| Wilford Woodruff (1807–1898) |
| Fourth president of the Church. This sketch covers only through 1839. Dreamer and visionary, missionary, apostle. | ||||
| Born | March 1, 1807 at Avon (Farmington), Hartford county, Connecticut | |||
| Died | September 2, 1898 in San Francisco | |||
| Father | Aphek Woodruff | |||
| Mother | Beulah Thompson | |||
| Baptized | December 31, 1833 by Zerah Pulsipher. Wilford and his brother, Azmon, were the first two baptized in Oswego county, New York. | WWJ 1:34. | ||
| Ordinations | Teacher by Zerah Pulsipher, January 2, 1834. | WWJ 1:6. | ||
| Priest by Simeon Carter "by the direction of the high Council of Elders," November 5, 1834. |
¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1); WWJ 1:34. |
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| Elder, by Warren Parrish in Eagle Creek, Tennessee, June 28, 1835. |
¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1); WWJ 1:33. |
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| To the High Priesthood and Second Quorum of Seventy, by David W. Patten and Warren Parrish, May 31, 1836. > | ¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1) | |||
| Apostle, by Brigham Young, April 26, 1839 | ||||
| Positions | First Quorum of Seventy, January 3, 1837 | |||
| President of the Quorum of the Twelve, October 10, 1880 | ||||
| President of the Church, April 7, 1889 | ||||
| Events | 1824 resolves to be led by the spirit. > | |||
| First Mormon contact | December 29, 1833 with older brother, Azmon, hears Zerah Pulsipher preach in Oswego county, New York. | WWJ 1:5. | ||
| Consecration | December 31, 1834 consecrates himself and his property to the Lord "befor the Bishop in Zion … that I may be A lawful heir to the Celestial Kingdom of GOD." | WWJ 1:34. | ||
| Starts first mission | January 13, 1835 begins mission to Kentucky and Tennessee with Henry Brown. | WWJ 1:34. | ||
| February 24–25, 1835 digs out a cottonwood tree, makes a 12' canoe to row down the Arkansas river to Little Rock. |
¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1); WWJ 1:22–24. |
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| Deserted | March 24, 1835 deserted by companion in swamp | ¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1) | ||
| Suspected save stealer | March 27, 1835 crosses the Mississippi into Tennessee, is suspected of being a slave stealer, preaches to prove identity. | ¶ Wilford Woodruff (h1) | ||
| Warren Parrish | April 4, 1835 joins Warren Parrish in Humphrey county (Eagle Creek branch). | WWJ 1:26. | ||
| Kentucky | April 13, 1835 Wilford and Warren begin preaching in Graves county, Kentucky, baptizing 5 in Henry county on the 19th. | WWJ 1:27. | ||
| Ordained 70, sealed | May 31, 1836 ordained to the High Priesthood, sealed to eternal life, and ordained a seventy by David W. Patten (h) and Warren Parrish. > | |||
| Returns to Kirtland | November 25, 1836 arrives in Kirtland with A. O. Smoot. Awestruck by temple. | WWJ 1:106–108. | ||
| Washings and anointings | April 4–6, 1837 Kirtland washings and anointings. | WWJ 1:131–136. | ||
| Marries Phebe | April 13, 1837 marries Phebe W. Carter, Frederick G. Williams officiating. | WWJ 1:140–141. | ||
| Patriarchal blessing | April 15, 1837 Patriarchal blessing by Joseph Smith Sr. | WWJ 1:142–143. | ||
| April 29, 1837 attends abortive trial of Frederick G. Williams, David Whitmer, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman E. Johnson, and Warren Parrish. | WWJ 1:148; Council of May 29, 1837 | |||
| April 30, 1837 attends first day of Joseph's trial for plotting the murder of Grandison Newell. | Did Joseph Plot to Murder Grandison Newell? | |||
| Mission to Maine | May 31, 1837 begins mission to Maine with Jonathan Hale and Milton Holmes. | WWJ 1:149. | ||
| Arrives Fox Islands | August 19, 1837 arrives in the Fox Islands, Maine (North Haven and Vinalhaven). | WWJ 1:169, | ||
| Baptizes family | July 1, 1838 baptizes father, mother, sister in Farmington, Connecticut | WWJ 1: 264. | ||
| Fox Islands | August 7, 1838 returns to the Fox Islands, Maine. | WWJ 1: 275. | ||
| Call to apostleship | August 9, 1838 receives call to the apostleship and mission to England. | |||
| Trek west | October 9, 1838 begins trek from Maine to Missouri, wintering in Rochester, Illinois. | |||
| Ordained apostle | April 26, 1839 ordained an apostle by Brigham Young at Far West. | Council of April 26, 1839 | ||
| Montrose | May 18, 1839 moves family to Montrose, Iowa. | |||
| Joseph heals sick | July 22, 1839 witnesses Joseph healing the sick in Commerce. | |||
| Mission of the Twelve to England | August 8, 1839 leaves on mission to England with John Taylor. | |||
| 1824 resolution | ||||
| Age 23 | From the age of 14 to 23 my mind was often exercised upon the subject of my souls salvation yet without submision to God or being led by his spirit untill the age of 23. Then at that age, I resolved by the grace of God assisting me to be led by the spirit and word of God into that truth which maketh free thereby. | WWJ 1:5. | ||
| Join no church until restoration | I had no desire to join any of the sectarian Churches for I found by compareing the Churches with the records of divine truth that they were neither contending nor receieving the faith once delivered to the Saints. I could not discover the Church or body of Christ visible among men. I believed the Church of Christ was in the wilderness and that there had been a falling away from the pure and undefiled religion before God. And I was looking for the Church to arise and again to be esstablished upon the foundation of the ancient Apostles and Prophets Christ Jesus the chief Corner Stone. < | |||
| Ordination to the High Priesthood and a Seventy | ||||
| High Priesthood, 70, sealed | ¶ | Spent this 31st DAY of MAY at Br Fry Eagle Creek and found it to be the most interesting, important & instructive day of my LIFE. For on this Glorious DAY I was ordained unto the High Priesthood and also as one of the Second Seventy & sealed up unto Eternal LIFE under the hands of my Beloved Brethren, VIZ Elder's David W Patten (h) & Warren Parrish. My ordination was requested by the PRESIDENCY of the Church at Kirtland, Ohio. | Eagle Creek: near Paris, Kentucky. | |
| ¶ | Their was glorious things Pronounced upon my head in my ordination by the spirit of Prophecy & Revelation. Some I will mention which are as follows: | |||
| That although my enemies would strive to take my life & confine me in dungons & Prisons yet God should give me power over my enemies & deliver me out of their hands & from their vaults, Prisons, & caves in the name of Jesus Christ, | ||||
| & that men would bow at my feet & worship me if I did not say to them do it not & that Kings would bow before me & Princes give me their hand & that I Should baptism them into the Kingdom of God | ||||
| & that I should be blessed on the EARTH When my head blossomed with age | ||||
| & if I desired it I should remain on the Earth untill the comeing of the Savior | ||||
| & that God would give me the desire of my heart | ||||
| & that God would give me the desire of my heart & that God had had his eye upon me all my life long to prepare me for this work. … | ||||
| that I should travel to the nations of the Earth & the Islands of the sea to Proclaim the word of God. | ||||
| When these and other blessings were Pronounced upon my head I Was filled With the Power & Spirit of God. EVEN SO LET IT BE. AMEN | ||||
| O GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER I ASK THE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST TO PREPARE ME FOR THY USE AND GIVE ME THE SPIRIT OF MY MISHION. < | ||||
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Dreams
and Visions: Wilford Woodruff |
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