the in-
spiration of the Holy Ghost; they were glad
to get rid of me upon almost any terms.
I traveled from Memphis to Middle Tennes-
see.
April 4—I met with Elder
in . He and
had labored together through the winter in
Tennessee, and baptized twenty persons. El-
der Patten had returned to Kirtland. I joined
Elder Parrish and we labored together over
three months, traveling and preaching daily,
baptizing such as would receive our testimony,
extending our labors in Tennessee and .
June 23—We received a letter from , requesting Elder Parrish to come to
Kirtland, and for me to remain and take
charge of the southern churches, and the Lord
would bless me in so doing.
June 28—Warren Parrish ordained me an
Elder. We baptized some forty persons while
laboring together.
July 23—Elder Parrish left. I traveled
alone through the year, and extended my labors
both in Kentucky and Tennessee. I baptized
forty-three persons during this season, thirty-
one after br. Parrish left.
Nov. 15—While traveling in the night with
br. and others, a tremend-
ous storm of wind and rain overtook us. We
came to a creek which had swollen to such an
extent by the rain that we could not cross
without swimming our horses; several of the
company were females. We undertook to head
[Column 2]
the stream, to ford it, but in the attempt, in
the midst of the darkness and the raging of
the wind and rain, we were lost in the thick
woods, amidst the rain, wind, creeks and fal-
len tree tops; we crossed streams nearly twen-
ty times. I was reminded of 's perils by
water; but the Lord was merciful unto us in
the midst of our troubles, for while we were
groping in the dark, running the risk of killing
both ourselves and animals by riding off pre-
cipitous bluffs, a bright light suddenly shone
round about us, and revealed our perilous situ-
ation as were upon the edge of a deep gulf.
The light continued with us until we found a
house and learned the right road; then the
light disappeared, and we were enabled to
reach the house of br. at nine
o'clock, all safe, having rode twenty miles,
five hours in the storm, and we felt to thank
the Lord for our preservation.
During the winter and spring I continued to
labor mostly alone, through Kentucky and
Tennessee, opening new places, preaching
daily, baptizing, confirming and organizing
new branches.
Feb. 26, 1836—At a conference held at br.
B. L. Clapp's, in , Kentucky,
I ordained and Elders, and B. L. Clapp and
Priests.
Brs. Smoot and Clapp both entered into the
labors of the ministry. Elder Smoot frequent-
ly accompanied me on my mission. Elder D.
W. Patten returned to Tennessee in April, and
joined us in our labors, accompanied by his
. It was a happy meeting. He related
to me the blessings he had received in Kirtland
during the s. We traveled and la-
bored together; persecution raged against us.
Elder Patten bore a strong and forcible testi-
mony of the work of God, and when we were
opposed by mobs he would rebuke them in
great plainness; we were threatened, but not
injured. The sick were healed under our ad-
ministrations.
May 27—Elder Warren Parrish arrived
from Kirtland. We held a conference on the
28th, at br. . Seven branches were
represented containing 116 members. and were ordained Priests
and a Teacher.
—31—I was ordained by David W. Patten
a member of the .
We labored over a circuit of several hundred
miles; br. Smoot labored with us, and br. Clapp
frequently. We traveled two by two, and all
met together to hold conferences.
June 19—A States warrant was issued
against D. W. Patten, Warren Parrish and
Wilford Woodruff, sworn out by , a priest, and served by
the sheriff, . Elders Patten
and Parrish were taken by an armed mob of
about fifty, under pretence of law, led by the
sheriff, a colonel, first and second major, with
other officers, and a Methodist priest with a
gun upon his shoulder. I was in another coun-
ty and therefore not taken. We were accused
of prophesying falsely, by saying that four
persons who were baptized should receive the
in twenty-four hours, and that
Christ should come the time before this
generation passed away. The whole concern
was a mob mock , contrary to law, justice,
judgment or truth.
On the 29th, I went to a meeting
house, on , to preach; the
house was crowded. As I rose to speak, a
Baptist priest, Mr. Browning, arrived at the
door on horseback, and stepped in greatly agi-
tated, and told the deacon to forbid my preach-
ing in the house; at the same time commenced
a tirade of abuse against the Mormons, telling
several lies, which I corrected before the peo-
ple, which increased his rage. As I was for-
bidden to preach in the house, and had been
invited, and traveled many miles to fulfil my
appointment, I told the people I would like to
preach and was willing to stand on a wood
pile, a fence, a cart, or any place they would
appoint. A man rose and said he owned the
land in front of the meeting house, and I might
[Column 3]
stand and preach on that, and welcome. All
the congregation, with the exception of the
minister and one deacon, arose and left the
house, walked across the street and formed
seats of a worm fence, and gave good attention
while I preached for an hour and a half on the
principles of the gospel.
When I closed, Mr. ,
who had never heard a Mormon Elder speak
before, said, the people of the present day
made him think of a pen of hogs; the keeper
would make a trough, and pour into it hot or
cold water, dish water or anything else, and
they would drink it; but let a stranger come
along and pour over a basket of corn on the
back side of the pen, and the hogs would be
frightened and run and snort all over the pen.
He said it was so with the people; the priests
would feed them with any kind of doctrine,
no matter how false, the people will swallow
it down, but let a stranger come and preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will save
the people, as Mr. Woodruff has done, and the
people are afraid of him.
Mr. Alexander invited me home, bought a
, and was soon baptized, and
several others followed his example.
July 14—I wrote a letter to Oliver Cowdery,
and sent him a list of subscribers for the , and a detail of my mission
in the South.
—18—I rode in company with A. O. Smoot
to a ferry on the . The fer-
ryman was absent. We were offered the use
of the boat, and ferried ourselves; but not
being much used to the business, and losing
one oar in the river, and having to row with a
broken oar, we landed a great distance below
the usual place with a high circulation of
blood and blistered hands; but our horses leapt
the bank, and we went on our way to the
, which we swam, and spent the night at
.
—30—We preached at Mr. ,
also on Sunday, the 31st, where we were
threatened by a mob. I baptized Mr. Crider
amid the scoffs of the rabble, who went in the
night and poisoned both of our horses; the one
which I rode, belonging to bro. ,
died in two days afterwards; brother Smoot's
recovered; the swine that eat of the horse
flesh also died.
Aug. 11—I met with D. W. Patten and
wife; he and bro. Parrish had been driven out
of Benton into , and Elder Parrish
had left for Kirtland.
—29—We were visited by Elders and , from ,
Mo.
Sept. 2—We held a conference at , Callaway Co., Kentucky; several
branches were represented, containing 119
members; , Benj. L. Clapp
and Randolph Alexander were ordained elders,
and a priest by D. W. Patten,
who baptized five at the close of the confer-
ence.
I was released from my labors in the South,
and counselled to go to Kirtland and receive
my endowments, as was also A. O. Smoot.
Sept. 19—Elders Marsh and D. W. Patten
and wife, and E. H. Groves, started for . I organized the first company of Saints,
who emigrated from the Southern States, which
numbered twenty-two souls. I appointed El-
der Boydston president of the company, and
counselled them to be united, and to remember
their prayers night and day before the Lord.
—20—The camp started. I spent a few
days visiting the branches; baptized and con-
firmed eight, and obtained thirty subscribers
for the Messenger and Advocate.
Oct. 20—In company with A. O. Smoot and
Jesse Turpin, I started for Kirtland; this was
the first time I had ever traveled on a steam-
boat. We left the steamer at on
the 28th, and spent nineteen days visiting El-
der Smoot's relations and preaching among the
people; we visited the . We ar-
rived in Nov. 17, where we saw
thirteen persons dead and wounded taken from
the steamer Flora, which had burst her pipes
[Column 4]
while running a race; arrived in Kirtland on
the 25th, and had the happy privilege of meet-
ing the Prophet , and many elders, with
whom I was acquainted in the camp of Zion.
29th, I heard Joseph preach in the .
In the afternoon I was called to speak and
read the 56th chap. of , and made some
remarks, and gave an account of my mission
in the South; Elder Smoot also addressed the
Saints.
I was counselled by the Presidency to at-
tend the school in the Temple, taught by Prof.
. I studied the Latin language and Eng-
lish Grammar, and boarded with bro. .
I attended meetings with the Seventies and
other quorums during the winter of 1836-7, and
received much valuable instruction.
Dec. 20, 1836—I was present at the organ-
ization of the ; there
were twenty-seven ordained.
Jan. 3, 1837—I was set apart to be a mem-
ber of the .
—25—At early candle light, a cloud began
to arise in the north east and reached to the
north west, having the appearance of fire, and
it soon spread over the whole horizon. The
reflection of the clouds upon the earth, which
was covered with snow, had a blood red ap-
pearance. It commenced at about 6 o'clock,
and lasted till past 10 p.m.
—29—Prests. Joseph Smith and O. Cow-
dery addressed the Saints in the . Jo-
seph blessed the people in the name of the
Lord, and said, if we would be faithful, we
should arise above our embarrassments and be
delivered from the hands of our enemies.
—30—I wrote an article on faith, which
was published in the Messenger and Advocate.
Feb. 19—I attended meeting at the Temple.
Prest. Joseph Smith had been absent on busi-
ness for the church, but not half as long as
was in the mount away from Israel;
yet many of the people in Kirtland, if they
did not make a calf to worship as did the
Israelites, turned their hearts away from the
Lord and from his servant Joseph, and had
engaged in speculation and given away to
, until they were darkened in their
minds; and many were opposed to Joseph
Smith, and some wished to appoint to lead the church in his stead. In
the midst of this cloud of dark spirits, Joseph
returned to Kirtland, and this morning arose
in the stand. He appeared much depressed;
but soon the rested upon him,
and he addressed the assembly in great plain-
ness for about three hours, and put his enemies
to silence. When he arose he said, "I am still
the President, Prophet, Seer, Revelator and
Leader of the church of Jesus Christ. God,
and not man, has appointed and placed me
in this position, and no man or set of men
have power to remove me or appoint another
in my stead, and those who undertake this, if
they do not speedily repent, will burn their
fingers and go to hell.["] He reproved the people
sharply for their sins, darkness and unbelief;
the rested upon him, and bore
testimony that his sayings were true.
March 23rd, was spent in the Temple by the
Saints in Kirtland in fasting and prayer. Pat-
riarch , presided. The
Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the
people; a contribution was taken up for the
poor.
April 4—I received my washings and an-
ointings in the . I spent the
whole night in the Temple, with others of the
Seventies, in prayer and fasting, the Spirit of
the Lord rested upon us. After twenty-four
hours I partook of food.
—6—The Presidency of the Church, the
Twelve Apostles, and other quorums, met in
solemn assembly, and sealed upon our heads,
our washings, anointings and blessings with a
loud shout of to God and the Lamb;
the Spirit of the Lord rested upon us. After
spending three hours in the upper room, the
quorums repaired to the lower court; the vails
were lowered, and the ordinance of was administered. Elder
