Wilford Woodruff
Birth and Childhood
Born on March 1, 1807, Wilford Woodruff was the third son of Aphek and Beulah Woodruff. His mother died of spotted fever when he was only fifteen months old, and he was raised by his father’s second wife, Azubah Hart. He spent the first 25 years of his life in Connecticut and, following his father’s footsteps, became a miller by trade. In 1832 he moved to New York where he and his brothers purchased land and a mill on Grindstone Creek.
Baptism and Conversion
Wilford Woodruff was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 29, 1833, when he heard two missionaries share their testimonies in a schoolhouse near his home. After their sermon, the two missionaries invited those in attendance to share their feelings for or against what they had heard. Wilford immediately stood because, in his words, “The spirit of the Lord urged me to bear testimony to the truth of the message delivered by . . . true servants of God. They had preached to us that night the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.” Wilford asked to be baptized the following day
Missions
After Wilford Woodruff was baptized, he spent ten of the next sixteen years as a missionary and mission president, sharing the truths of the restored gospel. Between 1835 and 1850 he served seven missions, first to the Southern states, then to the Fox Islands off the coast of Maine. It was while serving in Maine that he received the call to the apostleship, and in 1839 he left for England with other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to share the gospel in the British Isles for two years. He returned to England in 1844 with his wife Phebe to preside over the missionary efforts throughout Europe. His seventh assignment was to the eastern United States from 1848 to 1850. Wilford is regarded as one of the greatest missionaries in the history of the Church. Further, he also assisted in extending mission calls to thousands as the President of the Church, and throughout his Church service, he assisted in setting apart over 5,550 missionaries.
Church Callings and Contributions
For Wilford Woodruff, the missionary effort to share the gospel with the living on earth was equal to the need to redeem the living in heaven. Wholeheartedly embracing Elijah’s mission, Wilford Woodruff was not only a witness to, but a catalyst in implementing temple ordinances and practices. Wilford helped build six temples and participated in the dedications of five of them. Wilford’s experiences in Kirtland and Nauvoo prepared him to receive additional revelation regarding temple worship. He continued the pattern of seeking revelation, clarifying the rites, and effecting changes based on personal experience and new revelations.
The period of time Wilford spent presiding over the St. George Utah Temple from 1877 to 1884 provided an especially focused opportunity. As he and Brigham Young administered all ordinances for the living and dead for the first time in this dispensation, he said their minds were opened and many things were revealed. Under the leadership of John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, the practices implemented and codified in the St. George temple were replicated in the temples subsequently completed in Logan, Manti, and Salt Lake City. He was sustained as Church President on April 7, 1889. As President of the Church, he received a revelation that the Latter-day Saints should cease the practice of plural marriage. In 1890, according to the inspiration he received, he wrote the Manifesto to end the practice of plural marriage.
Four years later, in April 1894, President Woodruff received a revelation on the Law of Adoption and generational family sealings, which led to a complete restructuring of the sealing ordinances and made the fulfillment of Elijah’s mission possible. Later in the year he oversaw the organization of the Utah Genealogical Society. He continually emphasized the Saints’ responsibility and privilege of preaching the gospel to the living and providing those beyond the veil the opportunity to embrace the gospel and receive saving ordinances through proxy temple service.
In 1834 he recorded his covenant with God to “freely consecrate and dedicate” himself “for the purpose of assisting in building up His kingdom.” The dedication of his life was unequivocal and unwavering. From 1834 to 1898, Wilford’s service in the kingdom included traveling over 180,000 miles, sometimes up to sixty miles a day on foot, through 34 of the United States, in addition to the countries of Canada, England, Scotland, and Wales. As a missionary and Church leader, he preached almost 3,600 discourses. He also participated in the ordination of some 11,000 men to the various offices within the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods, including nine Apostles, to carry on the Lord’s work.
Death
Wilford firmly believed in revelation and the role of prophets but did not expect or exemplify perfection in either. He simply wanted to remain faithful so that at the close of his earthly probation, he would know he had done the best he could and, acting up to the best light he had, be welcomed into the kingdom of God. He delivered his final conference address on April 10, 1898. The previous year, he had celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Saints’ arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, and his final public appearance on July 25, 1898, was at the dedication of Pioneer Park, the site of the fort he helped build in 1847. At the age of 91, six weeks after the dedication, he died in San Francisco, California, on September 2, 1898.
Get Involved
Sign Up For Insights
Enter your email to receive additional insights about Wilford Woodruff in your inbox.