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Leaves From My Journal: Third Book of the Faith-Promoting Series
Contents from the 1882 printing. One of Wilford Woodruff's greatest contributions to the LDS Church is his meticulous collection of journals. For more than half a century, President Woodruff kept a daily record of his amazing adventures and spiritual experiences, marking this modern prophet as one of the Church's most successful missionaries. This volume is full of favorite stories we've all heard as well as many little-well known experiences. Several of President Woodruff's daily entries chronicle harrowing events and exciting incidents, including his accounts -Being left alone in an alligator swamp-Being entertained by Indians-Journeying sixty miles without food-Having a mob poison his horses-Converting & baptizing a constable who was sent to arrest him.
175 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1882
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April 26, 2021
This is a wonderful little book! It contains words directly from Wilford Woodruff's journals about his baptism and early missions for the Church to the Fox Islands and England. It also mentions his call to the Twelve Apostles and teachings about revelation and the direction of the Holy Ghost in our lives. There are wonderful lessons to learn from this prophet's early life and faithfulness.
Here are some favorite quotes:
"When the old prophet had finished relating the vision and interpretation, he said to me... 'I shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh; but you will, and you will become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom (p. 5).'"
"In 1832, I left Connecticut, and traveled with my eldest brother to Oswego County, New York; and in the winter of 1833, I saw, for the first time in my life, an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He preached in a schoolhouse near where I lived. I attended the meeting, and the Spirit of the Lord bore record to me that what I heard was true. I invited the Elder to my house, and next day I... went down into the water and was baptized (p. 5)."
"It was a great school for us to be led by a Prophet of God a thousand miles, through cities, towns, villages, and through the wilderness (p. 8)."
"I will exhort all my young friends to not cherish selfishness; but if you have any, get rid of it as soon as possible. Be generous and noble-hearted, kind... Never contend... try to make peace whenever you can. Whenever you are blessed with any good thing, be willing to share it with others (p. 10)."
"I had a desire to go and preach the gospel. I knew the gospel which the Lord had revealed to Joseph Smith was true, and of such great value that I wanted to tell it to the people who had not heard it... I dared not tell any of the authorities of the Church that I wanted to preach, lest they might think I was seeking for an office (p. 11)."
"As I laid my head on the pillow I felt to thank God, from the bottom of my heart, for the exchange of the barbarous treatment of a civilized Presbyterian priest, for the humane, kind and generous treatment of the savage Osage Indians (p. 13)."
"We were too bashful to ask for anything to take with us to eat; so we crossed the river and started on our day's journey of sixty miles without a morsel of food of any kind. What for? To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to save this generation (p. 15)."
"On the 24th of March, after traveling some ten miles through mud, I was taken lame with a sharp pain in my knee. I sat down on a log. My companion, who was anxious to get to his home in Kirtland, left me sitting in an alligator swamp. I did not see him for two years. I knelt down in the mud and prayed, and the Lord healed me, and I went on my way rejoicing (p. 24)."
"I prayed to the Lord to give me His spirit and to show me the hearts of the people. I promised the Lord in my prayer I would deliver to that congregation whatever He would give me. I arose and spoke one hour and a half and it was one of the best sermons of my life (p. 25)."
"The Lord did not forsake His Saints in any of their troubles (p. 28)."
"This brings the year 1835 to a close--the first year of my mission, during which time I had traveled three thousand two hundred and forty-eight miles, held one hundred and seventy meetings, baptized forty-three persons... confirmed thirty-five, organized three branches, ordained two teachers and one deacon (p. 29)."
"Elder David W. Patten, who had come direct from Kirtland... had been ordained one of the Twelve Apostles. It was a happy meeting. He gave us an account of the endowments at Kirtland, the glorious blessings received, the ministration of angels, the organization of the Twelve Apostles and Seventies, and informed me that I was appointed a member of the second quorum of Seventies (p. 31)."
"This winter and the following spring, in some respects, may be regarded as one of the most interesting periods of the history of the Church, when we consider the endowments and teachings given in the temple, and the great apostasy which followed. I was married to Miss Phoebe Whitmore Carter, on the 13th of April, 1837, and received my patriarchal blessing under the hands of Father Joseph Smith, the Patriarch, two days after (p. 35)."
"Feeling that it was my duty to go upon this mission, I did not tarry at home one year after having married a wife... I started just one month and one day after that important event, leaving my wife with Sister Hale, with whom she expected to stay for a season (p. 35)."
"This was the first time that I or any other Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had (to my knowledge) attempted to preach the fullness of the gospel and the Book of Mormon to the inhabitants of any island of the sea (p. 44)."
"We continued to baptize the people of the North Island until we had baptized every person who owned an interest in the Baptist meetinghouse. I then followed Mr. Douglass home to the South Island and preached the gospel to and baptized nearly all the members of his church (p. 46)."
"What had brought us here? To search out the blood of Ephraim, the honest and meek of the earth, and gather them from those islands, rocks, holes, and caves of the earth unto Zion (p. 47)."
"January 1st, 1838, found me standing upon one of the islands of the sea, a minister of the gospel of life and salvation unto the people, laboring alone, though blessed with the society of Mrs. Woodruff, my companion (p. 51)."
"On the evening of the 21st of February, as we came out of the schoolhouse, a light appeared in the north-eastern horizon, and spread to the west and soon rolled over our heads. It had the appearance of fire, blood and smoke, and at times resembled contending armies. The heavens were illuminated for the space of half an hour. It seemed at times as though the veil was about to rend in twain and the elements were contending with each other (p. 54)."
"I received a package of letters from friends abroad. One was from Kirtland and gave an account of the apostasy and tribulation which the Saints were passing through. Joseph the prophet and others, with their families, had gone to Far West, and the Saints were following them (p. 55)."
"On the 28th of March, I received a letter from Zion, requesting me to counsel the Saints I had baptized to sell their property and gather up to Zion (p. 57)."
"It was truly a day of joy to my soul. My father, stepmother and sister were among the number baptized. I afterwards added a number of relatives. I felt that this day's work alone repaid me for all my labors in the ministry (p. 64)."
"President Marsh added in his letter, 'Know then, Brother Woodruff, by this, that you are appointed to fill the place of one of the Twelve Apostles, and that it is agreeable to the word of the Lord, given very lately, that you should come speedily to Far West, and, on the 26th of April next, take your leave of the Saints and depart for other climes across the mighty deep.' The substance of this letter had been revealed to me several weeks before, but I had not named it to any person (p. 66)."
"The inhabitants of the island had but little acquaintance with the management of horses or wagons; in fact, most of them knew more about handling a shark than a horse (p. 67)."
"I laid my hands on her, and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and the destroyer, and commanded the same to depart from her, and the spirit of life to enter her body... One of these messengers informed her that she could have her choice: she might go to rest in the spirit world, or, on one condition she could have the privilege of returning to her tabernacle and continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was, if she felt that she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulation and afflictions of life which he would be called to pass through for the gospel's sake unto the end... she said: 'Yes, I will do it!' (p. 71)."
"It seemed as though the Lord, having a foreknowledge of what would take place, had given the revelation in this manner to see whether the Apostles would obey it at the risk of their lives... when President Young asked the Twelve what our feelings were upon the subject, we all of us, as the voice of one man, said the Lord God had spoken, and it was for us to obey. It was the Lord's business to take care of His servants, and we would fulfill the commandment, or die trying (p. 76)."
"On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be fulfilled this day should not be, and notwithstanding that ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the State by the edict of the governor, and though the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith, with other leading men were in the hands of our enemies, in chains, and in prison, we moved on to the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment given unto us, and we performed many other things at this council... The 'Mission of the Twelve' was sung, and we then repaired to the south-east corner of the temple ground, and, with the assistance of Elder Alpheus Cutler, the master workman of the building committee, laid the southeast chief corner stone of the temple, according to revelation (p. 77)."
"While we were on our way to fulfill the revelation, Joseph the Prophet, and his companions in chains had been liberated, through the blessings of God, from their enemies and prison... Once more I had the happy privilege of taking Brother Joseph by the hand... their lives were in the hands of God, and He had delivered them, and they were now mingling with their wives, children and friends, and out of reach of the mob... No many can understand the joyful sensations created by such a meeting, except those who have been in tribulation for the gospel's sake (p. 78)."
"Brother Joseph had waited on the sick, until he was worn out and nearly sick himself. On the morning of the 22nd of July, 1839, he arose, reflecting on the situation of the Saints of God in their persecutions and afflictions, and he called upon the Lord in prayer, and the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed all the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion (p. 81)."
"The Prophet said he could not go; but, after pausing some time, he said he would send some one to heal them; and he turned to me and said: 'You go with the man and heal his children.' He took a red silk handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me, and told me to wipe their faces with the handkerchief when I administered to them, and they should be healed. He also said unto me: 'As long as you will keep that handkerchief, it shall remain a league between you and me.' I went with the man, and did as the Prophet commanded me, and the children were healed. I have possession of the handkerchief unto this day (p. 84)."
"Brother Hyrum advised me to preach the first principles of the gospel; he thought that was about as much as this generation could endure (p. 85)."
"'Exercise the principle of mercy, and be ready to forgive our brethren on the first intimation of their repentance and desire for forgiveness... Act honestly before God and man; beware of sophistry... Be honest, open and frank (Joseph Smith, p. 85).'"
"The brethren of the Twelve Apostles started upon their mission to England, in 1839 (p. 90)."
"I again met with a large assembly of the Saints and strangers, and while singing the first hymn the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and the voice of God said to me, 'This is the last meeting that you will hold with this people for many days (p. 99).'"
"I should go to the south, for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for the world of the Lord (p. 100)."
"This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were continually calling upon the Lord to open the way before them, and send them light and knowledge that they might know the true way to be saved (p. 102)."
"The constable went to the rector and told him if he wanted Mr. Woodruff taken up for preaching the gospel, he must go himself and serve the writ, for he had heard him preach the only true gospel sermon he had ever listened to in his life (p. 103)."
"The whole history of this Herefordshire mission shows the importance of listening to the still small voice of the Spirit of God and the revelations of the Holy Ghost. The Lord had a people there prepared for the gospel. They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them... and some some eight hundred souls received it (p. 105)."
"Joseph Smith went before the Lord and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, and asked for knowledge, wisdom and understanding in order to know what to do to be saved... We all have to pursue the very same course in order to obtain revelation from God (p. 107)."
"When we have the principles of the gospel revealed to us through the mouth of the Savior, or by inspired prophets or apostles, we have no need to ask the Lord to reveal that unto us again (p. 108)."
"Obtain the Holy Spirit, get acquainted with it and its operations, and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit and obey its voice, and it soon will become a principle of revelation unto us (p. 108)."
"In order to prove whether a revelation is from God or not we follow out the principles revealed to us, and if we find that which was manifested to us prove true, we know it is from God; for truth is one of His attributes, and the Holy Ghost deceiveth no man (p. 108)."
"By obeying the revelation of the Spirit of God to me I saved my life, the lives of my wife and child, as well as my animals (p. 110)."
"President Young received revelations in the temple, and there are yet many revelations to be received in the last days, concerning the redemption of the dead and many other subjects but they will all be manifest in due time, through the proper authority unto the Church and Kingdom of God (p. 115)."
"I do not think that the Lord ever sends an angel to the earth to visit the children of men, unless it is necessary to introduce a dispensation of the gospel, or deliver a message or perform a work that cannot be done otherwise (p. 119)."
Here are some favorite quotes:
"When the old prophet had finished relating the vision and interpretation, he said to me... 'I shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh; but you will, and you will become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom (p. 5).'"
"In 1832, I left Connecticut, and traveled with my eldest brother to Oswego County, New York; and in the winter of 1833, I saw, for the first time in my life, an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He preached in a schoolhouse near where I lived. I attended the meeting, and the Spirit of the Lord bore record to me that what I heard was true. I invited the Elder to my house, and next day I... went down into the water and was baptized (p. 5)."
"It was a great school for us to be led by a Prophet of God a thousand miles, through cities, towns, villages, and through the wilderness (p. 8)."
"I will exhort all my young friends to not cherish selfishness; but if you have any, get rid of it as soon as possible. Be generous and noble-hearted, kind... Never contend... try to make peace whenever you can. Whenever you are blessed with any good thing, be willing to share it with others (p. 10)."
"I had a desire to go and preach the gospel. I knew the gospel which the Lord had revealed to Joseph Smith was true, and of such great value that I wanted to tell it to the people who had not heard it... I dared not tell any of the authorities of the Church that I wanted to preach, lest they might think I was seeking for an office (p. 11)."
"As I laid my head on the pillow I felt to thank God, from the bottom of my heart, for the exchange of the barbarous treatment of a civilized Presbyterian priest, for the humane, kind and generous treatment of the savage Osage Indians (p. 13)."
"We were too bashful to ask for anything to take with us to eat; so we crossed the river and started on our day's journey of sixty miles without a morsel of food of any kind. What for? To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to save this generation (p. 15)."
"On the 24th of March, after traveling some ten miles through mud, I was taken lame with a sharp pain in my knee. I sat down on a log. My companion, who was anxious to get to his home in Kirtland, left me sitting in an alligator swamp. I did not see him for two years. I knelt down in the mud and prayed, and the Lord healed me, and I went on my way rejoicing (p. 24)."
"I prayed to the Lord to give me His spirit and to show me the hearts of the people. I promised the Lord in my prayer I would deliver to that congregation whatever He would give me. I arose and spoke one hour and a half and it was one of the best sermons of my life (p. 25)."
"The Lord did not forsake His Saints in any of their troubles (p. 28)."
"This brings the year 1835 to a close--the first year of my mission, during which time I had traveled three thousand two hundred and forty-eight miles, held one hundred and seventy meetings, baptized forty-three persons... confirmed thirty-five, organized three branches, ordained two teachers and one deacon (p. 29)."
"Elder David W. Patten, who had come direct from Kirtland... had been ordained one of the Twelve Apostles. It was a happy meeting. He gave us an account of the endowments at Kirtland, the glorious blessings received, the ministration of angels, the organization of the Twelve Apostles and Seventies, and informed me that I was appointed a member of the second quorum of Seventies (p. 31)."
"This winter and the following spring, in some respects, may be regarded as one of the most interesting periods of the history of the Church, when we consider the endowments and teachings given in the temple, and the great apostasy which followed. I was married to Miss Phoebe Whitmore Carter, on the 13th of April, 1837, and received my patriarchal blessing under the hands of Father Joseph Smith, the Patriarch, two days after (p. 35)."
"Feeling that it was my duty to go upon this mission, I did not tarry at home one year after having married a wife... I started just one month and one day after that important event, leaving my wife with Sister Hale, with whom she expected to stay for a season (p. 35)."
"This was the first time that I or any other Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had (to my knowledge) attempted to preach the fullness of the gospel and the Book of Mormon to the inhabitants of any island of the sea (p. 44)."
"We continued to baptize the people of the North Island until we had baptized every person who owned an interest in the Baptist meetinghouse. I then followed Mr. Douglass home to the South Island and preached the gospel to and baptized nearly all the members of his church (p. 46)."
"What had brought us here? To search out the blood of Ephraim, the honest and meek of the earth, and gather them from those islands, rocks, holes, and caves of the earth unto Zion (p. 47)."
"January 1st, 1838, found me standing upon one of the islands of the sea, a minister of the gospel of life and salvation unto the people, laboring alone, though blessed with the society of Mrs. Woodruff, my companion (p. 51)."
"On the evening of the 21st of February, as we came out of the schoolhouse, a light appeared in the north-eastern horizon, and spread to the west and soon rolled over our heads. It had the appearance of fire, blood and smoke, and at times resembled contending armies. The heavens were illuminated for the space of half an hour. It seemed at times as though the veil was about to rend in twain and the elements were contending with each other (p. 54)."
"I received a package of letters from friends abroad. One was from Kirtland and gave an account of the apostasy and tribulation which the Saints were passing through. Joseph the prophet and others, with their families, had gone to Far West, and the Saints were following them (p. 55)."
"On the 28th of March, I received a letter from Zion, requesting me to counsel the Saints I had baptized to sell their property and gather up to Zion (p. 57)."
"It was truly a day of joy to my soul. My father, stepmother and sister were among the number baptized. I afterwards added a number of relatives. I felt that this day's work alone repaid me for all my labors in the ministry (p. 64)."
"President Marsh added in his letter, 'Know then, Brother Woodruff, by this, that you are appointed to fill the place of one of the Twelve Apostles, and that it is agreeable to the word of the Lord, given very lately, that you should come speedily to Far West, and, on the 26th of April next, take your leave of the Saints and depart for other climes across the mighty deep.' The substance of this letter had been revealed to me several weeks before, but I had not named it to any person (p. 66)."
"The inhabitants of the island had but little acquaintance with the management of horses or wagons; in fact, most of them knew more about handling a shark than a horse (p. 67)."
"I laid my hands on her, and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and the destroyer, and commanded the same to depart from her, and the spirit of life to enter her body... One of these messengers informed her that she could have her choice: she might go to rest in the spirit world, or, on one condition she could have the privilege of returning to her tabernacle and continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was, if she felt that she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the cares, trials, tribulation and afflictions of life which he would be called to pass through for the gospel's sake unto the end... she said: 'Yes, I will do it!' (p. 71)."
"It seemed as though the Lord, having a foreknowledge of what would take place, had given the revelation in this manner to see whether the Apostles would obey it at the risk of their lives... when President Young asked the Twelve what our feelings were upon the subject, we all of us, as the voice of one man, said the Lord God had spoken, and it was for us to obey. It was the Lord's business to take care of His servants, and we would fulfill the commandment, or die trying (p. 76)."
"On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be fulfilled this day should not be, and notwithstanding that ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the State by the edict of the governor, and though the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith, with other leading men were in the hands of our enemies, in chains, and in prison, we moved on to the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment given unto us, and we performed many other things at this council... The 'Mission of the Twelve' was sung, and we then repaired to the south-east corner of the temple ground, and, with the assistance of Elder Alpheus Cutler, the master workman of the building committee, laid the southeast chief corner stone of the temple, according to revelation (p. 77)."
"While we were on our way to fulfill the revelation, Joseph the Prophet, and his companions in chains had been liberated, through the blessings of God, from their enemies and prison... Once more I had the happy privilege of taking Brother Joseph by the hand... their lives were in the hands of God, and He had delivered them, and they were now mingling with their wives, children and friends, and out of reach of the mob... No many can understand the joyful sensations created by such a meeting, except those who have been in tribulation for the gospel's sake (p. 78)."
"Brother Joseph had waited on the sick, until he was worn out and nearly sick himself. On the morning of the 22nd of July, 1839, he arose, reflecting on the situation of the Saints of God in their persecutions and afflictions, and he called upon the Lord in prayer, and the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed all the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion (p. 81)."
"The Prophet said he could not go; but, after pausing some time, he said he would send some one to heal them; and he turned to me and said: 'You go with the man and heal his children.' He took a red silk handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me, and told me to wipe their faces with the handkerchief when I administered to them, and they should be healed. He also said unto me: 'As long as you will keep that handkerchief, it shall remain a league between you and me.' I went with the man, and did as the Prophet commanded me, and the children were healed. I have possession of the handkerchief unto this day (p. 84)."
"Brother Hyrum advised me to preach the first principles of the gospel; he thought that was about as much as this generation could endure (p. 85)."
"'Exercise the principle of mercy, and be ready to forgive our brethren on the first intimation of their repentance and desire for forgiveness... Act honestly before God and man; beware of sophistry... Be honest, open and frank (Joseph Smith, p. 85).'"
"The brethren of the Twelve Apostles started upon their mission to England, in 1839 (p. 90)."
"I again met with a large assembly of the Saints and strangers, and while singing the first hymn the Spirit of the Lord rested upon me, and the voice of God said to me, 'This is the last meeting that you will hold with this people for many days (p. 99).'"
"I should go to the south, for the Lord had a great work for me to perform there, as many souls were waiting for the world of the Lord (p. 100)."
"This body of United Brethren were searching for light and truth, but had gone as far as they could, and were continually calling upon the Lord to open the way before them, and send them light and knowledge that they might know the true way to be saved (p. 102)."
"The constable went to the rector and told him if he wanted Mr. Woodruff taken up for preaching the gospel, he must go himself and serve the writ, for he had heard him preach the only true gospel sermon he had ever listened to in his life (p. 103)."
"The whole history of this Herefordshire mission shows the importance of listening to the still small voice of the Spirit of God and the revelations of the Holy Ghost. The Lord had a people there prepared for the gospel. They were praying for light and truth, and the Lord sent me to them... and some some eight hundred souls received it (p. 105)."
"Joseph Smith went before the Lord and prayed in the name of Jesus Christ, and asked for knowledge, wisdom and understanding in order to know what to do to be saved... We all have to pursue the very same course in order to obtain revelation from God (p. 107)."
"When we have the principles of the gospel revealed to us through the mouth of the Savior, or by inspired prophets or apostles, we have no need to ask the Lord to reveal that unto us again (p. 108)."
"Obtain the Holy Spirit, get acquainted with it and its operations, and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit and obey its voice, and it soon will become a principle of revelation unto us (p. 108)."
"In order to prove whether a revelation is from God or not we follow out the principles revealed to us, and if we find that which was manifested to us prove true, we know it is from God; for truth is one of His attributes, and the Holy Ghost deceiveth no man (p. 108)."
"By obeying the revelation of the Spirit of God to me I saved my life, the lives of my wife and child, as well as my animals (p. 110)."
"President Young received revelations in the temple, and there are yet many revelations to be received in the last days, concerning the redemption of the dead and many other subjects but they will all be manifest in due time, through the proper authority unto the Church and Kingdom of God (p. 115)."
"I do not think that the Lord ever sends an angel to the earth to visit the children of men, unless it is necessary to introduce a dispensation of the gospel, or deliver a message or perform a work that cannot be done otherwise (p. 119)."
June 16, 2009
As a result of this book, I gained an appreciation for and a testimony of the prophet Wilford Woodruff. A Mormon classic every LDS church member should read to give them a feeling for the early days of our church.
February 10, 2008
I feel like I'm under obligation to say I liked this book because it was written by a prophet. There were parts that were interesting but it's not one I'd read again.
July 22, 2018
A remarkable and inspiring Journal
The miraculous experiences of a modern-day prophet of God make for great reading. What a blessing to have this journal available to us! I will cherish it always. It teaches us how the Holy Ghost guides righteous men to accomplish God's work upon the earth.
The miraculous experiences of a modern-day prophet of God make for great reading. What a blessing to have this journal available to us! I will cherish it always. It teaches us how the Holy Ghost guides righteous men to accomplish God's work upon the earth.
February 4, 2021
Inspiring and insightful, great to get such an eyewitness account of early LDS Church History. I actually transcribed and indexed it for the Wilford Woodruff Papers, so I read it three times over the last month, I feel like I got a really in-depth, close reading of Wilford Woodruff’s life through 1840.
May 23, 2022
A wonderful little book describing several of Wilford Woodruff’s experiences in the early days of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some of the stories are a little disjointed—as you would expect from a journal of this type. But there are some incredible experiences and insights into what made Wilfred Woodruff such a great man, missionary, and church leader.
June 15, 2023
I appreciate that he took the time to record his stories of his life as a missionary. It gave me a better appreciating for the hardships and trials that the early apostles sacrificed while they did the early preachig o the gospel of Christ in these latter days.
June 16, 2026
I wish that he included more descriptions of the locations mentioned in the journal, especially those in Arkansas. I had a hard time connecting with Wilford Woodruff and those he ministered to because of this lack of detail, it reminds of the journals of a 18th century explorer rather than what I had expected.
May 8, 2017
Ends kind of abruptly. But still a great bit of insight into President Woodruff's life.
October 24, 2017
Great book!
I enjoyed reading and learning from Woodruff in this tome immensely. He was a wonderful person that I can only dream of ever being like.
I enjoyed reading and learning from Woodruff in this tome immensely. He was a wonderful person that I can only dream of ever being like.
December 19, 2018
A testimony building book!
August 20, 2020
Last two chapters of advise were fantastic
August 16, 2024
Wilford Woodruff is one tough dude.
Read
September 1, 2026An interesting and entertaining account of Woodruff's early life
April 4, 2010
I was very tempted to give this book a four stars, I'm not sure why, but I just didn't feel as thought it deserved five stars. But, the reason I gave it five stars was due to the fact that with about 20 pages left to read I started to think of how I was going to rate this book on goodreads. I do this with every book I read, when I'm almost done, I don't even care about the end, just my review on goodreads. But, luckily, I read enough to catch some of my favorite lines in this book. These two lines are what made it a five star for me, in this first one he is talking about things in his patriarchal blessing that had come to pass, "The Patriarch also said that I should be wrapped in the visions of heaven, and the angels of God should teach me many things, this was literally fulfiiled" I'm not sure exactly how this was literally fulfilled or what he means to the full extent, but its just one of those things that makes you wonder deeply! The next quote was the very last sentence in the book, so the book definitely ended on a good note, it goes like this "And so in regard to the administrations of angels in all ages of the world; it is to deliver a message and perform a work which cannot otherwise be accomplished".
Special thanks to Sis. Ferrell for letting me borrow this book! :)
Special thanks to Sis. Ferrell for letting me borrow this book! :)
February 6, 2015
I read this as a young teen; my parents had an original copy from the 1880s. For its age alone I was interested in knowing what it was, and when I discovered it was full of stories I read it from cover to cover. At that time the doctrinal passages were too dry to spend much time on; it was the interactions with people and with God that attracted me. I wish now that I owned a hard copy to hand to my children. It's definitely worth rereading. I gained from it a better perspective on what the pioneers and early missionaries went through; what life was like in the 1880s, and what it felt like and looked like to be led by the Spirit of God. That was perhaps its greatest influence on me; since then I have recognized the hand of God in my life and have listened. President Woodruff also gives some examples of times when he did not listen, and I have felt those, too. It is infinitely better to listen to the the Spirit!
June 14, 2013
Wilford Woodruff is known for having kept meticulous journals for most of his life. We are so blessed that he did!
Here are some highlights, organized into easily readable stories. They are wonderful gems of church history, including details of missionary service in the pacific islands and in England.
There are excerpts of discourses and accounts of miracles, including sections dedicated to the blessings of following revelation and the perils of not doing so - including examples!
This is a treasure and for only a $1 any Latter Day Saint would be well served by purchasing and reading this volume.
Here are some highlights, organized into easily readable stories. They are wonderful gems of church history, including details of missionary service in the pacific islands and in England.
There are excerpts of discourses and accounts of miracles, including sections dedicated to the blessings of following revelation and the perils of not doing so - including examples!
This is a treasure and for only a $1 any Latter Day Saint would be well served by purchasing and reading this volume.
June 5, 2012
Wilford Woodruff said he wrote this to the younger generation as a faith-promoting book. I think missionaries would really be inspired by some of his mission experiences. Much of the book seems more like a travel log of his first mission, but there are many beautiful experiences interspersed throughout. I would give these anecdotes 5 stars. The second half picks up with more spiritual experiences. Four stars for the second half. I will probably read it again. Of course, I also read this with a desire to get to know my ancestors better, which I did.
April 14, 2011
Short history of Wilford Woodruff. By no means exhaustive considering he had like 23 journals. This is more of some short stories from his life some are really good (like bringing his wife back to life). Some stories you've heard before in sunday school. But a short read and a fun sunday afternoon kind of book.
October 3, 2015
This book is more of a summary of President Woodruff's experiences in the early days of his conversion and missionary work. It was interesting and informative. The ending chapters included counsel from the Prophet to rising generations. It was neat to get a flavor for what things were like in the early days of the restoration.
July 1, 2010
A great book. I had forgotten that he was the apostle in England who was led to Benbow's farm and baptized hundreds. He couldn't figure out why the Spirit would lead him there when he had numerous teaching appointments already set up elsewhere.
If anyone wants to borrow my copy, feel free.
If anyone wants to borrow my copy, feel free.
June 28, 2010
Interesting glimpse into some of the stories from Wilford Woodruff's life. Some I already knew; others I didn't. I was impressed with his willingness to sacrifice on his missions, the difficulty of just getting around, and his faith.
September 7, 2016
I love reading the biographies/auto-biographies of the early leaders of the LDS Church. So much faith! So much hard work and sacrifice! So many miracles! I loved this book. So easy to read and so uplifting. Definitely would recommend it!!
March 8, 2008
This is a must-read for anyone interested in LDS Church history.
March 31, 2008
short and inspiring.
March 30, 2009
Very inspiring and uplifting biography.
March 27, 2010
I really like this book. I knew most of the stories but it was special to read them on President Woodruff's own words.
September 25, 2012
I want more than just "leaves." Bring on the whole thing!
April 27, 2016
Some of his memories were ones I had never heard before. Learned a lot
December 16, 2022
I learned a lot about one of the earliest Mormon missionaries, in this book. He walked unbelievable numbers of miles in America, and did faith healings frequently!
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