Day in the Life

Dec 31, 1860

Journal Entry

December 31, 1860 ~ Monday

31st I spent the day in the office Journallizing A cold Hoary Frost


This is the last day of 1860 which Ends this important & momentious
year, which has been looked forward to asby athousands for many years
as a period which would date the commencement of great & mighty
changes in the Earth, changes which would greatly Effect the interest
& welfare of all Nations under Heaven. Now what are the facts in the
case as far as they have come to the knowledge of the Historiamn. T[h]ay are
these. The whole European world have appeared inspired to spend
millions & labor with all thereir might to build Navies & Equipt armies
& prepare For a mighty struggle & deadly conflict with Each others
All Italy has risen up in the magesty of her streng[th]s under her great
leader Garabaldi and flung off ^the^ galling Napolitan yoke and formed
an Elective Monarchy Receiving Victor Emanuel as their king
England & France has made both war & peace with the Chineese
Empire while they have both been preparing there armies & Navies for
a Bloody struggle at home. But the United States of America
is the spot whare 1860 markes the commencemt of a new Erea in
the History of that Government & people. it is the midst of this Governmt
whare the God of Heaven has set up his kingdom in the Latter Days
He sent An angel to this people thirty years ago raised up a prophet
called & ordained him to preache the gospel of Christ & Esstablish his
Church & kingdom in the midst of the people. Joseph the prophet of God
was Faithful to his calling, esstablished the Church of Christ, was filled
with revelation & prophesy declaired the word of God unto the people
told them what would come to pass in there midst the wars and
Judgments of God that awaited them because of there wickedness
and as Jesus told the Jews the Fate & calamities that awaited the
Jewish Nation so Joseph Smith the Prophet of God told the people of
the United States Government what awaited them & there final
Destiny as a Nation because of there wickedness & abominations & because
they would shed the Blood of Prophets & Saints. He said in 1832, 28 years
ago that South Carolinia would crise up in rebelion, and that war
would commence at that place & that the Southern states would arise
up in rebelion against the Northern states & the Northern states against
the Southern states & that war would be poured out upon all
Nations which would End in the death & miser of many of many
souls [Doctrine and Covenants 87] & because of these things or as the prophet has said the people of the


United States have put to death the prophet Joseph the Patriarchs
Apostles & many Saints and driven the Church of Christ from
place to place for about thirty years and, Finally have driven
them into the wilderness even into the these vallies of the Mountain
and the Lord told us "to plead at the feet of the Judges Governors
& Presidents of the United States & if they Heed us not and do not
redress us of our wrongs (then the Lord says) I will arise out of
my hiding place & in my fury I will vex the Nation and I
will cut off those wicked & unjust stewards and appoint them
there portiuns with Hipocritts & unbelievers [Doctrine and Covenants 101:86-90] 1860 has laid the
foundation for the fulfillment of these things during this year the
Abolitionest of Republicans of the Northern states Elected their
President and Vice President and this has been taken as a pretext
and the Southern states are rising up in rebelion agast the Northern
states are holding conventions & preparing to cecede from the Union
as Joseph Smith said they would. South Carolinia ceceded
from the Union on the 270 Dec 1860 and others are preparing to
follow their example this has caused a great convultion throughout
the United States all Banking & monied institutions are suspending
specia payment, and the wheels of Government are beginging to be cloged
alarm & confusion is spreading throughout the whole land. The
Lord is withdrawing his spirit from the Nation and they are begining
to be filled with madness towards Each other and the Southern
states are arming & preparing for a Deadly conflict against the
Northern states and whome the Lord wants to destroy he first makes
mad and the people are being inspired with madness to such a degree
that they are ready to devour each other. the foundation has been
laid during the year 1860 To break up & annihilate the American
Government and the scenes which will follow in quick succession
will be terrible & horrible in their detail. Thiis Nation is guilty of
sheding the Blood of the Lords anointed, of his pProphets & Saints
and the Lord Almighty has decreed their destruction the
Lord has commenced a controversy with the American Government
and Nation in 1860 and he will never cease untill they are
destroyed from under heaven, and the kingdom of God esstablished
upon their ruins. Let the Gentiles upon this land prepare to meet their God


Ralph Farnham the last survivor of the battle of Bunker Hill
died on the morning of Dec 26th 1860 in Acton Maine Aged 104 years
5 months & 29 days

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A Synopsis of my labors in 1860
I Travelled Nine hundred & Eighty five miles 985 Miles
I Attended one hundred & one meetings 101 Meetings
I Preached Twenty Three discourses 23 discoures
I Attended Two General Conferencs 2 conferences
I Attended Thirty Prayer circles with the Presidency & 12 30 prayer c.
I Met with my prayer circle Thirty Two times 32 Meetings
I spent Ten days in the Endowment House 10 days
I ordained one Bishop 1 Bishop
I ordained one Seventy 1 Seventy
I Administered to Ten sick persons 10 Sick
I Blessed Nineteen Missionaries 19 Missionaries
I Blessed Three children 3 children
I wrote Twenty Four Letters 24 Letters
I Received Nineteen Letters 19 Letters
I spent Fourteen Days in the Legislature 14 Days
I settelled my Tithing with Bishop Hoagland $266 Paid

I spent most of my Time in the Historians Office
During the year 1860.

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People

Browse people Wilford Woodruff mentioned on this day in his journal. Click on the person's name to view a short bio and other pages they are mentioned on or click on "View in Family Search" to view their FamilySearch profile.

Lincoln, Abraham
12 Feb 1809 - 15 Apr 1865
32 mentions
Historical Figure, Eminent Men and Woman
Hoagland, Abraham Lucas
24 Mar 1797 - 14 Feb 1872
86 mentions
3 mentions
Historical Figure
2 mentions
Smith, Joseph (Jr.)
23 Dec 1805 - 27 Jun 1844
2369 mentions
2 mentions
Historical Figure
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
14 Mar 1820 - 9 Jan 1878
1 mention
Historical Figure
12 mentions
Missionary

Quotes

View selected quotes from this page in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

He was Followed by President Brigham Young who said I think upon the fulfillment of thes prophesies as much as Elder Taylor, but my Great concern is about the preperation of this people for those things which await them are this people prepared to dwell in Zion and the New Jerrusalem while they mingle with thieves, Blasphemers, drunkards, liars, & whoremungars, those who profess to be latter day saints are guilty of these things, and I have had hard work to hold myself From going through the Land & clenseding it from such characters I wish the drunkards were dead & buried they seek to dray [drag] away our children & destroy them, he said the young men said they would do as I told toldhem I will now tell you all to Quit drinking whiskey & strong drink & your lying, stwareing, & stealing & many other things He spoke of the army that had come here for our destruction they were in a trap so that we could handle them but many of the mormons had followed them around & licked the dust of their feet as it were and worshiped them &while if they had taken my council I would have made them Eat Mules legs and skin a gallee ie milk porage without any milk. they should have paid well for what they had & I would have had there Money & used it for gathering the poor saints & many things he spoke of he said the president of the United States James Buchanan was one of the greatest Liyers there was upon Earth He knew he lyed when he said that when he went into power the Mormons were in open rebelion against the U.S He said the Government was the most corrupt & rotten of any Government in the world & they were ready to be destroyed
~ Brigham Young
Joseph Smith the Prophet of God told the people of the United States Government what awaited them & there final Destiny as a Nation because of there wickedness & abominations & because they would shed the Blood of Prophets & Saints. He said in 1832 x 28 years ago thatSouth Carolinia would rise up in rebelion, and that war would commence at that place & that the Southern States would arise up in rebelion against the Northern States & the Northern States against the Southern States & that war would be poured out upon all Nations which would End in the death & miser of many of many souls & because of these things
~ Wilford Woodruff

Events

View selected events in the two months surrounding this date in Wilford Woodruff's life. Click on the dates to jump to that day in Wilford Woodruff's journal.

Dec 1860 - Jan 1861
Seven Southern states secede from Union. (Confederacy includes 15 states and territories by 1862.)

Dec 31, 1860