To the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Associations:
BELOVED BRETHREN: I have been
requested to give a brief outline of my
life and association with the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In
order for me to comply with such a re-
quest my communication must of neces-
sity be exceedingly brief, to be suit-
able for an article in a magazine like
the CONTRIBUTOR.
I was born March 1st, 1807. My
father's name was Aphek Woodruff. My
mother's name was Beulah Thompson.
She had three sons; Azmon, born
November 29th, 1802; Ozem Thompson,
born December 22nd, 1804; Wilford, born
March 1st, 1807. All three are living at
this date;* Azmon, at my farm house in
Farmer's Ward; Ozem Thompson, at
Daysville, Oswego County, New York;
but he is nearly blind. I am still living
in Salt Lake City. My mother died June
11th, 1808, at Avon, Connecticut, aged
twenty-six years, leaving me fifteen
months old. My father was a miller, as
was also his father before him, which
occupation I followed until 1832.
At an early age my mind was exercised
upon religion, although I did not make
any profession thereof until 1830. I did
not then join any church, for the reason
that I could not find any denomination
whose teachings, faith and practice
agreed with the ordinances and gifts of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by
Him in His day and time. Although the
ministers of the day taught that the
faith, gifts, graces, miracles and ordi-
nances which the ancient Saints enjoyed
were done away and were no longer
needed, I did not believe it to be true,
only as they were done away through
the unbelief of the children of men. I
believed the same gifts, graces, miracles
and power would be manifest in one age
of the world as in another, when God
had a Church upon the earth, and a
people who would obey His ordinances
as in ancient days. I believed the
Church of God would be re-established
upon the earth, and that I should live to
see it. These principles were riveted
upon my mind, from the perusal of the
Old and New Testament, and with fer-
vent prayer that the Lord would show
me what was right and what was wrong,
and lead me in the path of salvation
without any regard to the opinions of
men.
The whisperings of the Spirit of
the Lord for a space of three years
taught me that the Lord was about to
set up His Church and Kingdom in the
earth, in the last days, in fulfilment of
promises made by ancient prophets and
apostles who spoke as they were moved
upon by the inspiration of Almighty
God. While in this state of mind I went
with my brother Azmon to Richland,
Oswego County, New York. We bought
a farm and commenced business. In
December, 1833, two Mormon Elders,
viz. Zera Pulsipher and Elijah Cheney,
came into our town and stopped at our
house. Elder Pulsipher said he was
commanded by the Spirit of the Lord to
go into the north country, and he and
Elder Cheney had walked from Fabins
via Syracuse, near sixty miles through
deep snows, and our house was the first
place he felt impelled to stop at. He
appointed a meeting at the schoolhouse
which I attended, and on hearing him
preach I felt that his sermon was the first
gospel sermon I had ever heard in my
life. I invited these Elders home and
spent the night in conversation and in
reading the Book of Mormon. I was
thoroughly convinced it was a true rec-
ord of the word of God. My brother
Azmon and myself offered ourselves for
baptism, and on the thirty-first day of
December, 1833, Elder Pulsipher went
with us to the creek and baptized us,
with two other persons, we being the
first baptized in Oswego County; eight
*Since this paper was written, my brother
Azmon, departed this life, at my farm house, on
Monday, the fourteenth of January, 1889, at
10:26 o'clock p.m., aged eighty-six years, one
month and fifteen days. The funeral services
were held at the Farmer's Ward Meeting House,
at 11 o'clock a.m., Wednesday, January 16th,
after which, his mortal remains were consigned
to the tomb.—W. W.
others were soon added to our numbers,
and on the second of January, 1834,
Elder Pulsipher organized a branch of
the Church with twelve members, and
ordained my brother Azmon and Noah
Holten Elders, and myself a Teacher.
This was the commencement of my asso-
ciation with the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
From that day I have closely associated
with the leaders of the Church in all their
history, until the present day. I traveled
with Joseph Smith and company known
as Zion's Camp, from Kirtland to Clay
County, Missouri, upwards of one thous-
and miles. I wrote a good portion of
the history of that important event.
The experience gained in traveling with
the Prophet of God in the company of two
hundred and five, mostly young men,
was of great benefit to those who were
disposed to make a right use of their
experience. On my arrival in Clay
County I took up my abode at Lyman
Wight's, with Tilton Hyde, Milton
Holmes, Judge Elias Higbee and some
of the Whitmers. I attended the meet-
tings of the Prophet Joseph while he was
in Clay County, organizing the Presi-
dency of that Stake of Zion and appoint-
ing David Whitmer as President.
I was still holding the office of a Teach-
er, and knowing for myself that the ful-
ness of the Gospel of Christ, which God
had revealed to Joseph Smith, was true,
I had a great desire to preach it to the
inhabitants of the earth, but as a Teacher
I had no authority to preach the gospel
to the world. I went into the forest
near Lyman Wight's, one Sunday evening,
aside from the abodes of men, and made
my desire known unto the Lord. I
prayed that the Lord would open my
way and give me the privilege of preach-
ing the gospel. I did not make my re-
quest expecting any honor from man, for
I knew that the preaching of the gospel
was attended with hard labor and per-
secution. While I was praying, the
spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and
testified to me that my prayer was heard,
and that my request would be granted.
I arose to my feet and walked some three
hundred yards into a broad road rejoic-
ing. As I came into the road I saw Judge
Elias Higbee standing before me. As
I walked up to him he said, "Wilford,
the Lord has revealed to me that it is
your duty to go into the vineyard of the
Lord and preach the gospel." I told him
if that was the will of the Lord I was
ready to go. I did not tell him that I
had been praying for that privilege. I
had been boarding at Lyman Wight's
with Judge Higbee for months and it
was the first time he had ever named
such a thing to me.
At a meeting of the High Council at
Lyman Wight's, Clay County, Missouri,
November 5th, 1834, I was ordained a
Priest, by Elder Simeon Carter and Bishop
Edward Partridge appointed Elder
Henry Brown and myself a mission to
the Southern States. On the thirteenth
of January 1835, I received an honorable
discharge from Lyman Wight, as having
performed my duties faithfully in Zion's
Camp, and Elder Henry Brown and
myself started upon our mission. We
crossed into Jackson County and bowed
our knees upon that land and returned
thanks to the Lord, prayed for His pro-
tection from the hands of wicked men
and mobs, and went on our way re-
joicing. I started upon this my first
mission in life without purse or scrip
to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We traveled through Jackson County,
living mostly upon parched corn until
we got out of the county. We spent
one night with Mr. Jerew, the Indian
trader, on the Osage river. The next
day we walked sixty miles and lay on
the floor of a house without anything to
eat, and walked next morning twelve miles
before getting breakfast, making
seventy-two miles travel without food.
We passed into Arkansas Territory and
spent several weeks at Petty John Creek,
where we passed through a very singu-
lar experience with Mr. Alexander Ake-
man and others, -[a full statement of
which is published in the eighteenth
number of Vol. eight of the Deseret
News.]- We cut down a cottonwood
tree, and in two days dug out a canoe
four feet wide and twelve feet long, and
rowed down the Arkansas river one
hundred and thirty-five miles, to Little
Rock, begging our food by the way.
At Little Rock we took the military
road, having tied up our canoe, and
waded the great Mississippi swamp to
Memphis, Tenn., nearly one hundred
and seventy-five miles, most of the way
in mud and water knee deep. Brother
Brown took a steamer at Memphis and
returned to Kirtland, while I traveled
alone to middle Tennessee.
On my arrival at Memphis, I called
upon Mr. Jackson, who kept a public
house, and asked to stay over night.
When I said I was a preacher he ex-
pressed his belief that I was an impostor
and insisted that I should preach to a
congregation that he would gather to-
gether, and they should judge whether
I was a preacher or not. I spoke an
hour and a quarter to a crowded house,
and so many things were revealed con-
cerning themselves that I do not think
the same congregation will ever meet
again for the same purpose. I met with
Elders David Patten, and Warren Par-
rish, in middle Tennessee and labored
with them to the end of the year 1835.
Elder Parrish ordained me an Elder on
the twenty-eighth of June 1835. I was
ordained a Seventy and enrolled as a
member of the second quorum of Seven-
ties on the thirty-first day of May 1836,
by Elders David Patten and Warren
Parrish. I traveled and preached in
Tennessee from the twenty-seventh of
March 1835, until the twentieth of Sep-
tember 1836, at which time I was released
to return to Kirtland. I organized the
first company of Saints in the South to
go to Far West which numbered twenty-
two souls. While holding the office of
an Elder in Tennessee eleven months, I
traveled two thousand five hundred and
thirty-seven miles, held one hundred and
eighty-two meetings, baptized forty-
eight, ordained two Elders, two Priests,
three Teachers, eight Deacons and
blessed nineteen children. On the sec-
ond of October 1836, I started for Kirt-
land in company with A. O. Smoot and
Jesse Turpin, and arrived at Kirtland on
the twenty-fifth of October 1836, when I
had a happy meeting with the Prophet,
Apostles and Elders in the Temple of the
Lord. I spent the winter of 1836-7 in
Kirtland, and attended the school taught
by Prof. Haws, studying English and
Latin grammar. I was set apart as a
member of the first quorum of Seventies
on the third of January 1837. I attended
the meetings and received my washings
and anointings in the Kirtland Temple
in the spring of 1837. I then passed
through all the troubles and stirring
events of that period.
On the thirteenth of April, 1837, I was
joined in marriage with Miss Phebe W.
Carter, of Scarborough, Maine, at the
house of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The
ceremony was performed by President
Frederick G. Williams, and we were
blessed by the Patriarch, Father Joseph
Smith. Forty-eight days from this event,
on the thirty-first of May, I took the
parting hand of my wife and all my
friends in Kirtland and started upon a
mission to Fox Islands, in the Vine
Haven Bay, in the State of Maine. I was
accompanied by Elder Milton Holmes
and Jonathan H. Hale. On our journey
we crossed Lake Ontario and visited the
Saints, attended conference, administered
to the sick and evil spirits were subject
to us by the power of God. We continued
our journey, recrossed Lake Ontario and
visited Farmington, my native place, and
for the first time since I had joined the
Church visited my father's house. I
preached the Gospel to my relatives and
baptized my uncle Ozem Woodruff and
his wife Hannah and son John. This
was in fulfilment of a dream I had when
I was eight years old. On my return
from Fox Islands I baptized my father,
stepmother and only sister, also Dwight
Webster, a Methodist class leader, who
was boarding at my father's house. I
organized a small branch of the Church
of nine members, eight of whom were
my relatives. I preached to a large con-
gregation in the Methodist meeting
house at Farmington. My wife joined
me at Farmington and accompanied me
to Scarborough, Maine, and we visited
her father's house, it being my first visit.
I was kindly received.
On the nineteenth of August, 1837, I
took the steamer Bangor, at Portland,
with Elder Hale and arrived at Owl's
Head at sunset, without any means to
continue our journey or get a meal of
victuals; we went on to a high hill and
bowed ourselves before the Lord, and
prayed that our way might be opened.
The spirit of the Lord rested upon us
and testified to us that our prayers would
be answered. As we arose from our
prayers, a sloop came sailing into the
harbor. We went to the captain and
enquired where he was going. He said
right through the channel to Vinal
Haven. He took us on board and
landed us on North Fox Island, at two
o'clock in the morning. We commenced
preaching in the Baptist meeting house
on the twentieth of August. Brother
Hale stayed with me one month and
twelve days. -[The history of this mis-
sion is published in full in No. 20, Vol.
8, Deseret News.]- Brother Hale started
for Kirtland October second; I accom-
panied him to Scarborough, and returned
to the Island on the second of Novem-
ber accompanied by my wife. I spent the
winter of 1838 upon the Islands accom-
panied a short time by Brother James
Townshend. During my mission upon
the Islands I was opposed by the Bap-
tist minister, Gideon J. Newton, of the
North Island, and by Elder Douglass, a
Methodist minister of the South Island.
Both made war upon me, but the con-
gregations of both embraced the Gos-
pel and I baptized most of their mem-
bers. I received a letter from President
Thomas B. Marsh, on the sixteenth of
August, 1838, informing me that I had
been called by revelation to fill a vacancy
in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
in the place of one who had fallen. I
had organized a company of fifty-three
of those I had baptized to go to Missouri
in the Fall of 1838. As they were all
fishermen and knew nothing about trav-
eling, I went on to the mainland and
purchased horses, wagons and harness,
and fitted them out for their journey,
and on the fourth of October we started
on our travels. We traveled through rain,
mud, frost and snow with much suffering,
and buried several who died on the
way, arriving at Rochester, Sangamon
County, Illinois, on December nineteenth,
where I spent the winter in providing
for my family and company.
On the thirteenth of March, 1839, I
took my family and went to Quincy,
Illinois. Arrived there on the sixteenth,
where I saw the suffering of the Saints
who lay upon the banks of the Missis-
sippi river, who had been driven from
Missouri for their religion, and this be-
fore the subject of Polygamy had been
revealed to the Church or to the world.
I accompanied President Young and
several of the Twelve to the Temple
Block in Far West, where we laid the
corner stone of the Temple, upon which
stone, on the twenty-sixth of April, 1837,
Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith
were ordained Apostles and members of
the quorum of the Twelve. This meet-
ing was appointed by revelation and
commandment and we performed all
that we were commanded to do. We
returned to Quincy on the second day of
May. While we were performing this
journey Joseph the Prophet and his
brother Hyrum got out of prison in
Missouri and arrived at Quincy, where we
met with them, their families and friends
and had a joyous time. I accompanied
President Brigham Young with our
families from Quincy to Nauvoo and
settled at Montrose. I was with Joseph
Smith and the Twelve Apostles on the
twenty-first of July, 1839, which was the
day of God's power with the Prophet.
He healed a score of the sick by the
power of God; they were raised up from
their beds of sickness, some of them
being nigh unto death, including Elijah
Graham and Bates Nobles.
The Twelve Apostles were command-
ed of the Lord to go to Great Britain on a
mission and to carry the gospel of Christ
to that land. As I was preparing to
start on the twenty-fifth of July, 1839 I
was attacked with the chills and fever for
the first time in my life, my wife and child
were also sick. On the eighth of August
I arose, sick, from my bed, laid my hands
upon my wife and child, blessed them and
left them in the hands of the Lord, with
not more than four days provisions in the
house, and thus started on my mission
without purse or scrip. Brother Brigham
Young paddled me across the Mississippi
river in a canoe. The difficulties which
I, with the rest of the Apostles, passed
through in performing that journey to
England will never be told in history.
However, we all arrived in various com-
panies in England in compliance with
the commandments of God. We spent
the year 1840 in England, during which
time we preached the gospel and bap-
tized some seven thousand, organized
branches and conferences in England
and Scotland, inluding London and
Edinburgh. Eighteen hundred of this
number were brought into the Church
through my labors in Herefordshire,
Gloucesteshire and Worcestershire dur-
ing eight months, including nearly two
hundred preachers of the various denom-
inations. About fifty of the preachers
belonged to the six hundred of the
United Brethren who were baptized into
the Church. After performing this work,
and on the twenty-fifth of April, 1841 I
set sail for America on the ship Roches-
ter, with my brethren of the Twelve and
a large company of Saints, and arrived
at New York, May 20th.
My son Wilford was born at Nauvoo,
March 22nd, 1840, and my daughter Sarah
Emma died at Nauvoo, July 17th, 1840.
I left New York for Nauvoo, via the
lakes, and was on the steamer Chesapeake,
with my wife and child, when she was
wrecked on Lake Michigan, and all came
near being lost; but through the mercy
of God we were again preserved from
the perils of the waters. I arrived at
Nauvoo on the sixth of October, 1841,
where I again had the happy privilege of
meeting with the Prophet Joseph and
Apostles and my friends. I spent the
winter of 1841-2 in Nauvoo, attending
meetings and councils and laboring with
my hands for the support of myself and
family until the third of February, 1842,
at which time Joseph Smith called me to
take charge of the business department
of the printing office, which I attended
to until the twentieth of January, 1844,
when I left the office well supplied with
materials, in the hands of Elder John
Taylor. I received my endowments
with the Twelve under the direction of
the Prophet Joseph Smith in the winter
of 1843. In the spring of 1844, I was ap-
pointed a mission with most of the
Twelve to go through the Eastern States.
On the ninth of May, 1844, I took the
last parting hand with President Joseph
Smith in his own house with Brother
Jedediah M. Grant. He blessed me and
bade me God speed, but seemed very
sorrowful, as he did in parting with all
of the Twelve. I have since been satis-
fied that he had a presentiment that it was
his last parting with his brethren of the
Apostles. I attended a conference at
Boston, and on the twenty-seventh of
June, 1844, while at the railway depot in
Boston with Elder Brigham Young wait-
ing for trains to take us to Lowell, there
seemed to be a dark cloud and sorrowful
gloom come over us, which we could not
comprehend at the time. While I was
at Portland, Maine, and ready to step on
board a steamer for Fox Islands I saw
an account of the martyrdom of the
Prophet and his brother Hyrum, and the
Spirit bore record to me that it was true;
so I returned to Boston, where the
Twelve soon met together, and we
hastened to Nauvoo, when we found
the city enveloped in mourning.
After our return to Nauvoo, and set-
ting in order the Church, a council was
held, at which time I was appointed to
go to England and take charge of the
Church in that land. I arrived in Liver-
pool on the ship, John R. Skiddy, on
the third of January, 1845, in company
with my wife and youngest daughter;
also Brothers Hyrum Clark and wife,
Daniel Jones and wife, and Brothers
Milton Holmes and Leonard W. Hardy.
I spent the year 1845 in England attend-
ing to the duties devolving upon me.
During that year I published three
thousand copies of the Doctrine and
Covenants, and secured the copyright
in London, being the first European
edition, three thousand Hymn Books
and twenty thousand copies of the
proclamation of the Apostles. On the
twenty-first of January, 1846, I departed
from England on the packet ship, Ash-
burton, with Elder Joseph A. Stratton,
for New York. We had an exceedingly
rough passage of forty-three days. It
was said to be the roughest passage
known up to that time. We had seven
hurricanes and fourteen gales and lost
the second mate overboard.
Arrived at New York on the sixth of
March, 1846. My wife and daughter
had gone on board ship at Liverpool
with a company of Saints, on her jour-
ney to Nauvoo, via New Orleans. I left
New York and visited my father's home
in Farmington, Conn., and notified them
to be prepared to accompany me to
Nauvoo. I also visited Ezra Carter and
family, my father-in-law at Scarborough,
Maine, and I took my daughter Phebe,
who had been left there and returned to
Connecticut. My father, stepmother,
and cousin, Betsey Cosset, accompanied
me to Nauvoo, where I again met my
wife, who had arrived safely from Liver-
pool.
I attended the dedication of the
Nauvoo Temple with Orson Hyde, on
the twentieth day of April, 1846, whilst
the most of the Twelve and many of the
Saints, led by President Brigham Young,
had crossed the Mississippi river and
were traveling west.
I crossed the Mississippi river with my
family for the last time on the nineteenth
of May, 1846, and started west to over-
take the main camp. We arrived at
Mount Pisgah, where there was a large
body of the Saints, on the fifteenth of
June. I here found Elder Lorenzo
Snow, apparently at the point of death,
and administered to him. On the twenty-
fifth of June I was met by Captain Allen,
who had come to visit the camp of the
Saints to raise a Battalion to go to
war with Mexico. I directed him to
the portion of the camp where President
Young was, and he immediately raised
the Mormon Battalion of five hundred
men. I consented for every teamster I
had to go to make up the number,
as did others. We formed our encamp-
ment for the winter on the west side of
the Missouri river, which we named
Winter Quarters. On the fifteenth of
October I met with a very severe acci-
dent. An oak tree fell upon me and
broke my breast bone and several ribs,
which came near killing me; but through
the administration of the Elders and the
blessings of God, I was preserved. In
the Spring of 1847 I accompanied Presi-
dent Young with some of the Twelve
and the pioneer camp of one hundred
and forty-three persons in crossing the
plains to the Great Salt Lake Valley,
where we built a Fort, laid out the site
of Salt Lake City and Temple Block
and returned to Winter Quarters the
same season. -[The history of which
has been frequently published.]-
In the spring of 1848, I took my wife
and children, by appointment, and went
east to Boston to gather up all the
Saints in the New England States, and
take them to the Rocky Mountains. I
labored in this capacity until the spring
of 1850, and sent out several companies.
I visited all the branches of the Church
in New England and New Brunswick,
and organized the last company and led
them myself from Boston to St. Louis,
Council Bluffs, and on to Salt Lake City,
arriving in October, 1850, at which time
I settled my family, including my father,
in the City of Salt Lake, where I have
spent the past thirty-eight years of my
life, attending to the duties of my calling
as an Apostle, in the building and dedi-
cation of temples, administering in the
ordinances of the Gospel therein, and
preaching to the Saints and providing
for my family. I have been deeply inter-
ested in the redemption of my dead.
Through my own labors and the assistance
of my friends I have been enabled to
give endowments to some three thousand
of my dead relatives of my father's and
mother's house. Among other labors I
have officiated as a member of the Utah
Legislature for twenty-two sessions,
twenty of which were in the Legislative
Council.
I have traveled to Idaho, Colorado,
New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and
California. Since my arrival in the
valley of Salt Lake, eleven Apostles and
two Presidents of the Church have de-
parted this life and passed behind the
vail. On the death of President John
Taylor, the responsibility of presiding
over the Church fell upon me, in con-
nection with the Twelve Apostles.
At the close of this sketch I wish to
say a few words to my young friends. I
have had experience and testimony suffi-
cient in my life to satisfy me, beyond a
doubt, of the truth of the fulness of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to
Joseph Smith, whom the Lord raised up
to lay the foundation of His Church and
Kingdom of God upon the earth, in this
the last dispensation of the fulness of
times. Mormonism, so-called, is true.
The truth of which this generation will
learn when they come before God to
judgment, if not before. All the revela-
tions of God as proclaimed in the Bible,
Book of Mormon and Doctrine and
Covenants will have their fulfilment in
their appointed time. Not one jot nor
tittle will fall unfulfilled. Darkness
covers the earth and gross darkness the
people, and infidelity reigns in a great
measure among the children of men;
but the greatest infidel that lives will find
a God when he gets into the spirit world,
and a just Judge, who will judge all men
with a righteous judgment, and reward
every one according to the deeds done
in the body. Woe unto all men, who
reject the testimony of Jesus Christ
and persecute the Saints of God, no
matter in what age of the world they
may live.
I wish to say to the young men in Zion,
you have a great destiny before you,
both in this world and in the world to
come. You have a long eternity
awaiting you and a great responsibility.
As your fathers are passing away the
labor of the Church and Kingdom of
God will rest upon you. I have confi-
dence in you, to believe that you will
qualify yourselves for the great duty and
work which lies before you. The des-
tiny of the Church and Kingdom of
God in the latter days is decreed by the
God of Heaven, and I do not believe
that God has made that decree without
preparing an element to do His work, in
carrying out His purposes.
Therefore, I say to the young men of
the Mutual Improvement Associations,
that the God of Israel has called, chosen
and ordained you as messengers of life
and salvation, to qualify yourselves to
prune the vineyard for the last time and
labor while it is called day and prepare
for the coming of the Son of Man.
That God may bless you to this end,
is the earnest prayer of your brother and
fellow laborer in the Church and king-
dom of God.
Wilford Woodruff.