Articles

Big Questions Come, Follow Me Insights Volunteer Spotlights

Aug 21, 2023

“Be Perfectly Joined Together”

by McKenzie Wood

Wilford Woodruff once said, “In every age of the world the Saints of God have been obliged to be united. Babylon may divide; the inhabitants of the earth may have all the division they wish for . . . But the Saints of God cannot prosper unless they are united.”

Aug 21, 2023

“A Great Work”

by Maddie Christensen

Volunteer Spotlights

“It has been a blessing to me to be a very small part of such a great work,” shares Donna Turlington, one of the amazing volunteers for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation.

Donna first heard about the Project after following the Joseph Smith Papers on BYUtv. She heard Steven Harper, Executive Editor, discussing the Wilford Woodruff Papers’ importance to Church history. Donna visited wilfordwoodruffpapers.org, signed up for the newsletter, and became involved after receiving an email about the need for volunteers.

Aug 18, 2023

British Context of Wilford Woodruff's Missions

by Amy Harris

April 2023 marked 20 years for me since I made my first research trip to England—my first trip to England, full stop. While there I took a bus to northern Gloucestershire in western England and began walking the public footpaths through villages where some of my ancestors had lived for centuries. It was an idyllic introduction to England, with the rapeseed and bluebells in full bloom. This is my photo of the rapeseed fields that day; unfortunately, my photo of the bluebells didn’t scan well, so I offer this one instead—just know it looked exactly like that.

Aug 14, 2023

Glory to Be Revealed

by Braeden Dyer

Come, Follow Me

Recently I attended a sacrament meeting in my wife’s hometown of St. George, Utah, in which all of the speakers were youth and leaders who shared insights from their stake’s trek activity. Multiple youth commented that their favorite experience was the final devotional given by their stake president at the end of their route, overlooking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Simply from hearing them describe the event and location, I could feel the spiritual power of coming so close to a new family, enduring much physical hardship, and then listening at the edge of one of the great wonders of the world to the gospel truths and powerful history of those who came before us in the Church.

Aug 7, 2023

“He Will Always Be There for Us”

by Miriam Foulke

Come, Follow Me

It can be easy to feel “ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” but the Apostle Paul refused to, despite all the persecution he encountered. He knew and testified of the truth, encouraging others to believe in the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

Aug 6, 2023

Walking in Wilford Woodruff’s Footsteps

by Erin Hills

I never thought I would find myself on a ferry to the island of North Haven, Maine. Before I worked for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation, I didn’t even know this island existed.

In the spring of 1837, Wilford Woodruff was called to serve a mission to New England, and on May 31, 1837, he left Kirtland to begin his journey eastward with his companion, Jonathan Harriman Hale. While they traveled, they felt inspired to focus their missionary efforts on the Fox Islands in Maine, which included two large islands, simply known as North and South Vinalhaven. Wilford also visited many smaller islands within Penobscot Bay.

“A Minister and a Witness”

by Dawna Booth

Come, Follow Me

In studying the difficult years of Paul’s imprisonment, I am humbled by his great strength to stand as a witness for Jesus Christ. He was ever confident in his testimony of the miraculous vision of the Savior, proclaiming its truth throughout the Roman world. He withstood the efforts of the wicked Sanhedrin to murder him; he suffered trials by Felix, Festus, and Agrippa II; and he underwent another shipwreck on his way to Rome as a prisoner. He was able to testify and teach the gospel during all of those difficult years. David Patten, a modern-day Apostle, was equally committed. He was valiant in his testimony, and during the Missouri conflict in 1835, he led 75 brethren in the Battle of Crooked River. He fell in this battle trying to liberate three captives and was a martyr to his faith.

Jul 27, 2023

Making History Accessible and Personal

by Maddie Christensen

March 1, 2023, marked the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation’s third anniversary. Jennifer Mackley, the Executive Director of the Wilford Woodruff Papers, shares, “The value of these records is much greater than the amazing life and example of Wilford Woodruff. His eyewitness day-to-day account of the Restoration of the gospel in the nineteenth century includes the lives and contributions of over 14,000 other individuals. He provides an unparalleled account that sheds light on the obscure and the spectacular; the conversations and revelations; the spiritual, political, and personal.”

Jul 26, 2023

“A Timely and Heaven-Sent Blessing”

by Maddie Christensen

Volunteer Spotlights

“The process of volunteering with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation was a timely and heaven-sent blessing,” shares Michelle Hall. “I’ve been able to find family members and make connections on my husband’s side because of the valiant recordkeeping of Wilford Woodruff. He had connections to many of God’s children, and being a part of researching those individuals he mentions throughout his papers is extensive and exciting!”

Jul 24, 2023

Following the Spirit of the Lord in Missionary Work

by Karen Dupaix

Come, Follow Me

“We need the Spirit of the Lord in every capacity we are called to act in, whether in preaching or administering the ordinances of the gospel,” Wilford Woodruff testified.

Missionary work in Jesus Christ’s Church always has been and always will be directed by the Holy Ghost. In Acts 16:6-10, we read that the Apostle Paul is directed by the Spirit of the Lord where he should go and where he shouldn’t go while serving as a missionary. By following that direction, Paul was led to a woman named Lydia, who accepted the gospel and was baptized, along with her household. She also provided Paul and his companions a place to stay with her and her family for a time.