Wilford Woodruff's Miraculously Preserved Life

Wilford Woodruff's Miraculously Preserved Life

  • 1810

    Fell into a cauldron of boiling water. It took 9 months before his life was considered out of danger.

  • 1812

    Fell from the great beam of the family barn, landing face first on the floor.

  • Broke his arm when he fell down the stairs when playing at home.

  • Broke his other arm falling off uncle's porch.

  • 1813

    Escaped being gored by a bull that wanted the pumpkin he took from it to give to his cow.

  • 1814

    Broke his leg in a sawmill accident. Leg got caught between headlock and fender post.

  • Kicked in the abdomen by an ox.

  • Saved from suffocation after wagonload of hay he stacked incorrectly overturned on top of him.

  • 1815

    Uninjured when a horse bolted down a hill and flipped the wagon he was riding in.

  • 1816

    Fell 15 feet from a tree, landed flat on his back, knocked unconscious; cousin thought he was dead so he ran home to tell his parents. Wilford recovered and met his family on their way to retrieve his body.

  • 1819

    Rescued after drowning in 30 feet of water and "suffered much in being restored to life".

  • 1820

    Almost froze to death in a blizzard; saved by passerby who saw him crawl into a hollow tree in a daze.

  • 1821

    Split open his foot with an ax "nearly clear through," crippling him for nine months.

  • 1822

    Bitten by a rabid dog but the bite did not break through his skin.

  • 1823

    Thrown 16 feet over runaway horse's head; landed on both feet broke left leg in 2 places; dislocated both ankles.

  • 1827

    Almost crushed by saw mill when helping to de-ice the wheels.

  • 1831

    Almost crushed when helping to de-ice the wheel of sawmill.

  • Suffered a severe bout of pneumonia.

  • 1833

    Dragged headfirst between a team of horses for more than 300 feet with his sleigh on top of him.

  • 1834

    A rifle accidentally discharged and the ball passed within a few inches of his body.

  • A heavily-loaded musket pointed at his chest was accidentally discharged, but misfired.

  • 1835

    Preserved from a mob of about 50 people, a black bear and a large pack of wolves.

  • Rescued by divine intervention after wandering for 5 hours in a tremendous storm.

  • 1835

    Left unhurt when a tornado removed the building he was standing in.

  • 1839

    Thrown from the axle tree of a wagon, head and shoulder were dragged on the ground for ½ mile.

  • Contracted malaria but left for England to serve his mission with members of Quorum of 12.

  • 1841

    Survived shipwreck on Lake Michigan.

  • 1842

    Bedridden for 40 days with bilious fever and struggled between life and death.

  • 1843

    Survived train crash; passenger cars smashed, baggage cars caught fire, engineer killed.

  • 1844

    Had to help ship captain extinguish fire on board the ship he was traveling on.

  • 1845

    Inspired to disembark one steamer and take passage on another (the first later sank).

  • 1846

    Crushed by falling tree; broke breast bone and three ribs, caused severe internal injuries.

  • Hit in the head by mob throwing rocks at him while baptizing; later baptized some of mob.

  • 1848

    Survived shipwreck on Lake Michigan.

  • Inspired to move carriage & family from spot near tree; 30 minutes later whirlwind uprooted tree.

  • 1856

    Poisoned by infected animal; lost senses and restored to health by priesthood blessing.

  • 1859

    Severe lung fever "nearly blew out the lamp of life" "spirit fluttering between life and death".

  • 1872

    Inspired not to take Saints on steamboat; it later caught fire and passengers burned or drowned.

  • 1873

    Mild stroke "it seemed to be paralysis and death".

  • 1879

    Severe bout of bilious colic; attacks took his breath away didn't think he'd live through one more.

  • 1886

    Mild heart attack or stroke; couldn't see or speak for about 30 minutes; blessing restored him.

  • 1893

    Severest bout of bilious colic “lay at the point of death;” prayers of Saints saved him.