Articles

Big Questions Come, Follow Me Insights Volunteer Spotlights

Sep 8, 2022

The Joy in Seeing Others Give

by Lyndie Jackson

“My life is blessed and touched witnessing the willingness of so many people to volunteer time, resources, and energy to bring about this great work,” says Karla Briggs. As a volunteer herself, and the volunteer coordinator for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project, Karla works hard to match volunteers with assignments and positions that line up with their experience and skills. She has found joy in seeing others give to such a meaningful project.

Sep 8, 2022

Lessons for Today from the Life of Wilford Woodruff: BYU Education Week 2022

by Mele Fangu

On the morning of August 15, 2022, thousands of people gathered on the campus of Brigham Young University to be inspired by presenters from around the world. Among these were presenters from the Wilford Woodruff Papers—Steven Harper, Matthew Godfrey, LaJean Carruth, and Jennifer Mackley—who shared lessons learned from Wilford Woodruff.

Sep 2, 2022

How Wilford Woodruff's Records Help Us Understand Other Historical Figures

by Mackenzie Jaggi

Part of the pleasure of reading the Wilford Woodruff Papers is that we not only receive access to Wilford’s personal thoughts and visions, but we also obtain a secondhand account of other historical figures like Brigham Young, whom Wilford knew and personally interacted with.

Aug 29, 2022

“Throw a Cloak of Charity over My Imperfections”

by Erin Hills

After Wilford Woodruff was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his greatest desire was to have his family accept the gospel. He diligently corresponded with them and often included his testimony in his letters.

Insights in the Papers: Karly Lay

by Karly Lay

Have you ever experienced a moment of intense pain—physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual?

Aug 23, 2022

Steven Harper: Starting right—how an assumption led to apostasy

by Steven C. Harper

The following is the first in a series of articles written by Steven Harper, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU. This series will be published every other Tuesday and will explore the miracle of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How God Helped Wilford Woodruff Through Struggles

by Denise Waldram

In June 1877, Wilford Woodruff lost his 20-year-old son, Brigham, in a tragic drowning accident. In his journal, Wilford described his feelings and how God comforted him and helped him have an eternal perspective.

Aug 9, 2022

Filling in the Gaps: How the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project is changing our modern-day perspective of the Restoration

by Ashley Chilcutt

The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is often referred to as a corner stone of religion for Latter-day Saints. Wilford Woodruff, the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is said to have been “the most important journal keeper in Church history.” 

Wilford Woodruff’s Call to the Quorum of the Twelve

by Alex Baugh

In 1832, twenty-five-year-old Wilford Woodruff, along with his older married brother Azmon and his wife Elizabeth, left their immediate family and life-long home of Farmington (now Avon), Connecticut, and moved to Richland, New York, where the two brothers put a down payment on a 140-acre farm that included a home and a sawmill. The move proved to be providential and life-changing for both.

FamilySearch Partnership Announcement

by Lyndie Jackson

On July 25th you may have received a notification from FamilySearch with the news that your ancestor is one of the 8,000 individuals included in Wilford Woodruff’s records. The Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation is partnering with FamilySearch.org to allow users to mine information about their ancestors’ lives, including their baptisms, marriages, missions, and other important events recorded by Wilford Woodruff between 1828 and 1898. Wilford Woodruff served as the Church His ...