Insight from the Letters

by Megan Hutchings, Assistant Editor

In 1897, Elder Janne Mattson Sjödahl delivered a gift to the king and queen of Sweden on behalf of Wilford Woodruff, the First Presidency, and the Swedish and Norwegian Saints in Utah. In President Woodruff’s letter that accompanied that gift, he wrote:

I have been informed that your Majesties have been very kind to those of your Majesties’ subjects who have felt disposed to embrace the fulness of the everlasting Gospel, popularly called Mormonism, some of whom have emigrated to Utah.

These have united to prepare a small token of respect to your Majesties, a box made of Utah Onyx, containing the Book of Mormon, which will be presented to you by one of their number Elder J. M. Sjodahl, and which I hope and trust you will receive from them as an evidence of the respect and love which they bear toward your Majesties.

Like President Russell M. Nelson and other apostles on the earth today, Wilford Woodruff and these Saints recognized the Book of Mormon as being of great worth—something that was fit as a gift to the kings and queens of the earth. As I read about this experience, I reflected on my own gratitude for the Book of Mormon. Do I truly recognize what a great gift the Book of Mormon has been in my life? I am grateful for the opportunity we have this year to study the Book of Mormon as a part of the Come, Follow Me program, and my hope is that through our study we will all gain a greater appreciation for the Book of Mormon and recognize it for what it is—a priceless gift.

Insight from the Journals

by Mackenzie Jaggi, Assistant Editor

In Doctrine and Covenants 42:30, we are admonished to “remember the poor, and consecrate of [our] properties for their support . . . with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken.” Just one year after he was baptized, Wilford Woodruff drew up a contract of his consecration and set it before the bishop: “Be it known that I Willford Woodruff do freely covenant with my God that I freely consecrate and dedicate myself together with all my properties and affects unto the Lord.” His commitment was so complete that he wrote down an inventory of all his property, with the value attached, including such items as “Hats Boots and clothing—23.00,” “One trunk and its contents—18.00,” and “One english watch—8.00.” Another year would pass before Wilford would be set apart as a missionary to the Southern States, to dedicate every waking hour to preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ without purse or scrip. 

I think of the abundance of comforts and blessings we have in the Church today—how we can listen to the prophet speak, not after trudging through ice and snow, but from the safety of our heated homes. Wilford and the other early Saints would no doubt be astounded at the ease in which we live today. Wilford’s commitment to sacrificing all that he had for the Church, even dedicating such trivial objects as an English watch, to build up the kingdom of God, is inspiring. His example makes me want to be more faithful in keeping the covenant we make in the temple to consecrate all that we have, including our talents and time, to God and His Church. If we do so, I have no doubt that a record of our personal consecration will be drawn up in heaven.

Insight from the Discourses

by Ashlin Malcolm, Assistant Editor

Recently my family was preparing to send my brother off on his mission to preach the gospel for two years. He went through the struggles that peobably all missionaries do, wondering if he could do what needed to be done. During this time, I was reminded of many of the discourses I had read from Wilford Woodruff in which he discussed how the Spirit will help us say and do what is needed. I briefly reminded my brother that the Spirit would help him. Not long after this, I came across a discourse given on June 12, 1863. Wilford Woodruff said:

When people attempt to preach the Gospel without the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they are under the necessity of studying or of writing their sermons, thus presenting the cogitations of their own hearts in support of the doctrines and tenets of their particular sects. When the Lord sets his hand to perform a work, and to build up his kingdom on the earth, his servants whom he calls to do this work are obliged to trust in the Lord their God and to lean upon his arm for strength, for no man can tell what the will of God is unless it is revealed to him by the revelations of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost.

As I read this, I was touched, not only because it gave me comfort in knowing my brother would have the help he needed as he relied on God and the Spirit, but also because of what it meant for me. God wants each of us to come to Him and He will show us the work He has for us to do. This doesn’t just apply to missionaries, but to all of us, whether it be knowing what to say to a friend in need or knowing what path to take in life that will lead us to where we need to serve. There are many ways we can serve and many ways in which the Lord guides us to help build up His kingdom. We each must trust that God will guide us and learn to listen to the Spirit. How comforting it is to know that we don’t have to rely on ourselves, but we can rely on our loving Heavenly Father to help us with these things.

Insight from the Additional Documents 

by Steven C. Harper, Executive Editor

The Additional Documents are a mixed bag. They include Wilford Woodruff’s scriptures marked with notes and underlines. They include business papers, real estate maps, tax receipts, and miscellaneous odds and ends. One of the most joyful documents in this collection is an invitation sent by Wilford and his wife Emma Woodruff to a birthday party they shared on March 1, 1897. It was Emma’s fifty-ninth birthday and Wilford’s ninetieth. He would only have one more. 

It’s such an interesting document. Dirty now, with a chocolate-colored stain oozing onto the page like melted ice cream, the invitation is gray around the edges and faded. It was brighter white once, printed with big red words in all capital letters, each word beginning with an even bigger capital letter in blue ink, fitting the occasion of a “BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY.” The party was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. And we know just how it went because, of course, Wilford wrote about it in his journal. People “of All parties sects & Denominations” filled the hall. Wilford spoke, as did others. Then he and Emma sat in “Elevated chairs” and shook the hands of 8,000 of their dearest friends as they passed, offering fond regards and burying the birthday boy and girl with “flowers & roses.” Wilford noted, “our arms aked when we got through but it was a great Day.” 

Not all of his birthdays had been so good. On March 1, 1888 he noted, “the United States government are now seizing the church property through a receiver and what the end will be God only knows. May his will be done.” He then added, “this is my birthday. I am 81 years old this day.” From the perspective of ninety years, President Wilford Woodruff reflected after the party, “it is vary remarkable how my life has been preserved through so many years considering what I have passed through in my day and Generation. I have to acknowledge the hand of God in the preservation of my Life up to the present hour. God Moves in a misterious way.” 

There is something delightful and sacred about knowing that aged prophets can enjoy their own birthday celebration with loved ones and friends, and that when they reflect on their remarkable lives, they see God at work, prevailing.

Insight from People Research Team

by Michael Pulsipher, Research Specialist

One thing I love about working on the Wilford Woodruff Papers Research Team is that I am often able to identify people that Wilford Woodruff mentioned, who didn’t have any connection to the Church organization, and therefore may not have had  exceptionally documented life events. These “normal” people’s lives are often regarded as just tiny strokes in history’s magnificent painting, and some have very little information on FamilySearch. Personally, I enjoy working with these people for two reasons: I am helping their living descendants and relatives find connections that were previously undiscovered, and I am turning random names in the Papers into actual people with families of their own. 

One person I found and worked with this month was a man Wilford identified as Mr. Holyoak in his journal. On August 29, 1840, Wilford was in Deptford, Kent, England, and he wrote, “Called at Mr Holyoak grove St.” That’s the only information Wilford recorded about Mr. Holyoak that day and he does not appear in any of Wilford’s other documents. However, Wilford felt that Mr. Holyoak was important enough to include in his journal, and I set out to try and uncover information about this man’s life and family.

Because Wilford included a street address for Mr. Holyoak, and because Mr. Holyoak had a unique last name, I discovered that Mr. Holyoak’s full name was Richard Holyoak. I also uncovered who Richard married, how many children he had, and who his parents were. As a result of these discoveries, the connections to Richard’s whole family on FamilySearch are now backed up with trustworthy sources, and their descendants can act as proxies in performing eternal temple ordinances for them. Also, what was once only an obscure man in Wilford’s journal has now become a real person with a wife, three sons and a daughter, who lived near London, England during the nineteenth century. 

Wilford Woodruff mentioned over 23,000 individuals in his records, some hundreds of times. But researching those like Richard Holyoak who are only mentioned once, has helped me more fully appreciate the value of Wilford Woodruff’s records and the importance of each of us as children of God. I am very eager to research others who are found in the Papers, to bring their stories to life, and to make it possible for each one of them and their family members to receive proxy temple ordinances.

Insight from the Content Team

by Shauna Horne, Content Team Lead

While working in the Papers, I recently came across this quote from a discourse by Wilford Woodruff: “These mountains contain thousands upon thousands of devoted women, holy women, righteous women, virtuous women, who are filled with the inspiration of Almighty God. Yes, these women have brought forth an army of sons and daughters in these mountains by the power of God, and these sons and daughters partake of the inspiration of their mothers, as well as of their fathers.”

When I think of a righteous woman, I immediately think of my mother. She wasn’t perfect, but when she was baptized at the age of sixteen, she was all in. She grew in the gospel right along with her children. She is a devoted woman who demonstrates to me who Jesus is. She loves people, serves unceasingly, and quietly goes about being Jesus’s hands. When I wonder what Jesus looks like, I see an image of my precious mother—not by His physical appearance, but by His attributes. She knows His character. She walks the way He walks. She understands how to love others. She has brought forth children who are trying to emulate her and in the process emulate our Savior. On her wall she has the words, “The kingdom of God or nothing.” This is her legacy. I am grateful to be the daughter of a righteous woman. I am grateful to be reminded that I am part of that army Wilford Woodruff referred to “brought forth … by the power of God.”