“Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee”

by Krystyna Hales

I know who I am. I know God’s plan. 

In Jeremiah 1:5, the Lord explains to Jeremiah, “Before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Wilford Woodruff wrote in his journal on September 1, 1875, regarding the death of President George Albert Smith, a modern day prophet (then First Counselor in the First Presidency), and recorded what a great servant of the Lord President Smith had been in his life.

"The Redeemer Shall Come to Zion"

by Allison Andrews

The Second Coming. This is an event that is on many minds today. It was also a common point of interest during the early years of the Church when people were learning more about the signs and watching for the day that it would happen.

Volunteer Spotlight: Mark Pollmann

by Madelyn Barzee

Mark Pollmann, one of our most dedicated volunteers, started as our CTO but quickly stepped forward to serve as interim President. He spent countless volunteer hours mentoring our Leadership Team, advising our Editorial Team, launching our “Decoding a Prophet” project, and helping us transition from spreadsheet-based organization to a database system. With the recent hiring of our full-time president, we are extremely grateful that Mark will continue to accelerate our progress by p ...

"He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows”: A Savior Who Succors in “Great Distress”

by Mackenzie Jaggi

About seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the prophet Isaiah received a revelation from the Lord. “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?” These eloquent words are as much a rebuke as they are an appeal: an appeal to trust God’s ability to redeem and deliver beyond the bounds of human understanding. Isaiah further spoke of a Savior so “acquainted with grief” that He knew how to succor a people to whom grief would be a common companion.

Wilford Woodruff and the Joy of Keeping Covenants

by Kristy Wheelwright Taylor

Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, tells us often that faithful members of this Church are “covenant Israel,” “children of the covenant,” and on the “covenant path.” We read about this path in Isaiah as we learn of the children of Israel making covenants with the Lord—not just making covenants, but rejoicing in those covenants.

"He Hath Borne Our Griefs, and Carried Our Sorrows"

by Ellie Hancock

When Phebe Woodruff joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she did so alone. Soon after Phebe’s conversion, at the age of 27 years, she moved to Kirtland, Ohio, without any family or friends.

“A Marvellous Work and a Wonder”

by Brittney Condie

Isaiah 29:14 refers to “a marvellous work and a wonder” in the Lord’s work of salvation. Wilford Woodruff was a large contributor to this work through missionary, temple, and family history work during his lifetime. As I have read through his journals, I have found his records of people he met and baptized and his writing about the temple work he did for his ancestors and other deceased individuals.

How Wilford Woodruff Survived 1846

by Cory Clay

2020 was a difficult year for the world. 1846 was a difficult year for the Church.

Lessons for Today from the Life of Wilford Woodruff: BYU Education Week 2022

by Mele Fangu

On the morning of August 15, 2022, thousands of people gathered on the campus of Brigham Young University to be inspired by presenters from around the world. Among these were presenters from the Wilford Woodruff Papers—Steven Harper, Matthew Godfrey, LaJean Carruth, and Jennifer Mackley—who shared lessons learned from Wilford Woodruff.

The Joy in Seeing Others Give

by Lyndie Jackson

“My life is blessed and touched witnessing the willingness of so many people to volunteer time, resources, and energy to bring about this great work,” says Karla Briggs. As a volunteer herself, and the volunteer coordinator for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project, Karla works hard to match volunteers with assignments and positions that line up with their experience and skills. She has found joy in seeing others give to such a meaningful project.