Oct 8, 2024

“I’m impressed by the vast number of documents that have been preserved and the diversity of content,” shares Karla Sievers, volunteer for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation. “Each document reveals a unique aspect of Wilford Woodruff’s life and the Church during his time.”

As a volunteer, Karla transcribes letters and other historical documents about Wilford Woodruff. She often works with old manuscripts, preserving their content for future generations to access. Karla first learned about the Project through BYU–Idaho, where she is studying Family History Research remotely since she is from Chile.

Karla says, “Working on this Project has been a great blessing. Even though English is not my native language, I’ve significantly improved my language and paleography skills, which is very valuable for my future as a genealogist. Additionally, I feel that I’m contributing to something much greater by helping preserve the history of the Church.”

Karla has particularly enjoyed the opportunity the Project has provided for her to read personal letters from Wilford Woodruff’s children, Church leaders, and fellow members. One of the most moving experiences Karla had while working on the Project was when reading a letter to Wilford Woodruff from his daughter Phebe Amelia. She asked him to come home soon and not work so hard. Karla shares, “This letter touched me deeply as it reflects the immense love within his family and Wilford Woodruff’s sacrifice for the Lord’s work. This experience increased my admiration for him and strengthened my testimony.” 

Karla also expressed how working on the Project has helped her to understand early Church history and better connect with those she reads about. Wilford Woodruff is one of her favorite prophets, and she is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about his life and testimony. 

One thing Karla would like everyone to know is that God gives divine guidance to those who work with the documents contained in the Wilford Woodruff Papers. She shares, “Being part of the Project has strengthened my trust in Heavenly Father. Many times, when I’ve struggled to understand the handwriting, I’ve prayed and received inspiration to decipher it. I feel a great responsibility in transcribing these documents, knowing that soon they will be available for everyone to access this well-documented part of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

We are always looking for volunteers to help with transcribing documents and creating written and video content about the documents. If you are interested in either of these areas, please visit wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/volunteer.