Articles

Sacrifices of Those Called To Serve

by Hovan Lawton

During Wilford Woodruff’s ten-year administration as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he and his counselors in the First Presidency issued many mission calls. In turn, these men responded by letter to explain whether or not they could accept the call to serve. Although one might assume that their responses would be rather businesslike and uninteresting, they are actually full of vivid details about the lives of nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints and how their mission calls impacted their lives. These men faced various obstacles to missionary service, and the letters explained their circumstances as well as some of the special requests made to help mitigate their challenges. A close study of just 135 of the responses written to Wilford Woodruff in 1889 allows for a greater appreciation for the sacrifices and faith of those called to serve missions during this time.

Bringing History to Life through Art

by Maddie Christensen

Julie Rogers, professional artist and illustrator, has focused on painting pioneers, missionaries, and the early Saints for the last thirty years of her career. She shares that with Wilford Woodruff being one of her all-time favorites, she was thrilled to be commissioned to create two paintings of him for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation Conference, “Building Latter-day Faith.” This conference was held on March 4, 2023, where seekers of the truth were instructed, inspired, and motivated by Wilford Woodruff’s insights through speakers, presentations, musical performances, and art. The two pieces Julie created are titled “The Dawning of a Brighter Day” and “Language of Inspiration.” Her paintings were displayed at the conference and were a part of an art auction fundraiser for the Foundation.